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Alright, so you're running a B2B business, and you know you need some marketing firepower. But here's the thing—picking the right type of marketing agency is everything. There are a ton of options out there, and if you don't get it right, you're just throwing money at the wall and hoping something sticks.
I'm Daniel Fazio, co-founder of Client Ascension and ListKit, and in this article, I'm going to walk you through the different types of marketing agencies out there and what they can do for you. I’ll talk about everything from the big dogs in advertising to the niche players who are killing it with SEO and influencer marketing.
But more importantly, I’ll break down how these agencies make offers based on two critical strategies: demand generation and demand capture. Knowing where your business falls on this spectrum is the difference between scaling to the moon and staying stuck in the mud.
So, let’s get into it—because picking the wrong agency isn’t just a mistake; it’s a missed opportunity.
Marketing agencies come in various forms, each offering unique services tailored to different business needs. Understanding the different types of marketing agencies will help you find the one that best aligns with your business goals.
In the sections below, we're going to break down every kind of marketing agency, the services they typically offer, and tips on how to formulate an offer to get clients.
Advertising agencies, often referred to as ad agencies, specialize in creating and managing advertising campaigns across various media platforms. These agencies work on everything from crafting compelling print ads to securing prime advertising space on both traditional and digital platforms. They focus on increasing brand awareness and driving sales through targeted advertising efforts. The goal of an advertising agency is to connect businesses with their target audience through strategic ad placements and impactful messaging.
Services typically offered:
Lead generation agencies focus on identifying and acquiring potential customers for your business. Unlike broad digital marketing agencies, lead generation agencies specialize in tactics to capture qualified leads that are more likely to convert into customers. They employ a variety of strategies, including email marketing, content marketing, and outbound calling, to attract and nurture leads until they are ready to make a purchase.
Services typically offered:
Social media agencies specialize in managing and enhancing your brand’s presence across various social media platforms. These agencies are experts in crafting content that resonates with your target audience and drives engagement. Moreover, they understand the algorithms, trends, and best practices required to build a strong online community around your brand.
A social media marketing agency typically handles everything from creating engaging content to managing social media accounts and running paid social media campaigns. They also provide insights and analytics to help you understand how your social media efforts are impacting your overall digital marketing strategy.
Services typically offered:
Video content and short-form content agencies specialize in creating engaging and impactful video content tailored to the fast-paced digital environment. These agencies understand the importance of capturing attention quickly and delivering messages effectively through visually compelling videos, particularly in formats that perform well on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and other social media channels.
These agencies excel in producing content that resonates with your target audience, from concept development and storyboarding to filming, editing, and post-production. Whether you need short promotional videos, explainer videos, or viral content, video content and short-form content agencies are equipped to elevate your brand’s visual storytelling.
Services typically offered:
SEO agencies specialize in improving a website’s visibility on search engines like Google. These agencies focus on optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), which in turn drives more organic traffic to your site.
Unlike digital marketing agencies that may offer a broad range of services, SEO agencies are laser-focused on search engine optimization. They utilize various techniques, including keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building, to enhance your website’s search performance.
Services typically offered:
Email marketing agencies specialize in creating and managing email campaigns that engage your audience and drive conversions. These agencies focus on developing targeted email marketing strategies that align with your brand's goals and resonate with your subscribers.
These agencies have expertise in crafting compelling email content, segmenting audiences, and optimizing campaigns for maximum impact. Working with an email marketing agency can help you build stronger relationships with your customers by delivering personalized and relevant content directly to their inboxes.
Services typically offered:
IT services and software development agencies focus on providing technical solutions that support your business operations. These agencies specialize in everything from developing custom software applications to managing your IT infrastructure. They ensure that your business stays ahead in the digital landscape by leveraging the latest technologies and best practices.
Services typically offered:
Public Relations (PR) agencies play a crucial role in managing and maintaining a company's public image. Unlike digital marketing agencies that focus on online visibility, PR agencies specialize in shaping how the public perceives your brand through media coverage, press releases, and strategic communication efforts.
