Business owners and entrepreneurs often find themselves at a plateau in their business when they can no longer focus on their marketing efforts and organizational needs at the same time. Some hire in-house employees that they still need to manage and create strategy for, whereas others outsource this important component to professional agencies that specialize in most aspects of your brands marketing needs. Regardless of the route you envision your business taking, it’s important to make sure you hire the very best. With this in mind, consider these eight factors when hiring a social media marketing professional.
Testimonials/Reviews – Understand the customer experience from past clients
The most credible ambassador for any company is a satisfied customer. According to BigCommerce, 72% of consumers say positive reviews and testimonials make them trust a business more, and 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. That’s a considerable amount of credibility that helps build confidence in the agency. You check Amazon reviews by looking to your peer consumers for their experience. The same principle goes for finding a credible agency to fulfill your business’s needs.
Results – Make sure they have examples of past clients
You are planning on spending your hard-earned money, so first ensure they are the experts they claim they are by asking for case studies. These take online reviews and testimonials to another level. The longer-form content goes more in depth to describe a problem, solution, and outcome while keeping the customer at the center of the story. You’ll learn what kind of work the agency has done, as well as the results they help generate. You will also be able to gain valuable and memorable insights into the strategies they used to reach success. If an agency doesn’t have proof of past work, it will be much harder to trust them with your business needs. Also if professionalism is a critical factor in who you hire, any professional marketing agency will have case studies readily available for potential clients to view.
Professionalism – Make sure they have transparent processes and services
Many agencies will make vague promises to gain your business. However, make sure they are responsive, communicative, and have systems in place for transparency and monitoring. Transparent marketing agencies let you know what is expected from the start. You should have a breakdown of exactly how many clicks, email blasts, or impressions you will get, and your campaign strategy should include your input at every step of the process. Ensure your agency is keeping your business goals in mind, allowing you to check on the progress of your marketing campaign, and telling you precisely what is in your marketing contract. When you choose an agency that will be upfront and honest with you, you know that your marketing campaign will be upfront and honest with your customers.
Offering – Make sure they offer all the solutions you need
A full-service marketing agency looks at the bigger picture. They build a strong foundation for your brand to ensure all marketing efforts are consistent. These professionals will advise you on the best channels to use and tailor a package to meet your needs. Using one agency can work as your marketing department, working closely with you to set up a strategy and objectives and then execute a promotional plan on your behalf. Finally, a full-service agency is skilled in all marketing elements, so you won’t need to hire multiple agencies, which can be costly and time-consuming.
Style/Industry Knowledge – Make sure they fit your brand’s mission and goals
A marketing agency with specific industry knowledge is essential because understanding your business is also appreciating your business model. Without that, their strategy suggestions may not work, and they may be focused on the wrong items. When an agency works with specific industries, their authority, reputation, and conversions take on a snowball effect because they already have momentum in that industry. For example, a beauty brand is best to find an agency that shares that knowledge instead of an agency specializing in sports brands. Your main objective is to ensure the agency fits your brand’s mission and goals.
Pricing – Make sure that the price aligns with the value
Asking about the price is not just an excellent way to make sure that the agency fits into your budget. It can also be a great way of filtering out low-quality agencies that can’t answer your questions satisfactorily because they can’t deliver results. Make sure their price points are based upon customer value which is a product or service’s worth compared to possible alternatives. Offering a positive customer experience is a great opportunity for a business to stand out from the competition in a time when products and services are becoming increasingly interchangeable.
Conclusion
Hiring a marketing agency to manage your brand’s marketing needs is one of the biggest and best decisions you will make for your brand. If done right, you will see tangible results of your business scaling and reaching more customers. Remember that enlisting an agency is an investment for your business, so make sure you do your research before diving right in. If you consider these items when looking for a great agency to help back your brand, you are bound to find success within your parameters.
At TC Creatives, we have experts for every stage of your business. We offer end-to-end branding and marketing solutions, working with you every step of the way to help launch, grow, and scale your brand. Our team works closely with each client, finding ways to grow their business. We’ve helped clients more than double their revenue in less than a quarter. Is your brand next?
