With everything and everyone getting busier and busier every passing day, it makes sense to outsource parts of your business to specialists, so that you can focus on the parts of your business that you enjoy, which is probably why you started your business in the first place.
Marketing is one area that is most outsourced to an external person or company. Often these marketing agencies have received significant training, upskilling and continue to research the industry to ensure the best bang for buck when it comes to converting to sales. There are those out there that prey on businesses just looking for help, and today we are going to discuss a few key red flags when you’re looking to engage a marketing agency.
- Promising Great Results Fast
If an agency slides on into your DM’s, or responds to your contact form with promises of grandeur, this is always a first sign to step back and do some research. A great marketing company will work with you on a long- term commitment. Those that are promising significant increases to your followers, sales etc without having had at least an initial consultation with you may not do these things within your best interests. A great marketing company will likely want to do a needs analysis, which will involve an audit of your presence online and in your local community, to gauge where you are at, and how they can improve your business. This also works both way, if you are a business looking for quick results, you won’t find an agency decent enough who will take on your contract and who will show you the results you are looking for.
- They are cheap or focus on their pricing
The old saying goes “You get what you pay for” and this can be especially true for marketing. If you come across an agency that is significantly cheaper than other quotes you receive, there can often be a reason why. This isn’t always the case, and an example may be a new agency that is just building their client base. Whilst this situation doesn’t always mean the quality of their work will be sub-par, you need to make sure that they may be more inexperienced than more established (and in the most part more expensive) agencies.
- High Client Turnover
A great marketing agency will have loyal clients who feel valued and understand the value the agency brings to their business. Beware of agencies who seem to have new clients every other day or are always available to take on new work. Be sure to check out their socials, LinkedIn and Google pages for reviews and testimonials. If the agency is one of those gems that is great to deal with, it will be very clear from these pages.
- One focus
Marketing agencies who only focus on one area should be avoided. They may be specialised and niche yes, but again this is something that you need to weigh up. If an agency focuses on having your social media aligned with your brand strategy, but they don’t offer or suggest doing the same with your website and printed materials, or work on your Search Engine Optimisation, their marketing strategy is only targeting one area and more likely won’t show you enough results. It’s best to seek out a marketing agency that has a broader scope and can either help you or refer you to those that can help with all aspects. For example, the marketing agency you chose may not have a web designer on staff, but they should have a contractor that can assist in making the required changes on the direction of the agency to ensure brand continuity and implementation of your marketing strategy. Essentially, a great marketing agency will consider all aspects of marketing your business and will facilitate in getting a wholistic approach towards your marketing strategy.
- Poor Communication
If you must wait days to get a response, or can never get them on the phone, this is a massive red flag. A good marketing agency will always have someone that you can contact, and a great one will have assigned you an account manager, someone who works with you and knows your products and services intimately, that you can trust and call upon should you have any questions, comments, queries or concerns. They won’t shy away from hard questions or dodge your calls. A great agency may not know all the answers, but they will sure know where to find the answer. Similarly poor communication also means that they wait for you to contact them. If you’re engaging a marketing agency, expect to have regular check-up emails asking where you’re at, what you might need assistance with for that week or month (depending on your agreement and strategy).
I could continue to talk through an almost infinite number of red flags for marketing agencies, but at the end of the day, you need to trust your gut. If something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. If you feel uncomfortable or don’t feel a connection to your agency, it may be time to move.
If you think you’re with the wrong marketing agency or would like to discuss further what the team at Creative Little Soul can do to assist you, please get in touch with founder Chrissy at chrissy@creativelittlesoul.com.au.