There are no two ways to look at it: marketing your business is difficult. It always has been, and as the digital landscape in which you promote your businesses becomes increasingly fragmented, it will only get more complex. Working with a digital marketing agency can help ease this burden. However, selecting the right digital marketing agency to partner with isn’t always easy.
In this blog post, we’ll highlight the questions you need to ask (and the answers your potential agency partners need to give) before signing up with a new digital marketing agency partner.
What services will a digital marketing agency offer your business?
Wow – that’s quite a question. The range of services a digital marketing agency can offer your business is incredibly broad. But here’s a short list to get you started:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- On-page SEO (optimizing website content, HTML code, etc.)
- Off-page SEO (link building, content promotion, influencer outreach).
- Technical SEO (website speed optimization, mobile responsiveness, etc.).
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
- Google Ads (search ads, display ads, video ads).
- Social media advertising (Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, LinkedIn Ads).
- Remarketing/Retargeting campaigns.
Content Marketing
- Content strategy development.
- Content creation (blog posts, articles, infographics, videos).
- Content distribution and promotion.
Social Media Marketing
- Social media strategy development.
- Social media management (creating and scheduling posts, community engagement).
- Paid social advertising.
Email Marketing
- Email campaign strategy and management.
- Email list building and segmentation.
- Email automation and drip campaigns.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
- A/B testing of landing pages and website elements.
- User experience (UX) analysis and improvements.
- Optimization of conversion funnels.
Influencer Marketing
- Identifying and partnering with relevant influencers.
- Managing influencer relationships and campaigns.
Online Reputation Management (ORM)
- Monitoring and responding to online reviews and feedback.
- Crisis management and brand protection.
Analytics and Reporting
- Setting up and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Providing regular reports and insights on campaign performance.
- Data analysis to inform strategic decisions.
Website Design and Development
- Building or redesigning websites with a focus on user experience and SEO.
- Implementing e-commerce solutions.
- Website maintenance and optimization.
Mobile Marketing
- Mobile app marketing (ASO – App Store Optimization, mobile advertising).
- SMS marketing campaigns.
Video Marketing
- Video content creation (for YouTube, social media, etc.).
- Video advertising and promotion.
Okay, you get the idea. It’s a long list, and there are many other digital marketing strategies we could add to it. To complicate things further, some digital marketing agencies specialize in a particular strategy, while others offer a more complete service. The question is, how do you decide which agency model best matches your needs?
While there is no single answer to this question, the nature of your prospective relationship with an agency partner should always be collaborative.
The Importance of Building Collaborative Relationships with Agency Partners
Just because you hire a marketing agency to manage your various campaign activities doesn’t mean you can skip the creative or planning process. Successful marketing is always created in collaborative environments.
Every marketing campaign starts with a brief. This process sets out your objectives and highlights resources you can pull on to optimize your success. Nobody will be better placed to create those briefs than you. While an agency partner can help you prepare for success – without your insight and knowledge, that brief will always fall short of delivering on your objectives.
Breaking Down Marketing Silos
Those collaborative relationships are critical when working with multiple agencies. The last thing you want to do is create a competitive environment where various agencies try to outperform each other and don’t look for opportunities together. This approach is essential when you consider how marketing channels like email, social media, paid search, and SEO work so much better when deployed together with a single objective than when deployed in a silo.
The best “specialist” agencies will be very open to working with a network of partner agencies. They may even be able to recommend preferred partners. However, with every agency you add to the mix, you add a deeper level of complexity. Unless you have the in-house resources to manage multiple external agency partners (there’s probably an agency that can help you with this), selecting an agency that can manage multiple digital marketing channels and strategies is definitely worth considering.
A Single View of Truth
An agency partner that can deploy campaign strategies across multiple marketing channels has the advantage of working towards a single objective.
For example, when an agency combines marketing strategies like paid search, SEO, email marketing, and social media, their clients will typically enjoy the following benefits:
- A more unified strategy: Having one agency handle a client’s complete digital marketing strategy allows for a more coordinated approach. This approach means campaigns can be better timed and targeted for maximum impact.
- Data sharing: With shared management, teams can easily exchange insights and audience data. This strategy leads to a deeper understanding of customer behavior and more effective campaign strategies.
- Brand consistency: Using the same agency ensures a consistent brand message across all marketing channels, strengthening brand recognition and trust.
- Resource efficiency: By consolidating resources, such as creative talent and analytics, agencies can optimize their efforts and reduce costs.
- Clear attribution: By Understanding how campaign activities influence each other, marketers will be presented with a more accurate understanding of ROI, helping to reduce waste.
10 Questions to Ask a Prospective Digital Marketing Agency Partner
Before hiring a digital marketing agency, it is essential to ask the right questions to ensure they are the right fit for your business. Here are ten key questions you should be asking:
- What Services Do You Offer? Understanding the agency’s digital marketing services will help you determine if they offer a comprehensive range of services that align with your goals.
- What Experience Do You Have in My Industry? Experience in your industry will ensure your agency partner can hit the ground running and reduce the time they spend learning your business first.
- Can You Provide Case Studies or Client References? Ask for examples of their past work or client testimonials. This will give you a sense of their track record and the results they’ve achieved for other businesses.
- What Is Your Approach to Campaign Strategy? Ask about their process for setting goals, conducting research, targeting audiences, and measuring success. Ensure their approach aligns with your business objectives.
- How Do You Measure Success and ROI? Clarify how the agency tracks and measures the performance of its campaigns. Do their systems align with yours? This will help you understand if you will have a single view of the truth or potentially competitive analytics.
- What Is Your Reporting Structure? It’s important to understand how often you will receive updates on campaign performance and what metrics and insights will be included in the reports.
- Who Will Be Managing My Account? Get to know the team handling your account. Ask about their experience and expertise. It’s important to have confidence in the individuals responsible for executing your digital marketing strategies.
- What Is Your Communication Process? You need to understand how communication will be handled between you and the agency. Will there be regular meetings or calls? How responsive are they to inquiries and requests?
- What Is Your Pricing Structure? Clarify their pricing model and what is included in their services. Do they charge a flat fee or retainer, or are they based on specific services rendered? Make sure there are no hidden costs.
- How Do You Stay Updated with Industry Trends? Ask how the agency keeps up with the latest digital marketing trends and technological changes. A proactive approach to staying informed can ensure that their strategies remain effective and competitive.
Ask Us Anything
By asking your prospective agency partner the right questions, you will gain a deeper understanding of the digital marketing agency’s capabilities, approach, and suitability for your business. This information will help you make an informed decision about selecting the right partner to manage your digital marketing efforts.
If you’ve found this article insightful, why not ask these questions to the digital marketing experts at emfluence if they would be a good fit for your business? We welcome any questions you might have at expert@emfluence.com.
