Digital vs performance marketing agency: what’s the difference?

If you’re looking to supercharge your digital marketing returns and are on the lookout for a marketing agency to help, then you will have no doubt started doing some online research into the different local and national agencies out there who could help. 

When that research begins, you’ll no doubt notice there are subtle differences in the way in which marketing agencies refer to themselves. Some say they’re a ‘marketing agency’, others a ‘digital agency’, whilst a small set of firms may refer to themselves as a ‘performance marketing agency’.

So what’s the difference? Is there one you should choose over another, depending on your business objectives?
 

What a marketing agency does

A marketing agency tends to focus more on traditional marketing channels, albeit these now do include online marketing too. 

Marketing agencies will be able to help your brand with PR, social media, content and advertising too.

Marketing agencies tend to have a broad set of skills and are often used by larger companies to help drive consumer awareness. 
 

What a performance marketing agency does

A performance marketing agency specialises in driving profitable returns from online marketing. They tend to specialise in search and social, including organic SEO, PPC advertising and also paid social advertising. 

Performance marketing agencies are a great choice if you’re looking to drive online sales or lead generation, as they’ll have a lot of expertise and experience in setting up campaigns and optimising them to deliver a positive return on investment. 
 

What a digital agency does 

A digital agency is the online version of a traditional marketing agency. They tend to specialise in the broader digital space, including website design and build, on top of content creation, influencer marketing, digital PR and some aspects of performance marketing too. 

Digital agencies are a great choice if you’d like to outsource all your digital requirements to one company, helping to make things easier to manage. That could include creating a new brand, associated website, and an integrated digital launch strategy.