Pursuing a partnership with an entering marketing agency is a big decision for your visitor, and it'south one that shouldn't be taken lightly. Keeping in listen the fact that all agencies are non created equal, you lot'll want to exist sure you choose the agency that's the all-time fit to encounter your company's needs. When deciding on which agency to partner with, we recommend working backward. First with the goals you lot're looking to attain, and research agencies that have feel in those areas. Continue an eye out for the agency's grouping of talent, specializations, customer satisfaction scores (reviews), and more than.


What Is a Marketing Agency?

SBM-Illustration-StandingonLaptopA marketing agency is a company that is hired by other organizations to assistance with marketing needs. Some companies have an in-business firm marketing department but rent an bureau to help scale their existing marketing initiatives. Others lack a dedicated department altogether and rent an agency to get their marketing efforts off the ground. Some organizations autumn in the heart, hiring an agency to help generate demand, leads, customers ... the list goes on.

Hiring an agency to handle your marketing initiatives allows key stakeholders to focus on the business itself, and so what does a marketing agency do?

What Does a Marketing Bureau Do?

There are thousands of marketing agencies out in that location. Some specialize in a few fundamental areas while others are full-service agencies.

A full-service bureau offers comprehensive strategies spread beyond multiple digital platforms. For example, here at SmartBug®, nosotros offer inbound marketing, e-commerce marketing, sales enablement, paid media, public relations, web design, and more. Depending on the needs of your concern, heavily research the agency's specializations to determine if they tin can assist your company.

Pro tip: Run into if the agency features case studies or client testimonials on their website for real-world examples.

Questions to Inquire Before Your Search

Remember of choosing an inbound marketing agency equally if you were building a new home. Before laying the foundation, you need to advisedly evaluate the elements that factor into the build.

To make sure y'all're aware of those foundational elements, hither are some questions to discuss internally with your squad earlier outset the decision-making process:

i. What are the electric current needs of my business?

With your team, discuss concerns or obstacles that your concern is currently facing. Make a list of any critical elements that are hindering overall success. Be sure to rank this list in gild of most to least critical.

2. What are the levels of expertise my team brings to my business? What skill sets am I looking for in a strategic marketing partner? Am I looking for a strategic marketing partner or someone to execute?

Making a list of areas of your squad's expertise, skill sets, and weaknesses will aid you gain a ameliorate understanding of what y'all need to await for in a partner.

3. What are my inbound marketing goals and expectations? What do I promise to achieve and on what timeline?

Past answering this question, you lot'll ensure that clear communication is fix forth moving forward. How can you expect an bureau to sympathise your goals if yous don't have whatever prepare? Evaluate your current marketing strategy and assess what yous can exercise better.

iv. What elements exercise I need to be sure potential agency partners take?

Similar edifice a dwelling house, evaluating your "must-haves" for potential partners is important. Not all homes come with dishwashers, and not all inbound agencies will be able to check your highest-priority boxes.

If you think information technology'south time to hire an inbound marketing agency, you tin can also proceed an eye out for these signs.

What to Expect For in an Inbound Marketing Agency

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With a plan in place, your team can now confidently brainstorm an evaluation of potential marketing agencies. During this process, your squad will want to be certain to inquire a few essential questions.

Hither are the most important evaluating criteria y'all'll want to review in potential agency partners:

one. What are some of the marketing tools the agency uses to provide services to my concern? What software systems are in place to help further understand my marketing efforts?

Although the answers to this question volition vary from one agency to some other, whatever entering marketing agency should be able to provide you with some of the tools and software systems it has in place to help clients stay successful.

2. What is the agency's customer retention rate?

Client-agency relationships may cease for a number of reasons—financial instability, internal shifts of ability, or unrealistic goals, to proper name just a few. Though an agency's power to go on partners is of import, not all relationships are the right fit.

As you seek to sympathize agencies' client retentivity rates, know that not all partnerships are a corking fit, but that having a stable number of relationships is an important indicator of the success of a potential agency.

