Wondering if you qualify to hire an ad agency? Maybe you think your business is still too small or your workload is unpredictable, but you’re probably more qualified than you think. Either way, never hesitate to look into your options. Many agencies are willing to work even with small businesses and will help you customize their services.

1. I’m too busy for all this.

   When the day-to-day, technical tasks of your company take up most of your time, little is left for advertising, marketing and public relations. It may be time to hire an agency when you simply don’t have the manpower in-house to find ways to get your company’s story, services or products out there consistently in the public eye.

2. I could really use some consistency.

   You may be able to update your company’s Facebook account yourself, but if you struggle to find content or to consistently interact with your users, it may be time to get help. And staying on top of marketing and advertising trends is a job in itself. Most agencies are now committed to digital marketing and have resources that make navigating and gathering data from social media sites a cinch. But digital marketing is just one piece of the puzzle. This consistency covers all marketing aspects from a consistent overall vision to consistent branding across website, collateral and advertising materials.

3. I need a new perspective.

   You may feel out of the loop as far as graphic design or social media is concerned. Or you may just feel like your brand needs a refresh and a new pair of eyes to suggest some adjustments you never even considered. An agency’s job is to generate unique, modern images and implement fresh, effective techniques all in an effort to show you a substantial ROI and increase your overall sales. If you pick the right agency, their advice will be invaluable. Once you hire them, don’t be afraid to let them do their job. Marketing and advertising agencies are all about thinking outside the box and taking risks, not with your money, with techniques. But the return will far outweigh that of any “play it safe” strategy. You could have done the “play it safe” strategy yourself.

4. So there’s this niche market I’ve been wanting to target, but I don’t know much about it.

   You may “have it all together” as far as general advertising and marketing programs go, but what if you need insight into a specialty market? Don’t know what we’re talking about? Think Hispanic. While analyzing your market situation, you may discover that you simply aren’t reaching a possible audience group. Niche marketing has a high rate of success. An agency that specializes in a certain field, product or audience group can effectively target what’s important to your niche audience, and you’ll end up saving time and money in the process.

5. It would really help if I had more resources.

   Agencies have tons of contacts that they deal with on a day-to-day basis. They know the guy that has the best pricing on printing those flyers and folders you need. They will also know key business leaders, community influencers, local reporters and donors. Bottom line, an agency will help you connect with more people on a professional level, especially if they are helping you target that niche market.