When you’re outsourcing your digital marketing, it can be tough knowing what you should expect. Who can you trust? Marketing is arguably one of the most significant elements of your business. So you need to be sure you’re working with the right team of experts to help you optimize your marketing strategy and drive revenue.
In this article, we’re going to show you 5 things you should expect from a decent digital marketing agency, and what you need to know before hiring one.
#1 Asking You Questions
The key to any professional business relationship is good communication. And it’s even more critical when working with a marketing agency. Your agency should be asking a lot of questions. They should want to better understand you and your business. Plus what you hope to achieve by working with them. Based on your expectations the agency then begins to devise a specific digital marketing strategy for your business. Specifically based on what they’ve learned.
If a marketing agency isn’t asking a lot of questions and it isn’t taking the time to understand the inner workings of your business, this is a big red flag. If you see that, you should avoid working with this company.
#2 Regular Progress Reports
You need to know how effective your digital marketing strategy is. If you’re paying for an agency to promote your business, you should expect a decent return on your investment. The agency you’re working with should report to you on a weekly or monthly basis. I’d recommend that you request both weekly and monthly reports. Do this when starting your relationship with a marketing agency.
The reports should include KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). It should also include other data that shows exactly how your marketing budget is being spent. Plus how successful the strategy is in terms of brand awareness and revenue.
#3 Social Media Strategies
Social media has become one of the most crucial marketing tools within the last 10 years. In fact, most new businesses wouldn’t be as successful if it weren’t for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more. Your digital marketing agency should have a proficient social media strategy in place for your business. This includes social media content creation, target ads, and split testing.
When talking to your marketing agency, ask what the social media marketing strategy looks like. How is it designed specifically for your business?
#4 SEO & Web Optimization
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is where your business’s website is optimized to rank higher on search engines, such as Google and Bing. Your marketing agency should have a plan in place to help you optimize your website, including the on-page content, keywords, and backlinks. These ensure your site ranks highly in search engines when customers are searching for your business.
SEO can be a difficult topic to discuss if you’ve never had any previous experiences learning about it. But you should expect your agency to explain to you exactly what they’re doing in simple terms. They should also show you how it will improve your business.
#5 Transparency & Easy to Contact
The agency you choose to work with should be 100% transparent with regard to the strategy for your business, changes made to the strategy, the budget spends, return on investment, etc. Whether things are going great or need to be improved, the agency should hold themselves responsible for the success of your business. Plus be completely honest about progress.
You should also be able to easily contact a representative from the agency at any time to get updates on your marketing strategy and talk through any concerns you may have. If there isn’t a representative available at a specific time, they should offer to schedule a more appropriate time for you to speak with them.
Choosing the Right Agency for Your Business
Knowing which digital marketing agency to choose can be a tough process. But if you know what you should expect from an agency, the process of choosing can be a lot easier. Good business relationships are built on trust and transparency. The agency you choose must do everything to learn more about you and your business and keep you informed on progress during every step of your journey together.
There are many other things that you should look for in a digital marketing agency. But these 5 things are essential components of a good digital marketing agency. One that will work with you and help you achieve great results.
If you’re looking for more tips on how you can improve your digital marketing strategy, check out the latest posts on the Intentionally Inspirational blog.
Written by Lewis James