Running a business is a non-stop exercise in entrepreneurial mindset, strategic thinking, and tactical execution.
The problem (or opportunity) that most business owners run into is executing on all the growth-building activities required to take them to the next level, when—as they say—there are only 24 hours in a day.
Then, there is the additional reality that—many times—budgets may simply not allow you to hire an entire internal team to handle your marketing stack (SEO, social, automation, etc.). It’s just not a fiscal possibility.
Enter: the marketing agency.
Over the past 10 years, thousands of agencies have sprung up across the country (and the world), specializing in everything from social media filters to search engine optimization. At times, your options can feel like a menu at the Cheesecake Factory…exciting, endless, and overwhelming.
And while we can’t simplify the menu, we can help you ask the right questions to narrow down your options.
Remember, this decision isn’t just about picking an agency that offers the right appetizers and main course, it’s about choosing a team that will create the perfect entrée for your brand—from scratch.
So, how can you figure out which agency will help you get where you want to go? Ask these nine questions.
1. What does the agency offer? And do you need those services?
Most agencies have a specialty—especially “young” agencies, and there is nothing wrong with this.
Perhaps an agency focuses on social media, Google Ads, or video production for YouTube ads. All are great marketing side dishes, but not every agency does everything. Whatever their strength is, it needs to match with your business needs.
Even at National Positions, where we cover about 90% of the marketing ecosystem, we have our strengths like SEO, PPC, and social media, but we don’t do a lot of experiential marketing. Look for honesty and the right match for your needs when you ask this question.
2. How does the agency measure success?
As a business owner, you know that the be-all and end-all of “success” is the growth of revenues, and in turn, profits. But understanding how your agency measures success will give you insight into what success factors the agency considers.
For example, driving traffic to a website may not translate into more sales for you unless your site content, user experience, forms, and e-commerce process are streamlined as well.
So, understanding the key performance indicators, or KPIs, for each type of campaign is important along each step of the buyer’s journey. If a YouTube ad agency measures success in views and watch time, but you measure success by viewers who convert, you need to make sure that you are on the same page with your agency so you’re provided the success metrics that matter to you.
3. At the end of the day, what will you own and what will the agency own?
This question is rarely asked, let alone an initial consideration for most business owners.
But it should be asked if anything is going to be created for your marketing campaign—from an advertisement to a social media page. Will you own it and have access to it? Or will the agency retain some sort of ownership? And what about if you end your partnership—what happens then?
A prime example would be your website. If you have ever seen a website with a “powered by X Marketing Agency” this means that—you guessed it—the agency owns part (or all) of that brand’s site. We have heard horror stories from business owners having to buy out their website or pay a fee to gain complete access and control of their own website or data.
Ethics matter. Make sure that you retain ownership of anything and everything that is created for you during your campaigns. This will save you from a major headache down the road.
4. Will you have complete transparency?
What will you be able to see when it comes to your campaign performance? This largely surrounds performance data associated with your marketing campaigns.
If your agency says something like “We have all your new site content up and things are looking good.” What does that mean? Will you be able to have access to your data to verify? If you’re told that your Google Ads campaign is getting a certain number of clicks, are you able to see the data for yourself whenever you need to?
If you are paying for performance, you should never need to take their word for it. Make sure that you have as close to complete transparency as possible included from day one. This is your investment, your marketing, and your data.
5. What makes the agency’s approach unique?
This might be the hardest question to answer for most agencies unless they have some sort of proprietary technology. However, uniqueness comes in many forms—a strategic approach, the way they test campaigns, the way they create or design content, etc.
The answers you get might be endless.
What you are looking for is something that inspires you or that can connect your business to the agency—this connection is what you should be looking for. If the first answer to this question is “We’ve won this award and we’ve received this accolade,” the agency is tap dancing around the question or may not know how they are unique…which is a problem.
If the agency’s approach matches your brand’s values and goals, you have likely found a more fruitful partnership.
6. Who is the agency’s primary type of client?
Not every bike is built for every rider. Clothing brands rarely design with everyone in mind. The same is often true with agencies.
If an agency has a few years under their belt, they have likely found more success with certain types of businesses. So, asking what type of brands or industries the agency works with the most is a valid question. There are agencies out there that only work with and advertise to plumbers, or apparel, or travel—which is great, but is it great for you?
Ideally, your agency will have worked with brands in your industry before, so they have some experience and don’t need to start 100% from scratch. Keep in mind, the more highly specialized they are, the more your investment might cost you.
Either way, you want to know that you are not the first brand they have worked within your industry.
7. Do they have proof of success?
This is pretty straightforward.
If they say they are great, ask for proof—case studies, testimonials, whitepapers, press releases, etc. You may go so far as to ask for referrals that you can contact to discuss a client’s experience working with this agency.
You may run into NDAs from time to time where a client doesn’t want their brand or marketing affiliation being public, but overall asking for proof should be simple. If the agency can’t send you any kind of proof to back up their claims—consider this a big red flag.
8. Is the agency “omni” channel – or “solo” channel?
Depending on your needs, you may want to ask if the agency works omnichannel or if they are purely specialized.
Omnichannel is, in essence, a wider and more integrated marketing approach that is becoming more and more essential for success in the digital ecosystem.
There are thousands of potential touchpoints customers may have—from their mobile device and YouTube videos to Amazon reviews and on-site testimonials. Can this agency navigate and integrate them all together into a unified campaign?
You might be thinking “But I don’t need all of that, I only need XYZ.” You may be correct—right now. But it is going to be a challenge when you do decide you need to add marketing automation or content for your website, and now you need to find another agency that handles both. Plan for the future and aim to find an agency that can grow with your needs.
9. What are the management fees vs. direct spend?
When you get your car fixed, you are not just paying for the parts. Labor always adds another chunk to that total. This is similarly true when it comes to digital advertising such as Google Ads and social media ads.
There is a significant about of time that goes into pinpointing your audiences, setting up campaigns, building creatives, testing, and optimizing performance. So, managing campaigns takes a vast amount of time—and time equals money.
But you need to know how much of your investment is allocated to management vs. what we call “ad spend.” Some agencies offer a flat rate and others do a percentage; however, some agencies will keep a large percentage for themselves (we are talking over 40%). Make sure your agency is not overcharging you or “double dipping” by charging you a monthly management fee as well as a chunk of your ad spend.
Usually, it is one or the other.
In the End, Ask Questions That Fit Your Marketing Goals
Are there other questions you should be asking beyond all of this? Yes. It all depends on your marketing needs, timeframes, budget, and a dozen other factors.
Remember that marketing is an investment that will have fluctuations when it comes to ROI. With some marketing strategies, like SEO, you are more likely to see sustainable results over time, while other tactics like PPC advertising may have a more rapid impact.
Overall, you need to find a partner that understands your brand and can deliver on your needs in a realistic way. Ask questions and take your time.
If you are ready to start a conversation (and to ask these questions!) you can contact us here or call (818) 852-0600 to get started! We are also happy to send you copies of our latest marketing eBooks just for reaching out.