Most digital marketing agencies offer combinations of SEO, social media, web design, paid advertising, branding or content. The real question is, do these services make sense for your business, goals, and stage you’re currently in.
The right marketing agency should be able to do more than execute a checklist of tasks. The agency should understand what is the end result, and explain the strategy that will get you there with clear communication all the way through.
If you’re in the process of comparing agencies, here are five things to look for before making a quick decision.
Start With Your Marketing Goals
Your goals should be a key influence for the type of digital marketing company you choose to work with.
Are you trying to generate more leads? Increase brand awareness? Improve your Google rankings? Build a stronger social media presence? Launch a new website? Reach customers in a new market?….
You don’t need an agency that does everything. You need one that can identify what needs to happen next.
For example: A business struggling to generate organic traffic may need a stronger SEO strategy, while a business with plenty of website traffic but few conversions may need to look more closely at its website, messaging, or conversion strategy.
Look at the Strategy, Not Just the Service List
A long service list doesn’t tell you whether an agency knows how to connect those services into a strategy.
Ask potential agencies questions like:
- How would you approach our current marketing challenges?
- What would you prioritize first?
- How would you measure whether the strategy is working?
- Which services do you think we actually need?
- How do the different pieces of the strategy work together?
A digital marketing expert shouldn’t simply tell you what they can sell you. They should be able to explain what they would recommend and more importantly, why.
Make Sure Their Services Match Your Needs
Depending on which stage a business is in, will determine what combination of marketing services is needed.
A local service business may benefit from SEO, local search optimization, social media marketing, and a website built around lead generation.
A growing company entering a new market may need branding, digital advertising, video production, and a broader content strategy.
A business with an established website may not need a redesign at all. It might need better search visibility or a clearer conversion path.
This is why the “best agency” isn’t necessarily the one with the most services. It’s the one that can identify the right combination of services for your goals.
Consider the Entire Customer Journey
Your customers don’t experience your marketing one service at a time.
There are several platforms to which your business can be discovered, such as through social media, Google search, website, content views, and direct contact.
Your marketing should work the same way.
Social media creates awareness.
SEO helps customers find you.
Content builds familiarity.
Web design turns interest into action.
Digital advertising puts the offer in front of the right audience.
A marketing agency that has this understanding will connect and build a cohesive customer journey instead of treating every channel as a separate project.
Pay Attention to Communication
If communication is confusing, slow, or inconsistent before you become a client, there’s a good chance you’ll notice the same problems after the contract is signed.
Don’t overlook this during the sales process.
Ask these questions to potential agencies:
- How often will we communicate?
- Who will be our primary point of contact?
- How will strategy changes or new opportunities be communicated?
- How will you report results?
- What should we expect during the first few months?
You don’t need constant meetings to develop a good relationship with a marketing agency. You need to know what is happening, why it is happening, and what comes next.
Good communication makes the entire marketing process easier to navigate.
Look for Relevant Experience
Experience matters, but don’t let it limit your evaluation to whether an agency has worked with a business exactly like yours.
Instead, look for experience with the challenges you’re facing.
If you’re a local business, has the agency worked with location-based marketing and local search?
If you’re trying to generate leads, do they understand conversion-focused marketing?
If your brand needs a stronger visual presence, do they have experience with design, branding, or video production?
And if you’re expanding into multiple markets, can they build a strategy that accounts for different locations and audiences?
Ask to see a portfolio of previous work and pay attention to how the agency thinks, not just how polished the final product looks.
Don’t Choose an Agency Based on Promises Alone
Marketing is a process, agencies that make it sound effortless should ring caution alarms.
SEO takes time to notice any results. Building a recognizable brand takes consistency. Social media doesn’t automatically produce customers because you pasted three times this week.
A trustworthy marketing agency should be willing to explain what is realistic.
That includes discussing:
- What can reasonably be accomplished in the short term
- Which strategies require more time
- What metrics will be used to measure progress
- What factors are outside the agency’s control
- How the strategy may change as results come in
Marketing is not a one-time transaction. It’s an ongoing process of testing, learning, adjusting, and improving.
The right agency should be comfortable with that process.
Find an Agency That Fits Your Business
You may find an excellent social media agency that isn’t the right fit for your business. You may find a digital marketing agency with impressive can studies but a communication style that doesn’t work for your team.
Think about how you want the relationship to work.
Do you want an agency that handles execution while you provide direction? Do you want a partner that brings new ideas and recommendations to the table? Do you need someone who can manage several areas of your marketing under one strategy?
There isn’t one right answer to these questions.
The right fit depends on how involved you want to be and what your business needs from an agency.
At Klout 9, we help businesses build digital marketing strategies that bring the pieces together, from social media marketing and SEO to video production, design and branding, digital advertising, and web development.
If you’re considering working with a digital marketing company and aren’t sure where to start, talk to Klout 9 about your digital marketing strategy.