Running a digital marketing agency can be thankless work, where you're often bound to volatile algorithms and rising acquisition costs. But Structured, a full-stack agency, doesn't see it that way. They pride themselves on being an agency that genuinely cares for their clients.

And it shows. Co-led by Partner David Bozin, Structured has grown significantly in the last few years. Still, they're committed to offering the highest quality of work to existing clients.

We sat down to talk with David to learn about: 

• The pros/cons of hiring internally versus hiring an agency
• How Structured wants an innovative onboarding process 
• What a client can expect from working with Structured 

Weighing the Benefits of Hiring an Agency

For some brands, it can be challenging to know whether to hire someone who can run marketing, bring on a freelancer, or retain an agency.

But David believes that brands hiring an agency can be a great option for many reasons.

In his words, "People like to admit they can do it all," said David, "but it's difficult for one person to be good at design, copywriting, and marketing."

This often leads to fatigue and burn-out, so Structured assembled a team of highly specialized marketers and creatives to replace the need for internal hiring.

David breaks down some of the greatest assets that come from working with an agency:

1. Great minds

Having a team means having qualified people to bounce ideas off for campaigns, testing product launches, etc.

2. Many hands make light work

An agency offers specialization across design, email marketing, and SMS, which relieves pressure on one person to learn everything.

3. Tactical industry knowledge

Domain experts have insight into actionable data, and best practices brands should consider for product launches and campaigns.

"As a full-stack digital marketing agency, we know what brands need to take them to the next level." 

How Structured Works with Emerging Brands

While David is biased that hiring an agency for everything is a fantastic option, he also believes agencies working with internal marketing managers is another recipe for success. 

David's favorite partnerships are ones where he doesn't have to convince clients that they should invest in digital marketing, setting the tone for a great relationship.

Structured tailors its onboarding process to each client, but here are three commonalities David points out that merchants should expect:

Following your guide

If the client has a clear marketing tone and voice, Structured will mold its creative based on the brand guidebook, an important distinction from other agencies who sometimes enforce their voice onto a brand.

Deep dives

Before launching anything, Structured digs deep into a brand's content, archives, and channels. This helps the agency form a knowledgeable opinion on how to speak to the client's product.

Test, learn, iterate, repeat

Once they're comfortable with that, Structured performs audience targeting to understand what messaging and content resonates with whom.

"We're in this business to build long-term relationships. We do the heavy lifting upfront because we want to ensure we get it right from the beginning."

Trusting the Process: Structured’s Playbook

David and his team deploy different marketing tactics specific to each brand. That said, Structured has built systems and flows that will work for every client and every product.

Here's what the first month of working with Structured looks like:

1. Collect and research

Once they collect critical information, Structured researches what messaging is most effective across each customer segment.

2. Build it

Next, Structured builds over 20 emails, including abandoned checkout notifications, order confirmations, and a welcome series.

3. Analyze and review

Then, they’ll review the best approach for a brand, considering whether they should use email or SMS, how the brand's voice sounds, and what resources to add based on the client's budget.

"Every brand is different. For us, it's important to get everything working in a way that's beneficial for both parties."