If you're a business owner, chances are that you have thought about hiring an agency to do some marketing for your company. After all, taking into account all the responsibilities that come with running a business, most business owners cannot afford to dedicate time to their own marketing.
Marketing agencies can bring in many new customers and make the most of your online presence. But, before signing on with any digital marketing agency, there are 7 questions that every entrepreneur should ask them first. I'll discuss these 7 questions in detail below so you know what to expect when interviewing potential partners for your campaign!
What is your marketing philosophy or process?
It's important to know what an agency stands for and how they operate. Digital marketing agencies should have a clear plan and goals in mind for what they want to accomplish with each of their clients. They will be able to discuss their strategies with you during the interview process, so make sure that this is something important on your list.
Have you worked with businesses like mine before and do you have any case studies you can show me?
Make sure they have some experience dealing with your type of business. It's also good to know if they've been successful in the past since, ideally, you’ll want them to be able to give a positive case study for you and your company! It should go without saying that it's important for an agency to bring up any relevant, recent work done with businesses like yours, but there's no harm in asking for proof of success.
In short, to make sure that they can help you grow your company and meet your goals, it is important to ask whether the agency has experience with similar companies.
What sort of pricing structures do you have for your services?
This is a question that deserves further exploration. Make sure to ask what the pricing structure looks like for their services or how they charge you for their work if it's not clear! Some agencies will offer discounts to companies who pay in full upfront, and some may have different rates based on the length of the contract or total hours required.
The pricing structure is important to know before signing on with a company to make sure it will fit into your marketing budget, so be sure you’ve got this covered.
Do you have samples of some of your best converting ads you can show me?
This is a great question to ask, and it could help you understand whether the agency will be able to meet your goals. Some agencies may have samples on their website while some won't, so if you're not sure about an ad or want to see more examples, it's always best to ask them!
You will get a sense of the quality and level of service that can be expected from this agency when they answer, as well as the ability to see what kind of success their previous work has given their other clients.
What would you need from me or my team to make sure working with your agency is a success?
This may seem like a silly question, but it's important!
You want to be sure you'll have the time and resources needed to provide content on an ongoing basis. It can also help ensure that your agency will be able to meet deadlines when they arise. In addition, if there are any changes happening at your company, you'll want to give your agency a heads up.
Any information you can give to your agency will ensure that you’ll receive the best content possible.
How will success be determined so we can ensure the marketing process is working?
Success is often a subjective term, which means there isn't always one specific way to measure it. The best thing to ask your potential marketing agency to do is to let you know what success looks like to them in the form of goals that can be tracked with KPIs (key performance indicators).
This will help make sure that everyone involved has the same goal in mind.
They should be able to measure the value-added metrics of your website, such as traffic and conversion rates. Together, you should also set goals for social media engagement and overall impressions in order to determine success on these platforms.
When will we see results?
You should see results within the first few weeks of working with a new agency, depending on what it is you're looking to accomplish. However, if your goal isn't something that can be achieved in just one or two months, then plan for at least six-to-eight months before deciding whether or not this partnership will work out.
Remember, marketing takes time.
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Most business owners can benefit from the help of a marketing agency. It’s your job to make sure that the agency you decide to sign with will be able to best represent your company and help it grow with strong, consistent, and constant content, like my preferred marketing team, Shark AGM Marketing.
Featuring an expansive team of dedicated marketing professionals, Shark AGM is a full-service agency that will work tirelessly to get your brand the attention it deserves through strategies that have been proven to get results in the world of digital and social media marketing.
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