A PR agency works to create and maintain positive relationships between your business and the public, including customers, investors, and the media. These agencies help craft and disseminate press releases, organize events, and secure media placements to enhance your brand’s visibility and credibility.
Services typically offered:
Creative agencies focus on developing the visual and conceptual elements that define a brand’s identity. These agencies specialize in everything from graphic design and branding to crafting compelling content that resonates with your target audience.
Unlike traditional marketing agencies, which might handle broad marketing strategies, creative agencies are dedicated to the artistry behind your brand's messaging and overall look. Whether you need a new logo, a complete brand overhaul, or creative content for your social media platforms, a creative agency is equipped to bring your vision to life.
Services typically offered:
Recruitment agencies specialize in finding and hiring top talent for your business. These agencies have deep expertise in sourcing, interviewing, and placing candidates in roles that match their skills and your business needs. Recruitment agencies are invaluable for businesses that require highly specialized talent or need to scale their workforce quickly.
Services typically offered:
Influencer marketing agencies specialize in connecting brands with social media influencers to promote products and services. These agencies focus on identifying the right influencers for your brand, managing collaborations, and ensuring that campaigns align with your target audience's interests.
Influencer marketing agencies harness the power of social media marketing to create authentic and engaging content through influential voices. These agencies handle everything from influencer selection and campaign strategy to performance tracking, ensuring that your marketing efforts resonate with the right audience and deliver measurable results.
Services typically offered:
Media buying agencies specialize in purchasing advertising space across various platforms to ensure your brand reaches its target audience effectively. These agencies are experts in negotiating the best rates for advertising space, whether it's on traditional media like TV and radio or digital platforms like websites and social media.
In contrast to full-service marketing agencies, which might handle the entire marketing strategy, media buying agencies focus specifically on the placement and timing of your ads to maximize reach and ROI.
Services typically offered:
Web design agencies specialize in creating visually appealing and user-friendly websites that effectively represent your brand online. These agencies focus on both the aesthetic and functional aspects of website development, ensuring that your site not only looks great but also provides an optimal user experience.
Web design agencies are dedicated to crafting custom websites that align with your brand identity and digital marketing strategy. Partnering with a web design agency can significantly enhance your online presence by delivering a website that is not only visually engaging but also optimized for search engines.
Services typically offered:
When we’re talking about types of marketing agencies, it’s crucial to understand how they make their money. It all boils down to the types of offers they put out there—and not all offers are created equal.
Every marketing agency out there is playing in one of two sandboxes: demand generation or demand capture. If you don’t know which sandbox your agency is in, you’re setting yourself up to spin your wheels with the wrong strategies.
Read next: How to Create a Killer B2B Offer That Prints Deals
Demand generation are the offers where you’re not just waiting around for someone to come knocking—you’re out there creating the demand from scratch. This is where advertising agencies, digital marketing agencies, and social media marketing agencies thrive.
Now, let’s have a look at the examples:
This is the bread and butter for most advertising agencies. Imagine you’re scrolling through Facebook, minding your own business, and bam—a perfectly targeted ad pops up, catching your attention. That’s interruption marketing in action.
Digital marketing agencies use platforms like Facebook and Twitter to create interest and drive leads into the funnel. You weren’t necessarily looking for that service, but now that it’s in front of you, you’re intrigued.
For email marketing agencies, the game is all about nurturing leads. You’re not just sending out cold emails and hoping for the best—you’re building a relationship over time. You’re warming up those leads until they’re ready to convert.
This approach allows these marketing agencies to create demand where there was none before. With the right content marketing strategy, you can take a cold prospect and turn them into a paying customer, all through the power of email.
Here’s where social media agencies and branding agencies shine. They’re not just managing your company’s social media; they’re building your brand from the ground up. For B2B clients, establishing a strong personal brand on platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter is a game-changer.
