Businesses, big or small, create a marketing budget to promote their products or services. Whether they try to do it in-house in the initial stages or outsource this work, it is imperative that marketing be one of the top priorities. You could have the best idea, but if people don’t know about it, there is really no point. Your sparkling new car dealership or well-stocked warehouse can only succeed if you have enough customers.
If marketing is a passion, then a small business owner can consider dabbling in doing it themselves. However, if you have no experience with sales, advertising, or public relations, you should consider having experts take over this task. There is a reason why people pay professionals to do what they are best at. When you’re ready, here are a few tips to choose the right marketing firm for your needs.
1. Evaluate Their Portfolio
Marketing agencies may specialize in different industries or may have an edge in a particular area of marketing. Businesses should do their due diligence to find the right fit. Say you are launching a new line of makeup. Look for a marketing firm with experience in the beauty industry. Ask to see the current and past client portfolios of the top marketing agencies in your area. This can give you a good idea if they have worked with companies like yours before. You can also evaluate what size of business they work with most often.
If they have worked with other makeup lines, they may have contacts at beauty and women’s lifestyle magazines. They may have established relationships with beauty influencers on social media. They should have also learned what to do and what not to do from their experience with other brands. Don’t just look at the ads they have created though. Ask for and analyze metrics to really know how well they’ve performed. Check out how many clicks their Facebook ads have gotten and ask if customers used the coupon codes sent out in email blasts. Numbers don’t lie.
2. Meet the Firm
There is a lot that brochures and websites can tell you, but they can’t give you the human connection. Before selecting a marketing agency, meet their team. See if their company culture and vibes mesh with yours. Often, when the stats and hard data are similar between agencies, their soft skills can help you decide. You can decide which team seems more friendly, yet professional. You can weigh which account manager seemed like an expert in your industry and how flexible they were with your marketing needs.
Sometimes large agencies have lots of staff and a huge portfolio, but they may not be able to give your business the personalized attention you’re after. In contrast, smaller firms may not have the resources or expertise to handle larger, more complex projects. Therefore, do not just decide based on size. Keep the other factors that matter to you in mind too.
3. Check Out References
Wherever possible, try to talk to current and past clients of the marketing agency you’re considering. See what they rave about and where things can be improved. You might be leaning toward a startup agency with a young team. They can be great for enthusiasm and coming up with creative tech-savvy ideas. However, if their previous client tells you, “while they had brilliant ideas, the startup team is very lax with deadlines,” it can be a red flag. Great ideas don’t get you very far if they aren’t executed.
Client feedback can also provide insight into the agency’s culture and how well it aligns with your own. For example, if your leadership prefers a more formal, structured approach to meetings and communication, and the agency leans toward a more casual, flexible style, this could be something to consider. These differences might not be deal breakers, but they’re important factors to weigh.
If you are unable to check references, look for online reviews of the firm. Among the many glowing reviews, you may find the 1- and 2-star ratings. Read those comments and see why the agency left a client dissatisfied. Those reviews could save you a lot of trouble.
4. Stick to Your Budget
A marketing agency can promise you the stars, but try not to overcommit until you see results. Avoid firms pressuring you to commit to an amount you are uncomfortable with. If you cannot afford the number one marketing agency, that is OK. Stick to your allocated marketing budget. It is difficult to gauge the efficacy of ads overnight, so proceed with caution. Ask for stats and reports after a few weeks. Look them over closely and ask questions to see which avenues you should continue to invest in and which are not yielding the best results.
When launching the makeup line discussed earlier, compare promotion ideas and then increase the budget when you know what works. See if a buy-one-get-one-free lipstick promotion lures more people to add to cart. Or does a flat 20% off code get more use? Your marketing agency could segment the email lists and test one promotion on each list to see which works best. Once you get results, it makes more sense to funnel more advertising dollars into the promotion that delivers the best results.
A marketing agency can significantly influence how your brand is perceived — positively or negatively. Therefore, do not rush to sign a contract with a firm. Find a team that aligns with your work ethic and vision for your brand. Do your due diligence and then give it your best shot.