Are you considering hiring a digital marketing agency? No matter what business you’re in, you need digital marketing. Why? Because we live in a digital world.
Your customers are all hanging out online. If you’re not hanging out with them then your missing opportunities. This makes it easy for your competitors and does not give your business the chance to reach its full potential.
Using a Digital Marketing Agency
So how do you go about creating a digital marketing strategy right for your business? You essentially have two options; hire a full in-house team or work with a digital agency. Of course, hiring a full in-house marketing team could be very costly. Especially if your marketing requirements come in ebbs and flows.
Working with a digital agency will free up your time and deliver a better ROI. But how do you choose the right agency for you?
Related: Benefits Of Using A Digital Agency – 3 Ways They’ll Help Your Business
As we’ve established, we live in a digital world. That means there are a lot of digital agencies out there. There could be 100’s of digital marketing agencies within your area. And you can bet your bottom dollar that every single one of them is an award-winning agency that delivers more bang for your buck.
Or at least that’s what they claim. So how do you know who to trust? Here’s what to look for when choosing the right digital marketing agency for your business:
They Show Genuine Interest
To collaborate effectively, authenticity is essential; especially when it comes to showing interest in your business. For a digital marketing strategy to be successful, each channel must be working towards the goals and needs of your business. An online marketer doesn’t have to be an expert in your industry. However, they should be genuinely interested in understanding the needs of your business, your brand and your audience. A good digital agency will ask questions about your objectives and listen to your main points. Trust your instincts. If they seem to genuinely care about your business, then you’re onto a winner.
Side note: with so many agencies around, chances are there will be an agency that specialises in your industry. This could go one of two ways; they understand your business to a tea and you have full faith that they can help grow your business. Or because they think they have a strong understanding of your business already, they try to implement internet marketing strategies that don’t work for your particular business model.
Just because an agency hasn’t worked in your exact field before doesn’t mean they’re not the right fit.
They’re Confident Not Arrogant
For an agency to be able to help you, they need to be able to see your pain points. A “yes” man is not going to help your business. You need an agency that will be up front and honest with you if they don’t think something will work. However, what you do not need is arrogance or to be railroaded into a one-size-fits-all digital marketing strategy.
It is the agency’s job to point out what elements of your digital marketing are not currently effective. It might be the quality of your content. Maybe your website design isn’t user friendly. Or perhaps you’re not monopolising the right marketing channels for your target audience. The point is that it’s their job to put you on the right track and move you forward.
This feedback shouldn’t be about pulling down previous marketing efforts. However, it is about the right strategies and channels moving forward.
They Communicate Efficiently
A decent agency will always be happy to have an open and transparent conversation. They will listen to your needs then respond accordingly. This is very different to being a ‘yes man’.
You don’t want to have to jump through hoops each time you have a simple question or would like to discuss a current campaign. Make sure the agency provides you with a point of contact/s that know your business and what you’re working on. You’ll be able to get a good indication from the initial meeting on how good they are at communicating. Communicating being the operative word. You don’t want to sit and listen to a sales pitch. Post meeting, if an agency isn’t quick to respond while trying to win your business, chances are they’ll be even slower once you’ve signed on the dotted line.
They Listen to the Numbers you Want to See
Every agency will have its own reporting procedures. Make it your business to understand how often and what they will report to you. You want to make sure you’re on the same page. It’s okay to ask to see a sample report, then look at what metrics and KPIs they focus on. If they’re not interested in delivering the metrics your business needs then it’s time to move on. You need to know they can produce data that is meaningful to your business growth.
They Can Show you their Wins
As we mentioned earlier, every agency has won awards. What you really want to see is evidence of their successes. This means case studies with real numbers. An even better agency will be able to put you in touch with current or previous clients for a reference. Nothing will ever beat a positive word-of-mouth recommendation.
They Don’t Blindside you with Buzzwords
You may not want to know all the details, after all, that’s why you’re hiring an agency. But it is important that you have a basic understanding of their plan on marketing your business. It’s important for you to understand how they are going to move your business forward before signing a contract. Don’t let them blindside you with fancy lingo and marketing buzzwords. Of course, they’re not just going to give you a detailed strategy before you agree to work with them. Otherwise you wouldn’t need them. However, it is important to know what you’re getting and that you feel confident in their abilities.
They Have their own In-House Team
It’s important to know that the agency has their own in-house team of designers, developers and copywriters. Speed to market has to be considered. Every digital marketing campaign will need some level of design or content. If your marketing agency doesn’t have their own in-house team then this could impact turnaround time and cause issues with implementation.
A full service digital marketing agency will deliver the best results.
They are Open About What Tools they Use
Every marketing agency will use tools to help them get their job done well. However, some tools are better than others. Be wary of going with agencies who use online tools you’ve never heard of. Google has just about everything covered when it comes to reporting, which is why most digital marketing agencies make the most of Google Analytics, Google Data Studio and Google My Business. If they’re not a Google Partner don’t use them for Google Ads. It’s fair to say that cheap tools will result in cheap results. There are so many great marketing tools out there that there’s no excuse.
They’re Not the Cheapest Straight Off the Bat
While we’re on the subject of cheap, the saying, ‘you get what you pay for’ often rings true in this industry. However, that doesn’t automatically make the most expensive one the best option. In some cases, the cheapest marketing companies may actually be the best option. High-quality digital marketing services that deliver results come at a premium. But, a good agency is worth their weight in gold and will soon see you reaping the rewards.
Related: What Can Digital Marketing Do For My Business?
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right digital agency is no mean feat, and ultimately you have to take a leap of faith. Although the choice is difficult, the theory is simple; it should come down to whether or not you have the confidence in them to help you achieve the long term goals your business needs.
Our digital marketing agency in Wolverhampton can grow your business. Contact the team at AIM Internet today to find out how!
Digital marketing Agency Wolverhampton.
