Get excited! In this course, you will be setting up your Google Ads account and campaigns, step-by-step!

Landing pages, branding and design; Oh my! Day 2 is another exciting day because you will learn how to design your ads and landing pages, along with free & affordable tools and step-by-step instructions that will ensure your new ads and landing pages are highly converting and looking professional.

Looking to hire a digital marketing agency? This is a big step, so if you’re getting “cold feet”, that’s completely normal. There are plenty of fish in the sea, after all, and it can be difficult to determine which agency will have all the best intentions and expertise for your business.

Here are 5 criteria you should consider before selecting a marketing agency:

1) Get to Know Their Culture

It’s a wise habit to research the firm or agency before the initial interview. Take a look at their website and social media presence.  Are they displaying a dose of expertise mixed with latest trends and techniques? Can you get a sense of their brand and business personality?

The team make-up of your ideal marketing firm will have a group of blended skill sets in the following areas:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Search Engine Marketing (SEM, PPC)
• Social Media Marketing
• Marketing Automation & Technology
• Copywriting
• Audience Building
• Project Management
• Data Analysis
• Conversion Rate Optimization

2) They've Got What You Want

Your marketing provider should demonstrate all of the qualities you’d like to see developed with your business. They are a professional service business too, so if content is lacking on their end, this won’t be promising for your business. Do they have valuable content? Do they have a strong message that resonates with a specific target audience? Are their website and social media platforms visually driven and consistent? Make sure that the example that they’re leading with, their business, is aligned with their mission.

3) Demonstrated Success | The Proof is in the Pudding

While interviewing service providers, ask if you could have a list of references from past clients that face similar needs and challenges to yours. This insight on communication, project delivery, and team dynamic provides all the info you’ll need on success rate and client management.

4) Transparency

Transparency between the marketing efforts of the marketing agency, and what is expected of you in order to meet these efforts, is critical to a successful relationship and should be discussed right away. One thing you need to know is that you will still play a critical role in the success and development of your marketing efforts and that efforts will still need to be made on your behalf.

You’re going to want a marketing agency that considers your engagement as a long-term partnership. If the agency is providing you with a projected timeline and a general understanding of the level of participation on your behalf, right off the bat, these are all great signs for success in your future relationship.

3) Strategy Implementation

Without a full understanding and appropriate diagnosis of the root of the issue, it’s impossible to get the right cure. Would you put a band-aid on a broken toe? It certainly wouldn’t do much for you. 

You’re going to want to ask questions to ensure they understand the unique issue of your business and have the right prescription to remedy it. If their ideas of how to fix issues seem off, or if they jump to implementing a strategy without asking any questions about the challenges your business is facing, then their “cure” might not be the right fit for your business.

Conclusion

It’s true that businesses that grow the fastest and are leaders in their industry are those that use outside marketing resources. With that being said, not all marketing resources are created equally and may have different areas of expertise. Think of the hiring of a professional services marketing firm as a partnership. It requires trust, collaboration, communication and a devoted effort on both sides.

Jessica Pasche
Author

5 CRITERIA WHEN SELECTING A DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY

SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING

Looking to hire a digital marketing agency? This is a big step, so if you’re getting “cold feet”, that’s completely normal. There are plenty of fish in the sea, after all, and it can be difficult to determine which agency will have all the best intentions and expertise for your business.

Here are 5 criteria you should consider before selecting a marketing agency:

1) Get to Know Their Culture

It’s a wise habit to research the firm or agency before the initial interview. Take a look at their website and social media presence.  Are they displaying a dose of expertise mixed with latest trends and techniques? Can you get a sense of their brand and business personality?

The team make-up of your ideal marketing firm will have a group of blended skills sets in the following areas:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Search Engine Marketing (SEM, PPC)
• Social Media Marketing
• Marketing Automation & Technology
• Copywriting
• Audience Building
• Project Management
• Data Analysis
• Conversion Rate Optimization

2) They've Got What You Want

Your marketing provider should demonstrate all of the qualities you’d like to see developed with your business. They are a professional service business too, so if content is lacking on their end, this won’t be promising for your business. Do they have valuable content? Do they have a strong message that resonates with a specific target audience? Are their website and social media platforms visually driven and consistent? Make sure that the example that they’re leading with, their business, is aligned with their mission.

3) Demonstrated Success | The Proof is in the Pudding

While interviewing service providers, ask if you could have a list of references from past clients that face similar needs and challenges to yours. This insight on communication, project delivery, and team dynamic provides all the info you’ll need on success rate and client management.

4) Transparency

Transparency between the marketing efforts of the marketing agency, and what is expected of you in order to meet these efforts, is critical to a successful relationship and should be discussed right away. One thing you need to know is that you will still play a critical role in the success and development of your marketing efforts and that efforts will still need to be made on your behalf.

You’re going to want a marketing agency that considers your engagement as a long-term partnership. If the agency is providing you with a projected timeline and a general understanding of the level of participation on your behalf, right off the bat, these are all great signs for success in your future relationship.

3) Strategy Implementation

Without a full understanding and appropriate diagnosis of the root of the issue, it’s impossible to get the right cure. Would you put a band-aid on a broken toe? It certainly wouldn’t do much for you. 

You’re going to want to ask questions to ensure they understand the unique issue of your business and have the right prescription to remedy it. If their ideas of how to fix issues seem off, or if they jump to implementing a strategy without asking any questions about the challenges your business is facing, then their “cure” might not be the right fit for your business.

Conclusion

It’s true that businesses that grow the fastest and are leaders in their industry are those that use outside marketing resources. With that being said, not all marketing resources are created equally and may have different areas of expertise. Think of the hiring of a professional services marketing firm as a partnership. It requires trust, collaboration, communication and a devoted effort on both sides.