At Upgrow, one of the most common questions we get is: “Does your agency have experience in our industry?”
It’s a fair question. And sometimes our specialization and extensive experience in B2B tech does help, but can we still work with other industries too?
Industry expertise can certainly provide a head start, but it’s not always the be-all and end-all for marketing success. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of hiring a digital marketing agency with industry-specific experience and explain why stepping outside of that comfort zone might offer even greater opportunities.
Why Industry Experience Can Be a Big Plus
Agencies familiar with your industry can get up to speed quickly and deliver targeted strategies.
When you hire a digital marketing agency with experience in your industry, they already know the lay of the land. They understand the jargon, the challenges, and the customer pain points specific to your sector. For instance, when we partnered with Huddle Men’s Health in the healthcare space, our prior experience allowed us to quickly develop a marketing strategy tailored to their audience’s needs, making our campaigns effective from the start.
Similarly, working with RealGreen in the landscaping industry gave us the advantage of knowing their audience and competitors well, which helped us generate more impactful ad messaging and content strategy faster.
- Faster Onboarding: An experienced agency can dive right into campaign development without the lengthy learning curve.
- Proven Strategies: They bring battle-tested approaches that have already worked for other businesses in your space.
- Industry Knowledge: Familiarity with regulations, trends, and specific customer needs gives you an edge in marketing efforts.
Why Sticking to Industry-Specific Agencies Might Limit You
You could miss out on creative, innovative strategies by limiting yourself to industry insiders.
While it’s tempting to work only with agencies that already understand your niche, you might be cutting yourself off from new ideas and innovation. Agencies that work across various industries often bring fresh perspectives and creative solutions that industry-specific agencies might overlook. For example, at Upgrow, we’ve helped DataStax and Bitwarden stand out in the crowded tech space by applying tactics we’ve honed across a variety of industries, not just tech.
Working with an agency outside your industry can result in more out-of-the-box thinking and a broader view of how to approach your marketing challenges.
- Fresh Perspectives: Agencies that don’t specialize in your industry may come up with innovative, game-changing strategies you hadn’t considered.
- Creative Problem Solving: Diverse industry experience breeds creativity. This can be critical in competitive or saturated markets.
- Avoid Stagnation: Sometimes industry-specific agencies can fall into the trap of doing what’s always been done, limiting the potential for growth.
When Experience Isn’t Everything
Adaptability, creativity, and results are more important than industry knowledge.
While industry experience can speed things up, it’s not the most important factor in choosing a marketing agency. The ability to adapt and produce results matters far more. When we started working with Percona, an open-source database company, we applied a fresh approach that didn’t rely solely on our experience in tech but rather on our ability to understand their unique audience and goals. Similarly, our work with Churchill Management in the finance industry demonstrated that flexibility and creative thinking trump experience when it comes to driving measurable results.
Here’s what really matters:
- Creativity: An agency that can come up with fresh, original ideas will help you stand out from your competitors.
- Proven Track Record: Look for an agency with success stories from various industries, as that demonstrates their ability to adapt and succeed no matter the niche.
- Data-Driven Results: At the end of the day, it’s about whether the agency can deliver on your goals, not how much experience they have in your industry.
Key Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Digital Marketing Agency
Don’t stop at asking about industry experience—dig deeper to find the right partner.
Whether an agency has experience in your industry or not, make sure to ask these key questions:
- How do you approach learning about a new industry?
- Can you share case studies with measurable results, like the work you’ve done for Northcover in the insurance-tech space or Elation Health in health-tech industry?
- What processes do you have in place for quickly adapting strategies to our specific needs?
Industry Experience Is Helpful—But It’s Not Everything
The best agency for your business is the one that can deliver results, regardless of their industry background.
At Upgrow, we work with a variety of clients across B2B tech and other industries, from healthcare with Elation Health to real estate with Jackson Fuller. While industry experience can provide a solid foundation, it’s the creativity, adaptability, and results that truly make a difference. If you’re ready to explore how Upgrow can help grow your business—no matter what industry you’re in—download our free Agency Selection Guide or book a discovery call today.
