MARKETING AGENCIES: HERE’S WHY THEY RARELY DELIVER RESULTS
There was a time when marketing professionals and agencies carried a well-defined stereotype: they were seen as people who used complicated jargon — often in English — and charged high fees for services that rarely delivered real results. Unfortunately, due to unqualified professionals and poorly prepared agencies, many companies are still hesitant to invest in marketing, fearing they’ll end up with no return at all. This is the reality: few agencies in the industry actually deliver concrete results. In this article, you’ll understand why that happens — and what to look for so you don’t fall into the same traps.
Felipe Vasconcelos | Marketing Manager
6/28/20252 min read
There’s a popular saying: “Out of sight, out of mind.” In the digital world, this couldn’t be more accurate — with one major caveat: it’s not enough to simply be seen. You need to be seen by the right person in order to sell your products and services.
But after all, what does a digital marketing agency really do, beyond throwing around a bunch of English words like meeting, follow-up, search engine optimization, and so on?
In the past, one of the main strategies for driving sales was having a store in a good location — such as a busy avenue — and an eye-catching storefront to attract customers. Today, with the internet, a physical store may no longer be necessary. But it's still essential to have a “store” well positioned on the digital avenue, with a digital storefront that stands out.
That “store” could be your website, your social media profiles, or any digital channel where your client can find you. The “storefront” is the content you publish: it needs to be well-crafted, strategic, and relevant to the audience you want to reach.
In short, the role of a digital marketing agency is to manage your online presence and ensure your digital storefront is always appealing, in order to generate as many business opportunities as possible.
However, if the agency’s role is to manage the client’s digital presence, why is it that so many of them fail to deliver any measurable results?
There are several reasons for this:
The market is saturated with companies and professionals claiming to offer digital marketing services — but only a few are actually qualified to deliver concrete results;
To achieve strong organic results — that is, without relying exclusively on paid ads — you need a medium- to long-term strategy. This takes time, planning, and investment. And not all companies (or clients) are willing to pay that price;
Most agencies don’t conduct strategic analysis based on real data. They fail to properly evaluate leads, campaign reach, audience behavior, or overall performance. They work blindly — posting for the sake of posting;
Some agencies take on too many clients, working at scale with little to no personalization and no focus on the specific results each business needs.
The result? A lot of noise, very little substance.
To avoid becoming just another company paying for marketing services without seeing any return, it’s essential that your agency offers personalized service. Your business cannot be just another account in the agency’s portfolio.
Additionally, the agency you hire should have a well-structured marketing plan, with clearly defined actions for the short, medium, and long term. It’s not enough to just build a website and let it sit idle — that alone won’t generate results.
Another key aspect of a serious digital marketing agency is analytics — that is, processing and analyzing your business data and using it to guide strategic decisions and generate tangible outcomes.
Finally, consistent communication between the agency and the client is vital. This regular contact isn’t just important for gathering insights into how the business is running — it’s also essential for ensuring transparency and accountability at every step.