It takes creativity and tactical know-how to differentiate your business from your competitors online. However, many business owners fall short when they try to do it all themselves. That’s when a digital marketing agency can help you with your SEO and social media campaigns.
If you haven’t worked with a digital marketing agency before, read on to find out how to get the most out of your digital partner.
Do Your Due Diligence
Be sure you do your research before signing up with a digital marketing agency. Look at online reviews and check with the Better Business Bureau. Also, examine the list of the services each agency provides. If a service isn’t listed, they may still provide it under certain circumstances. Find out if they outsource their work or if it’s done in-house.
As you gather data on various digital marketing agencies, a few will stand out. Now, it’s time to schedule consultations with your shortlist of marketing agencies.
Ask Questions and Listen
During your initial consultation, let them know where you are currently with your marketing, and ask how they will improve that. Let them know what is and isn’t working, and ask how they might do things differently. Have them look over both your website and social media accounts, and ask for their honest opinion. You won’t need to take their suggestions, but you’ll have a feel for how attentive they are, how curious they are about your company’s marketing, and whether you can work with them.
Ask about their overall strategy, ask how they might improve your website SEO, your social media presence, and digital advertising. Find out about the analytics and data they use. They should be able to tailor a strategy that works for your business.
Before you sign on with a digital marketing agency, make sure that you get the answers you need. Also, get a feeling for if they’ll be the right people to work with. You want both an effective marketing campaign, and a digital partner who listens to you is as important.
Ask About Pricing
Pricing will not only vary between agencies but also according to the task. For example, a one-time job, such as a website overhaul, will likely be at a fixed price. On the other hand, a customized, ongoing SEO package will be all-inclusive, but the pricing will vary depending on your needs.
Be sure to discuss pricing upfront so that there aren’t any surprises. Compare prices between the different agencies you interview, and weigh it with what they say they can do for you. Your ultimate decision should be an agency that can boost your business with effective campaigns, and that is affordable.
Stay in Touch
Once you’ve chosen your digital marketing agency, regularly touch base with your marketing team. Some agencies will automatically reach out to you, but you should be having regular meetings to ensure continued communication. This keeps you abreast of what they’ve done during the week, and what they plan to do next week. Also, this allows you to ensure that deadlines are met. It also gives you an opportunity to get to know your marketing team as individuals.
Learn About Analytics
It’s likely that during your weekly conferences, your digital marketing partner will present you with data. Data analytics is how your marketing team will create a marketing plan for your business, as well as judge its success. The data sets and analytics will depend on the tactics your marketing team is using. Marketing has always been an art, and data is the roadmap to success. This article from Digital Authority Partners shares why they believe that with today’s technology it can be more strategic than ever before!
An SEO campaign will have the most data to review, but even a social media campaign generates data. Your marketing team is an expert at this data, and you should familiarize yourself with the jargon too. If you don’t understand what they’re talking about, you won’t be able to judge their progress.
Be Open-Minded
Once you’ve chosen a digital marketing agency to work with, keep an open mind. They might suggest something unexpected or that seems counterintuitive. Remember, you’re paying them for their expert advice. However, don’t be afraid to voice your opinion too. But if you’ve chosen a great agency, they’ll have had years of experience delivering success to their clients.
While they may accommodate your ideas, avoid micromanaging what they do. You’ve hired them to relieve you of the burden of digital marketing. Try to be flexible and work together. You might be surprised by the results.
Set an End Date
If your marketing partner is really working out well, you can always enter into a new contract. But, setting an end date is a good idea for a few reasons. First of all, it sets a timeline for your marketing agency to achieve your initial goals. Second, if they’re not living up to your expectations, once the contract ends, you can move on.
Leaving things open-ended can be an invitation for a marketing team to slack off on their duties. Setting an end date can keep them motivated to perform. Every week, you should be able to see some progress in your digital marketing campaigns.
Success is the End Goal
When you’re working with a digital marketing agency, both of you share the goal of success. Ultimately, business success is not measured in clicks or likes, but a boost to your bottom dollar. If an increase in traffic doesn’t translate into conversions, the marketing campaign has not been successful.
However, digital marketing campaigns can take time to gather steam, especially SEO; it can take months for a web page to move up the search engines. Likewise, it may take some time for a social media campaign to capture the attention of users. For example, the “Rule of Seven” says that your ad must be seen a minimum of seven times within 18-months to penetrate consumer consciousness.
It’s up to you to measure the success produced by a digital marketing agency. But you should at least see an increase in traffic and interest in what you have to offer within a few months. If you haven’t seen an increase in business by the end of your contract, you’ll need to decide to either continue and assess your marketing plan with the agency or move on.
