A local agency offers face-to-face meetings and knowledge of your area. Drifted Marketing works by email and calls, starts every project with a 30-minute call and a written proposal, shows drafts early and launches nothing without your approval. The right choice depends on how you like to work, not on distance alone.
Disclosure: this page is published by Drifted Marketing about itself. It describes how we work in our own words, so weigh it the way you would weigh any company describing itself.
Is this a fair comparison?
We are writing about ourselves, so read this with that in mind. We have tried to be even-handed: a good local agency is a perfectly sensible choice for many businesses, and some owners should hire one instead of us. "Local agency" also covers a huge range of firms, from one-person studios to large shops, so everything we say about them is general.
What we can speak to precisely is how Drifted Marketing works, because that is written on this site. We do not quote client results or name clients here; our portfolio and case studies are at driftedmarketing.com.
How do the two compare side by side?
| A typical local agency | Drifted Marketing | |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting in person | Often possible | Not described on this site; you talk to us by email or on a call |
| Knowledge of your area | Can be a real strength | We learn your market on the first call: what you sell, who buys it |
| How work starts | Varies by agency | A 30-minute call, then a written proposal with scope, timeline and price |
| Seeing work early | Varies by agency | Drafts shown early: a site on a test link, an ad before it spends |
| Going live | Varies by agency | Nothing goes live without your approval |
| What it makes | Varies by agency | Websites and stores, paid ads and creative, content, outreach |
| Who you talk to | Often an account manager | A person on our team, by email or on a call |
When is a local agency the better choice?
When being in the same room genuinely matters. If your marketing depends on someone photographing your premises every week, attending local events, or knowing the street-by-street details of your town, an agency down the road has an advantage that no amount of video calls fully replaces. Some owners also simply prefer to sit across a table from the people they pay, and that is a good enough reason.
A local agency may also have relationships with local media, printers or venues that matter for some kinds of business. If those are central to your plans, weigh them.
When might Drifted be the better fit?
When the work is mostly online: a website or online store, paid ads and the creative in them, video, design and social content, or outreach. That work does not need us in your building. What it needs is a clear brief, early drafts and an owner who stays in control, and that is how we set every project up.
Concretely, every project starts with a 30-minute call where we ask what you sell, who buys it and what is not working, and you ask whatever you like about us. If we are not the right fit, we say so on the call. If it makes sense to go further, you get the scope, timeline and price in writing, so nothing is decided in a hurry. Then we show drafts while they are still easy to change, and nothing launches, spends or changes in your accounts until you approve it. The details are on how we work.
What should I check whichever agency I choose?
- Can I see work they have done, and can I ask about it directly?
- Will I get the scope, timeline and price in writing before I commit?
- Will I see drafts before anything is finished?
- Can anything go live, or spend my money, without my approval?
- Who exactly will I talk to, and how?
- Will they tell me if they are not the right fit?
We would answer yes to each of these, and you can hold us to it. For a longer list, especially if you are weighing a team in another country, see what to ask an offshore marketing agency. SmallBizWire also has a general guide on how to choose a marketing agency.
What about price?
This site does not publish Drifted's prices, because they depend on the scope of the project. You get the price in writing in the proposal, after the call, and only if you want one. Compare that written price against a written quote from any local agency you are considering, for the same scope, rather than against a figure from a web page.
How do I find out if we are a fit?
Book a 30-minute call, or reply to the email that brought you here. You do not have to sign anything to talk. If the answer is a local agency, we would rather tell you that on the call than win a project that suits neither of us. And if you would rather not hear from us at all, reply "no" or "unsubscribe" and that is the end of it.
Frequently asked questions
Is a local marketing agency better than a remote one?
It depends on the work. In-person meetings and local knowledge help some businesses; online work like websites, ads and content does not need the agency in your building.
Does Drifted Marketing meet clients in person?
This site describes working by email or on a call, not in person. If in-person meetings matter to you, raise it on the 30-minute call.
Will Drifted tell me if we are not a fit?
Yes. If we are not the right fit, we will say so on the call.
How much does Drifted Marketing charge?
Prices depend on scope. You get the scope, timeline and price in a written proposal after the call, if you want one.
Can I see Drifted's past work?
Yes. Our portfolio and case studies live at driftedmarketing.com.