4 Questions to Ask When Hiring a Marketing Agency

Finding a talented marketing agency that you get along with and trust to manage the various marketing aspects of your business is no simple feat. When you’re sitting at the negotiating table with a prospective agency, there are a few questions to keep in mind.

How Will Success Be Measured?

It’s important to know how the agency will track its work, quantify results and measure success. Be clear in communicating how you measure success to ensure that your goals resonate with the agency. Be wary of any agency promising quick, immediate or guaranteed results. Marketing efforts, especially inbound marketing, require some investment of time on the front end and likely won’t reap results for at least a few months.

Jack-of-all-trades Or Master of One?

Depending on your short and long-term goals, you may be in need of a jack-of-all-trades agency that can handle anything you throw their way. Touting years of experience, they can leverage a wide breadth of knowledge and capability to provide comprehensive marketing services. On the other hand, if social media strategy is your primary goal for the foreseeable future, it may make sense to bring in an agency that specializes in that capability. Remember, this process is about matching your needs with an agency best suited to meet them.

How Will Work Be Managed?

Experienced marketing agencies have developed and refined systems and processes to manage work for their clients. You’ll want to ask what these processes are and how they will impact the work they manage for you. If you have any points of concern, this would be the time to raise them. Are you someone who prefers consistent communication or do you prefer a hands-off approach? Laying out your working style preferences on the front end can help prevent any issues once the working relationship has formally kicked off.

Who Will Be The Relationship Manager?

Knowing who your key contact at the agency will be is essential to determining whether you will jive long-term. The last thing you want to find out after the contract is signed is that the person you’ll be work with most is someone you haven’t even met yet.