Digital marketing is one of the best ways to increase the visibility of your brand, reach new audiences, and ultimately generate more revenue. But it’s hard to manage a full digital marketing campaign entirely by yourself.
With the help of a digital marketing partner, you’ll get access to high-quality digital marketing services, from campaign brainstorming to execution and analytics.
The question is, how do you choose the right digital marketing partner for your needs?
Agencies, Freelancers, or In-House?
There are three main ways you can get access to digital marketing services. You can hire someone in-house, work with freelancers, or contract with an agency. There are pros and cons to each of these approaches.
For example, hiring someone in-house takes a long time and can be expensive, but you’ll have far more transparency and control this way. Freelancers are very inexpensive and flexible, but they can also be less reliable than other options.
For many businesses, the best choice is to hire a digital marketing agency. While digital marketing agencies are more expensive than freelancers, they’re also much more reliable and capable of giving you better results.
Shop Local
You can start your research by searching for “digital marketing services near me.” While you’re certainly not required to work with a local agency, finding a nearby digital marketing service provider can be advantageous. Local agencies probably know this area better than their national counterparts, and they likely have access to local resources in the area. In some cases, they may even be willing to give you a discount.
Look for Specialist Experts (If Appropriate)
In marketing, individual experts and collective agencies can be described as specialists or generalists. A specialist is someone who has niche expertise in a specific area or with a specific industry. A generalist is someone who is very familiar with broad marketing fundamentals, with limited skills in a wide variety of areas.
Speaking generally, specialists tend to do a better job. If you’re trying to build a PPC advertising campaign for your construction business, it pays to work with a marketing expert who has experience with both PPC advertising and construction industry marketing, rather than a general marketer who only has limited familiarity with both.
It’s not always better to hire a specialist; sometimes generalists are more efficient or cost effective. What’s important is that you make the right call for your business.
Read Ratings and Reviews
Always take the time to read ratings and reviews. What is this marketing expert’s reputation? How many clients have they had in the past? What did those clients think about the digital marketing services they received?
Examine Testimonials and Proof of Value
In line with this, take the time to examine testimonials and case studies to uncover proof of value. Can this digital marketing agency demonstrate that they’re worth the investment? How have their marketing and advertising campaigns played out for previous clients?
Analyze the Price
Obviously, you’ll need to think about the price and your marketing budget. However, don’t just think about the price; think about the potential return on investment (ROI). This marketing agency may charge you $5,000 per month, but what kind of impact can that buy your company? Could you potentially generate more revenue with this investment?
Compare Packages Directly
When comparing packages offered by different digital marketing service providers, always compare those packages apples to apples. Be on the lookout for service differences that explain pricing differences. Just because a service package is a higher dollar amount doesn’t mean it’s less cost effective.
Start Talking
When you’re ready to take the next step forward, start talking to the digital marketing agencies you’re considering directly.
Pay attention to the following:
- Accessibility. How easy is it to get in contact with someone from this agency? When you reached out, did someone contact you almost immediately, or were you forced to wait several days for a response?
- Transparency. Does the agent you spoke with seem transparent? Are they willing to answer all your questions openly and honestly, or do they dodge some of your questions?
- Knowledge. Does this person seem intelligent and knowledgeable about marketing and advertising? If a sales rep or account manager can’t demonstrate at least a baseline level of true expertise, it’s a bad sign for the organization.
- Personality. Also think about personality and the overall quality of your interactions. This is a partnership, so it should be relatively easy to get along with these people.
Choosing a digital marketing service provider can be challenging, especially with so many options in the modern world. But with these strategies, and a commitment to finding the best fit, you should be able to forge a partnership with a reliable partner.