5 Questions to ask before hiring a marketing agency

If you’ve found this page, chances are you’re in the process of hiring a marketing agency. Congratulations! This means your business is heading in the right direction and you are taking the necessary steps to advance and grow your company. An agency is an extension of your team, so who you decide to work with is very important. To help ease the decision making process, we compiled a list of questions to help you find the right fit.

1. What services can they offer you? Is the agency a one trick pony or a Swiss Army knife? It’s not that one is better than the other, but knowing their capabilities can help determine if it is the right agency for you. Perhaps you are in the early stages of your business, therefore you are going to need branded materials, a website, email platform, social channels… the list goes on and on. Allocating that work to one agency can help create a cohesive startup strategy. On the other hand, if you are just looking to get more traffic to your site, hiring an agency that specializes in SEO may be all you need.

2. Who will you work with directly? Ask the agency who your main point of contact will be and what their roles are. This can help assess if the person is reachable and a good fit with your company. Also, get to know their team as a whole. Having a clear understanding of the team and what they do can streamline any projects in the future, as you will know who handles each detail.

3. Which platforms do they recommend? Ask the agency which platforms they are most familiar with. Chances are they may have recommendations on which web hosting or email platforms will work best for you. Make a list of the current platforms you are using so that you can work with the agency to determine which resources will work best.

4. What industries do they have experience working with? Be mindful of agencies that specialize in one industry as they may be working with your competitors. Conversely, if they do not have experience working on projects related to your field, ask how they plan to gain the knowledge they need. Getting an idea about the agency’s versatility can help you during the vetting process.

5. How frequently will you be meeting? As a client, would you like to meet weekly, bi-weekly or monthly? Let the agency know your needs so that you can develop the best meeting schedule. Working with a team that is flexible and accommodating can be a major deciding factor.

Okay, got your questions ready? Practice with us!