Free Cheatsheet: The Top 12 Creative Agency Services To Look For In 2022
Chris Mulvaney is the CEO of CMDS. I make things... I’m the creative entrepreneur with passion for (re)making brands and inventing solutions to problems no one knows exist.
Looking to take your marketing to the next level? Not sure where to begin? As a creative agency ourselves, we know how easy it is to get confused on what service your brand needs when there are thousands of agencies offering you packages. It becomes even more complicated when you also factor in all of the different types of creative agencies there are out there.
We want to make sure to provide you with the best direction so you know which services you need and what they provide. The last thing we want is for you to get a service your brand doesn’t really need, therefore missing out on the ones you do.
In this article, we’ll be talking about the most important services creative agencies have to offer. To make it easier to understand, we separated them into seven sections:
- Branding
- Web Services
- Social Media
- Content Services
- Video Services, and
- Consulting
Let’s dive into each one so you can learn exactly which services your business needs – and why.
What Services Do Creative Agencies Offer?
What Services Do Creative Agencies Offer?
A creative agency’s biggest advantage over traditional agencies is that they specialize in more than just one or two services. Their wide selection of options and specialized personnel let them provide you with a vast range of services.
This type of agency knows how important delivering a good service is and how much your brand would benefit from it. This is why you will see creative agencies with a group of professionals dedicated to each of the amenities they offer.
A deeper dive into the services an agency can provide you with will further explain them to you in the best way possible.
Let’s start with branding.
Branding
Branding
Your brand should look its best at all times and be the best representation of what you are. This is where branding comes into play. The goal that branding tries to achieve is to have your brand looking as enticing and amazing to your customers as possible, without sacrificing the core message.
From updating your logo to restructuring your brand, a creative agency will hone in with the right objective to fit your true goals.
Let’s explore the two main branding services businesses are looking for the most: Logo Design and Brand Identity.
Logo Design
Logo Design
First impressions matter, especially when you consider that people have thousands of options to choose from. Let’s face it…you’re not the only brand trying to sell your product or service to a potential customer.
There are hundreds of different brands trying to boost their sales and visibility. If you’re in business, chances are that you’re doing the same. The solution is that you’ve got to stand out. How else are people going to listen to what you have to say?
This is where logos come into play. A good logo can entice people to learn more about your brand.
Bad logos, on the other hand, just push potential customers away. This is NOT what you’re looking for.
It’s crazy to think that one design can make or break your chances with certain potential customers, right?
Do you know that 60% of consumers avoid brands that have odd, unattractive, or unappealing logos? A company can have so many positive reviews, but an ugly logo can do a lot of damage.
Say, for example, that you have a stellar product. In fact, it could be the best product in the world. But if prospective clients are turned off by your logo, it isn’t likely they’ll do business with you.
A creative agency can help you solve this issue by creating a modern logo that represents your brand in the best way possible. They also make sure it looks appealing so people will be drawn to your brand.
Brand Identity
Brand Identity
How are you perceived in your customer’s eyes? Have you ever asked yourself that question? If you haven’t, take the time right now to think about it. If you can’t answer that question, then it’s time to seriously think about how you want your customers to see you.
Brand identity is one of the pillars of your business. You want to make sure that people know exactly what your brand can do for them and how you plan to do it.
People want to know the brand they’re buying products or services from. Your brand shouldn’t be a stranger they’ll never see again. Your brand should feel like a long-time friend they want to hang out with again. Customers should be familiar with your brand’s personality.
This is why brand identity is vital.
There are hundreds of creative agency services out there, but only a top creative agency like CMDS can provide you with the cutting-edge brand change you need. We know how vital brand identity is.
We also know how daunting it might seem to change your whole brand identity and adopt a new vision for your brand. That’s why we sit down with you and show you how we plan on improving it.
Website Services
Website Services
In 2022, having a high-quality website is essential if you’re going to sell your products effectively. It is not without its challenges, however, to get the attention of potential clients due to the sheer number of competing brands.
