Choosing a marketing agency can be a tricky task; ask any successful business owner and they’ll likely tell you they went through several agencies before settling on “the one”. The marketing business is difficult to navigate and there are two problems that contribute to this difficulty:
The first problem is that there are so many marketing companies out there: some go above and beyond to help businesses grow, others take money from businesses and don’t deliver results.
The second problem is that business owners either don’t know what they need out of an agency or they don’t do the proper research to find out which agency meets those needs.
The solution: know what you want and know what you’re getting yourself into before you sign a contract with a marketing agency. When you’re considering a marketing agency, ask these 10 questions before you make any decisions… it will save you a lot of time and money!
What services do they offer?
A lot of marketing agencies specialize in one service and can’t do much else. While special expertise can be helpful to you, the truth about marketing is that it needs to be approached from all angles. If your agency isn’t the complete package, you can’t expect to see complete results from your marketing efforts. Consider what you’re going to need and find the company that does it all. Your ideal marketing agency should provide:
Do they outsource work?
Many agencies outsource their graphic design, copywriting, and web design work to freelancers. It minimizes costs for them, but for you, it means missing out on the power of teamwork and communication. When you hire a marketing agency with in-house creative professionals, it ensures that a team will be working together on your project. This increases efficiency and produces better results.
Who will be managing my account?
Whether or not your marketing agency will assign you a dedicated account manager should be a determining factor in your decision. If you can’t call your agency and speak with someone who knows you and your business, you can’t expect optimal results from your marketing. Find out if the agency you are considering has knowledgeable marketing experts and an in house creative team before you move forward with them.
How available will they be for me?
How you communicate with your marketing agency is essential to the success of your marketing. You don’t want a marketing agency that sends you a bill every month and that’s all you hear from them. You don’t want an account manager that can’t dedicate significant time and attention to your project. Your ideal marketing agency is always on-call for you if you need advice, if you have feedback, or if you have a question about your account.
How involved will I have to be?
Your involvement in your marketing agency’s process is an important factor to consider when choosing who to work with. Set-it-and-forget it marketing sounds tempting, but to see real results it takes constant adjusting and optimizing. That’s why you should work with a marketing agency that wants you to be involved. Find out how often you’ll be checking in, either by phone or in-person meetings, and decide if you will realistically have time to keep up with it. You need to find the right balance- an agency that includes you in the process but gets a lot done independently, so that you don’t have to constantly check up on them.
How do they respond to feedback?
Whether a marketing company is designing your website, crafting a direct mail postcard, writing an email campaign, etc, you should always have the opportunity to provide feedback. Make sure that your agency will be providing regular updates throughout your project, which you can respond to with feedback. Some agencies will only allow a certain number of revisions, or revisions will cost extra. Don’t settle for these companies. Others will allow unlimited revisions for no extra cost, and that’s the way it should be! Your marketing is what communicates your brand image to the public, so don’t pay for marketing that doesn’t communicate exactly what you intended.
Are their guarantees realistic?
Many agencies guarantee results from their services. Unfortunately, marketing is not an instant solution. It does produce massive results, but typically these come over time due to consistent marketing efforts. Unrealistic guarantees are most common in the ever-changing SEO industry. If an agency guarantees you instant SEO results or the number one spot on Google, you should be wary. True SEO is never instant; when a company claims that they can give you instant results it’s likely that they use shady and unethical link building tactics that actually hurt your ranking in the long run. It’s a good idea to ask what kind of results you can expect, but if you’re given a guarantee, know that the agency most likely can’t back that up legitimately.
How will they measure and report my results?
More important than knowing what kind of results to expect is simply knowing your results. An ideal marketing agency reports back to you frequently with analytics and metrics that help you see what is and isn’t working. Ask the agencies you are considering how they measure results, how they report them, and how often they report them. Marketing requires ongoing management and optimization and your agency should be letting you know exactly what they are doing on a regular basis to improve your results.
What companies have they worked with?
Has the agency you’re considering worked with any reputable companies? Do they have a portfolio of example work they’ve done for other companies? These factors not only help you determine the quality of the agency, but also whether or not they are a good fit for your business. Look for an agency that has done successful work for other companies within your industry or niche. If you run a B2B software company, it doesn’t make sense to pair with an agency that specializes in retail marketing, though they may take your business anyway.
Do they match your brand’s personality?
This is a very important question to ask yourself when looking at marketing agencies. There are so many styles of marketing, brand voices, and ways that agencies go about their business. Finding the right fit may take some time, but it’s worth the effort to research before you work with an agency.
Now that you’ve asked these 10 questions, you should have a better idea of what you want out of a marketing agency. If the agency you are considering doesn’t have the right answers to these questions, don’t settle! Your ideal agency is out there- check out our website to see a marketing agency that truly covers all the bases.