Digital marketing is a very competitive industry. There’s essentially no barrier to entry. Anybody with a computer and internet connection could start a marketing agency. So, how do you know who is legit? How do you know who is good at online marketing and can get the results you desire. What should you look for when hiring the Best Digital Marketing Agency in Philadelphia?

Well, first I’d start by asking yourself a few questions?

1. What specific help or services do you need?
2. Do you want to hire someone locally?
3. Do you prefer working with someone you know or who was referred?
4. How quickly do you want this project to get done?
5. How much are you looking to pay?

The last question is arguably the most important because it is a huge determining factor. Agencies could cost anywhere from a $100 per month to $100,000 per month. It all depends on what you’re looking to achieve and how wide your brand is trying to reach.

Momentum Digital tends to be on the lower end of the price spectrum because work with smaller businesses, local companies, and startups. We also focus on more rewarding digital growth services like SEO or PPC to drive traffic and results…. unlike large branding campaigns you would see from Fortune 500 companies like Apple, Ford, Amazon, etc.

Main Marketing Services Offered by the Best Agencies in Philly

Most digital marketing agencies offer the same plethora of services:

• Web Design
• Search Engine Optimization
• Social Media Marketing
• PPC Paid Advertising (or media buying)
• Branding & Design
• Content Marketing
• Email Marketing
• And much more

So as a business owner you really need to think strategically about how to grow your business and get more customers online. There’s also many traditional marketing agencies (last of a dying breed) that offer TV, Radio, Print Marketing, Billboards and the alike. If you want more traditional brand awareness then that might be an option.

If you believe most of your customers are online searching on using the internet, then digital marketing would be your best focus. Online marketing is catching the attention of people searching or shopping online then curating them to become a customer.

The reason these services are common amongst agencies is because most business owners want those specific offerings to grow their business. The price and timelines for these services range based by city, agency, location, and more. I’d suggest finding out what you can afford to invest into digital marketing.

How much should YOU spend on digital marketing?

This is a common question most business owners struggle with because they have no idea how much marketing costs or how much to spend.

I’m a business owner as well, and this is how I look at the question.

I think it depends on what phase your business is in currently. If you’re in a growth phase then that means you are trying to grow by attracting more customers and revenue and are prepared for that growth. In that case you need to invest in your business, especially with marketing. In that case, the rule of thumb is to invest 10% of your overall revenue back into marketing. 

Now marketing is a wide and broad term. This could refer to advertising, digital marketing, networking, conferences, social media, and really anything that could encompass marketing. So you would need to consider how much you’re already spending in marketing from the year before so you know how to allocate to the upcoming year.

Here is an example:

Let’s say Joe’s Plumbing did $500,000 in sales the previous year but they are looking to grow in the upcoming year. Also in the previous year they spent about $10,000 in traditional marketing and none on digital marketing. This year they are trying to increase sales 20% to $600,000.

That means you’ll take $600,000 x 10% = $60,000 for a marketing budget. You would allocate at least $10,000 + 20% so $12,000 to traditional marketing, leaving $48,000 for digital marketing. This means their monthly digital marketing budget is $4,000.

Now some marketers suggest even more if you are a newer business. Other experts say you should spend up to 12-20% of your gross revenue.

Obviously there are a lot of great options when it comes with the Best Digital Marketing Agency in Philadelphia. But who should you consider?

Well, my name is Mac Frederick and I have met and collaborated with dozens of agencies over the past few years here in Philly. Here are the top marketing firms I recommend in Philadelphia and why.

• Seer Interactive = Founded by my friend Will Reynolds. They’ve been around for over a decade and help cater to larger brands and companies with SEO, Digital Marketing and more. They are pretty expensive though and tend not to work with smaller companies.
• Brolik = Founded by my friend Jason Brewer over 15 years ago, they focus on Web Design, SEO, PPC and more. They are a full service digital agency that also works with bigger brands so they tend to be expensive as well.
• 1SEO = Founded by another friend, Lanch Bachman, also roughly 15 years ago. They focus on all aspects of digital marketing, especially SEO, Web Design, Social Media and PPC. They are a larger company with nearly 100 employees but reasonably priced.
• 215 Marketing = Founded back in 2013 by another friend, Jon Vogel. They are a full service agency that can handle all aspects of digital as well as paid media, CRM, software and more. They are working with bigger brands now at a higher price.
• i76 Solutions = Founded by Drew Salamone over 10 years ago, they are a great agency when it comes to traditional marketing, digital marketing, media buying and much more. They work with all types of local brands and have reasonable pricing.

There are dozens more agencies we like and recommend so please call us if you need any other suggestions or referrals.

Of course, here at Momentum, we are also a smaller full-service digital marketing agency that’s boutique in nature and work with all types of small and local businesses. Headquartered in Philadelphia since 2015 and founded by Mac Frederick, we truly believe we are an amazing fit for smaller local companies wheen it comes to marketing and growing online. Call or contact us for a demo or more information about marketing services and pricing.

As always, make sure to review and shop around when looking for the Best Digital Marketing Agency in Philadelphia!