Marketing is an investment. If you choose to outsource with an agency, you should carefully vet all your candidates before signing a contract. Not every agency will be the right fit for your business. Here are 3 red flags to look for when vetting digital marketing agencies:
They have a “one-size-fits-all” approach
Every good marketing agency knows that there is no “one-size-fits-all” strategy. Every business and industry has unique marketing needs, and therefore, requires unique marketing strategies. So, how do you know if the agency you’re interviewing has a “one-size-fits-all” approach and what does that mean?
During consultations, good marketing agencies will ask lots of questions. They want to learn a little bit more about your business, services, and pain points, so they can offer solutions that suit your needs. They want to better understand your marketing objectives, so they know exactly what strategies to employ to achieve results.
If you find that your candidates ask very few questions and offer several generic solutions, run the other way! If they aren’t taking into account your needs and pain points, they’re more concerned with upselling and lining their pockets than they are with providing results.
They don’t track performance and analytics
Digital marketing is experimental. Good marketers know that creating content is a constant game of, “Did this work? How can we make this better?” Good marketers are dedicated to providing better results.
The only way to determine what works and what doesn’t is to track campaign performance. Whether it be your website or social media pages, you can easily track traffic and engagement using analytics. All social media platforms provide performance data. Google Analytics can track website traffic patterns.
When vetting digital marketing agencies, ask candidates how they track campaign performance and other web traffic. If it’s clear this is not something they ordinarily do for their clients, that’s a red flag! If they don’t analyze performance data, it means they aren’t concerned about making improvements and providing better results.
They make lots of promises
Digital marketing agencies want your business — so of course, they want to showcase their knowledge and expertise when meeting with prospective clients. Good digital marketing agencies may provide samples from their portfolio or analytics from previous campaigns to show a history of proven results. However, it can be a major red flag when agencies begin making big promises.
Good marketers know that performance trends aren’t always so predictable, especially in the early stages of implementing new strategies. However, it becomes dangerous territory when agencies begin guaranteeing impressive conversion rates, impressions, clicks, etc.
Transparency is important. Red flag marketers will promise results they may or may not be able to deliver, but good marketers are honest about how long the process may take and emphasize the importance of experimentation in achieving results.
Springwood Marketing is committed to providing professional marketing services and resources. We work closely with clients to create a customized strategy that suits their business style and target audience. We know that your time is important, and your image is too. Therefore, our staff works diligently to provide the highest quality products and services in the most efficient manner possible. Interested in learning more about the services we offer? Contact us today!
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