How to choose a marketing agency in Las Vegas
The factors to weigh when choosing a marketing agency, from fit and communication to ownership of your accounts, and the questions that help you compare options fairly.
Marketing resources and guides
These marketing resources are practical guides for business owners. They are free to read and written in plain language, without jargon or a sales pitch. Each one explains a decision and the options around it, including options that do not involve hiring an agency. The easiest way to use this library is to start from the decision in front of you: choosing an agency, comparing channels, setting a budget, planning the year, or making sense of results.
Start here
How to build a marketing plan
The steps of a practical marketing plan, from goals and audience to channels, budget and measurement, written for owners planning their own marketing.
Las Vegas small business marketing guide
An overview of marketing a small business in Las Vegas, including locals and visitors, neighborhoods, seasons, and the channels local businesses commonly use.
Choosing and working with a marketing agency
Hiring outside help is a big decision. These guides explain what agencies do, how to compare them, and how to change course if a relationship is not working.
What does a marketing agency do?
The work a marketing agency typically handles, the services it may offer, and how the relationship with a business usually runs day to day.
Questions to ask before hiring a marketing agency
A list of questions to ask before you sign, covering communication, reporting, account ownership, contracts and who will actually do the work.
Marketing agency vs in-house marketing team
How hiring an agency compares with building an internal team, including cost structure, oversight, skills and flexibility.
Full-service vs specialist marketing agency
The difference between agencies that handle many channels and those that focus on one, and when each approach tends to suit a business.
Marketing agency red flags
Warning signs to watch for in proposals, contracts and reporting, whether you are evaluating a new agency or reviewing a current one.
How to switch marketing agencies
The practical steps for moving to a new agency, including accounts, access, assets and data, so the handover is as orderly as possible.
Marketing agency RFP guide
How to write a request for proposal that gives agencies the information they need and makes their responses easier to compare.
Comparing your marketing options
Different goals call for different channels. These comparisons explain how common options differ so you can decide what fits your priorities.
SEO vs Google Ads, where to invest
How search engine optimization and Google Ads differ in how they work, how they are paid for, and how long each takes to build.
Branding vs marketing, what is the difference
The difference between the identity of your business and the activities that promote it, and why each depends on the other.
Google Ads vs social media advertising
How search advertising and social media advertising reach people at different moments, and which goals each tends to suit.
Digital vs traditional marketing for local businesses
How online channels compare with print, radio, outdoor and other traditional formats for a local business, including reach and measurement.
Budgets and costs
What marketing costs depends on the work, the channels and the market. These guides explain the factors behind the numbers rather than quoting them.
How much does a marketing agency cost?
The common ways agencies price their work, such as retainers and projects, and the factors that move the cost up or down.
How to set a small business marketing budget
The questions to answer when setting a marketing budget, from goals and margins to channel costs and how to review the budget over time.
Planning and strategy
Planning connects your goals to the work. These guides cover how the pieces fit together and what to check when results stall. Read about marketing strategy and consulting.
Integrated marketing guide
How to plan your channels so they share one message and support the same goals, instead of running as separate efforts.
Why isn't my marketing working?
Common reasons marketing underperforms, from unclear goals and weak tracking to mismatched messages, and how to check each one.
Lead quality vs lead volume
The tradeoff between more inquiries and better ones, and how to decide which matters more for your business right now.
Measuring what is working
Measurement tells you what to keep, change or stop. These guides explain ownership of your data, how to read reports, and how to judge progress.
Who should own your marketing accounts, assets and data
Why your business should hold administrative access to its advertising accounts, analytics, website and creative files, and what to ask for.
How to read a marketing report
What the common numbers in a marketing report mean, which ones relate to your goals, and what questions to ask about them.
How long does marketing take to work?
The factors that affect how quickly different channels show movement, and how to set fair expectations for each.
Marketing attribution explained
How businesses estimate which channels and touchpoints contributed to a sale or inquiry, and the limits of each method.
Las Vegas business marketing
Vegas Local Marketing is a marketing agency focused primarily on the Las Vegas market. Most of these guides apply to local businesses anywhere, and one is written specifically for Las Vegas. Read the Las Vegas small business marketing guide.
Marketing glossary
Marketing has a lot of acronyms and jargon. The glossary explains common terms you may see in reports, proposals and advertising platforms. Read the marketing glossary.
Questions about these resources
Where should I start if I am thinking about hiring an agency?
A good place to begin is how to choose a marketing agency in Las Vegas, which walks through what to look for. Then use questions to ask before hiring a marketing agency to prepare for your first conversations.
Are these guides specific to Las Vegas?
Most are not. The principles in these guides apply to local businesses in most places. One guide, the Las Vegas small business marketing guide, is written specifically for businesses here.
What is the difference between resources and the blog?
Resources are evergreen guides organized around the decisions business owners face. The blog carries shorter articles and more timely topics. Read the blog.
Can I get help applying a guide to my business?
Yes. If a guide raises questions about your own situation, a free consultation is a chance to talk them through and decide which next step makes sense for your goals.
Talk through your next decision
When you schedule a consultation, we talk through your goals and recommend which channels make sense to start with. If a service is not the right fit for your business yet, we will tell you.