Digital marketing can be overwhelming. There’s never enough time in the day to get everything done which means that outsourcing to an agency is often the best option. But buyer beware: not all agencies are equal and you’ll want to consider a few things before you settle on one. While most agencies will have your best interests at heart—and the skillsets to execute on creative digital marketing campaigns for your business—there are a number of steps you should take to ensure you’re hiring marketing professionals that will drive your long-term success.
1. Planning What You Need
As a small- or medium-sized business you’ll need to complement your in-house skillsets with external help. But first you need to determine exactly what you need from your marketing agency. Ask yourself:
What’s your vision?
- What do you want to accomplish? What’s your expected timeline?
- Are you looking to build on a project you’ve already started or break out with something new and exciting?
- What sociocultural context are you coming from and what kind of agency would be a good match for you?
What kind of expertise do you need?
- Do you need help securing online advertising spots or generating buzz about your brand online?
- Does your website need to be revamped by someone with design experience? Or do you want a social-media savvy guru to run your many channels to reach larger audiences?
What level of contact do you expect?
- When and how often do you want to be in contact with your chosen marketing agency?
- Who do they reach out to for approvals, day-to-day needs and regular updates? Do you want them heavily integrated within your team or largely independent?
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2. Research What’s Out There
Different agencies do different work and you want to make sure the one you choose ticks the right boxes. Any digital marketing agency worth hiring will have the following traits.
Are they business savvy?
- Is your agency able to help you identify and reach your consumer base? Do they have actionable ideas on how you can market to your target audience?
- Do they have a thorough understanding of your industry? Can they identify your competitors and help you differentiate your brand?
- Can they perform in-depth research on the trending keywords and topics that will help drive interest in your company?
Do they have strong contacts and connections?
- Do they have a proven track record of connecting companies with influential publications or social influencers that can improve their brand image?
- Can they share with you an extended list of media contacts with whom they have a strong relationship?
Are they respectable and accountable?
- Does the agency treat your needs and requests seriously and address your concerns in a timely and respectful manner?
- Do they cut you off or speak over you? Do they listen and remember your specific goals and concerns?
- Have they retained clientele in the past?
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3. Choose Measurable Results
A good digital marketing agency should help you set achievable, measurable goals. You should look at how they measure their success and establish key metrics you will use as professional partners going forward. Even after you’ve selected your agency, you should continue asking yourself these questions to make sure the partnership is still valuable.
What are their past accomplishments?
- Past trends tends to be a good predictor of future trends. What has the marketing agency accomplished (and for whom)?
- Do reliable third-party sources recommend their services? What did the agency help them accomplish?
How will you measure success?
- How will you know if your partnership is a success? Pick concrete, measurable metrics to be sure you are getting what you paid for.
- Will the agency be able to guarantee a certain number of conversions?
- Do the results of your work together should help your company’s reputation, social following and bottom line?
- Does your agency value meaningful accolades over pay-to-win strategies? Wasting money on awards sucks, so make sure that your investments go towards recognized certifications and awards.
- Do they have creative ideas to revamp your digital marketing strategy?
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Reap the Benefits
Once everything is in place and you have planned, researched and measured your way to the right marketing agency, you will still need to work and hustle to make the partnership valuable. Be open to new ideas, take risks where possible and be quick to adjust anything that doesn’t seem to be working. Having a stale strategy sucks, so make sure you have the right people backing your creative vision.
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Photos: Shutterstock / Jacob Lund, Shutterstock / GaudiLab, Shutterstock / YURALAITS ALBERT, Shutterstock / Jacob Lund
