How to Choose Digital Marketing Team

Starting a business is relatively easy. You need a few permits or licenses, a legitimate product to offer, and a bit of advertising to become a business owner. Running a successful business, however, is more challenging. For starters, you must develop a full marketing plan. Those with little experience or knowledge in this area might consider a partnership with a marketing team. In this article, we’ll examine how to choose a digital marketing agency for your company so you can start expanding the brand’s online visibility.

Are Digital Marketing Agencies Worth It?

Before we go through the steps of hiring a digital marketing agency, we should determine if it’s a wise investment. The short answer is yes. There are endless benefits of partnering with a digital  marketing agency. Let’s discuss a few of the advantages below!

Work with a Skilled Team

Businesses hire digital marketing agencies because they get access to an entire team of impressive professionals. In-house employees are expected to be a jack-of-all-trades and take on multiple aspects of the marketing strategy. On the other hand, agencies hire talented people who specialize in one field. There’s a designated web designer, content creator, and social media manager—no one’s expected to complete something they don’t have the skillset for. Moreover, digital marketing agencies take the time to educate their employees and keep them on the cutting edge of their industry.

Save Company Resources

Many small businesses don’t have the money or time to hire individualized professionals (i.e., a web designer or content creator). It’s much easier to work with a pre-established, developed team who can allocate tasks to people skilled in certain areas. It’s also more helpful to create a comprehensive marketing strategy than to complete one task at a time.

Keep Things Consistent

One of the biggest challenges in-house teams face is a high turnover rate. Many marketers only stay at a job for a few years due to burnout or stagnated creativity. When this happens, the company must use time and money to hire someone else, and the marketing strategy stops while this happens. This problem is non-existent with digital marketing agencies, and you can rest assured the plan will be executed monthly.

The benefits of working with a digital marketing agency are never-ending. However, it’s time to discuss how to choose a digital marketing agency that works for you.

What Steps Are Involved in Hiring a Digital Marketing Agency?

So, you’re convinced that hiring a digital marketing agency is worth it! Now, it’s time to discover how to choose and hire a digital marketing agency that’ll help take your business to the next level.

Set Some Goals

Before signing a contract, it’s important to set some goals for the partnership. Consider why you’re hiring an agency. Do you want to introduce a new product, build an online community, or entirely redo the website?

Perhaps the most prevalent reason business owners choose to work with a digital marketing agency is they want more leads and conversions. Business owners want to create brand awareness that’ll hopefully lead to increased profits. These professionals want to know how such services can help them make more money and gain more customers. Consider establishing these goals from the outset so things stay on track.

Do Your Research

Researching an agency is a must. You should never work with someone who hasn’t proven their skills. Be on the lookout for these things during your research:

• Case Studies – Many agencies post case studies on their website to prove it was a successful partnership. Check out their website to see proof of their work.
• Testimonials – Try to find out what people are saying about their experience. Are the testimonials posted on the site? If they’re not, it could indicate they’re trying to hide something.
• Reviews – Go through a third-party site to find reviews of the agency. What are people saying on other areas of the internet? Are the non-affiliated comments just as stellar as what the site says?
• Check Out Their Website – Does the agency “practice what they preach?” Is their website optimized for search, linked to social media accounts, and filled with creative content? An under-developed website might be a sign of the effort they’ll put into your project.

Meet with The Company and Ask Questions

Meeting with a company before signing anything is a standard business practice. So, set up several meetings to see which are the best digital marketing agencies. Prepare an agenda for these meetings with questions about what you want and how the agency works.

Reporting Progress

When starting a digital marketing campaign, it’s only natural to want to know how things are progressing. So, ask members of the team how they plan to track the strategy’s success. Is there a client dashboard that shows you what’s going on? Or does the agency produce spreadsheets that display the numbers? Let them know that you want to be informed throughout the entire project.

At this point, you should also inquire about the software the agency uses to measure success. Will you have access to Google Analytics so you can see and monitor changes? Teams that are vague in their answers might not want your opinions, and that’s something to watch out for.

Services Included in the Contract

There are several components to digital marketing. Business owners can choose to embark on an SEO campaign, try paid ads, solely focus on content creation, or partake in social media advertising. Of course, they can select a strategy that includes all or some of these services. Make sure you know what’s included in the contract before signing it. Confirm that the project’s scope aligns with your business goals, and nothing is too far-off from what you need.

The People Working on the Project

We’ve mentioned the word partnership several times throughout this piece. We believe that’s what a contract should be—a collaborative effort to increase the brand’s online visibility. Let agencies know you want to build a relationship with the team working on the project. The more the team members get to know you and the company, the more likely they’ll understand your goals.

Scalability and Flexibility of the Services

Another reason many business leaders work with digital marketing agencies is their scalability. When meeting with a team, ask about the strategy’s flexibility. Can you increase the agency’s involvement if you want to launch a new website and scale back when things are less busy? This information is key when deciding how to choose a marketing agency.

Meeting and asking questions are essential steps to hiring a digital marketing agency. Letting the team pitch you the ideas for the strategy is the only way to determine if they’re right for you.

Does the Agency Value Your Opinion?

Steer clear of marketing companies that want to keep you out of the loop. Teams that don’t take your opinions into account might want to control the entire project. Below are a few signs that the prospective agency values what you have to say.

They Ask Questions About Your Brand

Agencies that ask questions are the best! Asking questions shows the team wants to understand your brand and the goals you have for the marketing strategy. Have they asked what the ideal content for your website looks like? Do they understand the voice and tone you want to capture? Perhaps most importantly, do you feel they know who your target audience is? The answers to these questions will help you decide whether the agency is a good fit.

You’re Involved in the Meeting

Pay attention to how involved you are in the initial meeting. Do you feel it’s a welcoming environment to ask questions; are you more than just a number? Avoid teams who talk down to you and look for teams that explain things you’re unfamiliar with. It’s only natural to have questions being that you’re not a digital marketer. The agency should know this and thoroughly explain the process.

You must do a lot of behind-the-scenes work before forming a partnership with a digital marketing agency. Although it might seem cumbersome, the steps mentioned above will ensure you end up with the perfect match.

How Does Price Come into Play?

Cost is the final factor we can’t ignore when hiring digital marketers. Be sure to ask about pricing during consultations to determine if you can afford the services. There are a few things to consider regarding price and signing a contract.

The Budget

When making the agenda for the first meeting, include what you hope to spend on digital marketing services. Don’t let an agency talk you into spending more than you can afford. The last thing you want is to spend so much on marketing that other areas of the business suffer.

When to Expect Results

When considering the price, ask about when you can expect results. SEO and Paid Ads have different timelines. SEO is a “long game” strategy. It might take months to see progress, but when it comes, it lasts. Conversely, you’ll see immediate results with paid ads, but the results might be fleeting. Keep these points in mind when deciding how much money to allocate to digital marketing.

Hiring a digital marketing agency is a smart business move. The team will use their specialized skill to increase the brand’s online visibility, hopefully leading to more business. However, partnering with an agency you know nothing about is unwise. Be sure to follow the steps listed in this blog and ask questions before agreeing to work with someone. These services will only be beneficial if you hire an agency that has your best interests in mind.