Selecting a Marketing Agency: How to Do It Right

Investing in a partnership with a marketing agency is important in today’s fast-paced digital world. Selecting the right marketing agency is critical. When you select a marketing agency, you are selecting a business partner. This agency needs to not only be someone you can work with, but someone who can execute your vision. Here are our best tips for selecting the agency that’s right for you, because not all marketing agencies will be the perfect fit, and that is OK.

Research, Research, Research

Prior to choosing the right marketing agency for your business, do the research. When we say research, we don’t just mean the name of the company and who the CEO is. We mean take a deep dive into who this marketing agency is, what they specialize in, who their clients are, and more. Once you vet who the company is and their website, look at their social media pages and their online reviews. When you are comfortable with their online presence, give them a call and ask them questions over the phone. If all this research matches what you are looking for in an ideal marketing partner, we then recommend you schedule an in-person meeting.

Keep Your Goals in Mind

Before heading to that in-person meeting, it is important to prep yourself beforehand. Ask the agency all the right questions:

1. Why do I think I need marketing? Is it because my friends are also doing marketing? Be prepared to provide the agency with details.
2. What do you want to get out of the relationship with the marketing agency? Increase brand awareness? Get more sales? Make sure you make your goals prevalent, marketers aren’t mind readers, they need to know what you want so they can create strategies to meet your needs.
3. Can these goals be met? Some agencies may not do specifically what you are asking for. Be specific.
4. Do they specialize in what you need? Make sure they are pros at what you’d like to accomplish for your business.

Meeting Your Potential Marketing Partner

When it comes to selecting the right marketing agency, one of the most important factors is the business relationship. You need to trust this marketing agency to promote your business and to represent your brand. In theory, you must rely on the marketing agency to fulfill the goals they promised they would reach with the marketing strategies provided. Since brand awareness is not something that happens overnight, you must trust that your marketing partner will get the job done.

After the Meeting

Once you’ve met with the team ask yourself the following questions:

• How do I feel about the conversation?
• Do I think I will be able to have good communication with them?
• Will I be able to be honest with them when something isn’t right?
• Do I think they are a good match for my company?

Making Your Choice

If you feel like the marketing agency checked all your boxes and you feel like they are a great match, that’s great! If not, that is totally OK, there are so many different companies you can work with and not every agency is going to be right for you. Continue the research process and don’t settle. Again, at the end of the day, your marketing agency is your business partner and someone you trust to represent your brand. Making the right decision is crucial and not something that should be taken lightly.

Thinking that selecting an ideal marketing agency sounds like a lot of work? It is! Here at Vision, we customize each of our client’s marketing plans, so they fit their business, specifically. Interested in saving yourself some time from researching? Look no further, we’re a full-service marketing agency, specializing in comprehensive internet marketing – from websites to social media and everything in-between to help you not only succeed but thrive. Contact us today.