Hiring a marketing agency can seem like a daunting task. If you’re reading this, you probably know you need one, but how do you choose the right one for you?
There are a lot of marketing agencies to choose from, but one of the most important things is that they’re a good cultural fit with your company and a good personal fit with your team.
So… What Does a Marketing Agency Do?
A marketing agency can maximize the potential of your company, product or service – essentially, they help drive sales and profit. They do this with their talent and expertise along with their ability to help you execute faster.
A marketing agency can provide services such as: market research, branding, web development, social media strategy, analytics, copywriting, and so much more!
But at its core and no matter the channel, a marketing agency should help you effectively reach your target audience and convert them into customers.
Alright, But Why Do Brands Hire Marketing Agencies?
There are various reasons why brands hire marketing agencies, and it’s important to discuss internally what gaps you need to cover and why you specifically need an agency. Here are some common questions you may ask that are solved by hiring marketing specialists like the ones at My Social Biz!
- You aren’t getting the results you want from in-house marketing. This undoubtedly isn’t anyone’s fault; there’s often a lot of pressure on in-house marketers to cover a lot of ground, or you may not even have a marketing team
- You lack expertise. Unless you’re a massive corporation, it’s often not possible to hire all the expertise you need internally. A marketing agency can offer a wide variety of marketing expertise while being more cost-effective
- You don’t have enough capacity. There is often too much work to do and not enough time to do it in, or you may not have the appropriate resources
- Your current agency is under-performing. It may be that you already work with a marketing agency but they aren’t achieving the results you require, or perhaps your needs have changed
How Do I Know You Are A Good Marketing Agency?
Well, here are a few traits that you can expect from a great agency.
- The Agency Is Results Driven
A good marketing agency will provide regular, detailed reports, analysis, data, and recommendations. They’ll identify what’s working and where improvements should be made to drive better outcomes, and they’ll make proactive suggestions and provide insights. They’ll also have access to data which can support competitor and industry research, showing you the wider picture as well as your own results.
- They Seek To Understand Your Brand
They need to be as much a part of your brand as you are able to understand and identify strategic opportunities, have your short and long-term goals as a central focus, and know your needs. That way, the relationship becomes a true partnership and they can advise solid strategy.
- They Have Knowledge & Expertise on Tap
A good marketing agency will be able to provide the knowledge and expertise you need to take your business to the next level. If you’re looking for an agency who can improve your organic search rankings, find an agency which has SEO experts. If you need a new website, you’ll need an agency with in-house web designers and developers.
- The Agency Has Processes and Tools To Keep Your Work on Track
You want to hire an agency who will consistently deliver on time and budget. It’s normal for agencies to be managing multiple projects for multiple clients, and allocating resources across client work as new requests and approvals come in. Strong project management processes and tools are an indicator that the agency has a process for managing workflow and delivering on time and in budget, while making it easier to work with them.
- They Are Experts In Digital Marketing
Even if it’s not your first marketing priority, digital is such an integral part of our lives that every marketing channel has a connection to the digital landscape. A good marketing agency will be on top of the latest digital trends and be able to discuss them with you and advise your team. They should also be on the lookout for and responsive to changes in technology.
- They Ask Questions
You probably have a lot of questions to ask an agency – and if they’re good, they’ll ask you lots of questions right back. They’ll want to ensure that you’re the type of client they’re looking for and that you’d be a good fit for them as well. The agency should also ask questions that allow them to feel confident that they can solve the problems you have and that their expertise aligns to your needs. They’ll likely want to understand what you’re currently doing for marketing, what gaps you are looking to solve, and what you consider success.
- They Are Transparent About Costs
No one wants hidden costs or quotes that balloon as a project progresses. A good marketing agency will be transparent about what it will cost to meet your goals. They will work with you to clarify the scope of the work so that both partners are informed and understand what will be delivered for the value. That doesn’t mean they’ll be cheap – but a good agency will offer good value for the money. After all, it’s the ROI that matters.
Ta-da! That’s it: call or email us at neil@mysocialbiz.net and figure out what we can do for you!