3. What are a few ways that the agency uses inbound marketing to help meet my goals?

An bureau's comprehensive understanding of inbound marketing plays a vital role in the success of your business. An agency that is only providing you with top-of-the-funnel marketing volition undoubtedly run across little conversion success, therefore unable to touch the bottom line. Inbound marketing means finding ways to strategically attract and maintain potential buyers at every phase of the buyer's journey.

four. What are the agency'south areas of expertise? What does the agency do best, and what appears to exist its weaknesses?

At that place is e'er room for opportunity and growth in a business. Asking about strengths and weaknesses will both reveal transparency and provide you with an understanding of how this business can help you lot. You'll want to cull an entering marketing agency that has a comprehensive toolkit with multiple areas of expertise to contribute to the complete inbound marketing "parcel."

In-house Marketing vs. Agency Marketing Assessment


In addition, you'll want to evaluate particular industries that the agency is known for excelling in. If an bureau but focuses on one particular industry or area of interest, it could be a cause for business organisation, particularly with potential competitors. You lot'll want to find an agency that has feel in a particular area merely besides has a wide understanding of several areas.

v. How creative is the inbound agency?

If the bureau provides a listing of clients on its website, take a expect to encounter examples of digital marketing campaigns that it has provided to clients. Y'all should also look through the website to evaluate resources, videos, and other media.

Is the bureau creative? Does its approach provide value to potential clients? If y'all tin't find any projects online, consider asking for examples during a discussion.

6. How well do they market their own business organization?

Do your homework! If the agency in question hasn't posted on social media in two months, this is certainly a potential crimson flag. The manner you market your business is a reflection of how you lot will intendance for customers.

7. What practise goals and metrics mean to them?

One of the best things you can do during your evaluation process is to ask the agency to provide you with a sample study of how it tracks metrics and goals for clients (if the bureau hasn't already offered such a study). Knowing how the agency evaluates its efforts will be a practiced indicator of what yous can expect later signing.

eight. Exercise they stay up to date on trends in the marketing industry?

In the world of digital marketing, changes happen rapidly. Having an agency that is dedicated to staying updated on the world of marketing is important. Ask a potential bureau what information technology does to stay updated in the marketing globe. Good answers include reading marketing blogs, participating in regular grooming sessions, and attending conferences and webinars.

How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency That Specializes in Entering Marketing

This is your opportunity to evaluate your final choices and discover the right fit for your business—just as you would before purchasing a dwelling. During the final stages of choosing an inbound marketing agency, you lot'll desire to be certain that what appears to be a good selection for your business is really every bit great equally it seems!

Here are a few final questions yous'll want to ask yourself before signing whatsoever contracts:

1. What will the onboarding procedure look like?

Understanding what this process is like will help you gear up expectations for both parties. What can y'all await in the first 30 days? 60 days?

two. Does the agency have good reviews? Do team members appear to exist happy? What are clients saying?

Ensuring you've done your research on a potential partner is disquisitional. What practice the company's reviews on sources such as Facebook or Google await similar? Has it won any manufacture awards? Do customers announced to exist happy?

Exist sure to cheque chore review sites similar Glassdoor to see what those who piece of work or accept worked with the agency are saying. If the agency appears to have few to no reviews or you lot see a lot of negativity, then chances are this new partnership comes with potential risks.

In addition, consider asking the agency if you can speak with current clients. An interview can reveal a lot about an agency and aid provide you lot with tips about what working with this partner will exist similar.

3. How does the agency handle urgent situations?

Nosotros all hope that we won't experience a "digital crisis" and won't need to reach someone after hours, but things happen. Rent an agency that has your interests in mind.

You also desire to work with an agency that can help your business shift your messaging and so you lot avoid sounding tone-deaf when the unexpected happens in the wider world. Look for an bureau that can omnibus you lot on how to handle delicate situations.

Next Terminate: Agency Partnership

When making the important concern determination to rent an bureau, evaluate the needs of your business and have a articulate understanding of the criteria an agency will need to meet. Understand that choosing the right entering marketing agency isn't always an easy feat, but don't exist agape to ask the correct questions that will assistance you find the yin to your yang.

This post was originally published in October 2019 and has been updated since.