Have you ever thought, “How to start a digital marketing agency?” This guide will walk you through the steps to start a digital marketing agency. 

Understanding the Digital Marketing Landscape

In the current highly competitive marketplace, an online presence is no longer optional but a MUST! More & more consumers refer to online platforms before making purchasing decisions. As a result, businesses transform into digital marketing to reach more customers and stay relevant & competitive.

Only a few businesses can handle their digital marketing tasks on their own. However, the downside is they miss out on advice from experienced digital marketing specialists. 

Most companies hire external digital marketing firms to manage their online presence. It is a great business opportunity for those looking to enter the digital marketing agency sector. Since digital marketing is an always-in-demand service, digital marketing agencies will continue to be in high demand in the future as well.

So, if you want to start your digital marketing agency, we can guarantee it is a worthy decision!

What is a digital marketing agency?

Digital marketing has emerged as the primary focus of many business marketing initiatives. The reason is the growth in the use of the internet, smartphones, and other digital devices. 

According to studies, people spend 5 to 8 hours daily on online platforms. It allows businesses to connect with customers where they spend approximately one-third of their day.

Businesses recognize the importance of marketing their products/ services on online platforms. However, they frequently fail to seize the chance on their own. 

Not every company has the resources to handle all of its marketing internally. Companies lacking these in-house resources can hire a digital marketing agency. 

A digital marketing agency is a business or organization that offers a variety of digital marketing services. These firms assist you in promoting products or services using the internet, social media platforms, search engines, email marketing, and other online channels.

What are the types of digital marketing agencies?

Running a digital marketing agency offers you a remarkable level of freedom. You can choose the clients you want to work with, provide any digital marketing services that align with your preferences, set your pricing structure, and determine your work schedule. 

However, before starting your agency, understand the types of digital marketing agencies. 

1.Full-service digital marketing agencies.

A full-service digital marketing agency is a company that provides a comprehensive range of digital marketing services to clients. These agencies are the one-stop shop for all aspects of a client’s online marketing needs. 

For example, as a full-service digital marketing agency, DigiFix offers a range of services like,

  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Pay-per-click advertising (PPC)
  • Social media management
  • Social media marketing
  • Content marketing
  • Email marketing
  • Web design and development
  • Analytics and Data Analysis
  • Online Reputation Management (ORM) & more. 

Full-service digital marketing agencies provide a holistic approach to online marketing, helping all digital channels work together seamlessly to achieve the client’s goals. Clients often choose full-service agencies when they prefer to have a single partner manage their entire digital marketing strategy and execution.

2.Single-channel agencies

Single-channel agencies are digital agencies that have decided to focus on one area of online marketing. 

Instead of offering a wide range of services like full-service agencies, they focus solely on conquering one marketing channel. It could be SEO, Content marketing, PPC, or any part of digital marketing. 

These agencies are the experts in their chosen area. They gain extensive expertise in that particular marketing channel, which helps them to provide their clients with 100% results.

3.Multi-channel agencies

Multi-channel agencies are digital marketing firms that function as a middle ground between full-service and single-channel agencies. 

Instead of delivering a wide range of services like full-service agencies or specializing in just one marketing channel, they focus on complementary marketing channels.

For example, a multi-channel agency can pair services like search engine optimization (SEO) and web designing. This combination allows them to optimize a client’s website for search engines while ensuring the website is well-designed & user-friendly. 

Another example is offering both social media management and social media advertising services, where they create engaging content for social platforms & run paid ad campaigns to increase reach and engagement.

The advantage of multi-channel agencies is that they can provide a more holistic approach to digital marketing by combining services that work well together. 

Clients often choose multi-channel agencies when they want expertise in multiple related areas.  

How to start a digital marketing agency

Now, you have a sound knowledge of the types of digital marketing agencies. Now, let’s step to the most valuable part of this blog, How to start a digital marketing agency? & What are the steps to start a digital marketing agency?

There is no fixed order to build your digital marketing agency. But, as a fellow agency with experience in the industry for the long term, we thought to make the process easy for you. Follow these steps to build your dream agency,

Step 01- Select the service/ services you want to offer. 

The 1st and most important thing to do is select the service or services you want to offer. Do you want to start a full-service digital marketing agency? Or do you offer a single service? 

This decision depends on various factors,

  • Your digital marketing skills.
  • The abilities of your team/ employees.
  • Your target market / potential clients.
  • Your budget & more.

Decide which agency to start based on your capacity. 

Step 02- Select a niche

This step is not compulsory. You can select one or a few niches to offer your services. Or, you can provide your services as a whole, without picking one niche. 

The advantage of selecting a niche is when your target audience is smaller, your clients will understand your capacity better & relate themselves to previous clients. 

You can create a process built around the repetitive work you do. Eventually, you can become a market leader. 

The advantage of not picking a niche is that you can work on different scenarios & situations to get more experience in the field. So, make a better decision according to your capacity. 

Step 03- Set clear goals & objectives

When you think about how to start a digital marketing agency, do not forget the goals of running a digital agency. Goals & objectives define what you want to achieve with your agency. 

Define what success looks like to you & your agency. It could be becoming a well-known digital marketing agency, delivering quality service to your clients & building a good reputation in the industry. 

When you have well-defined goals, you can track your progress. You’ll know how close you are to achieving your targets, which allows you to change your strategies if needed.

Goals motivate you. When you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve, it becomes easier to stay focused and driven, especially during challenging times.

In summary, setting clear goals and objectives for your digital marketing agency is like creating a roadmap to success.

