Are you seeking a digital marketing agency to help your business thrive? If you are, you’ve come to the right place. Searching for a marketing partner can be a daunting task. Just do a quick Google search and you will see that there are a lot of agencies out there that specialize in different strategies. It’s not always easy to know what to look for in a digital marketing agency, but that’s why we’ve created this guide to help!
Here are the six things you should look for in a digital marketing partner:
1. Services
When considering what to look for in a digital marketing agency, the first place to start is with the services they offer. Some agencies like to consider themselves “full-service”, meaning they provide a wide range of marketing services. This way, they can be your one-stop shop for marketing. Other agencies, however, like to specialise in only a few marketing services. That way, they can be considered experts in their specific strategies.
When looking for a marketing partner, consider what services you need help with—Google search ads, Meta advertising, SEO, video creation, etc.—and search for an agency that provides those specific services. This will help you narrow down your search a lot. If you’re not sure what services your business needs, a good agency will consult with you and provide you with a strategy, even if the services you need are not ones they offer.
2. Pricing
Once you have narrowed down your list of potential marketing partners based on the services you need and the ones they provide, you’ll want to consider pricing. Marketing costs vary agency to agency, so you will want to search for a marketing agency that fits within your budget. If you’re looking to run online ads, agencies will have different minimum ad spend requirements on top of their fees that you will want to be aware of.
One thing to keep in mind is that just because an agency is expensive, it doesn’t mean it’s going to produce the best results. Nor will an inexpensive agency save you a lot of money in the long run. Your goal should be to find the agency that will give you the best bang for your buck. After narrowing your list of potential marketing agencies down even more based on services and now pricing within your marketing budget, it’s time to look for a partner that checks the following boxes.
3. Trust Factors
Now that you’ve narrowed down your list based on services and pricing, you will want to look for certain trust factors. This can be the following items:
Case Studies
Does the agency you are interviewing have any case studies on its website? Case studies are a great way for you to see what kind of companies they work with and what type of results they were able to achieve. For instance, if you own an e-commerce store but notice all of their case studies are for home service businesses, they may not be a great fit for you.
Reviews
90% of shoppers read at least one online review before deciding to work with a business. There’s a good reason for that. As humans, we want to know what kind of experience others have had before investing in that experience ourselves. Shopping for a digital marketing partner is no different. Be sure to read any reviews they have on Google, Clutch, Yelp, and even Facebook before making a decision. Just keep in mind that no agency is perfect, and there are bound to be at least a few negative reviews out there for any business.
Testimonials
Similar to reviews, testimonials are a good indicator of how well people have enjoyed working with an agency. Testimonials are generally posted throughout a marketing agency’s website and landing pages. These are snippets pulled from reviews, email correspondence, and possibly even video testimonials.
4. Communication
When considering what to look for in a digital marketing agency, services, pricing, and trust factors are a great way of narrowing down trusted partners that fit your needs and pricing. After that’s been established, you’ll need to find a partner that fits your style and needs. Not only do you want to work with an agency that fits your budget and provides great results, but one that fits your communication style as well.
Some agencies are strict and structured with their communication (e.g., scheduled monthly calls, weekly check-ins, a ticketing system, etc.), while others are very unstructured (e.g., call when you need something). Some are very uncommunicative simply because they believe all of their time should be spent on running their marketing. What’s most important is that the proper expectations are set from the start, and you have an understanding of what that communication will look like throughout the relationship.
Do you need weekly calls with an account executive? Then the company that only provides monthly calls may not be the best fit for you. Do you like structured communication and knowing when your next check-in or report will be coming? Then the unstructured communication agency won’t work for you.
Some people don’t like a lot of communication because they are busy running their business. They would prefer a monthly report over email, and that’s it. Other people want to be very hands-on and want weekly updates. Both communication styles are great. Your job is to find the agency that can fit your style.
5. The Team
Marketing agencies differ in size and shape. One marketing agency might have three employees, while another may have 100+ employees. Similar to communication, when it comes to team size, it’s whatever fits your style and what you’re comfortable with. Some people prefer to work with a larger company because it shows that they’ve been able to grow their own business. Others, however, prefer to work with a boutique agency because they want the personal touch of a small team. In the end, it’s up to you.
Something to keep in mind, depending on what service(s) you sign up for, even if you work with a 150-person marketing company, you may only work with one or two people. It’s not the size of the company or the number of account managers you work with that’s important; it’s the experience they bring to the table that matters. When interviewing an agency, ask about the team and specifically the team members you would work with. What success stories do they have? What types of businesses do they work with? What’s their background and education?
6. Terms and Conditions
Last but not least, when discussing what to look for in a digital marketing agency, the terms and conditions are important. Or better said, the contract. Any agency you work with will have a contract. The terms, however, will vary greatly. Contracts can be month-to-month, three months, six months, or even a year long. Before signing an agreement, make sure you are comfortable with the time you are locked into.
Be sure to read through the terms and conditions to ensure you understand and agree with everything you’re signing up for. We recently heard of an agency that had a clause in their agreement that states if you leave them a negative review, they can fine you. You want to be careful of anything that makes you feel uncomfortable or could be an issue in the future.
Now That You Know What To Look For In a Digital Marketing Agency…
There you have it, our list of six things to look for in a digital agency. We know it’s a lot to consider, but you want to make sure you spend the proper amount of time vetting out possible partners before making a decision. Trust us, you’ll thank yourself later. If you need any help vetting marketing partners, please reach out to the Set Fire Creative team! We offer free consultations and are more than happy to assist you in your marketing journey!
McCain is the founder and VP of Client Services at Set Fire Creative. When he isn’t busy helping his clients grow their business through digital marketing, you will most likely find him with his nose in a Stephen King book, eating spicy buffalo wings, hanging out with his wife and Blue Heeler Ozzy, or listening to Guns N’ Roses—sometimes all at the same time.