This is why web services are sought after nowadays. A creative agency will help your website look the best it can, all while making sure more people get to find you quickly – and on page one – when surfing through the web.
What is the best way to do that? SEO.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is a vital part of any website strategy. You can’t ignore SEO if you’re looking to be found on the web. Hiring an agency to work on your SEO is crucial. You want to make sure your brand is ranking on the search pages as high as it can be. Why?
Because on the first page alone, the first five organic results account for 67.60% of all the clicks. That’s a LOT of people you’re missing out on by not appearing on the first page of a search result.
With no good SEO strategy, there is no chance your brand will appear on the first page of Google or any other search engine.
You need an agency that is able to create a solid SEO strategy, and then continue work on it month after month.
A word of warning: SEO doesn’t happen overnight. It isn’t an instance where you change something once and it’s ready to go. SEO takes constant effort in order to rank highly. Consistency is key.
Website Design
Websites are like the interior of a shop. You have to make sure it looks appealing if you want to attract people. It must look inviting and interesting. Your design should help you stand out while staying true to your brand’s identity.
On top of that, you must have a website that is easy to navigate. The last thing you want is for people to not know where they need to go to buy your product or service.
Your website should also have good loading times. You don’t want people leaving because your page takes too long to load.
As you can see, there are a lot of factors that go into making a good website, which is why finding a creative agency that can redesign and work on your website is vital.
We at CMDS know how important it is for brands to have a solid website that showcases their products and services. It is impossible to look professional when your website is slow and poorly designed. Also, a plain-looking website is unlikely to impress any potential clients.
It is important for your website to be fast, easy to navigate, and to look amazing from the moment a potential customer clicks on your website until they purchase.
Social Media
Social Media
Social media is the most important aspect of your brand when it comes to online presence. Nothing comes remotely close to it. If you’re not on social media, then you’re basically invisible to most of the population.
You might have a killer website, but if no one visits it, then it doesn’t matter.
Having a good social media presence is crucial if you’re looking to get as many customers as possible.
Let’s face it, creating and posting content on several social media platforms takes a lot of time. Add to that all of the time spent replying to comments and DMs, and it begins to look like a part-time job.
This is why social media is difficult for most brands. Spending all that time working on it for little to no results is stressful. But, just like SEO, it’s a part of your brand that takes time to build correctly.
That’s why creative agency services for social media are so important. They make sure you can focus on other aspects of your business, like product creation, while they work on all of your social media platforms.
Below are the two main services you should consider if you need help with social media.
Social Media Strategy
Social Media Strategy
If you have no strategy, you’re moving without the proper direction you need to achieve your goal. Think of it like running through a desert with no map. There’s a chance you might find an oasis, but it’s highly unlikely.
Now, imagine the same scenario, but with a detailed map showing you exactly where the oasis is. You now know what to do, where to go, and how long it will take you to get there. This makes it a lot easier to get to the oasis (your goal!) without having to struggle and run in circles for too long.
Think of a social media strategy as your map and your objectives as your oasis. Think about how much easier it would be to reach your objectives if you knew what you had to do.
That’s why having a social media strategy is important. Instead of making random posts about your brand on several social media platforms, create content that has a purpose and a call to action. This will help you move closer to your objective.
This is where a creative agency like CMDS can really help! We will create a tailor-made strategy that focuses on building and growing all of your social media accounts with that objective in mind.
We’ll even show you the step-by-step process of how everything will be achieved. You deserve full transparency on every strategy a brand offers you so you’re certain that your needs will be met.
Social Media Management
Social Media Management
Now, what’s a social media strategy without anyone overseeing it? That’s why this service is not only about posting content, but is also about hiring professionals that will engage on all the content posted to your social media accounts, as well as measure the results – while always keeping your current and long-term objectives in mind.
For social media, the second most important thing after a strategy is consistency. A social media management service ensures that your accounts post content and engage with other accounts daily.
This is vital if you want steady growth on all platforms.
