If you're an eager entrepreneur looking for your next venture, a digital marketing agency could be the perfect opportunity to grow a budding brand. But if you're not sure where to begin or what services to provide — you've come to the right place.
In this guide, we'll be detailing the 7 key steps for creating a successful digital agency. You can expect to find out more about the different types of agencies, niches to explore, and what you'll need to get started. Let's get stuck in.
What type of digital agency should you start?
When someone says they work in digital marketing, this could mean a whole world of things. So when it comes to starting a digital agency, you've got some options to choose from.
It's entirely up to you whether you'd like to offer a wide range of digital marketing services, or niche down and provide a specific service. Let's break down the various forms of digital marketing agencies:
Full-service agency
This type of digital agency does exactly what it says on the tin, it's full-service and therefore provides a wide range of digital marketing services. This may include search engine optimization (SEO), social media management, content creation, email marketing, digital marketing strategy, and even web design.
If you choose the route of a full-service digital marketing agency, there are ways to deliver a wide range of digital marketing services without expertise yourself. Whether you choose to partner up and white-label another agency's services or seek the help of freelancers — you don't need to worry about learning all these skills just yet.
SEO agency
An SEO agency specializes in optimizing websites to improve their search engine ranking and overall visibility. This could include SEO content writing, audits to identify any on-page SEO issues (such as broken links), link building, and other SEO services.
Social media marketing agency
If you love social media marketing, starting a social media marketing agency might be the perfect choice for you. This type of agency could work with big brands, individual content creators, or even start-ups to manage and promote them on social media.
This could include creating engaging content, running ads, and engaging with followers and other accounts.
Content marketing agency
A content marketing agency overlaps slightly with an SEO agency. Content marketing agencies create high-quality content to attract a specific target audience on popular platforms. This type of work typically includes a variety of content, optimized for search engines and promoted across several channels.
PPC advertising agency
Although some social media marketing agencies also manage pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, there are specific PPC advertising agencies out there that focus on this area.
PPC advertising goes beyond social media ads, with paid advertising campaigns on the likes of Google Ads, Bing Ads, and more. A PPC agency would be responsible for crafting the ad copy, designing ads and landing pages, and optimizing PPC advertising for maximum ROI.
If you like getting into the nitty gritty of a target audience and digging into analytics tools, a PPC agency could be a great choice.
Email marketing agency
Love writing copy and want to create something that captures the attention of a target audience? You might want to consider an email marketing agency. You'd be responsible for creating effective email marketing campaigns, monitoring their success, and segmenting customers for maximum results.
You'll also likely offer services such as strategy development, email list building, email design, automation setup, and A/B testing.
Influencer marketing agency
If you love social media, you've no doubt come across influencers promoting specific products and services. Influencer marketing agencies are essentially the bridge between brands and influencers.
You can choose to niche down to a specific industry or dive into a variety to help promote all types of businesses.
What services does a digital agency provide?
There's no denying that digital marketing is a driving force behind a brand's success. Having the right strategy in place can not only bring visibility to a brand but also help them hit their marketing and sales goals.
Now that we've covered some of the different types of digital agencies, it's time to take a closer look at the services provided overall.
Although every digital agency is different, there is often an overlap between digital marketing services. If you're still not sure about the type of digital marketing company you'd like to start, this list should give you greater insight into the services you'd like to provide and how they work together.
Marketing strategy
At the core of any successful digital marketing campaign is a well-planned, carefully constructed strategy. This strategy will have a clear set of aims and goals to hit, using a combination of marketing techniques. Think of an overall marketing strategy as the umbrella for the services below, since many of these can be included.
In order to provide a digital marketing strategy to your clients, you'll need to be on top of market trends and understand the behavior of their target audience. It's important here to create realistic — yet ambitious — goals to achieve for your clients.
Search engine optimization (SEO)
It's crucial for a business to be visible online, and one aspect of this is search engine optimization (SEO). A digital marketing agency will employ SEO tools and techniques to improve a website's organic search ranking, via:
- Keyword research
- On-page optimization
- Off-page backlink building
- SEO content writing
An SEO specialist will dig deep into a website's performance. On-page SEO can include many aspects, such as crafting meta descriptions and enticing titles, as well as adding ALT tags to imagery and improving site speed.
Content marketing
Yes, content is still very much king in the digital world. While this phrase is often thrown around, content marketing is undeniably here to stay.
