What is a Marketing Agent?

A professional hired by a business owner, with experience in marketing strategy and the buying and selling of marketing services & advertising who acts as a client advocate, strategist and steward of the clients’ goals, budget and timeline

- As Defined by Heather, The Marketing Agent

Hi, I’m Heather Snyder

The Marketing Agent

Over the course of my life, I’ve always done things a little differently.

I didn’t go down the traditional path of “go to college, get married, have kids, work a job, retire…” In the words of the great Jerry Seinfeld, “not that there’s anything wrong with that”.

Rather, my journey has taught me to see the world from a different angle.

In my youth, as an eager homeschooled girl from Oklahoma, I was fascinated by entrepreneurs. People who sacrificed everything to take care of their families, their communities, on their own terms.

I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of working with hundreds of business owners, with a wide range of goals, business models, industries, budgets, geographic locations… But there’s one thing they all had in common- the entrepreneurial spirit.

My list of national and international clients are something I’m very proud of- But I’m more interested in talking about YOUR future than my past.

In an ever changing economy with moving targets and unpredictable variables- It is crucial to make important business decisions like “who will we trust with our marketing” the right decision, the first time.

My Belief

It is my belief that better outcomes can be achieved in marketing and business growth when we develop your marketing strategy before choosing marketing agencies. In other words, let’s decide the “what” before the “who”- and let’s make sure those marketing agencies or resources are only chosen if and when they align with your strategy, budget and timeline.
I aim to prevent waste in your marketing spend, increase ROI across your marketing investment and make sure that your next decision in marketing is the right one for your business.

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What makes me so sure I can help?

I’ve been on the other side of that marketing agency deal hundreds of times. Selling millions of dollars of marketing and advertising to hundreds of companies has taught me a thing or two:
  • Marketing is the least regulated professional services industry. Think about it, your accountant, your insurance guy (or gal), your attorney, your banker, all have regulatory restrictions, guidelines and licenses to earn and uphold. This offers you a layer of protection and sense of security in working with them. However, there is no such governing entity for the field of marketing. This creates an environment with lots (and lots) of “bad actors”. I work to make sure you never meet any of them.
  • Companies do not know how to shop for a marketing agency. You simply don’t do it often enough to know what questions to ask and what warning signs to look for. Don’t worry, I can help!
  • Marketing agencies often do not understand your company or your goals. This is because most agencies look at your company through the lens of their expertise. Websites, digital advertising, content, social media, SEO…whatever their “hammer” is, you’re the “nail” and they will prescribe you tactics based on their capabilities, which may or may not be the best thing for your company and your goals. At The Marketing Agent, we start by fully understanding your sales cycle and your revenue model. Who are you currently doing business with, how did they find you, why did they choose to do business with you? It’s only after we understand this, that we can develop your marketing strategy and begin matching you with agencies who have proven mastery.
  • It’s not just one thing. Many companies I work with are in a very similar boat when it comes to marketing. This scenario spans across industries, size of company, and just about every other variable you can imagine.

Frequently Asked Questions

That’s OK! We will build your strategy and ensure that we’re getting the very best out of your internal staff by understanding how they fit into your strategy. Then, we will seek to outsource or hire additional staff to cover the remaining pieces of your strategy.

 

It’s possible that all of your marketing needs could be handled in house. But this is rare. Because of the ever-deepening skill sets required to “do marketing” well, (SEO, digital advertising, website design and maintenance, social media management, video production, email marketing), it’s uncommon that a company under about $50Mil in revenue can justify the staff necessary to accomplish a well rounded marketing strategy. 

It easily requires 6-12 individual marketers to cover these needs. This is because of time and skillset limitations.

By outsourcing, or fractionalizing your marketing, you can get the best of both worlds. Tap into talent, save on payroll.

The key is choosing the right marketing agencies for your business and your goals.

 

This is a common question I get. Bad agencies hate me. Because they know I’m able to see through the smokescreens and will never recommend them to my clients. 

Excellent agencies love me. Why? Because excellent agencies want to do excellent work with clients with needs and goals they can meet and exceed! 

Most of the agencies I work with do not have a sales or business development team. They rely on referrals and repeat business. They are often not easily found in Google, they do not advertise, and they do not strive to grow tremendously year over year. Because they genuinely want to do excellent work for their clients. 

I spend hours and hours each week interviewing and meeting with agencies, learning their core competencies, who they work best with, who they do not work best with, their pricing models and reviewing their case studies. 

If I am not aware of an ideal agency for your business, I research and work with my large network of marketers, agencies and business owners to identify one.

If you’ve been reading for awhile, you’ll notice that I generally recommend multiple agencies for each business. 

The fear is generally, “won’t we be spending way too much money if we hired multiple agencies?” The answer is No. Keep in mind, the reason we’re outsourcing in the first place; to tap into talent who will achieve our goals. 

Agencies almost always have core competencies vs. fringe competencies. They are better at some things they offer vs. other things. 

We want to select agencies who have core competencies that we need. Ie. Your strategy dictates a need for…fill in the blank, SEO, Digital Advertising, Content, Social Media, Video Production, Branding, etc. 

We will only enter contracts with agencies in their core capabilities. Not only based on the tactic (SEO, Social Media, etc) but also based on their experience in your industry, with your size of company and who have a proven track record of high performance. 

It’s even more detailed than that.

Excellent agencies love me. Why? Because excellent agencies want to do excellent work with clients with needs and goals they can meet and exceed! 

Most of the agencies I work with do not have a sales or business development team. They rely on referrals and repeat business. They are often not easily found in Google, they do not advertise, and they do not strive to grow tremendously year over year. Because they genuinely want to do excellent work for their clients. 

I spend hours and hours each week interviewing and meeting with agencies, learning their core competencies, who they work best with, who they do not work best with, their pricing models and reviewing their case studies. 

If I am not aware of an ideal agency for your business, I research and work with my large network of marketers, agencies and business owners to identify one.

Ready to elevate your business?

Unlock Your Potential! Whether it’s a project or just a chat, let’s turn your ideas into reality. Get in touch today!

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