Finding a marketing agency that suits your vibe, your budget and your vision can sometimes be a tough gig.
If you are a solopreneur, you may need to 'do-it-yourself' if the budget is scarce but time is rich. If you run an existing company, do you outsource it or recruit someone? What if you already use a marketing company but have been unhappy with the service?
Here are my five tips on selecting the right marketing agency for your business:
1/Try before you buy
Ok, technically it's not a free trial as such, but get a prospective marketing agency to do a small pilot project for you (which you pay for) to take a peek at their team, their approach and their results.
2/Look at the company's core values
Core values are important because they give you the opportunity to see if you and the agency are aligned. This could be on all sorts of topics such as pricing, growth, people management, ethics, work-life-balance, account management, the list goes on. If you hire a marketing company in Norwich, Norfolk without doing a values assessment you may find yourself in a situation later down the line where you regret working together. Digging a little deeper and finding out what makes the agency tick will help you gel and make the most of the partnership. Read all about my core values below:
3/Get some word-of-mouth referrals
Your network is your net worth, as they say. Whoever 'they' are. lol. Use your wise and experienced network to find out who they recommend, who they have personally used or have had great dealings with. Yes use Google too, but you can't beat a real life referral. And some light LinkedIn stalking is also a must. Marketing isn't always a cheap investment so invest wisely.
4/Does it look like they practice what they preach?
I personally think this is a big one. What is the marketing agency's marketing actually like? If the marketing companies do not have up-to-date social profiles but offer social media marketing, errrrrmm.....it isn't a good look. Check out their print materials, website, blog posts, Google ranking, Google local search info, see if they are doing their own PR by checking business websites like www.bizeast.co.uk and the EDP business online, are they at regional networking events, what is their email newsletter welcome email like? You catch my drift. If they are smashing it for their own agency, they will smash it for you.
5/Determine if it's a fling or the real deal
Even if you are working with a marketing agency for a small one-off project, ask yourself 'can I see myself working with this company and its people long term'? Because later down the line you may hire them again or have enough budget for them to do regular monthly work for you. Relationships are so much better when you cultivate something substantial. Swipe right for your agency!
