Looking for the right marketing agency for your needs can be daunting. They come in different sizes, expertise, and industry experience. Some may know your industry areas, and some may not. Some may provide a full range of services, and others may focus on specific areas.

Before hiring a marketing agency, think about your professional needs. For some businesses, it’s important to be able to work with a local digital marketing agency and hold frequent face-to-face meetings.

For others, location is not essential, and they can pick digital marketing agencies in Las Vegas even when the brand location is in New York, for example. It all depends on your specific needs and what you’re willing to sacrifice to see your company soar.

Let’s see what you should look out for when hiring the digital marketing agency you’ll work with in the future.

1.      Work out your business goals and what you need from an agency

First, you must set up your business goals; in other words, determine what you need. Agencies can offer distinct services, from SEO to social media marketing. And if you’re looking for complete services, you’re unlikely to find that with an agency specialized in a single area.

Figure out first what you need from the agency. Is it a complete website redesign or a social media campaign? Maybe you need help with email marketing or boosting your SEO.

Of course, you can look for a company that does all of the above and more. In other words, an agency ready to give you a complete marketing plan.

Think well before employing an agency because it pays for everyone to know exactly where they stand and what their requirements are. A HubSpot survey says that when marketing and sales ideas are aligned, their marketing strategy becomes the most effective.

As you can see, your goals must fit in with the agency from the beginning. Once you figure out why you need digital agency services, it’s easier to focus on the type of agency you want to work with.

2.      Set clear outcomes from digital marketing strategies

After you understand and define your marketing goals for the future, you can figure out which part of the business will be driving online and offline traffic. Now you break down your online marketing strategy, goals, and mediums you want to use to advertise.

Think of some outcomes and numbers you’d like to see when your collaboration with the agency of your choice ends. Get at least some basic ideas. If you’re more technical, go the analytical route and build a flowchart analysis.

Consider the types of digital services agencies can put at your disposal. They include:

  • Web design – when the agency builds a website that search engines love (SEO friendly).
  • SEO – help with ranking your website higher on search engines.
  • SEM – higher ranking through paid methods.
  • Social media marketing – building your brand awareness on social media platforms.
  • PPC marketing – pay-per-click strategies meant to bring in more leads or sales.
  • Content marketing – creating valuable content for blogs, landing pages, product descriptions, etc.
  • Email marketing – updating customers on your offers and services or contacting new ones.
  • Mobile marketing – promoting the brand on mobile channels.

3.      Ask for a framework and a strategy

Framework marketing consists of developing a plan of action for your campaign. It should contain the goals and processes that lead to those objectives being accomplished. The framework plan should include every step the marketing strategy will take. That means it must contain the following:

  • Goals
  • Tools to be used in the campaign
  • The approach taken during the campaign
  • Costs associated with the campaign
  • Possible revenue
  • Tracking and measuring the campaign.

Once the agency you chose to work for comes up with a strategy, you have to decide if it’s effective. As the client, you have the final say in what will happen. Digital marketing strategies can easily be taken for granted.

The agency will most likely come up with a strategy. It should always be a priority because it can help every step fall into place and lead to your goals.

Go for an agency that listens and asks questions about your company, goals, and performance. They can later build the strategy meant to give you a competitive advantage. It can make the difference between some growth and an exponential increase in sales and awareness for your brand.

A good agency wants to know as much as possible about your company and the environment of your business. You should request clarification concerning how they mean to assess your needs. Always drive the business strategy and focus on your customers first.

4.      Request traffic analysis

Your website is usually where your visitors become clients. Conversion (as this process is called) can be tracked with tools like Google Analytics, and it can track sales, subscriptions, and other key performance indicators. Also, you can check out this course for Data Science for Business if you want to do it by yourself.

One of the things to look out for is increasing organic and paid traffic because traffic gives you a higher chance to convert visitors. Of course, you’ll be able to reach visitors conducting the searches you would like to rank for.

Make sure the agency uses search engine strategies and other media too. The more chances you have to generate traffic to your platform, the better.

Other media include social media, affiliate marketing, emails, and external links. Each source can generate traffic, leading to more conversions and, by extension, more profit for your business.

5.      Investigate industry experience and client services

Another important aspect to consider is whether your chosen agency has experience in your industry. When it they have the experience, they’re more likely to quickly deliver the expected results.

Every industry is unique, with different dynamics and customer profiles. And they approach digital marketing differently, too.

Working with an agency that has no experience in your industry can be time-consuming.

When you hire a company that already knows the basics of your industry, you can feel assured they will serve your professional needs. They can help your online brand, give you insights into your customers, or solidify your brand presence and message.

Decide whether the agency has the resources required to implement your requested services. In some cases, content creation takes precedence.

So, if the agency doesn’t have enough workforce, it won’t be able to fulfill the needed volume. Look into agencies that work with content marketing firms, for example, if you require large amounts of content.

When you need SEO monitoring, ensure your agency can offer these services regularly.

Of course, always ask for recommendations from former brands that employed your chosen agency or for examples of their previous work. It’s a good idea to ask about their strategy or their outsourcing abilities.

6.      Build your online community

Nowadays, you can always find info online, on social media. Most people are connected through Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, among others. So, you can easily find info about one agency or another.

Most companies show up on social media to have a higher chance of drawing clients to their portfolios. Use this to find an agency with good reviews, seen well by its community.

Likewise, work on building your online community. If possible, establish a relationship with online users and customers on all relevant social media. That way, you maximize your social media presence and target various groups that could become clients.

An online community means a base of loyal customers. That involves lots of interactions, rewards, and information. The right marketing agency can help you build exactly that – an online community ready to promote you for free. Which is of most importance for

7.      Improve your online presence

Nurture your online community, which implies remaining active online. Chances are, you have many competitors fighting for the same prospective clients as you.

You must be active to win them. Digital agencies can work on improving your online presence. That means using social media, reviews websites, email marketing, and search engines that boost your online presence.

Your marketing strategy should include testing with multiple groups and various iterations of the same approach. You will see which is more effective and produces the best results. Next, optimize it for even better results.

8.      Consider your budget

When looking for an agency to take care of your marketing plans, consider your budget and their monetary requirements. Lower prices don’t equate to better deals.

When a contract seems too good to be true, dig a little deeper. Ask the agency directly why and how it manages to keep prices low while offering quality services.

Chances are that an agency with lower prices takes a smaller cut on the provided services, meaning they’re less likely to put out stellar campaigns. Mainly because you don’t pay them enough to get the desired results or they don’t use the resources you need for a showstopper campaign.

That doesn’t necessarily mean throwing away a ton of money on marketing agencies, either. Just consider that a higher-priced agency may be able to dedicate more resources to your campaign, especially because you pay them better.

Agencies working with higher prices tend to treat their clients better because they can use a bigger budget.

Before signing the contract, ask all the questions that come to mind. It’s the best way to figure out if the agency is the right fit for you. Look for stuff that doesn’t add up.

If prices or recommendations sound too good to be true, investigate. Avoid getting into trouble down the line. And make sure the agency checks all the boxes on your list.

Conclusions

 Before starting your search for the right agency for your needs, make sure you understand what you’re looking for.

Knowing what you want from them is the first step in a fruitful partnership. Then, the agency can win you over and demonstrate that they’re the best fit for your project.  

About the Author:

Ava-Mae is a content writer and business consultant currently living in Melbourne, Australia. She has a degree in finance and banking and is currently doing financial consulting and content writing for various tech companies.