50. Sydney Digital Marketing Agency

Founder: Simon Gould
Head office: Sydney, NSW
Year founded: 2014
Employees: 12
Industry: Marketing and advertising

How Sydney Digital Marketing Agency started

Sydney Digital Marketing Agency spawned from a previous business partnership gone sour. Founder Simon Gould found himself at a professional crossroads, but quickly picked up a global auto manufacturer as his first client and started to build its social media presence.

This success paved the way for a wave of additional clients over the years, transforming the agency into a powerhouse brand. Today, the agency is a team of 12 and has evolved its service offering beyond digital marketing staples to focus on lead generation and CRM – it is even a platinum HubSpot partner.

Growth

In the agency’s first handful of years, Gould had to overcome a range of challenges to find the business’ footing – from choosing the right team, to structuring it effectively, to securing the right clients. Given the highly competitive digital-agency landscape, with more than 100 agencies in Sydney alone, it posed a considerable hurdle.

Gould realised the importance of structuring his team efficiently, transitioning from a client manager and campaign manager approach to an AM and specialist structure. This new strategy allowed for better focus on client management and campaign execution.

Where to next 

Gould says the agency’s next step is to grow steadily and become the number-one lead-generation digital agency in Sydney.

At the same time, it plans on developing an academy to upskill postgraduate marketers who have theoretical knowledge but lack real-world experience. By working with junior marketers, Sydney Digital Marketing Agency wants to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical expertise.