When you hire a company to help you navigate the maze of digital marketing consulting, you want a company whose values match yours. Identifying the agency’s structure and practices to determine if your values, mission, and goals are aligned is a good place to start.
How do you measure success?
The best marketing strategies are multifaceted; and success, however defined, does not always come quickly or easily. Whichever digital agency you choose for your business, the guidance it needs to thrive should be specific to what your brand looks like.
What metrics will you monitor?
ROI, number of visits, CTA clicks; you can measure just about anything these days – but not all metrics matter equally. Determine what is valuable to you and eliminate the rest.
Who will we work with regularly?
You’ll want to know who makes up the team of marketing experts and whether you’ll be assigned a primary point of contact to handle the day-to-day management of your account. Here, you’ll also get a feel for the agency culture and whether it’s a good fit for your team.
How often will we meet with your team? What can we expect from these encounters?
First, ask yourself, how often do you want to meet someone on digital consulting? Or instead of business advice, do you just want to give the full reins, so they can implement the strategy and trade on a weekly or bi-weekly call. Figure out what you’re comfortable with and set your expectations from there.
What services do you offer?
Web design, writing, community management; get a growth agency that can do it all. Versatility is key here. If a component was outsourced, you would also want to know about it.
Do you have experience running paid social campaigns?
Paid digital advertising has exploded in recent years, so you need to make sure the agency has experience writing and placing ads on Facebook, Instagram, Google, Pinterest, etc.
How many clients are you currently working with?
Whether 5 or 15 – it’s up to you how much is too much. But at least you’ll have a better idea of the agency’s ability to manage their time effectively and how much time you can reasonably expect one-on-one time.
What is included each month in our agreement/contract?
Cover what’s included in your scope of work – from deliverables to turnaround times. Believe it or not, this is often overlooked and should be an immediate red flag.
Beware of any agency that tells you they will get your business up and running within a month or two of starting. It takes time to move up the ladder; an experienced agency will do an analysis of your business before coming up with an SEO strategy and will never guarantee first page results in “x” time.
What are the next steps ?
Ask yourself: did you feel a spark? Was there a natural synergy? Do you see yourself (and your team) establishing a successful and fruitful partnership with this digital communication agency? Our advice here – although somewhat cliché – is to follow your instincts. When you know, you know.
Google them
Most of us wouldn’t buy a new blender without looking at reviews online, so why sign a legally binding agreement without doing the same?
Once you’ve narrowed down a listing, ask all the questions, do your research, and really understand the team you’re buying for. Are you about to embark on a one-year engagement with a marketing agency that hasn’t changed its approach (or its website) in the last 30 years? Or are you partnering with a seasoned team that has evolved their skills and strategies beyond the overused and outdated models of a traditional agency?
ask your friends
If it’s an experienced company, chances are someone you know has heard of it. But if the search turns out to be empty, look for customer references. Typically, a digital communications agency will provide their client list on their website, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a company where you might know an employee or have mutual connections on LinkedIn.
+ There are no comments
Add yours