A content marketing agency supports businesses in creating a content marketing strategy, which can involve blog post writing, explainer videos, ebooks, and even infographics.
As we touched upon earlier, some of these services can quickly overlap. SEO content marketing for example may be created by a content marketing agency, but could also fall under the remit of an SEO agency.
Social media management
If you're looking to start a digital marketing business and love social media, social media management could be one of your key services. This involved creating and curating content, managing social media channels, and potentially running paid advertising campaigns.
Analytics and reporting
A strong digital marketing agency will also be able to provide valuable insights into the success of their work. A digital agency will not only monitor live campaigns but report on their success and reach afterward.
For digital agencies that love data, analytics, and reporting can play a huge role.
Email marketing
Email marketing can often be a small snippet of an overall digital marketing strategy. This can include creating automation and, of course, writing email copy.
However, not all clients will have a huge mailing list ready to go. Email marketing services can also include creating content designed to build a mailing list from scratch or grow an existing one.
Graphic design
Although a specific design agency would specialize in creating graphics for clients, many digital marketing agencies provide some level of design support.
For example, social media agencies would create content for social media posts, using a business's style/branding guide.
Here's how to start a digital marketing agency in 7 steps
Now that you know about the different services marketing agencies can provide, let's take a closer look at how to get started on creating your own digital marketing agency.
No matter which services you aim to provide, you'll know that having a strategy is key. So before you dive in at the deep end of starting your own business, you've got to do a little planning first.
Here are the essential steps on how to start a digital marketing agency and set your business up for success.
1. Carry out market research
Before you get too carried away with brushing up your digital marketing skills and choosing your service portfolio, you need to understand the digital marketing landscape.
This is why you need to conduct market research. Start by carrying out some research into the world of digital marketing and take a look at other businesses in your niche.
Start by working out the following:
- Who are your competitors?
- How will you stand out in your industry?
- Who will your potential clients be? Where are they?
- Take a look at industry trends
This is a very important step in starting your digital marketing business, and not one to be missed. While it can be a little time-consuming, it's worth the effort before you throw everything at your new business.
Thankfully for you, there are also plenty of tools around to make the process of market research a bit easier. Here are just a few worth exploring:
- Google Trends - Get to grips with search topics over time and by location to help identify gaps in the market.
- Answer The Public - See what people are searching for and identify a whole set of topics and questions around that subject.
- Quora - Learn about your audience's pain points and dig deep into how to solve them.
- Reddit - Similar to Quora, Reddit revolves around communities covering a whole world of topics to help you understand your audience better.
- QuestionPro - Want to carry out your own research? Create surveys and get answers directly.
2. Create a business plan
Any successful digital marketing agency has a plan behind it. Whether you're heading into the world of social media or want to stand out as the next best content marketing agency, you're going to need a well-developed business plan.
A strong business plan will include the following:
- A description of your digital marketing agency
- Your objectives, mission, and vision
- Information on your target market
- Core values
- What sets you apart from competitors
- Financial projections
Although it's not crucial to include financial information, it's good to set yourself goals for your new digital marketing business. Plus, if you do require financial investment, this can form the perfect document to pitch to investors.
To build a successful business, you're also going to need a strong set of digital marketing skills and experts in your corner.
If you're already a whizz with social media and this is the type of agency you want to create, you may not require help from others right away. But if you choose to go full-service, here are some of the key roles you may require:
- Project/account manager
- SEO specialist
- Content creator
- SEO writer
- Social media manager
- Designer
Need a hand getting started on your business plan? We compiled some business plan templates to help you crack your new venture.
3. Choose your niche
When it comes to knowing how to start a digital marketing agency, casting a wide net may seem like the right thing to do. After all, this should naturally bring in all customers, right?
Well, not necessarily. Instead, choosing your niche can help to narrow down your focus and allow you to gain a deep understanding of your industry. There are different ways to niche down your digital marketing agency:
- Working with businesses in a specific industry, eg beauty
- Providing a specific service, such as SEO
Of course, you can choose to combine both of these options, giving you a very narrow focus for marketing your own agency. Plus, when you know exactly who you're working with and who your potential clients are, you can develop deep expertise in this area.
Once you've got your niche nailed, you can create a tailored strategy that will appeal to your target market. For example, if you have a background in health and fitness, specializing in this area for your digital marketing agency can help you stand out from competitors.
