You have created a great product. Something people needed for a long time, and that will definitely make them happy. With a sense of satisfaction, you feel that your job is done…
Unfortunately, it is not. In the modern digital jungle, you have to make tremendous efforts to let the user only catch sight of your offer. Let alone convincing and guiding to the consumer decision.
This is the reason you need the services of a digital marketing agency. It is an instance that becomes fully responsible for promoting your products and services via online tools and channels. Normally, its ultimate goal is not only to boost your sales, but to create a long-lasting foundation for holding at the market and keeping high competitive standards.
At the same time, choosing the right digital marketing agency is not that easy. The process conceals challenges and perils invisible at first glance. They are not only about the risks to encounter an unprofessional team. You may also find a good company that simply does not fit your vision, business goals, and market specifics. Then the outcome may be similarly detrimental.
Salient points
That is why you have to choose a digital marketing agency in all seriousness. Here are the points of concern that need to be addressed in the first place.
1. Understanding your business strategy
Indeed, to find a good marketing agency, you need to start from yourself. Clarity about the nature of your product and its place on the market, its short- and long-term business goals, and your financial limitations will allow realizing what you really need at the time-to-market stage. Of course, a good marketing agency will itself make a comprehensive business analysis in the first place. But if you have no idea of your own situation, how would you check they have done this job right?
2. Areas of expertise
Not all digital marketing agencies have an all-around competency. Some may be more proficient in work with pay-per-click ads, SEO, and website optimization to increase a conversion rate. Others would bet on paid Google advertising and social media channels. However, depending on the industry, buyer persona(s), and budget, some channels may be more preferable and effective for your case.
Source: https://www.flickr.com/
3. Customer service
When you engage with a marketing agency, this means a close and quite a long-lasting cooperation. It is better to ensure that you will be comfortable working together. Such issues as the quality of support, speed of response from a call center or a manager, the culture of communication, the level of mindfulness regarding your business goals, and eagerness to learn as much as possible about the project, are all indicators showing if the future collaboration will be satisfactory.
4. Integrity
In their own marketing campaigns, some modern agencies promise overwhelming results such as immediate placement to the top of Google or reaching a conversion rate at 20% and more. Sometimes its is just a harmless publicity stunt. Yet if a company continues to get on these prospects when it comes to direct negotiations, it is a bad call. This may be a sign of negligence at best (they simply don’t understand how SEO and content management work), or indecency at worst.
That is why you need to demand complete transparency from the very start. First, it relates to how a company is going to achieve its declared goals. Second, you can request interim numbers on customer rates and metrics at any stage of the marketing process, instead of ignorantly waiting till its end.
5. Credibility and social proof
Thank goodness, today most of the work on agency research is already done by B2B field guides and customer reviews. At such reputable IT resources as Clutch, G2, or Agency Vista, you may find an almost exhaustive overview and ranking of the leading marketing agencies worldwide, as well as highlights on their competencies and pricing. You may further proceed to testimonials of real customers that already encountered a certain agency and reaped its rewards, for good or bad.
Source: https://clutch.co/
6. Self-marketing
In some cases, a young company may lack social proof and have a thin portfolio, simply because they only entered the market and did not have time to earn their minimum of credibility warranty. Still, such pledges may offer very enticing pricing policies at their start. To make sure that lack of experience does not affect their professionalism, you may take a look at how they approached their own marketing.
A shoemaker cannot go barefoot, right? You can request an agency’s data on their own marketing strategies, the scope and diversity of online coverage, SEO-optimization scores, keywords metrics, conversion rates, and other empirical information. If their system works effectively and with a strategic perspective, they will most probably make the same for your product. Otherwise, don’t waste your time.
What is not that important
1. Field experience
Suppose you appear on the market with a blockchain startup, while a marketing agency you deal with worked only with ed-tech projects and healthcare services. Don’t hurry to pass by. Digital marketing is one of the most changeable areas, so permanent learning and self-improvement are a part of this profession. If a company managed to delve into the specifics of several completely different products and get them out safely, they will definitely take care of your project with similar fairness. Pay attention to their general professionalism and diligence, and particular technical details will not make a problem.
2. Geography
Sometimes U.S. located authors tend to discredit offshore marketing agencies as allegedly less credible and reliable. However, most often this is sort of a black PR that has no justification underneath it.
In fact, digital marketing became a global enterprise long ago, and factors making its trustworthiness and reputation have nothing to do with a geographic location. Ratings of authoritative international resources, testimonials of real customers from all corners of the world, and, most importantly, the portfolio with products that continue to work and thrive, – this is what speaks about the quality of a marketing company louder than words.
Source: https://clutch.co/
In the nutshell, there are poor onshore agencies, and high-end offshore ones, as well as vice-versa. It is up to you to choose the one you like, after making proper research and analysis. However, an offshore company will most probably offer you services of the same quality with a considerably more sparing price list.
Conclusion
What’s the point to make a masterpiece that will remain uncalled and unclaimed? Choosing the right digital marketing agency is a momentous step in product development, defining its effective market entry well-being in the aftermath. To make a good decision, you cannot help but make preliminary research, paying attention to such issues as areas of expertise, credibility, professional integrity, and customer service of a company.
A proper marketing partner can skyrocket your sales and strategically enhance your positions. Yet in the case of a bad call, you will waste the momentum and flush your money down the drain.
You can get a comprehensive idea of a digital marketing agency at work on our site at https://cieden.com/.