Whether your business is large or small, you likely have areas of strength and areas of weakness. As a brand, you are looking to develop your business and optimize areas of profit. During day-to-day operations, it can be easy to forget the importance of your marketing department. Even if you have an amazing product, you may never succeed until you invest in marketing techniques that spread awareness about your products and services. Nowadays, many businesses are choosing to work with third-party marketing agencies that are able to offer a wide range of knowledge and expertise. In many cases,
small to medium sized businesses are unable to employ in-house marketing teams. When searching for a new partnership, It is important to know
what to look for when choosing marketing companies. In this article, we will share six things to consider as you develop a partnership with an agency.
1. Length of Experience
Companies spend over
$170 billion on advertising endeavors each year. Since there is so much money that is spent in this area, there are constantly new start-up brands that are looking to break into the industry. Due to the number of marketing agencies that are launched each year, it is important to find a partner that has been working in this environment for an extensive period of time. With more experience, companies are better able to understand
market research and know the trends that are constantly cycling through the industry.
2. Areas of Expertise
Many
marketing companies claim to specialize in a variety of different topics. Unfortunately, if their services are spread across a large range of industries, they likely have not developed any in-depth areas of expertise. If you want to work with a trustworthy agency, search for a brand that has worked on a plethora of initiatives that are similar to the ones that you have in mind. If they have depth of expertise, they will be able to help you handle challenging projects with efficiency and transparency.
3. Range of Services
If you employ an in-house marketing department, you often limit your capabilities. Nowadays, marketing efforts span across dozens of channels and mediums. From social media to digital design, from strategy planning to
SEO implementation, you need a large range of specialists on payroll in order to develop a comprehensive plan for growth. When employing people in-house, it takes a lot of overhead to recruit and retain people who are extremely specialized. Working with a third-party agency, you often have the opportunity to access experts across many different fields. When vetting a brand for prospective partnership, ask about the diversity that is present among their staff. Are there people who are experts at content creation? Are there people who are known for streamlining communications to develop a cohesive brand? Analyze if you will be able to benefit from the people that are employed.
4. Aesthetic of Previous Projects
Although many companies create projects that represent the client’s personality, there is often an underlying style or aesthetic that marketing agencies are known for. From
minimal design to colorful logos to bold fonts, companies are likely to create similarly-styled programs across many different types of clients. Look back at the previous projects that this specific firm has completed. Do these projects match the aesthetic that your brand works to portray? Does the branding give off a vibe that is similar to the one that you are known for? Validate that this agency has the ability to create the type of collateral that you have in mind.
5. Guidelines for Communication
When developing a partnership with any third-party agency, it is important that you have a mutual understanding about the communication schedule. In addition, it is important that the partner knows when to be proactive versus when to wait for guidance. As you develop a deeper relationship, discuss the management style that is typically preferred by each party. Will the agency be responsible for creating ongoing communications that are released through email and social platforms? Will the agency only be responsible for creating materials when they are specifically assigned? When you develop a rhythm of communication, both parties are able to optimize their performance and minimize confusion.
6. Need for Clarity
The best marketing agencies will want to communicate with clarity throughout every step of the process. These firms will be happy to answer any questions that you have about their business. In addition, they will be transparent about their endeavors of the past. If a company hesitates to answer questions or is slow to respond to your inquiries, they will likely behave in this lackadaisical manner for the entire term of the relationship. Summary
Establishing a partnership with a third-party agency can be difficult. Based on your products and services, agencies may be responsible for managing high-level marketing strategies as well as daily communications. Before vetting agencies, analyze your own needs so that you know the important components to look out for in an agency partnership.
