If you have found yourself in the position where you have decided that you need to hire a marketing agency or marketing consultant then you are taking a step in the right direction. Maybe it’s been because your sales are down or your business is loosing market share, whatever the reason for hiring an agency then you need to look at this as an investment to achieve growth whilst achieving your marketing goals.
The truth is, finding a marketing agency has to be done right because it will be the beginning of a relationship that will grow your business. However, before you make that decision, what do you need to consider?
Think about your goals
Every business will have its own ideas when it comes to choosing a marketing strategy. For many businesses, growth is one of their main objectives and so, understanding how your chosen marketing agency plans to achieve your goals is vital. If you have a clear idea of your marketing or sales goals then you will be able to match these up perfectly with an agency that aligns itself with your business needs.
Do they have experience?
You need to find an agency that offers an initial free marketing & sales consultation. This is the perfect opportunity to ask questions and to establish just how well the agency will work for your business. You should look at this in the same way as you would look at interviewing a potential employee – do they have the experience my business needs? Do I trust that they can deliver my marketing objectives?
Will they offer referrals?
You want to make sure that the agency has a client portfolio that you can access. You should be looking for companies in your industry and how the marketing agency has achieved results for them. Look at testimonials and even ask for referrals because if they are serious about becoming your marketing agency then they should give you glowing testimonials and access to talk to previous clients.
Can they deliver on your vision?
A marketing agency that is excellent at delivering successful campaigns will certainly bring your business visions & ideas to life. Great marketing agencies have a real passion and drive for delivering results and will also be willing to work alongside your core business objectives too. So whether it’s achieving more sales, growing market share or improving brand performance great marketing agencies will go the extra mile to deliver brilliant results.
Can they measure success?
An agency can promise you the world but sometimes not deliver the results you expected. You therefore need an agency that can provide you with tangible results of the previous campaigns that they have delivered on behalf of other customers. All great marketing agencies should use tried and tested methods which enable them to track campaign successes and identify areas that need further improvement. So, ask to see past campaigns that they have worked on and find out how they achieved their success and how they measured it. Lastly, it’s vital that you yourself engage & correlate with the people that work at the agency, as this will ensure great communications, successful marketing campaigns and more importantly your business growth!
