How To Hire A Digital Marketing Agency For Your Small Business
I’m gonna let you in on a secret … There is no secret sauce for marketing!
People think the perfect marketing solution is just around the corner. They constantly jump from agency to agency looking for the magic marketing button.
Seriously, don’t chase the dragon. It really all comes down to fundamentals and hard work like any other industry. Sorry for the gut punch, but it needed to be said. Let’s shift gears and focus on how to find you the right marketing partner.
Pretty much every company could use a solid digital marketing agency. Even large companies and franchises with full-blown marketing departments can be strapped for resources and unable to pull off all of the marketing they want to do. They often have corporate marketing teams, but working with outside agencies can accomplish more, faster.
Small to medium businesses with no in-house marketing may be operating effectively, but without a team to advance their brand they are missing out on opportunities to increase their sales. Big or small, your business needs to find a marketing partner that brings the best value.
Here are some things to consider when you’re searching for a marketing agency:
With Marketing Agencies, Size Matters
Too big of an agency and you’re lost in a sea of other clients and higher revenue clients tend to get prioritized. Too small of an agency may not have the bandwidth, cutting-edge technology, or top-notch expertise and talent.
Do They Offer A Broad Range Of Services, Or Are They Niche?
Niche agencies are good if you need deep expertise in a specific type of marketing. For most companies, it’s best to hire an agency with a full range of capabilities.
It’s important to ensure brand consistency across channels and eliminate the need to coordinate and manage multiple vendors. If you have lofty goals and multiple channels to traverse, the integrated agencies are valuable. Some examples of services and solutions to look for include:
- Branding and strategy
- Content marketing
- Creative (Copywriting, graphic design, etc.)
- Data solutions
- Digital marketing (SEO, PPC, social media, email, etc.)
- Event management
- Promotional products and apparel
- Web design and development
Do They Listen To You? Do They Respond At All?
Your marketing agency should understand your business and learn about your goals and objectives. They should grasp what you want to accomplish and be passionate about taking your business to the next level.
Marketing partners also need to be responsive. This point can’t be stressed enough. If they go dark on you while still in the courting stage, it’s a pretty good indicator that they’ll be unresponsive when you’re a client.
Will They Tell You Everything?
If you can’t get a straight-forward answer, you’re not working with the right partner. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about general correspondence, costs or process. Transparency is critical.
Nothing should be hidden. No hidden fees, no surprises with strategy. Get a formal contract and scope of work before working with anyone new.
Agility Is A Game-Changer
Your agency should meet your needs. Period. This applies whether you want to be completely hands-off or if you want to stay involved and work collaboratively. A nimble client/agency relationship is ideal because campaigns require varying levels of involvement.
About Us
CG Marketing Group is a talented team of creatives and strategists who can make your business awesome. We like to have fun, but we’re very serious about digital marketing.
To sum us up in a single word — Scrappy. We’re always eager to branch out and apply new tactics to create successful campaigns. Our crew works hard to bring value, get results, and keep our clients happy.