Questions to ask your marketing person or agency. And a few to ask yourself.
Before you start a marketing project – whether you are tackling it yourself or with the help of an outside agency or freelancer, it’s essential to ask yourself and them some questions to set goals, expectations, and the overall scope.
Finding the right marketing agency to work with can feel like dating. You want to make sure they’re a good fit for you, and you also want to ensure that you’re a good fit for them. Here are some things to think about as you decide whether to take the relationship to the next level:
Do My Values Align with the Agency’s Values?
It would help if you found an agency with values that align with your own. This approach ensures that you work with a team of people who understand your company’s mission and are committed to helping you achieve your goals.
Does the Agency Understand My Industry?
When working with someone on a marketing project, choosing an agency that understands your industry is crucial. This way, its team members can give you the best possible advice and help you navigate any challenges. Ask prospective agencies for examples of similar businesses they’ve worked with, work samples, and references.
Does the Agency Know My Target Market?
It is vital to find an agency that understands your target market well. If it does, its experts can create targeted campaigns more likely to resonate with your best prospects. Again, any prior work they can share to show you how they communicated to the target audience will be helpful.
Does the Agency Comprehend My Competitors?
Locate an agency that understands your competitors well. It will be able to help you create campaigns that are different from what your competitors are doing, and that will help you stand out in the market.
You will be a valuable resource here. There may be companies that you are aware of that you can share with your agency. They can do their own research to identify companies that compete in your industry/area. Compare your lists and see how many of the names overlap.
Does the Agency Prioritize My Business and My Goals?
An agency must understand your business and your goals well. If it does, it can create campaigns aligned with your goals and help you achieve them. Many agencies have a philosophy that leads them in a particular direction. Maybe there is something that they like to focus on first, with other areas following in a sequence of sorts. Does that philosophy align with your vision and, more importantly, your timing and budget?
What if you feel that social media is vital to your business, but the agency thinks that a solidly established website is a core element of any marketing strategy and wants to focus on that first? Can they explain their perspective, or do you feel they are too rigid?
Does the Agency Seem to “Get” My Style?
Finding an agency that “gets” you and your style is essential. When one does, it will be able to work with you in a comfortable manner that will help you get the most out of the relationship.
A good discovery and intake process should enable the agency to get to know you and your company’s personality. How well do they adopt the language and personality of your business in the initial stages of developing an advertisement, website, social media posts, etc.? If there feels like a disconnect between you and your agency, bring it up early, and see what you can share with them to help them find the right tone.
Are Agency Members Excited About Working with Me?
Finding an agency with a team excited about working with you is essential. When you do, you will experience their passion for helping you achieve your goals.
Admittedly, this is a pretty subjective question, but you can get a sense of how agency members feel about working with you on your company by the quality of the work, the research they’ve done, suggestions, and questions they ask. Listen closely.
Do I Feel Like I Can Trust This Agency?
Hire an agency that you can trust. Working with a team you feel comfortable sharing information with is easier. They are more likely to have your best interests at heart.
Is Now the Best Time for a New Marketing Project?
Finally, and in some ways, most importantly, you have to make sure you are willing to make the time to work on this process, especially early on. Hiring an agency and not being available to collaborate with them is a recipe for an unsatisfactory relationship.
Talk to the prospective agency about whether you have time to improve your website or marketing strategy. How much time can you set aside? Do you know how to work with a website designer?
Do you already know the answers to these questions? If so, do you have the required assets ready, and are you willing to make time in your schedule to work with someone on a marketing project? Awesome! You’re ready to work on this.
However, if there was any hesitation in your response, it might be best to put this project off until you’re confident. If you have questions about starting a new marketing project, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to schedule a short call.