Did you know that over 6,586,013,574 searches are made a day globally? That’s a tonne of searches! Now imagine how difficult it’d be to find your business online by your customers! Millions of searches, and countless global competitors around… Online search has become a real challenge these days.
That is why organisations look for a digital marketing agency to get discovered easily online and help you reach possible customers through various techniques and channels.
But there are some things to be put into consideration first.
After all, you will trust these ‘experts’ to help improve your business and revenue, so getting it right is absolutely crucial.
Here are some considerations which are based on actual client feedback…
Reasons to consider hiring a digital marketing agency in Melbourne
Undoubtedly, digital marketing is the flavour of the month, and it’s not going to drop off anytime soon. Numerous techniques fall under the umbrella of online marketing. But to stay competitive, businesses need to use more than one technique to improve their leads, sales and profits.
Let’s not beat around the bush – the time and effort required to plan and implement these techniques is very demanding. Being consumed in day-to-day business processing, it is extremely challenging for businesses to dedicate time to manage this area. Also, navigating the digital marketing world can be daunting for many small business owners. Hence, hiring a business marketing agency would be beneficial, especially if no one in your team has these skills.
Finding a Marketing Agency – The Real Challenge & How to Deal with it
The way competition is fiercely increasing has made it a necessity for businesses to practice digital marketing. And why not? It has a lot of potential for making any business successful.
Since there are numerous digital marketing agencies in Melbourne, Sydney, and other parts of Australia, finding the right partner is difficult. After all, it’s not just about the investment that is at stake, but the company’s reputation is also at risk.
Here’s a recommended strategy that you must follow to find the right marketing partner.
1. Identify your goals and objectives, and the “why” behind finding a marketing partner
Imagine if you went to a car dealership told them to just get you any car from any brand so you can just drive home in your brand new car.
At this point, the salesperson is probably elated and just going to pick any of the most expensive brands in the auto shop.
This happens a lot in digital marketing, here we are faced with clients who approach us to market their business; they have lots of money to spend but have no clear goal in mind.
To avoid falling into the hands of unethical marketing companies, take your time to analyse your business, write down your goals and plans, and present these goals and plans when you meet up with the firm
Are you looking to increase sales? Need better marketing collateral? Want a new website? Need more leads? If you come without any preparation, you are exposing yourself to exploitation.
Understanding your needs is the first step to making the right decision. Digital marketing is magic minefield, and different marketing agencies specialise in different areas of digital marketing. Hence, when you know what you expect from your marketing partner, it gets easier in finding the right one.
2. Get to know the services they offer
Does the marketing firm specialise in one or two aspects of digital marketing, or are they a jack of all trades?
For specific services like SEO or PPC, you want to go with experts in those fields, as there’s a lot of expertise that goes into starting a successful program.
Also, it’s not uncommon to see marketing firms offering a number of digital marketing services because they are all related and require the same skill sets.
For example, at Bright Owl consulting, we offer web design, email marketing, landing page programs, and lead generation, because our team of experts is proficient in maintaining massaging/brand consistency across these three platforms.
Sometimes, if you don’t get the exact marketing service you need from a marketing firm, they could refer you to any of their trusted partners.
Also, try to check if these partners are up to the task, but if they have been recommended by a firm you know and trust, they probably won’t be referring you to a crappy company. We take the time to ensure the services we recommend to our clients are genuine because we don’t want to end up denting our reputation.
3. Find out about the previous clients of the marketing firm
Before working with a marketing firm, check to see if they’ve handled your kind of business and requirements before.
For example, if you’re a plumber, you will be doing yourself a disservice if you choose a firm that specializes in saloons or retail.
Check out the marketing company’s website for something like “Portfolio” or “client” section.
Also, check out reviews about them on Yelp, LinkedIn, and Google to see what others are saying about their services.
4. Set realistic expectations for your availability and involvement
There are times when you want a marketing consultant to help you with the task you want to avoid handling. We do some full-service email marketing programs for clients, where they have almost no involvement at all.
Also, indicate what they want to see in each step of the process.
Regardless of the option you go with, you should always let your marketing firm know what your level of involvement will be so they can allocate their time and resources properly.
Should you fail to leave up to those expectations; the whole partnership can end up being a failure.\
5. Are they conversant with modern digital marketing trends?
In-house marketers hardly keep up with the trends. This is because when working with a company, they will be too busy that they won’t have time to learn new stuff or evolve.
However, serious digital marketing firms don’t joke with education and updating their skill set.
They go out of their way to keep up with the latest technologies, trends, and tools.
Also, they invest their time into learning how these new resources and strategies work.
5. Understand if they have a powerhouse of ideas
A good marketing agency should be able to provide you with ample marketing ideas. One of the reasons for outsourcing your online marketing needs is to procure new ways of thinking or doing things. It is like finding a constant source of new ideas and strategies. Your marketing partner should be willing to take the initiatives and can generate fresh and practical ideas.