Take advantage of that knowledge to craft your own digital marketing strategies and demonstrate to potential clients exactly what you can achieve.
4. Define your service/s
Before you can start marketing your own services, you're going to need to know everything about it/them. This will not only set you up for success in delivering projects but also reassure potential clients that your digital marketing agency is the best fit for their needs.
After all, how are you supposed to deliver a top-tier service when you don't know everything there is to know? When you can speak about your service offerings so clearly and confidently, clients will also trust that you're the best digital marketing agency for the task.
Alongside knowing your services inside out, it's crucial to understand the expectations of delivering your service. This will not only help you as an agency owner get to grips with the scope of your work but also help you to avoid potential conflicts with clients.
5. Build your portfolio
When you're first trying to figure out how to start your digital agency, building a portfolio can feel a bit like a catch-22 situation. This is because potential clients want to be able to see what you can achieve before they bring you on board.
But when your business has just begun, what do you have to show? The best option here is to demonstrate that you can market your own agency and create personal projects — documenting things as you go.
For your own agency, it's important to gain visibility on your new business via social media, SEO, and content marketing. If this is your area of expertise, now's the time to put your money where your mouth is!
No matter which services you provide, creating a personal project to use in case studies can help to demonstrate your skills and ability to achieve results. This might be creating a blog, writing SEO content, and promoting it on social media.
Then, be sure to document website traffic and engagement, while outlining any challenges and how you worked to overcome them.
6. Create your brand identity
Building your brand isn't about creating a fancy logo or color scheme — but instead a focus on defining your business values, personality, and the value you aim to deliver.
The best place to start in creating your brand and identity is with your agency's core essence. What is your mission, and what do you stand for? What qualities set your digital marketing agency apart from the rest? These elements will help to craft your agency's personality and overall messaging.
Once you've established what you stand for, you can determine the perfect business name, brand voice, and positioning in the industry.
7. Marketing and networking
No matter which area of digital marketing you work in, you can never forget to market your own business too. If you want to find potential customers, you're going to need to work on your own digital marketing strategy and network with potential clients.
Think about the ways you can reach your target market, whether it's leveraging social media, designing flyers, or reaching out to specific businesses you want to work with. To expand your network further, think about attending digital marketing conferences and seminars, networking events, and webinars — or why not host your own?
If you feel a bit uncertain about creating your own event, you can even consider partnering with other businesses to further your reach. This could be a partner digital marketing agency or one from a totally different niche!
How can you make your digital marketing agency stand out?
And there we have it! The seven steps to start your own digital agency. But as any new business owner will know, standing out from the crowd is crucial to getting noticed.
So, what can you do to make your digital marketing agency stand out from the competition?
Unique value proposition
If you take a look back at your business plan, you'll remember us speaking about how you plan to stand out from other digital agencies. Identify the unique strengths and qualities that your agency brings to the table!
It could be the services you specialize in, innovative ways of working, or exceptional customer service — this is what your clients will remember from working with you.
Deliver exceptional client service
As consumers, we buy from brands we trust and believe in. If we've had a poor customer experience — unless quickly rectified — we're often quick to look elsewhere. When a business goes above and beyond, it's incredibly noticeable, and the same goes for running your digital marketing agency.
When you secure your first client, pay close attention to how you onboard them and communicate with them from the very beginning. Be responsive when they contact you, create personalized strategies, and build trust with your clients. This will not only help you to retain your clients but also earn you referrals due to positive word of mouth.
Consider partnering and collaborating with others
As you build your digital marketing business, one way to further your reach is to collaborate with businesses or influencers in your industry. If they can bring something new to your service offerings, your clients will benefit — and others will want in on the action!
Have a client-centric approach
Once you've got clients working with you, it's important to always look for new ways to improve their experience. Whether you experiment with new onboarding tools or allocate a project manager to them, it's important to listen to your clients' needs.
Pay attention to competitors
Although you carried out market research into your target market and potential competitors at the start of your journey, it's important to keep an eye on what your competitors are doing to identify any gaps in the market your agency can fill.
Tools required to start a digital marketing agency
Running a successful agency requires a combination of digital marketing skills. With the right tools and software behind you, you'll be in an excellent position to keep your business running smoothly and your clients happy.
