You’ve got this far. Your business has grown. Your teams are working flat out, yet you need more activity to drive more business. Maybe it’s time to consider external support. A Lead Generation Agency or marketing person.
Before you make that decision, let me shed some light on the pros and cons of this next step of your business.
Of course, the downside of it all is always going to be cost, yet anything worth having is not going to be free. And like Paul told Ed after he bought knock-off AirPods, buy cheap, buy twice.
No-one wants to buy twice. Here are the key signs that the agency you’re talking to are worth the investment.
Questioning
The chances are that if you’re hiring a marketing agency, then you don’t know that much about marketing yourself.
Sure, you’ll probably know the basics, everyone knows about email marketing and social media, but as a marketing novice there will be a fair bit that might not have even crossed your mind.
The right marketing agency should get you thinking. Not just about what marketing campaigns you want to run, but also about your business as a whole.
It’s essential for any marketing agency to understand the challenges that you are facing, as well as the goals you would like to achieve to create an effective marketing strategy for your specific business.
An agency also needs to be able to question why things are operating how they are right now.
Any good agency won’t be afraid to be critical of your current processes in order to produce tangible and measurable results from the campaign.
It can be very difficult for business owners to criticise their own business, as they have a personal connection with it. A marketing agency can provide a fresh, exterior perspective on what you can improve, and aid you in doing so.
Evidence
A key thing to look for when considering an agency is a strong set of case studies which act as evidence of their credibility.
It’s not only important that you can trust an agency to give you results, but also that they will be a good fit for your business.
An agency-client relationship is so influential in creating a successful marketing campaign; both parties need to be open and honest about what they like, what they don’t like and what is/isn’t working.
A good indicator of these relationships being valued is if there are team members mentioned by name in reviews, client interviews and case studies.
Having a specific individual or a couple of people on a team that you solely correspond with can ensure you have good chemistry and rapport with an agency.
You can gain a lot of insight into how a company runs itself through client testimonials as they are often a lot more detailed than reviews alone.
Communication
Another essential component of a harmonious agency-client relationship is communication.
Communication from the offset by an agency will most likely involve you knowing exactly what strategies are going to be put in place, and a timeline for when these are going to be implemented.
If you don’t communicate with your agency, then you will quickly find that you’re spending a lot more money than anticipated, as extra hours will be billed if significant alterations have to be made. Consulting you about any major implementations should be standard procedure.
It is also good to know that your agency can communicate well internally as well. There’s nothing more frustrating than feeling like you are constantly repeating yourself to different people and never being heard.
Strategy
A good marketing strategy will have clear objectives, tangible goals and a time frame that fits with your desired outcome.
To start, you can’t have a plan without research.
Your marketing agency should want to know all about you and potentially even tell you things about yourself that even you didn’t know e.g. in market research, agencies often discover the presence of more/different competitors.
Your agency also needs to know your USPs and should be planning to capitalise on them the best that they can, after all this will be the thing that makes you stand out. No one should be left wondering how or why you’re different or what you do.
Above all else, it’s important that your agency is the best fit for you and aligns with your values. When you know, you’ll know.
Take us for example, we’re great, but don’t just take our word for it take theirs.
Curious to know how we could help your business? Get in touch or book a call and we’ll highlight marketing opportunities you may never have considered.
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