So, you’ve finally made the decision to make the big leap. You’ve given it a lot of thought, weighed the options and looked at the playing field. Now, it’s time to hire a digital agency.
That being said, you don’t have any experience in this area. You may not be familiar with the terms, and how all this digital stuff works in the first place. So, just how do you go about selecting the agency that’s just right for your company?
Well, glad you asked. Here are a few simple steps you can take to find just the digital marketing agency that’s perfect for you.
Check with Your Peers
That’s about as simple as it gets. You probably have friends in other companies who have been through the process, and take our word for it – they’ll be happy to share their experiences with you. Buy them a couple of pints, and they’ll go on for hours!
But seriously, checking with friends and colleagues is an easy way to get information on how the whole process works. It will give you a solid basis for making your own agency search. You might want to get their recommendations as well.
Start Your Search Online
This might seem axiomatic. After all, what better place to check out a company whose work is based on the internet, than one who uses it to promote their own company? But here’s something to remember: beauty is only skin deep not only in life, but on the internet as well.
That colorful website with flashing lights, and drop-dead gorgeous graphics, may be pretty, but does it really do the job? Look for substance. Read every page on their site. Does it tell their story convincingly? If it does, great. Add them to your list. If it doesn’t, how can you expect them to do a great job for you, when they can’t do it for themselves?
Narrow Down Your Search
This is where it can get tough. There may be a number of digital agencies that caught your eye, but do they really fit what your company needs? Do they cater to firms your size? Do they have any experience in your field? Is their creative not only creative, but purposeful as well?
Great creative is a lot of fun, but if it doesn’t have an underlying marketing strategy, it isn’t worth the digital page it’s printed on. Now, once you’ve done your research, you should be able to narrow it down to not more than three digital agencies to make presentations. Anymore and you’ll end up with a migraine. Take our word for it.
You Show Them, They Show You
Before scheduling a meeting, send the digital agencies involved a portfolio of your company’s profile. This will save a lot of time down the road. In some instances you might find that for one or more reasons, they don’t feel they’d be a good fit with your firm. It does happen. Better to find out now than after a couple of time consuming meetings.
Also, be up front with them about your marketing budget. Many a client-digital agency relationship has soured due to misunderstandings in this area. Remember, they want to do a terrific job for you, but they can’t do it until they know all the facts.
In the End, It’s All about Chemistry
It may be trite, but it’s also true. All things being equal, a client/digital agency relationship is successful only to the extent that the agency and client feel good about one another. That’s a fact. There has to be an enormous amount of trust on both sides to meet marketing goals in the most powerful, effective, and efficient way possible. A fair amount of your company’s money will be used to meet those objectives.
On the other hand, your digital agency will be working diligently, spending enormous amounts of time planning, creating, and executing an internet marketing strategy to make your company appear in the best light possible. It’s a big job on both sides, but if you pick the right digital agency in the first place, you’ll find it’s been well worth the effort. That being said – happy hunting!
Latest posts by Michael Jenkins (see all)
- What to Look For In a Digital Agency - September 12, 2014
Hi,
Thanks for sharing this wonderful post.There are plenty of things to consider when it comes to ensuring business success.Digital marketing agencies are always changing due to the ever-changing dynamics of the market.A digital creative agency is one that takes care of your brand completely.
Choose a digital agency that has got sufficient expertise. Check their clients’ section on their website. This helps you in deciding if they are trustworthy or not. If you are looking for a specific skill set, then take a look at their team section to find out more about their talent and expertise.
Regards
Elise Forsyth Mort
hai,
it’s not soo easy to find the digital marketing agency..choose the simple way to search..and and this is the good idea to presenting about your company..by this the agencies may consultypur company..and thank you for your posting.
mamatha mummu would love you to read ..Quisque nec lorem vel metus ultrices
Finding digital agency is a hard work.But proper step make it easy.Choose right agency and be successful.
There are thousands of digital marketing companies in the market that claim to be the no 1 services provider. But, figuring out the best one is really a tough task. Your points have been of great help. Thanks for sharing this amazing article with us.
The first one is someone who is reliable and stay true to their word.
the site gets good ranking due that seo..
The last part is quite interesting. I mean it wouldn’t be mentioned in a digital marketing book or article but actually holds true for most part.
It’s really important to build that chemistry and rapport. One can not ignore it just because it doesn’t feature in most of the tips list. It’s more about understanding each others objectives, goals, work style and expectations. If that is decoded, everything else falls in to place on its own.
Interesting article! We at Beakon also believe that digital manaegemnt requires focus, coherence, consistency but also versatility, monitoring and adaptation!
Hi Michael, some great points specially about being upfront about your marketing budget, why waste everybody’s time if you “live in a different universes”… Thanks
Meir Bulua would love you to read ..We’re all content creators now: content lessons from news editors
Definitely hiring the correct company and having a decent marketing strategy is worth it. Individuals believe that they can do it all themselves. but it is a full time job trying to market yourself. May as well make a small investment and reap the rewards.