A well-crafted brand presence can generate demand that didn’t exist before simply because people want to be associated with the authority and expertise your brand represents.
Now, some marketing services fall into a gray area. Take SEO and PR—these are neither purely demand generation nor purely demand capture.
Now, let’s talk about demand capture offers. These are the types of offers where the demand already exists—you’re not creating it; you’re simply stepping in and capturing what’s out there.
This is where specialized agencies like web design agencies, IT services, and recruiting agencies come into play. The focus here isn’t on generating interest but on converting the interest that’s already there.
Let's have a look at some examples:
If you’re running a web design agency, your job isn’t to convince someone they need a website—they already know that. What you’re doing is capturing that demand by turning interested visitors into customers.
Someone’s searching for a web design agency because they’re ready to build or redesign their website. Your job is to make sure they choose you over the competition. It’s about having the right positioning, the right messaging, and the right offer when that prospect is ready to pull the trigger.
When it comes to IT services and insurance, these are classic examples of demand capture. No one wakes up one day and suddenly decides they need cybersecurity or business insurance out of the blue.
The need is driven by specific events or requirements. Maybe they just had a security breach, or maybe they’re expanding and need better coverage. Specialized agencies in these fields are there to capture that existing demand—targeting businesses that already know they need these services and are actively looking for a provider.
Recruiting agencies are all about filling specific roles that companies are actively looking to hire. The demand is already there—companies need talent, and they need it now. These agencies don’t have to create the need; they just need to be the go-to solution when a business decides it’s time to hire.
Whether it’s finding a software engineer for a tech company or sourcing an executive for a startup, the focus is on capturing that demand when it arises.
Google Search Ads are where PPC agencies truly excel. These ads appear at the top of search results when someone is actively searching for a solution, such as web design, IT services, or SEO.
Let's explore the key factors that make Google Search Ads a powerful tool for demand capture:
The biggest mistake agencies make is thinking they can push a demand capture offer with the same tactics they use for demand generation. For instance, trying to sell web design services through cold emails like you would with lead generation services.
The problem? You’re interrupting someone who isn’t necessarily looking for what you’re offering at that moment. It’s like trying to sell umbrellas on a sunny day—it’s not the right fit.
So how do you do it right? There are 3 key strategies to effectively sell demand capture offers using demand generation mechanisms:
If you’re set on using a demand generation mechanism like cold email, the first strategy is to go for massive outreach. The idea here is simple—cast a wide net and hope to catch the few prospects who are already interested.
When you’re dealing with demand capture offers, the conversion rate is going to be lower, so you need to ramp up the volume.
Example
For example, with web design services, you might need to send out 20,000 cold emails to land one client. Compare that to a demand generation offer, where you might land a client with just 1,000 emails. The key is understanding that volume compensates for the lower conversion rate.
The second strategy is to make your offer stand out. If you’re offering something that’s a bit of a commodity, like web design or IT services, you need to differentiate your offer.
Example
For instance, instead of just pitching a website design, offer a website with integrated fraud monitoring to prevent fraudulent purchases.
Or, if you’re a recruiting agency, instead of just offering to find engineers, specialize in recruiting engineers who can create AI models—something that sets you apart from the generic pitch.
This kind of unique positioning turns a demand capture offer into something that feels more like demand generation because now you’re offering something they didn’t know they needed.
The third strategy is to be smart about who you’re targeting. Instead of blasting emails to everyone, focus on prospects who are showing signs that they’re already in the market for what you’re offering.
Example
If you’re selling IT services, you might target companies that recently had a security breach. If you’re a recruiting agency, look for companies that are actively hiring for specific roles, like an SDR (Sales Development Representative).
Tools like Listkit.io can help you gather data and identify these indicators, making your outreach much more effective. This way, you’re not just throwing darts in the dark—you’re targeting prospects who are likely to be in need of your services right now.
