30 Apr CHOOSING A MARKETING AGENCY: 10 THINGS TO CONSIDER
Picking a marketing agency to partner with for your business needs is much like picking a life partner. If it is a good fit, great things can happen. You reach or better yet exceed your business goals, and both parties are happy. If it is not a good match, money is wasted, and your brand image can even be damaged. So how do you make sure you pick the right agency for you? Here are some tips to consider when hiring a marketing agency.
Goals
First of all, it is important to know what your business goals are. Know what you need to the agency to help you achieve. Is your goal building brand awareness, increasing revenue by 15%, attracting 100 new leads, or adding a net of 10 new customers? Be sure to make goals clear for your team, so you pick the right agency to do the job. Also, make sure you communicate the goals to your partner agency.
Budget/Pricing
Know your budget, and the typical cost of services from the agencies you are looking to work with. Once you know these numbers, you can use it to your advantage and get the best results for your budget. You may have to employ different agencies for different skills based on price or expertise, so be open to this idea.
Core Services or Expertise
It is important to research the agency or agencies you are considering working with to ensure you understand their skillset and expertise. Some agencies may have a broad set of for example digital marketing expertise, and others may be more specialized social media or SEO skills. Let a combination of your budget and the agency’s expertise and experience determine who you choose to work with.
Experience
Explore the agency’s website to get an idea of the different companies and industries they have worked with in the past. If possible, look up the employees on LinkedIn to understand their work experience and background. Does the agency have experience working with companies in your industry? What unique experiences and skills do the employees bring to the table? This can help you gauge if the agency will be a good fit. This research will help you understand
Communication
What is your company’s communication style? Do some research to see if the agency communicates in a manner that suits your company’s style. If you cannot decipher this, be sure to outline how you would like to be updated and communicated with, and set this standard with the agency when you start your partnership. This will help avoid miscommunication about goals, timeliness and the like.
Location
Is being able to meet with your agency in-person and important attribute for your team or company? Maybe supporting locally owned businesses is crucial to your company ethos. If so then consider the location of the agency. If occasional in-person meeting and regular conference calls are more your speed, then location or distance will not be an important factor. It is however important to discuss this with your team and with the agency before making a final decision.
Approach
The agency’s work method or approach is also extremely important. How do they gather data and insights? How do they do reporting or run presentations? Is their approach something they can adapt to suit your business needs? Ask these questions early on can help detect a bad fit or save you the trouble or having to part ways and find a new agency to work with.
Strategy Session
Is the agency willing to meet with you for a strategy session, pitch, or a preview of how they work? This can be helpful is assessing whether an agency will be a good partner for you. It can also be a great way to test the skills of a newer agency that has promise and expertise but does not have experience in your industry.
Tools and Platforms
Ask about the tools and platforms that are being used to gather, data, metrics, and insights. Should your partnership with the agency come to an end, you want to be able to continue to gather the information and continue campaigns that keep you on track. Be sure to learn as much about the processes as you can.
Can you build a relationship with your agency?
Last, but not least, can you want to build a relationship with your agency? This is extremely important. You will be working with this team to reach your business goals. You want to make sure they have your best interests at heart and ultimately help you meet your goals. If any red flags come up during your vetting process, be sure to address those head on.