Remember that social media has never been more important than it is right now. Your brand must stay on top of it and be present at all times.
Content Services
Content Services
Content creation plays an important role in any brand. You need to pump out content consistently if you want it to get noticed. Sometimes, achieving that is hard. And, it’s even harder when you’re trying to get your articles to rank well.
This is why it is important to hire an agency capable of helping you create articles that rank well.
Writing articles is just one of a number of content services available. Another very important one is copywriting.
Having a landing page and a website with copy that sells is very important. With the attention span getting lower every few years, it’s necessary to hook people in with as few words as possible.
Instead of grazing the surface, let’s look into what makes blogging and copywriting crucial services for your business.
Copywriting
Copywriting is a service that is always sought after. Why? Because you want to convert as many potential clients checking your website and landing page as possible.
Making them feel like they need something as opposed to wanting something is a must if you want to hook them.
If you want a product, it means you can easily live without it. Now, if you need a product, it means you think about it all the time and you can’t wait to get it.
You want people to NEED your product or service. Copywriting helps you achieve that. A creative agency can write copy that shows consumers how much they’re missing out on by not having your product or service.
While copywriting is just one of many services that a creative agency offers, it’s definitely one of the most important. You don’t want just anyone to write the content on your website and landing page. You want a professional who can write copy to make people excited about your offerings and to drive sales.
Blogging
Long-form content has always been popular. While videos are taking center stage when it comes to content in 2022, blogging is definitely another wonderful service.
It’s hard to create articles that rank well. With so many brands posting their articles daily, you can start to picture why it’s hard to stand out.
That’s why a creative agency like CMDS can help you develop the content you need. We’ll create articles from scratch, ensure a high ranking status, and make sure we do all we can to make your brand stand out.
Email Marketing
Email Marketing
You’ve probably seen a few clever email subject lines before from brands you’re subscribed to. They catch your eye and make you want to open the email. After all, you want to know what they’re talking about.
You click on the link in the email, and it leads you directly to their website, where you can peruse their products.
This is a normal email marketing strategy that has been used for years. And, while the conversion rates have gone down as years go by, email marketing is still a solid way to keep your leads interested in your brand.
When you have a good email marketing strategy and campaign, you can keep your leads updated on your newest products and the latest news.
Then, every time they open your marketing emails, they will remember your brand.
Here at CMDS, we understand the importance of being persistent and consistent when it comes to email marketing. You want your brand and products to stand out from among your competitors.
We’ll send them at least one email per week, so even if they missed you on social media, they’ll be up to date on products and news.
We’ll create a specialized campaign with clever titles to boost your email conversion rates. We’ll also make sure that people get to know a bit more about your brand with a bit of storytelling inside each email.
Video Services
Video Services
If you’ve been on social media recently, you’ve seen how videos and reels are hot right now.
We’re now living in a social media-focused world where videos are the new norm. That’s why finding a creative agency that can make original videos for your brand is crucial.
This isn’t only for social media. You’ll also want to add some videos to your emails and your website. Videos are easy to consume as content since you wouldn’t need to read a long article or a description.
Instagram’s algorithms have been actively promoting video posts instead of regular image posts for quite some time. This is the best moment for your brand to create stellar videos and post them on every social media platform. You can do this with the help of a creative agency and its experts.
There’s no need to struggle trying to understand how to edit a video on complicated apps like Premiere Pro. Leave it all to the professionals while you work on other aspects of your business.
Consulting Services
Consulting Services
These types of services are where you should start your journey if you’re unsure what to do. A consulting service makes sure you can ask all the questions you need. The creative agency employees will answer all your questions and provide you with the strategies you need.
Let’s take a moment to explore the two most important consulting services: Marketing Strategy and Website Strategy.
Marketing Strategy
If you want to sell more, you need a solid strategy. Otherwise, you’re not going to see consistent results.
When we say “marketing strategy,” we don’t just mean social media or email. We’re talking about everything digital marketing-related for your brand.
