In today’s business world, it is almost impossible to succeed as a business owner if you do not do marketing, especially if you wish your business to grow and expand. Thanks to the internet, people who once could only do business with someone locally do not have to, and as a small-to-mid business, you have to do everything you can to promote your brand and let people understand why they should do business with you.
Now, some people do their marketing on their own or even have a marketing department as part of their operation. For those who do not and who wish to achieve the most they can with marketing, they have to approach a marketing agency that will take care of their marketing needs for them. Once you find yourself at that point, the most important thing to do is to find the perfect marketing firm to do your marketing.
So, how do you do it, exactly?
Check their reputation and track record
When you start looking for a marketing agency, you will find that there are many, many, many to choose from, especially if you are located somewhere in a big urban center. The first criterion that will enable you to narrow down your choice is the reputation and the track record of the agencies you will be investigating. You will find that a number of marketing agencies you are looking into have done virtually nothing and that they are just talking big.
You will also want to check what their past clients have to say about them. Today, thanks to the internet, this is easier to do than ever before, and you will not have trouble identifying the red flags that will disqualify a number of agencies.
Check their past work
Before you start contacting marketing agencies, you will want to see their past work. If they have done marketing for businesses in your industry or similar industries, you will be able to see how they approach their work and try to figure out how this would work for you and your business.
You will also want to check if they will be the right fit. This is an abstract notion, but when you see their past marketing campaigns, you will soon get the “feel” of their work and determine whether it is something you would like to have done for you. If you are not sure what you are looking for, it would perhaps be a good idea to familiarize yourself with some of the best marketing campaigns of all time.
Sitting down with them
By this point, you will probably have narrowed down your choice to a few marketing firms and it is time for you to meet with them in person (you can do this on Skype, do not worry). This is the crucial step in your choosing process, and you need to be as inquisitive and as open as you can be.
You need to tell them clearly what you need and what you are looking to get from their services. You should ask them as many questions as you can think of. Also, be careful and do not let them answer you with generic statements that mean nothing. Be direct and ask for directness in return. It is also a good idea to ask them to brainstorm a few things they would do for you.
Closing the deal
Once you are certain that they are the right marketing agency for you, it is time to close the deal and actually hire them for your marketing needs. It is very important that everything is straightforward at this point and that you understand everything there is about the price of their services, the time frame in which they will deliver their services, and about the results that you expect from them. You are spending your money, and you need to be 100% certain about what you will be getting in return.
