4 Key Qualities to Look for in a Marketing Agency

So you want to hire a marketing agency. Great! Do you know what to look for or how to go about researching them? If the answer is no, you’ve come to the right place.

Many brands are turning to marketing agencies to outsource their promotion needs. Agencies can help with building stronger brand awareness and creating and optimizing campaigns. If your current marketing team is strapped bandwidth-wise or if you’re lacking a marketing department altogether, hiring an agency can be a smart investment.

Marketing agencies are abundant, meaning you’ll have plenty of options in terms of who you end up hiring. Here are four key qualities to look for in a marketing agency as you begin to research and interview them.

1. They Are Adaptable

The top marketing agencies know that what works well one day may not necessarily work well the next. Digital marketing is constantly evolving, so you want your agency to be able to develop and evolve with the times. If you want to succeed, you need a marketing agency that isn’t afraid to be flexible and try something new. Waiting too long to make a pivot could be stunting your growth.

When meeting with a potential agency, ask them for examples of when they needed to optimize for a business. If you’re planning to expand your product portfolio, ask them for suggestions on what a brand launch could look like. Also, see if they are skilled in new and upcoming strategies. Ask them about how familiar they are with AI and how much they know about Google algorithm updates.

Lastly, ask about what tools and platforms they are most excited about and how they think they can work for your business. These questions will help inform you on whether they are adaptable or if they are stuck with their current offerings.

2. They Know Your Industry

Marketing for a financial firm is very different from marketing for a coffee bean company. That’s not to say that the same marketing agency can’t do both, but it can be beneficial if they truly know your industry. On their website, see what types of brands they are currently working with or have recently worked with. For any brands that fall within your industry, go ahead and check out these brands’ websites and social platforms. See what tactics they are using to generate leads and spread awareness.

During the interviewing process, ask the agency what they see as the biggest challenges to marketing in your niche area. Again, the challenges a financial firm may have are quite different from getting coffee into the hands of consumers. Ask who they think your biggest competitors are and how they see you gaining the market share. Their answers should be tactical, rather than broad and generalized. If you find that they don’t know much about your industry, it may be worth continuing to research additional agencies.

3. They Offer a Full Range of Services

Just because you need assistance with SEO now doesn’t mean you won’t want to update your website in six or eight months. A “full-service marketing agency” is a team of professionals skilled in numerous marketing areas. These may include SEO, website development, email marketing, social media marketing, content writing, and even graphic design. While you could hire individual contractors for each of these roles, it’s much easier to hire one agency to complete all of this work for you.

Doing so will lead to a more cohesive experience for you and your customers. The SEO expert may suggest utilizing a tactic for social that the social media lead can then bring to fruition. Their suggested plan will be comprehensive as well, meaning that it will hit all of the boxes in terms of reaching your intended audiences. When everyone at the agency is working for the betterment of the brand, you know they are all on the same page.

4. They Are Excited to Work With You!

Finally, choose an agency that is enthusiastic about working with you. You’ll be in constant communication with this team, so select one that brings the energy you’re looking for. If you notice during the interview process that the agency seems uninterested, bored, or lacking enthusiasm, then part ways with them. Growing any business is hard work and you don’t need anyone weighing you down, no matter their skill level.

Look for an agency that comes prepared with thoughtful questions and good insights. When you walk away from the meeting, you should feel invigorated by their ideas and excited about what’s to come. Similar to dating, these initial meetings with the agency are a way to learn more about each other. Don’t be hesitant to ask questions, but also give them time to respond and bring forward ideas as well. It can take some time, but when you find the right match, you’ll know it.

Tips and Takeaways

Marketing agencies are proving to be worth their weight in gold. They can assist in streamlining processes, brainstorming campaign strategies, and up-leveling your brand growth. That said, hiring an agency can be cumbersome, to say the least. Know what your main goals are in hiring an agency and what you are looking for out of the relationship. While you may need them for a short-term project, keeping them on retainer can provide some consistency.

Of course, if you hire an agency and don’t like the direction they’re headed then you have the power to say goodbye to them and hire someone else. Just make sure to read your contract before signing to make sure. While parting ways isn’t always ideal, it’s better than the alternative of putting out something that you don’t stand behind. Doing your research upfront and asking the right questions during the interview can help you avoid this situation. Keep these qualities in mind and you’ll be well on your way to finding a marketing agency that suits your needs.