Website audit tools
Whether you're heading into web design or working in SEO and content marketing, website audit tools can be incredibly helpful in identifying issues and new opportunities for your clients' websites.
These tools can scan websites to assess a whole bunch of factors, such as site speed, security, and technical performance. Here are some popular tools to consider:
- Ahrefs
- Moz Pro
- Google Analytics
- BuzzSumo
Project management software
To keep your digital marketing agency running smoothly, keeping up on top of your projects is crucial. Finding the right project management software can help you to efficiently plan, carry out, and track tasks and projects. Using this type of software can help keep things organized, especially when working with third parties.
Plus, many tools have collaboration options, so you can keep your clients in the loop.
Here are some popular tools to explore:
- Trello
- Basecamp
- Asana
- Airtable
Workflow automation
For any business, there are always repetitive tasks that can be time-consuming for your team and hinder productivity. This is where workflow automation can improve the efficiency of your digital marketing agency and help free up time where you need it most.
There are many ways to leverage automation tools, such as content publishing, email marketing, and connecting software together for instant updates.
Tools for automation include:
- Zapier
- HubSpot
- Swydo
- Integrately
SEO agency tools
Whether you're running an SEO agency or want to optimize your own website, SEO tools can help you gain a greater understanding of what's needed to rank higher in search engines.
These tools can provide important keyword research, on-page optimization, backlink analysis, and much more.
Here are some all-in-one SEO tools to check out:
- SEMRush
- Moz
- Ahrefs
Social media management tools
Social media plays an important role in any digital marketing strategy. Whether you're promoting your own agency or curating content for a client's business, this software can help you schedule, monitor, and analyze your social media content.
Many of these tools will bring together a wide range of social media channels, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and even Google My Business — so you can manage everything from one dashboard.
Looking for social media management tools? Here are a few to try:
- Buffer
- Hootsuite
- Sprout Social
- Later
Hit the ground running & start your digital agency with Whop
Now that you know how to get started with your digital agency, it's time to take your plan one step further. With your niche, target market, and service offerings nailed, why not level up your business with Whop?
Whop makes it simple to package up your digital services, whether you're writing content, creating social media posts, or creating a full-blown marketing strategy for your clients. We even make it easy to build a community of your own — giving your clients exclusive access to digital products, such as videos and ebooks on growing their businesses.
It takes just a matter of minutes to get signed up and make Whop the home of your digital agency — no matter what services you want to provide. Get started today and start growing your agency and learning more via like-minded entrepreneurs on Whop.
Starting a digital agency FAQs
Can I start a digital marketing agency on my own?
Starting a digital agency doesn't mean you need to hire hundreds of staff right away. In fact, if you have a strong set of digital marketing skills, you can likely start things solo.
Let's say you have a keen interest in SEO, if you choose to specialize in this area, you can probably do the majority of the work yourself. However, if you're aiming to start a full-service agency, you might want to partner with a freelancer or seek help from third parties to fulfill the work.
Do I have to choose a niche for my agency?
While plenty of marketing agencies work with all kinds of businesses, choosing a niche can be a great way to start. This will give you focus on reaching potential customers, while also narrowing down the services you offer.
Do I have to have my own website?
Having your own website can be beneficial for showcasing your work, services, and testimonials as you grow. However, to kick things off, you could use a platform like Whop to package up your services, sell digital products, and even build a community for your clients.
Whop can be your all-in-one solution or complement your website (if you choose to create one!) to further your service offerings. Building a website doesn't have to be super expensive, either. There are plenty of DIY website builders around to help you get started, as well as free or low-priced templates.
How do I find my ideal client?
If you refer back to your business plan, you'll quickly see who your target market is and who you want to work with. Don't worry, this can change as your agency evolves!
But when you're just getting started, it's important to understand your unique value proposition, your niche, and your target audience to get to grips with a detailed profile of your ideal client.
For example, an ideal client could be a small ecommerce business owner having trouble with their website showing up in search engine results — for you, this could be a tailored SEO strategy, SEO content, and continued monitoring.
Do I need office space for my digital agency?
No, not necessarily! So many digital businesses work completely remotely. With tools such as Zoom and Slack available, you can easily communicate with your clients, employees, and partners to get work done.
We would recommend using project management tools to help keep track of tasks and your work overall — this can be incredibly beneficial for remote teams.