They should be able to offer innovative ideas ranging from:
- Topics for articles and blogs
- Audio and Video materials
- SEO strategies
- Social media & PPC campaigns
- Backlinking
- Lead generation
- Marketing funnel development
- Using Public Relations to create brand awareness and so on.
Remember, you should look for a company that can generate unique ideas more than you can do.
6. Make sure their team carries you along
While these ‘experts’ may not be your company’s employees, you will still be working with them on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
If you can’t find a way to work together at the beginning of the relationship, there may be series of other problems later. Nothing will override the gut feeling that both of you just cannot work together, not even loads positive customer testimonials or multiple client referrals. So, make sure you ask some cultural fit interview or personality questions before hiring a marketing company.
If you can’t find the right one for you, head over to reputable directories such as the Constant Contact marketplace for a list of more firms you can choose from.
7. Do they have what it takes to scale your business?
An agency with lots of qualified employees most likely already knows how to scale its own business.
So, if your business is experiencing some growth already, an agency can help you grow to an even bigger size, with more staff.
On the other hand, it’s impossible to achieve this with untrained staff. One of the main attributes of this type of agency is the ability to accommodate the development and growth of businesses.
8. Read the fine prints in the contract
A professional and reputable marketing firm will draft a contract with the scope and terms of the project.
In the contract, you will usually find some legal terms that cover the contract length, indemnification from any potential lawsuits, as well as cancellation process.
Make sure you read every word on the document, as they become legally binding once signed. If you decide to cancel a 12-month contract after just three months, you will remain legally bound to the firm for the remaining nine months.
If there’s anything or section you don’t understand in the contract, ask a lawyer to help you review it.
Choose a marketing firm that can help expand your business.
If you choose a firm with talented professionals who understand your business objectives and target audience, you are more likely to reap bountifully from the partnership.
Don’t forget the above considerations, and soon you will find a marketing firm that will launch your business into the next level.
9. Additional benefits of working with an agency
Hiring an agency is way cheaper than getting new employees. You are saving lots of money here.
You hire a digital marketing agency based on their proficiency in some specific marketing strategies, which can bring you immense value. The days of hidden fees and inflated budgets are long behind us.
Also, pricing dynamics are not what they use to be. Companies are now turning to well-defined retention agreements and price structures with lower fees.
However, there’s no standard existing in the industry. Currently, most inbound marketing agencies charge anywhere between $3,000 and $5,000 monthly. You might think this is on the high side compared to using in-house staff.
Having said that, some companies prefer to use in-house staff, and they end up delegating tasks like content creation and social media marketing to their current employees. Nonetheless, it is counterproductive to overload your employees. They will end up being exhausted and less productive.
Besides, having too many hands on deck could result in inconsistency, due to the casual nature of the approach. Fortunately, you can achieve better results with a marketing agency. They have all it takes to help you get the best out of your marketing efforts.
Subsequently, depending on the skill set and availability of your employees, you can implement this strategy with them. Also, you can secure the services of a digital agency to help with the task.
Additional benefits you will get from an agency
Hiring a marketing agency means that you won’t need any rigorous training routine for your staff.
Also, you won’t need to sponsor them to a seminar or hire a senior marketer to train them. As a matter of fact, any reputable agency already has what the need to get started.
Also, these firms have lots of successful case studies, as well as client testimonials to show. Besides, they have experience working with different clients. In contrast, employees can only change jobs every few years.
However, new agencies or employees will also need some time to acclimatise themselves to all the important detail in your business.
In fact, you can have a fruitful, long-term relationship with an agency.
In contrast, an employee could still resign from your company after spending a fortune to train and upgrade them.
So, you can hire a marketing agency and maintain a working relationship with them for years.
Even if there’s a change to the members of the team, the agency will keep the new members updated, not you.
You are benefiting from an outsider point of view
Employees are often not bold enough to suggest new ideas or express concerns because they want to keep their job. They prefer to keep silent so as not to irritate their superiors.
It is often said that we can achieve unbelievable results when we come together. Well, this is also true in the world of marketing, since we keep waking up to new innovations every day.
If you fall asleep for a second, you may get left behind.
Reputable digital marketing agencies understand the mind of your potential customers. They know the right strategies that can give your business a lift.
The Bottom Line
Hiring a perfect digital marketing agency can make a significant difference, especially when you don’t have much idea about this area. Just have your needs and goals well-defined before you move ahead towards hiring a reliable small business marketing agency. Keep the communication clear and evaluate the prospect as much as you can before making the final move.
At Bright Owl Marketing, we deliver state-of-the-art digital strategies and creative solutions to attract highly targeted traffic and achieve other marketing goals. We are committed to helping businesses thrive with strategies that work for you, keeping you ahead of the competition.
To discuss your marketing requirements or for more inquiries about our digital marketing services, connect with us right away.
