Do for Me/ Do It Yourself / Do With Me marketing services: which digital agency services model is right?

Choosing the best tech platform to build or make your digital marketing initiative more effective is a dizzying choice. Small businesses determined to capture their market must consider everything from do-it-for-me (DIFM) turnkey solutions that rely fully on an outside firm, or more independent—and less expensive—software like do-it-yourself (DIY) or do-it-with-me (DWM), which combines elements of both previous services options.

Research shows certain tech platforms tend to correspond to the size of an organization. Small businesses with 1 to 4 employees, for example, usually rely on the DIY model, spending about $2,500 annually for the service, according to BIA/Kelsey Advertising & Marketing Trends. Slightly larger companies with 5-9 employees spend considerably more annually on marketing services, about $20,000, while firms with up to 99 employees typically double that amount, spending upwards of $53,000 annually. The latter two groups also rely less on the DIY model, instead opting for the DIFM or DWM models.

New digital service providers, especially traditional media businesses like broadcasters and newspapers, however, must weigh several factors, not just company size, before choosing the right fit, as each model provides certain benefits. The DIY model often appeals to tech savvy, hands-on business owners looking for the most cost-friendly option. They have both the time and desire to engage their customers socially, and ever-friendlier, easy-to-use DIY models add further appeal. The option of having full control over the construction and management of marketing services also attracts less tech savvy owners.

Business owners and managers with little time for digital marketing solutions often opt for the DIFM or DWM platforms. Though more expensive, these options lure owners seeking limited or minimal involvement in a full set of marketing services—web, development, social media, SEO, e-commerce, etc.—that function full force right out of the gate.

So what’s the best service model for your digital agency? All of the above, according to SeoSamba. Beyond the multiple options that exist within each platform, and even beyond costs to an extent, organizations should seek flexibility. Platforms may come with varying functionalities and styles, but what many of them lack is the ability to scale down the road. They also provide little in the way of automating execution and delivery.

Software architecture, and the team supporting it, undoubtedly has a huge impact on performance delivery. A hybrid architecture offers great advantages, as it can be delivered as an entire cloud-based solution supported by the vendor’s team, or partially on premise with support from your own IT staff. Regardless, you want to license your mission critical platform from an organization that controls their entire technology stack, and has experience providing services directly to small business customers. Working with a solid services provider side by side will help companies determine technical expertise and business objectives.

Change is the only constant in business, and the world of digital marketing services is no different. In this climate, a flexible provider that caters to all three platforms, concurrently or sequentially, becomes essential. A highly competitive small business market increasingly demands accountability and higher ROI. The industry trend is leaning toward pay-for-performance models, platforms should therefore support pay-per-lead, pay-per-conversion, and models that can deliver granular add-on services like SEO as a Service and Social as a Service, among other features.

About SeoSamba

SeoSamba serves thousands of small businesses around the world with service centers in the United States and Europe. Its software is private labeled by large media companies and available in 14 languages.

SeoSamba is available worldwide as a private-label marketing solution and can be customized at will by media and newspaper groups to fit their vision.

SeoSamba’s hybrid, open-source marketing framework is built around the SeoSamba Marketing Operating System marketing hub and SeoToaster Ultimate CRM +sales automation cloud edition to build and market landing pages, corporate sites, directories and ecommerce websites. SeoSamba also lets you connect, then centrally market and SEO WordPress websites with a free or premium plugin.

For more information about SeoSamba, visit www.seosamba.com, email us at info@seosamba.com, or call us in the US: + (1) 877.450-9894 or in Europe at + (33) 6756376.