Aside from freeing up your time to do other valuable things (like plan growth or innovation strategies), a Digital Marketing Agency can help you make the most out of your site’s overall performance and improve your KPI’s.
We’re aware that choosing the right Digital Marketing Agency can seem like an immense challenge. That is why we’ve built a list with key factors to help you choose an agency that fits your needs.
Why hire a Digital Marketing Agency?
Digital marketing is a complex world that’s always changing and evolving. In this fast-paced and ever-changing environment, it’s always good to have someone on your side who can take charge and make things happen.
Marketing agencies can help leverage different marketing strategies for you by attracting your ideal customers and improving your online presence – all this while taking time off your hands.
You can learn more about all the reasons why you should hire a marketing agency here.
What a Digital Marketing Agency can do for you
- Generate a market research and create a strategy to fit your competitive environment
- Provide advertising services in all types of platforms (Google, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
- Manage and optimize your website’s rank
- Plan and create content marketing that engages users and drives traffic
- Handle your email marketing communication and campaigns
- Manage your social media accounts and communities
- Plan and execute PR and media outreach for your website/brand
- Install tracking and analytics tools to measure your goals and marketing results
All of these factors come together to deliver the best results for you and to free up your time to manage and innovate your core business.
How to choose a Digital Marketing Agency?
Before you start looking for a Digital Marketing Agency, make sure you have a few things ready on your end:
- A defined budget for all marketing efforts
- The type of results you expect to get
- Clear goals on all you want to achieve (defined KPI’s)
- The type of project you’re looking for
Basically, you have to know what you want and how much you can spend on it.
Once you have defined all of this, you can start looking for an agency that’s right for YOU and your business.
1. Review their online presence
Do they have a website? Is it trustworthy or secure? Are they recommended or mentioned in other important media sites? Do they post on social media or have a newsletter to communicate with their customers? All of it counts.
2. Check their credentials
Are they Google Partners? Do they carry other types of certifications? An agency that stays on top of digital trends with courses, certifications, and studies is an agency that you definitely want on your side: they know what they’re doing (being certified experts) so there will be no surprises.
You should always look for a marketing agency that has lots of reviews. Don’t just choose a marketing agency because they promise the first page of Google (scams) or the cheapest. You should put the marketing agency through the tests to ensure they can walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
3. Run a background check
A fool-proof way to find a successful agency is through their past (and current) clients.
Do they have positive customer reviews? Are their case studies filled with hard facts and evidence on all their achievements? Do you like the results showcased for other companies? If the answer is yes, then you’ve found a winner.
4. Get a dedicated account manager
It’s always better when an agency provides a dedicated account manager for you.
Get to know the team and the person who will be working with you. This way you can make sure that the person who will be in charge of your account knows exactly what they’re doing with your time, money and brand.
5. Establish reporting and communication
This should be set from the very beginning. Make sure a reporting frequency and proper communication channels are established for both parties from the start. If the agency already offers a reporting process (weekly, bi-weekly or monthly), make sure that it works for your internal structure.
I think the one key criteria that you should look for when hiring a marketing agency is communication. It needs to be clear and honest. All agencies will tackle problems differently, but without communication, projects fall apart.
6. Demand transparency
Transparency can seem like a fickle concept. But it’s very important and should be embedded in every part of the process. After all, you wouldn’t want shady surprises after you’ve hired a service. Make sure all the information is clear before you sign anything.
We recommend you start by doing 3 things: analyze their offers, examine their prices and check their processes.
a. Analyzing their offers
What EXACTLY are they offering? Does it include everything you need? If not, is there another package that fits your needs and budget? Are there any scaled-up packages you can hire afterwards? Make sure you know precisely what you’re getting for your money (i.e. – a 500-word blog post, a Google Ads campaign that runs for a month, etc.).
b. Examining their prices
Is the pricing structure clear? Do you pay upfront, monthly, quarterly, per project? Is there a lock-in contract? What is their cancellation policy? Is the price worth what they’re offering? And most importantly – does it fit your budget?
c. Checking their processes
How does this agency get things done? What specific tools are they using? Do they research beforehand to understand the type of environment your business is in? How exactly is it that they plan on executing your marketing strategy, step by step?
Remember: an agency should be committing to a specific schedule or time frame in order to deliver, sticking to specific steps within the overall process. Make sure you understand exactly how it is they work and if their way of working suits your style.
7. Review and compare
What are the pros and cons of the different agencies? Which one offers the best value and results for your investment? Don’t go with the one that promises the world. Go with the one that promises results and delivers.
One last thing to keep in mind: the right agency will ask the right questions. In order to deliver the best possible marketing strategy for you, they have to analyze your specific competitive environment, your audience, sector and communication channels.
Pick an agency that will have your best interests at heart and that will be able to deliver everything you hired them for: content, social media management, SEO services or advertising, at the right price. Because in the end, it’s all about getting your money’s worth and growing your business.
And even though, finding the right Digital Marketing Agency can seem like a stressful or difficult process, it doesn’t have to be that way. At Zima Media, we work for each client on an individual basis, providing high-end marketing services at affordable prices due to our decentralized model. Let our team of marketing experts create a personalized solution for your business.
Contact us today to learn more about our services, our team and how we can help you meet your business goals.
