There are many factors involved in the process of choosing the ideal marketing agency for your business to partner with. The task can be overwhelming, as there are many options out there to choose from. But you can easily narrow them down to a short list and find the right marketing agency for your business by keeping these three fundamental characteristics in mind:
1. Professionalism
Do your research, and find agencies with good reviews that praise their experienced marketing professionals, who are not only honest, respectful and reliable, but also get things done in a timely manner. References from other clients are one of the most (if not the most) important factors when it comes to evaluating a marketing agency and their professionalism.
Meanwhile, the most important quality that reflects professionalism is integrity. You should feel 100% comfortable with the individuals you are working with and how they go about business on a regular basis.
For example, let’s assume that you are seeking quality, organic leads from social media, and you discover that an agency you’re considering has been delivering outstanding social media performance, thanks to their use of fake accounts and accumulation of paid traffic. Because your goal is to obtain organic traffic, such gestures are telling of a lack of integrity on the behalf of the marketing agency.
Look for an agency that employs best practices and is completely transparent regarding their methods, results and the activities that they are performing on your behalf to help you reach your goals.
2. Commitment
Choose an agency that is enthusiastic about working with you, and is demonstrative of their commitment to helping you achieve your marketing goals.
In order to gain insight regarding an agency’s level of commitment, check references and talk to their existing clients to hear what they have to say. Here are a few questions you might want to ask them:
- Did the agency meet their expectations (or exceed them)?
- Did the agency remain in constant contact and respond quickly to questions?
- Did the agency come up with creative ideas and suggestions for how to meet their goals?
- Did they feel like the agency was more like an in-house team rather than a 3rd party service provider?
Today, successful agency-client relationships are driven as much by shared experiences as by cultures and goals. Because agencies work as an ecosystem, be sure to explore the ins and outs of each agency you are considering working with, as well as how their commitment is reflected by their relationships with the existing clients, within the region, or even abroad, if applicable.
3. Quality
Lastly, have a solid idea of what your marketing budget is, and choose an agency that is capable of delivering the highest quality of service, with the most creative approach possible for a price you can afford.
Here are three key things you should do in order to ensure the best possible quality when working with an outsourced marketing team:
Don’t be afraid to ask probing questions
Most agencies are used to them. Once you’ve voiced what it is that you want and for how much, the next step will be to ask probing questions regarding their team, experience, and competence. The goal of such questions is to understand how the relationship will be, as well as how their team works, which can be indicative of how likely they will be in helping you achieve your goals.
Prepare your brief
Before talking to an agency, it’s crucial to prepare your brief. In simple terms: Know exactly what it is that you want. Otherwise, you leave a lot of room for the agency to influence your creative and practical approach, potentially compromising your finished product. Come in understanding what kinds of numbers you’d like to see, the techniques you’d like to see used, as well as the bottom line of why you’re seeking the agency’s services in the first place.
Ask about project tracking
The last thing you want is to be left in the dark in regards to how the numbers and overall results are looking. Make sure that the agency you work with is organized, and actually monitors the progress (i.e. metrics) of your company’s progress as you work with them, as this not only helps you understand where you are as a business, but also shows a great deal of quality work on the behalf of the marketing agency itself.
If you’re still looking for the right marketing agency for your business, contact KeyScouts, today. Let’s discuss how we can help you achieve your goals.
