The Top Five Frequently Asked Questions About Hiring an Agency

Mission Matters

Marissa Schmidt is the Marketing Director at Paul Gregory Media (PGM), an award-winning marketing agency driven by purpose. In her day-to-day role, Marissa interacts directly with clients and oversees the entire project lifecycle, from ideation to execution. She has over five years of digital marketing experience, including content strategy, graphic design, social media management, and effective communication. Beyond her project management duties at PGM, Marissa volunteers with PGM’s client partners and various community organizations, such as the Naperville Ribfest Sponsorship and Feed My Starving Children.

In this episode…

Mission-based marketing agencies like Paul Gregory Media (PGM) typically serve nonprofit and for-profit clients. Although these types of businesses generally have contrasting goals, they usually have similar questions and concerns, including brand awareness, various donation platforms, and the cost of hiring a marketing agency. Are you shopping for a freelance marketer or a full-service agency? How can they support your marketing needs?

Whether the establishment is monetary or philanthropic, experienced marketer Marissa Schmidt explains that social media, blog posts, and email campaigns are the most cost-effective and organic methods to optimize brand awareness. Compiling a well-crafted message across all three touchpoints is essential to build trust and credibility. In terms of online or donor fundraising, platforms like DonorPerfect, Network for Good, and GiveWP allow nonprofits to collect and process donations securely. Additionally, these platforms can generate a donation history and an IRS tax receipt. When hiring a service agency, consider your budget and long-term goals. Although full-service agencies may perform one-time projects, purchasing a retainer between $2,000 and $12,000 is the best option since surplus funds roll over to the next month or year. However, regardless of each customer’s unique needs, a reliable agency will carefully guide them through the entire process from conceptualization to implementation.

On today’s Mission Matters Podcast, Paul Feith sits with Paul Gregory Media’s Marketing Director, Marissa Schmidt, to ponder potential clients' common questions. Together, they address effective methods to promote brand awareness, leading donation platforms, the costs of building a website, and how marketing agencies charge for their services.