The 7 Questions You NEED To Ask Before Hiring A Digital Marketing Agency.

And your basic blueprint for success

Business owners and brands are quickly realising how important digital marketing has become.

Marketing budgets that were put towards traditional sources such as billboards and print are now being allocated to digital, which is hyper-targeted, trackable and quite simply, relevant.

With this shift in technology and thinking, has come an influx of “gurus” and “experts”, some of which have never spent a single cent on the services they are claiming to have expertise in.

So how do you weed out the good from the bad and make sure you are getting value?

I put together a list of questions to ask before hiring an agency to ensure that your marketing dollars are being well spent.

Question #1: How Will You Get Results?

It amazes me how many people have come to us after being burnt by other agencies that had no clear strategy from the start. Dig deep with this question and really try to understand how the company is going to get results for you.

Are they using a sales funnel? If yes, get them to show you results of other funnels they have in place or funnels that have delivered results.

By walking yourself through the funnel step by step you will get a good feel for a company’s strategy and execution. If you feel like the process is disjointed and doesn’t flow well then that will give you an insight into what your campaigns might look like if you were to hire that agency.

Question #2: Can You Show Me Past Results And Testimonials?

The aim here is to identify if this company has actually achieved anything notable with their previous clients.

Look for results from other businesses in your niche or similar niches as this will mean that the agency has experience marketing a product like yours.

Testimonials from other happy customers can help you gauge what the working relationship may be like with this company. Don’t be afraid to ask for information on an agency’s past results. If they are legitimate they will have no problem showing you and explaining the strategy behind their results.

Question #3: What’s Your Reporting Process?

Digital marketing is powerful because you can track where every dollar is being spent and determine your exact ROI from a particular campaign.

This is the kind of information you need to make informed decisions in your business, so you want to ensure that the agency you are working with is giving you the information you need, when you need it.

As a minimum, you should be discussing the results of your campaigns on a weekly basis and all information should be provided to you via clear reports that show you where every dollar has been spent.

Question #4: How Long Until I Start Seeing Results?

The answer you get to this question will tell you a lot about the people you are getting into business with because it’s an extremely tricky question to answer.

The truth is that it’s impossible to guarantee results in a specific timeframe. If an agency is guaranteeing results in a short time frame then you are probably talking to someone who is trying to sell you the dream, rather than someone who is trustworthy.

That being said, you want to make sure that you are getting results in a reasonable timeframe, so look for an answer that thoroughly explains the strategy that they will use and what’s involved — this will give you an indication of their plan and show you that they have a clear roadmap to success.

Question #5: What Are My Responsibilities As A Client?

Any agency that has actually achieved results for clients has done so because their clients have been ready for growth and prepared to invest not only their money, but their time into ensuring that a campaign is successful.

This means being available for communication with the agency, providing content if that’s not included as part of the service and most importantly being able to execute effectively when leads or sales come through.

Hiring a Digital Marketing agency is not a silver bullet or a get rich quick scheme. It requires effort and commitment from both sides to make it work properly, so if you are being told that you can just sit back and relax while your sales come flooding in, then you are probably talking to someone who has no experience in actually delivering results.

Question #6: What Is Your Project Management Process?

Having clear systems and processes in place to manage campaigns is one of the most important aspects for a successful working relationship. It allows campaigns to run smoothly and consistently and ensures that everyone involved is on the same page.

Ask the agency what project management tools they use (our favourite is Trello) and how they will be communicating with you during your campaign.

Until you develop a long term relationship with the agency and they clearly understand your brand guidelines and identity, ensure that they have a clear process for submitting ads and creative to you for approval.

You also want to know who your main point of contact is, and you only want to have ONE. If there are too many people accountable for all of the moving parts in an agency then it can quickly become a nightmare for you when you are trying to get answers and it also shows that there’s no clear structure in the agency.

Question #7: What KPI’s Are You Measuring?

An experienced Digital Marketing agency will ask you what your goals are before answering this question because ultimately that’s where every campaign should begin.

Depending on your particular business and the products/services that you are offering, some KPI metrics may be more important to you than others.

For example, a brand that is in its infancy may consider high engagement rates as the metric that is important to them, whereas an established e-commerce business might see Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) as being more relevant.

A successful campaign should take into account the entire buyer’s journey and create offers, content and ads to nurture customers through each phase.

Conclusion

The number one thing to be clear about before hiring anyone in the marketing space is what your desired outcomes are.

Are you looking for an increase in traffic to your website? Do you already have traffic but need help converting it? Are you trying to build your brand and need more exposure?

Work out exactly what your goals are and then ask the questions above to make sure that you are partnering with an agency that can deliver!

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