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Getting help with your advertising and marketing needs can be a huge step towards making your business more successful. There’s nothing that’s more of a relief than knowing that you can focus on serving your customers and managing staff, and marketing experts will help bring in new leads and customers.
However, finding the right partner can be a challenge. It helps to know how an advertising agency works when they’re doing things right. That way you know what to look for as you review and compare agencies yourself.
Let’s take a look at what marketing agencies do at their best.
A marketing agency that is a good partner will get to know you and your business before laying out a plan for your digital marketing. Lazy agencies use a one-size-fits-all plan that assumes your goals and business are the same as everyone else’s.
You’re not the same as anyone else. You have your own reasons for starting a business, being in your industry, and choosing your geographic area. It’s only by understanding your goals and how you do business that an agency can create the right plan for your needs.
Don’t let someone tell you that the same plan works for everyone. It doesn’t, and you deserve focused individual attention.
The right marketing agency for you will be one that has worked, or currently works, with businesses in your industry. You can contact those companies to see what their experience with the agency has been like.
Pay attention to what results those clients got, along with how they felt about their experience. If they report that the agency was easy to communicate with, explained things well, and got excellent results, you may have found the ideal partner.
Worried about competition? You don’t need to be. With small businesses local marketing is essential, and it’s unlikely that the company works with another business in your industry in your same area. And even if they do, there are ten slots on Page One of Google. There’s room for you to succeed!
It’s an unfortunate reality that many agencies, while they may accept small businesses, spend most of their time and energy on larger accounts. They want to maximize their profits, so they focus on making their big clients happy. That can mean you’re left playing second fiddle.
One of the first questions to ask is “How many companies do you work for that have fewer than X employees?” For example, if you have 25 employees, ask how many clients the agency has with less than 50 employees.
Then, just like you did with the companies in your industry, contact those clients and ask how it is working with the agency. If they report good experiences, that’s an excellent sign.
When looking at how an advertising agency works, remember that they are not magic workers. They can’t get you to the top rank on Google in a week. If they promise that they can, they are either not telling the truth or are using shady marketing tactics.
You want to avoid any agency that uses “black hat” or “grey hat” strategies. These unethical tactics undercut what Google is trying to accomplish in ranking high-quality, trustworthy sites on Page One. Google is always watching for people who game the system and will punish those websites harshly when they find them. Your business may never recover.
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t fall for it — instead, choose an agency that makes reasonable promises and can back them up with case studies and testimonials.
Another thing that showcases the quality of a marketing agency is that they have long-term relationships with clients. If a customer comes and leave after a year, it may be because they had a poor experience. If that’s the norm with an agency, it’s a red flag.
On the other hand, someone who renews their contract year after year is getting the results they hoped for. That’s what you want to look for so that your company can get those excellent long-term gains for itself.
In addition, long client relationships show that the agency knows how to build trust with clients, communicates well, and can connect with their customers’ goals. You want that kind of long-term partner when it comes to your digital marketing.
Choosing the right agency can be overwhelming unless you know what to look for. Now that you know the characteristics of a great marketing agency, it’s time to choose a partner and move forward with your growth plan.
We’d love to talk to you about your goals and your business to see if we’d be a good fit for your needs. You can schedule a free consultation with us today!
