This article was originally published in the Union Leader.
Your business is growing and doing great, and suddenly, things seem to stall. You need to take things to the next level, but don’t know where to start. An obvious answer is to hire a marketing agency to help advertise your company.“Marketing” can mean so many different things, and there are dozens of different types of marketing agencies. Depending on your business, industry, needs, and budget, there are several factors to consider when hiring a marketing agency.
1. Define Your Goals
First and foremost, consider your business goals. Why do you need to bring in an expert? Are you looking to increase sales? Sell more to existing customers? Target a new market or customer? Raise awareness about fundraising efforts?
Then, define success. How will you know you’ve met your goal? You’ll measure success by defining key performance indicators (KPIs). Be as specific as you can. If you need to generate sales leads, KPIs would include the number of leads collected over a period of time, paired with cost-per-lead. Once you have identified the goals and KPIs, search for a partner specializing in your top goals.
2. Know Your Budget
How much can you spend, and how much more could you spend in the future if you hit your KPIs? These are some of the first questions an agency will ask.
You may have to start with one initiative and add on as you see a return on investment. Be open-minded, as there are often many paths to achieving a goal. For instance, if you want to raise awareness for your brand, you may be unable to afford to spend money on paid media, so be open to considering a more cost-effective strategy like content marketing or social media – both are free and good for working with a freelancer (as opposed to an agency). Start small and scale as you see success.
3. Look at the Services Provided and Industry Experience
Agencies have many specializations, some by the size of the businesses they work with, some by industry, and some by business type (i.e. business-to-business or direct-to-consumer). Some agencies handle many marketing services, while others specialize in one or two (like email marketing or paid search advertising).
Based on your goals, determine the range of services you will need in the next 6-9 months and search for an agency that aligns with your needs.
Also, consider industry experience. If an agency has experience in your industry, there is less of a learning curve. Though they still need to learn your business, brand, and what makes you unique, they’ll better understand your audience and the unique challenges of your sector.
4. Do Your Due Diligence
When you start your search, consider multiple options. Provide data or information about your business so they can make an educated pitch. Review case studies and previous work. If you need design, content, or copywriting, review their work to see if their style aligns with your brand. Request references and speak with existing clients to get feedback.
Once you have narrowed it down, think about their communication throughout the process. Has the communication been timely and concise? Are they listening and truly understanding the problems you are trying to solve? Communication is critical when working with an outside team, so if you don’t feel the communication will be seamless, look elsewhere.
5. Start Small
Many agencies work on retainer. You will pay them a set amount each month for a scope of work that includes specific services and hourly allotment. These are typically long-term agreements. Once you sign, you are committed. Before signing a retainer, you may want to start with a small project to see if the agency is a good fit. This will give you a feel for how your teams work together, if the communication is good, how the agency approaches your goals, and if they can meet your KPIs. A good agency will outline realistic goals and provide clear reports on the results of their efforts. Define how to measure and report success and ensure they stick to it.
After considering everything above, you should trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is. Bringing a marketing agency in is a huge step, especially if you have never worked with one. My advice is to know what you need. You are investing your time and money and should go into the partnership with a solid understanding of what success looks like.