Step 04- Legal and Administrative Requirements

Starting a business, including a digital marketing firm, requires some critical legal and administrative processes you must complete. It will ensure that your organization functions legally.

Let’s see what those are,

Registering Your Business:

1st, decide the legal structure of your agency. It could be a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation. Each of those structures has its own legal & tax implications. 

Register with appropriate authorities:

When you select the structure, you can register your digital marketing agency with the relevant authorities. Here, you have to submit the necessary documents, pay registration fees & get essential licenses. 

Data protection:

As a digital agency, you will collect, store & use clients’ confidential data (personal information, email addresses.. etc.). Therefore, you need to follow data protection laws. You should get consent before collecting information and protect data using relevant methods. 

For example, you can add SSL certificates to your website to prevent hackers from stealing your clients’ data. Would you like to read more about SSL certificates? Refer to our latest blog article about What are SSL certificates. 

Step 05- Hire the right talent (employees)

Having the perfect team to get your back is the key to the success of a business. You can’t provide the best for your clients without the right talent.

Digital marketing is a dynamic and ever-evolving field. So, it is essential to hire people who are genuinely passionate about digital marketing. Passionate people are more likely to go the extra mile to achieve success. 

Your team members should have the specific skills to serve your clients. For example, if you hire a social media marketing executive, that person should have the skills to plan social media strategies, create engaging content, social media advertising, and more.

With the right team in place, your agency can deliver high-quality services & achieve success in the dynamic and competitive digital marketing industry.

Step 06- Create a website for your agency.

In today’s digital world, a website is the 1st point of contact between your agency & potential clients. It serves as a virtual storefront and a central hub for your agency’s online presence.

Your website provides essential information about your services and reflects your agency’s brand identity & credibility.

Keep in mind the following factors when creating a website for your agency,

  • Choose a memorable, easy to pronounce & relevant domain name for your website. For example, since we are a digital agency, our domain is “www.digifix.com.au.” Then, select a reliable domain registrar to register your domain
  • Build a visually appealing & user-friendly design for your website. 
  • Develop high-quality content for your website. 
  • Implement search engine optimization (SEO) best practices to improve your website’s visibility in search engine results. 
  •  Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly.

Implement security measures to protect your website from cyber threats.

Your Dream Website is One Click Away

If you need help creating your dream website for your agency, we are always here to help you. Contact us for a free consultation. 

Step 07- Build social media accounts for your agency.

Building social media accounts involves creating and setting up profiles on various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others for your digital marketing agency. 

These profiles serve as online portals for connecting with your target audience, sharing content, and promoting the services.

Building and monitoring social media accounts is critical to building an online presence, attracting potential customers, and increasing brand awareness.

Step 08- Get the necessary tools for your agency.

A digital marketing agency needs 3rd party tools & software to operate well & deliver quality services to target audiences. These tools include,

Content creation tools

Content creation tools are essential for your agency & your clients. If you have a graphic designing team, they need Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and other Adobe tools. 

But if you don’t have graphic designers, Canva is a great alternative to create eye-catching designs. It is a user-friendly online graphic design tool that’s accessible to both professionals and beginners. 

For written content like blog articles & website content, you can use Chat GPT, Grammarly & QuillBot. 

Project Management Software

Use project management tools like Asana, Trello, or Monday.com to organize tasks, cooperate with your team, and manage client projects effectively.

Communication Tools

Ensure smooth communication within your agency and with clients with tools like Slack, Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams for messaging, video conferencing, and collaboration.

Analytics and Reporting Tools

Invest in tools that help you track and measure the success of your campaigns. Google Analytics, SemRush, and HubSpot Analytics are examples of reporting tools.

SEO Tools

Purchase  SEO-specific tools for keyword research, on-page optimization, backlink analysis, and rank tracking. Popular options include Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz.

Email Marketing Software

Choose an email marketing platform like MailChimp to manage email campaigns, subscriber lists, and analytics.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Systems 

Purchase a CRM system like Salesforce or HubSpot CRM to manage client relationships, track leads, and monitor client interactions.

Paid Advertising Platforms

Use advertising platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads to manage paid advertising campaigns for clients.

Having the right tools at your reach is essential for delivering high-quality digital marketing services, optimizing productivity, and ensuring success.

Step 09- Acquire clients

Acquiring clients is a vital challenge for new digital marketing agencies. You can follow different approaches to reach & persuade clients. 

Networking and Building Relationships: Participate in industry events & online forums. And actively connect with potential clients and partners. Building relationships can result in valuable referrals and collaborative opportunities.

Effective Sales and Marketing Strategies: Create a strong sales & marketing plan to reach potential clients. Use digital marketing tactics to highlight your agency’s expertise and attract potential leads. 

There you go. We hope this blog educated you on how to start a digital marketing agency even with no experience. Study more about how to start a digital marketing agency & take your 1st step. 

If you’re a startup looking to expand your reach and connect with more clients through online platforms, DigiFix is here to assist you. Our expert team can provide valuable insights and guidance tailored to your needs.

Take the first step towards enhancing your online presence and growing your business by contacting DigiFix today for a complimentary consultation. Let’s embark on this digital journey together!

Do you want more traffic?

Hi, we are an Australian digital agency doing groundbreaking work to help a business like yours reach its full potential.  My only question is will you qualify for our services?


    Do you want more traffic?

    Hi, we are an Australian digital agency doing groundbreaking work to help a business like yours reach its full potential.  My only question is will you qualify for our services?