If you’re reading this, you’re probably on the verge of partnering with a digital marketing agency. Maybe you’re underwater and need some help managing your workload. Or maybe you’re not completely satisfied with your current marketing firm and you’re looking for some guidance so you don’t step on the same tack twice. Whatever the case may be, let me start off by saying congratulations! You’re entering into an extremely exciting phase in the evolution of your business.
Well… it certainly can be exciting if you take the proper steps to ensure you’re hiring a marketing agency intent on taking your business to the next level. Not to worry – this isn’t meant to be a precautionary tale. Quite the contrary. This exhaustive ten list of questions will weed out the studs from the duds once you’re ready to screen prospective agencies vying for your business.
How do I choose the right marketing agency that will give me the best return on investment for my marketing dollars?
1. WHO ARE SOME OF THEIR PREVIOUS CLIENTS?
If you’re checking out some of the agency’s work and notice that all of their clients have been B2B manufacturing companies and you operate a trampoline park, take notice. Not to say that agencies can’t be versatile, but it’s nice to see proven results from previous clients within your industry. Conversely, watch out for agencies that work exclusively in one industry – they may have conflicts of interest with your competitors. A big no-no. Look for case studies and blog posts featuring one of their recent clients, and ask how well the agency understands your business. If they don’t have recent work in your industry, find out how they will gain the knowledge they need about your company’s industry, revenue, and sales goals.
2. WILL THEY WORK WITH ME TO SET AND ACHIEVE COMPANY GOALS?
The best digital marketing agencies are strategic partners. Their definition of marketing is expensive and inclusive, granting them the ability to think through and tackle your business conundrums beyond generating leads and converting customers. Every deliverable should relate back to your company’s goals. Every action item should underscore your vision. The last thing you want is an agency that’s rowing at a different interval. Look for signs of alignment right off the bat.
3. HOW DO THEY MEASURE SUCCESS?
A marketing agency, no matter how accomplished they may be, isn’t a cure-all for all your business ailments. Marketing is a long, hard road and success, however it’s defined, shows up after you’ve resisted the urge to take the easy off-ramps along the way. It can take months, even years, to amplify what’s working and cut the dead weight. Nonetheless, your winning agency needs to be able to: Work alongside of you to define what you’re unique brand of success looks and feels like, and… Demonstrate the results, however marginal or minuscule, along the way.
4. WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT THE LAST AGENCY YOU WORKED WITH? WHAT MADE YOU BRM (blood red mad)?
If this isn’t your first rodeo, make an honest assessment as to why you’re looking for a new agency. Record the positives and negatives about the experience, and be frank about what kind of results you want with this new agency. It can be especially difficult to avoid writing off every agency under the sun after one subpar experience. Look at each prospect with a fresh set of eyes and use your previous engagements to dictate the questions you ask and the information you collect. It may take a little extra time but it’s worth it to make an exhaustive list. Warning: Skip the list at your own risk!
OFFERINGS AND CAPABILITIES
5. ARE THEY A SWISS ARMY KNIFE OR A ONE-TRICK PONY?
An agency’s versatility is one of the most crucial deciding factors. The reason being that marketing doesn’t work in a vacuum, it lives and thrives through a nexus of disciplines and capabilities. What good is a blog post that’s poised to garner thousands of views if your website is a relic from 1999? Exactly, it’s useless. Sure, every agency is better at some things than others, I’ll give you that. But, in order for your marketing efforts to be well-rounded and potent, your agency should have a bouquet of proficiencies at its disposal. Avoid hiring on a one-trick pony. Seek out the Swiss army knife.
Here are some important capabilities to consider when vetting agencies:
- Web Design
- Web Development
- Website Hosting
- Branding
- Digital & Inbound Marketing
- Video
- Copywriting
- Search Engine Optimization
- Social Media Strategy
- PR
Oh, and before we move onto the next question, another benefit of partnering with a well-rounded agency we’d be remiss to skip over also happens to be one of the most important: cohesiveness. You need your website, copy, collateral, marketing, and events to fit together seamlessly to establish a firm brand position.
6. HOW MUCH OF THE WORK WILL BE OUTSOURCED?
A marketing firm might offer web design, but will these designs be outsourced, or is there an art director and design team on staff? It’s okay to outsource some things, but if you’re revamping your company’s website or doing a complete rebrand, it’s much more comforting to know that there are experienced designers or web developers on staff.
GET TO KNOW THE TEAM
7. WHO WILL YOU BE WORKING WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS?
You probably know from different work experiences that the people you work with have a huge impact on your day-to-day happiness and success. When you hire a marketing agency, you’re essentially gaining new teammates. For marketing to yield any concrete results, the typical minimum retainer is from 8 to 12 months, so make sure these new co-workers are good people who you look forward to collaborating and communicating with over that long stretch. Start off by checking out the agency’s website – How approachable do they look? What is your gut instinct reporting back? When you go in for a visit, ask if you can meet some of the team members who would be working on your project.
8. DOES THE MARKETING AGENCY’S TEAM FIT WITH MY COMPANY’S PERSONALITY?
You want to work with a company that has similar values to your own. Are they fun and friendly or cold and analytical? Maybe a bit of both is a great alignment to your own company culture. But let’s face it: you are the only one who can make that call. It’s all too easy to dismiss this step. It may sound like a platitude, but relationships form the foundation for ALL species of success.
TOOLS & MARKETING SOFTWARE
9. WHAT PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS DO THEY USE?
Now that you know what type of work they do and who’s doing the work, it’s time to take a look at the how. Not all tools and software are created equally. For example, at Figmints, we use Basecamp for project management and file sharing. It streamlines the communication process between the team and clients – which is important because you want your agency to be using your budget for actual marketing work and not 50% project management.
10. WHICH MARKETING SOFTWARE DO THEY SPECIALIZE IN?
If you already use marketing automation software and aren’t interested in switching, find out if the agency has experience with that particular platform. HubSpot is an increasingly popular inbound marketing software. It ranks its 2,050+ partner agencies based on different tiers. An gold partner agency has more experience than a partner fresh out of the box. Check what credentials the agency has, as well as their relationship with the different marketing software companies.