Navigating the world of digital marketing is a daunting task for most business owners whose time is already spread thin. Many need a trustworthy and competent digital partner to manage their online marketing needs. The increase in the number of digital agencies in recent years has made choosing the right one a difficult task. It doesn’t help that many of these agencies have little experience and are learning on the fly.
Understand your needs and your budget.
The first step in the process is understanding your needs. The better you can describe your business needs in terms of website, search engine optimisation (SEO), advertising, social media and graphic design, the better your conversations will be with prospective digital agencies.
Look locally
Being able to meet face to face is a great way to create and build trust between your company and the agency. Today’s technology and video conferences are fantastic, no doubt about that, but nothing beats a firm handshake and being able to sit at the same table. As an added bonus, a digital marketing agency from the same suburb as your business is likely to have its finger on the pulse of the market and economy, and have a better understanding of the culture in which your company operates.
Meet them
Often, the best way to get a feel for whether a digital marketing agency is right for you is simply to go on a “date”. Set a meeting at their offices, sit down with them, and have an open conversation about what your company is looking for. Meeting in person will let you form personal relationships and see the marketers in a different light than if everything is done via video chat.
Demand full transparency.
Lack of transparency is the most basic and also the most overlooked red flag. Review an agency’s website and, if you don’t see an address, bios and a client list, then this agency is likely not worth your time. If an agency looks like it is hiding something, then it probably is. It’s that simple. For example, there are many offshore agencies making big promises with cheap rates.
Industry experience.
Does the agency have experience in your industry? If it does, then ask about those engagements, what went well and what was challenging. If it does not, this is not a red flag.
Do they think outside the box?
This is a big one and perhaps less quantifiable than the others. How do you even know what thinking outside the box is when you’re not quite sure what the box itself is? This doesn’t necessarily mean the agency will come up with an entirely new strategy. You can only try so many combinations of PPC, SEO, Social, Email.
A great agency will give you fresh perspective about your brand, your voice and new messaging. They will come up with new ways of tearing apart your personas to arrive at the core of their problems. The new perspective will come from a new line of questioning.
Choosing the right digital partner is crucial to your bottom line. The wrong one can quickly drain your budget and negatively impact your branding. So, here is my recommended strategy for finding a digital marketing agency that can help your business grow.