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What makes a good startup marketing agency? What do good startups need from their agencies? It is a whole new different kind of world for startups, because they are still relatively small organizations. They do not yet have salespeople, or even marketers, or even a business plan, let alone an executive director! What startups need most from their agencies is a highly skilled and flexible marketing team, which can adapt easily to the constantly evolving needs of a growing startup.

A flexible and agile online marketing team. This is crucial for any agency working on an inbound basis, because working with startups means constantly changing consumer preferences and buying habits. In addition, many times, what works for one client might not work for another, so it is absolutely critical that the inbound agency has an agile and flexible staff. In addition to being flexible, agile online marketing teams have to be agile themselves: adaptable, intuitive, and fast. The best startups work with their agencies through a constant and ongoing process of trial and error – finding the formula that works and then adapting to that formula over again.

An in-house think tank. Even though an inbound agency will only have about two fulltime staff members, it is imperative that at least one full-time member of the team is a dedicated marketing specialist. When you are small, especially compared to established businesses, you don’t always have time to devote to building your brand, creating new products, or hiring the best copywriters. You should leave this task to the experts at a startup marketing agency. This full-time, in-house marketing specialist can brainstorm, give product advice, suggest marketing ideas, write press releases, and execute marketing plans – just as a traditional marketing consultancy firm would do.

A comprehensive marketing strategy. Just as a traditional consultancy firm would include a comprehensive marketing plan, so too should an in-house startup marketing agency. A strong marketing strategy is necessary for a company that is still developing its product or service.

Brand strategy. A large part of the job of an in-house firm is to help its clients create a distinctive brand strategy. A startup marketing agency can help the agencies it represents develop this brand strategy by ensuring that key pieces of the business will get a good deal of press. If for instance, a client wants to launch a social media marketing campaign, then an agency that is well versed in the latest trends in the media should be consulted.

Creative. A startup marketing agency should work closely with its clients to find out what their creative priorities are – from graphic design to photography to viral video to Web design. Such a company would likely require a talented writer, an artist, an illustrator, a website designer and maybe even a video director.

A great deal of creativity is required in some forms of creative work. But another important factor in such an activity is the ability to do it cheaply. A top startup marketing agency should be able to provide the equipment and the means to do such work at minimal costs. That way, agencies can set their prices so they won’t have to turn down any ideas.

Some startup marketing agency representatives are hesitant to think big when it comes to their clients’ marketing strategies. But a smart marketing agency will realize that there is no need to launch a full-scale marketing initiative until a company has a solid and well-defined strategy in place. A top agency should therefore work with client companies to develop a comprehensive marketing plan and then provide their services in helping to shape and develop that strategy.