As a small business, you need to spend your money carefully, making the wrong hire can cause terrible results in the long term. A marketing firm is going to be one of your wisest investments, and when you get it right, you are in for some fantastic results. It can be overwhelming, though, when you first browse all of the options. One of the first things you should consider is marketing specialists in your industry. For example, if you run a dental practice, you’d hire the top dental marketing agent, and if you groom dogs, you’d want someone well versed in the pet market.
It just makes sense.
Here are some other considerations for you.
Goals
When you were writing your business plan, pitching for financing, and considering your first client – you had some clear goals. You will need to use those goals to be the basis of what you want from your marketing strategy. It will often come down to growth and income. Each agency will have a different idea of what is going to work for your business, some will pitch content marketing, others will want to get a full rebrand going.
Experience
There are some considerations to make here. You can choose to put your cash into another small business like yourself and be part of their growth. Or you might decide that you would prefer to go with a big agency. They will have varying amounts of experience, and you will see totally different perspectives with each.
Not a simple decision to make, but one to mull over.
Testimonials
If you are going to work with a smaller or newer company, then the chances are that you might be the company they will be using for their first referral. But it probably means the service will be top-notch to get 5 stars. As for more prominent firms, you should make sure you read the reviews and all of the testimonials.
Your Vision
Your vision will be the driving force for everything that they put together. The right creative agency will be the ones that pitch the closest to what you envision and then bring more to the table. They will be passionate about what they do, and that will transcend into their work too.
Most agencies will have a process that works for them and their team, they will be able to create what you want and need. But the true heroes of marketing won’t be afraid to play around and test their ideas and push the boundaries in all of the right ways.
Communication
If you have trouble getting in touch, slow email response times, or lateness to meetings – cut and run. These are typical signs that they aren’t going to put the real effort in when it counts. The best marketing agencies will want to keep you in the loop as often as possible, they’ll have excellent communication and be easy to contact (inside their working hours). It is worth checking if you will have a single point of contact or team-wide, so you know how to proceed properly.
Commitment
This has to come from you too. When you choose to hire a marketing agency, they will put a lot of hours into crafting exactly what you want and need. They will be committed to providing you the best services and delivering the results, you need too. It would be better if you approach the relationship as something that will be long-term. Your brand, brand recognition, and bank balance are all set to grow when you make the right choices.
Perspective
You are in your business all the time. From the initial flicker of an idea to where you are today. There might be a status quo for how you do things, or what you see happening. However, marketing agents will bring a fresh perspective from a space that isn’t emotionally invested. They can analyze data, look at past performances, consider your goals, and give you real feedback and direction.
Choosing the right marketing agency can be a lot of fun too. Because you will get to see all of the variations of marketing companies available, and when you find the right mix of personality and work ethic, the two companies will create a synergy. When you think about how much time you are spending on marketing yourself and the rewards, it becomes more a case of if you don’t hire someone – how much are you costing yourself?
“Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue.” – Andrew Davis
