5 Things to Know before Hiring a Digital Marketing Company
For small to mid-sized businesses, online marketing can be a struggle. There can be so many different tasks to juggle. Companies just don’t have time to implement effective marketing strategies.
So, they decide to hire a digital marketing firm. They jump head-first into the firm’s many promises, expecting superb results. But what they receive is subpar.
There are many reasons that businesses are not getting everything they should out of their digital marketing firm. To get the most out of a firm that you hire, there are certain things you must understand about your own business and how their digital marketing firm operates.
- Know your budget
Before you hire a digital marketing company, you need to have a firm idea of the amount of money that you’re willing to allocate towards digital marketing. Your budget will determine the strength and size of your marketing campaign, so if you’re unsure about your budget, or if you are not willing to put up the money necessary to really make a difference, then you will struggle to find success. As you bring on a digital marketing company, the idea for a budget should be firmly in your head. When you begin talks with the digital marketing company, see what services they have to offer and how much those services cost. See how these services will accomplish whatever goals you may have. This brings us to point #2.
- Know your goals
You should know what you want to accomplish. It could be increased traffic, improved conversions, better website design, or stronger content. Knowing what you want to get done will help the digital marketer guide you to the best services that fit your needs. Start thinking about the gaps in your marketing and how an effective marketing scheme can fill them.
- Know what the digital marketing company can do for you
Not every marketing company is exactly the same. There will be distinct differences with each one. Some are large, some are small. Some will excel in more areas than others. The digital marketing should be able to meet the needs of your business; their marketing should fit your company like a snug glove.
Marketing companies come in all sizes. Some are large corporations with thousands of clients, some are medium-sized that have clients nationwide, and some are small 1-5 men operations that only do
business in their immediate geographic area. What you need will depend on your business, your ambitions, your budget, and the competition in your vertical. You should know what your business needs best, and you should understand how a digital marketing company, with their various services, can help you.
- Know the marketing team
This is not to say that you need to be holding long, intensive phone conversations with the entire marketing team, but you should have a general idea of who is working on your project. You don’t need to know every employee, specialist or contractor that works for that marketing firm (as there may be a lot of them), but you need to know the important team members, and how they will fit into your marketing campaign.
You should have a concept about the different roles in the company; who the SEO and SEM specialists are; who handles the web and graphic design; who is in charge of the content strategy.
- Know the experience of the marketing team
You should know the relevant experience of that marketing team. Do they have case studies? Do they have honest, glowing testimonials? What are the various skills associated with each team member? You should know if they have ever worked in your industry; if they have, were they successful? If you ask about their experience and their response is barren, then that should be a major red flag.
Companies that have been around the block will have some degree of success. If they don’t, or if they are unwilling to divulge any past campaigns, then it is a possibility that their services are low value and will not help you achieve your goals.
Knowing these five things will vastly improve your search for a digital marketing company. And it will yield beneficial results in your ongoing relationship with that marketing firm.