A marketing strategy envelops all of the other strategies like the ones for social media. Why? Because you want to make sure that all your strategies are achieving the same goal. It can be anything: higher conversion, more leads, or a bigger following.
But if you don’t know what your brand is in need of and how to get it, then you’ll just be all over the place with no clear idea of what you’re doing.
This is where a creative agency like CMDS can help you achieve your goals. We know how important it is to look at the bigger picture. If you want to thrive in 2022, your brand needs a solid marketing strategy. We can help you crush your goals for this year and make it the best year your brand has ever had.
How? With a proven step-by-step process we call The Maven Growth Method. With this, we’ll show you how we plan to create the best strategy for your brand, all while being as transparent as possible. This way you can ask questions and make sure that all of the marketing strategies being used are to your liking.
We have seen far too many traditional marketing agencies in the past using shady marketing methods to make it seem like your brand is moving forward. In reality, it’s all smoke and mirrors.
We want to change the way you look at marketing. By showing you how we do it, you’ll know exactly what to expect from the marketing strategy.
Website Strategy
Making sure your website is looking good is just one of the many steps you need to consider when owning a website.
A beautiful website still won’t have good conversion rates if the copy doesn’t attract prospective clients. The same goes for a horrible-looking website with an amazing copy. Neither of the two inspires confidence or hooks a potential customer into purchasing anything.
All of this is without even mentioning how important a good user experience is. See how many areas a website could go wrong? We want to make sure that doesn’t happen to you.
It starts with a good website strategy. And, it’s important to know where your website needs work and where to make those changes.
Here at CMDS, we know how even something as simple as a website loading for too long can lower your conversion rates. Our experience in this area allows us to fix those weaknesses your website might have and turn them into your biggest strengths.
Our goal is to build you an amazing-looking website that sells. After all, you and your brand deserve only the best.
Now that we’ve gone over some services you would find at a creative agency, you might be wondering which services are the best choice for you specifically.
Which Services Should I Pick?
Which Services Should I Pick?
Knowing which services to choose is important. You don’t want to waste time and money just to see it do nothing for your brand.
You want to see how a creative agency uses its expertise to make your brand grow and sell exponentially more. So, how do you go and pick the services that can help you achieve just that?
It’s simple.
The best way to know which services your brand needs is by contacting a creative agency, like CMDS, and scheduling a meeting. This way, the agency can audit your brand via strategic sessions and share their thoughts on the areas where your brand needs improvement.
We know how daunting it can be to pick the right service, so creative agencies like ours make it as easy as possible. No need to guess or do any complicated research. We can do it for you and explain why you need the services we suggested.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Phew.
That may seem like a lot, but at least now you have an idea of the services you can expect to find at a creative agency. These are all great in their own way, and can definitely help you grow in 2022.
Let’s do a quick recap of all of these services so you don’t forget about any of them.
First, we talked about branding, and how it is vital to have a good brand identity and an appealing logo.
We then mentioned two of the main website services: SEO and website design. SEO is an essential service if you want to rank higher when people search for your keywords. Website design is everything that makes your website look and feel better when browsing through it.
We also talked about social media services and how they are so important in 2022, especially since social media access is everywhere. We explained how a social media strategy can help you grow on different platforms. We also explored how a social media management service can free your time up so you can focus on other aspects of your business.
We then discussed the importance of content services and how copywriting and blogging can lead to more conversions.
We mentioned how email marketing is still a viable marketing strategy and how it can help you stay in your potential customer’s mind.
We also explained why video services were a necessity in 2022, and why you should consider adding them to your social media.
Last, but not least, we talked about consulting services. A marketing strategy service is your foundation when it comes to anything related to digital marketing. This should be the first service you get if you’re unsure of where to start.
A website strategy, on the other hand, makes sure that your website is looking and performing well. This is done by testing and tweaking different areas of your business until the ideal conversion and client retention metrics are achieved.
If you have any questions or thoughts to share, feel free to leave them down below and we’ll answer them as soon as possible.