Big agencies vs. smaller specialist agencies

It’s no secret that big agencies have more resources and more services to offer but the most common misconception is that bigger agencies know what’s best for your business and can better serve your company’s needs. Smaller agencies are often focused on one or two specialist skills and are experts in their areas. The below points outline how smaller more specialist agencies can outshine their much bigger bolder competitors.

The devil is in the detail…

With larger agencies, your agency contact may be a senior figure but in reality work is delegated out to much more junior members of staff. Although a bigger team may be working on your account, you may not be getting the same specialist treatment as at a smaller agency. A bigger team may also mean less focus, communication and details getting lost in translation. Detail is extremely important to smaller agencies, the account manager you are in contact with day-to-day is the person that does all the ground work and understands your account inside out! They are used to going the extra mile for their clients in order to achieve the best results.

Flexibility and adaptability

Although bigger agencies may be more flexible in the services that they can offer you, with heavier workloads and stricter protocols, they are usually much less flexible on how and when they can deliver those services. In contrast, smaller agencies with one specialist skill are much more flexible in how they manage your account and can tailor their services, specifically to their client’s needs.

Money, money, money!

Everyone knows that big agencies = big agency fees, with a flashy portfolio of big brands, large overheads and lots of salaries to pay. Without these, smaller agencies charge less. Big agencies also sometimes outsource specialist work to smaller agencies but still charge a big agency fee, instead of investing more money into maximising performance and get better results for their client. Why pay big agency prices when you can go direct?!

It’s the classic David and Goliath tale and what we are really trying to say is that bigger doesn’t always mean better!

Ultimately both big and small agencies can both satisfy their client’s needs and deliver excellent customer service. If you want an agency where you can get everything in one place then a big full service agency can better suit your needs. However, if you are looking for a specific skill, to maximise a particular channel, a more personal approach from a close knit team and to get the most for your money, then seeking out smaller more specialist agencies can really pay off.

Affiliate marketing is a specialist sector of online marketing. Your program should be tailored exactly to the requirements of your company and needs TLC to help it grow. This is a key proposition for affiliate marketing at Clear New Media and whatever you want from your program, we work hard to achieve it. We’d love to hear from you if you have any questions or would like to discuss your affiliate program.