Understanding the difference between traffic generation and traffic conversion is crucial for any successful marketing campaign. These two concepts are like the two sides of a coin—each one is essential, but they serve very different purposes. Let’s break it down.
This is the first step in any marketing strategy—getting people to notice you. It’s about casting a wide net and attracting as many potential customers as possible. Advertising agencies and content marketing agencies are the heavy hitters in this space.
They use methods like paid ads, social media marketing, and content creation to bring in the traffic. Whether it’s through Google Ads, Facebook ads, or a well-placed blog post, the goal is to get eyeballs on your brand.
Once you’ve got traffic coming in, the next step is converting those visitors into paying customers. This is where email marketing agencies and web design agencies come into play. They specialize in turning those leads into conversions through well-crafted follow-up campaigns and optimized landing pages.
The real magic happens when you combine traffic generation and traffic conversion into one cohesive strategy. You can generate all the traffic in the world, but if you’re not converting those visitors, it’s a wasted effort. Similarly, you can have the best conversion tactics, but without traffic, there’s no one to convert.
For a digital marketing strategy to be successful, these two elements must work hand in hand. Advertising agencies might bring in the traffic, but email marketing and web design are what turn that traffic into revenue. The most successful campaigns seamlessly integrate both—drawing people in and then converting them through targeted follow-ups and optimized experiences.
In the world of digital marketing, nothing stays static for long. What works today might not work tomorrow, and that’s where the concept of offer decay comes into play.
Over time, a demand generation offer—one that initially creates interest and drives traffic—can shift into a demand capture offer as the market becomes saturated.
Let’s break down what that means and how your marketing agency can stay ahead of the curve.
Offer decay happens when a once-innovative service becomes commonplace, losing its edge as more competitors enter the market.
For example, an agency that first offered social media marketing services might have stood out when few others were doing it. However, as more agencies began to offer the same service, that once-demand-generating offer turned into something that only captured existing demand. What was once unique is now just another option in a crowded marketplace.
To combat offer decay, your agency needs to stay relevant by embracing:
This means finding new angles or evolving your services to stand out again.
Take the example of appointment-setting services. Initially, agencies offered to teach businesses how to set appointments—a classic demand generation service. But as competition grew, some agencies evolved by offering a done-for-you appointment setting, placing a dedicated team member in the client’s business. This dimensional shift revitalized the service, making it fresh and in demand again.
Another challenge agencies face is dealing with low-ticket clients. If your agency is stuck in the traffic generation phase—only bringing in leads but not converting them—you’re leaving money on the table.
To increase revenue, you need to expand your service offerings to include traffic conversion. This means going beyond just generating interest to actually closing deals.
For instance, if you’re running ads or social media campaigns that drive traffic, you should also offer email marketing or web design services that help convert that traffic into paying customers. By covering both ends of the spectrum—demand generation and demand capture—your agency can provide a more comprehensive service, which justifies higher fees and ultimately boosts your bottom line.
Choosing the right marketing agency can be the difference between skyrocketing success and missed opportunities. We’ve covered a range of types of marketing agencies, from advertising agencies that focus on traffic generation to web design agencies that excel in traffic conversion.
Understanding where your business fits on the spectrum between demand generation and demand capture is critical in selecting the agency that best aligns with your goals.
Key takeaways
Now, if you’re thinking about scaling your revenue and mastering client acquisition, check out Client Ascension, the #1 digital agency coaching program. At Client Ascension, we don’t just talk the talk—we walk the walk. Our proven system is designed to help you book calls, close deals, and scale your business without the guesswork.
And here’s the kicker: If you follow our system to the letter and don’t see results, we’ll give you a full refund. That’s how confident we are in what we offer.
Schedule a call today, and let’s take your business to the next level!
Oh, and if you're a beginner, you can join Internet Money Group to learn how to make your first $1,000 online.
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This is only For Marketing Agencies, B2B Businesses, Consultants, and Client Based Businesses (We DO NOT work with beginners).
