Feeling that the time has come for you to upscale your business’ marketing efforts and outsource marketing activity can be both exciting and terrifying. Handing your business to the care of someone else can be quite daunting - especially as you’ve taken so much time and care to nurture and grow your business and build your reputation. That’s why it’s vital you find a marketing agency that is a perfect fit for your company.

How do you go about finding a marketing agency who will help you take your marketing to the next level? Our guide to choosing the right marketing agency for your business will help you enjoy a happy and successful partnership with the best agency for you.

Know what you want

This might seem a little obvious but, before you even start searching for a marketing agency, you need to get a clear idea of what it is that you want to achieve from your marketing efforts. Write a detailed brief outlining the services you need and set out your goals for each area. While you should be specific with what you want, remember to be realistic - saying that you want to rank number one for highly competitive search term with a limited budget will be quite the challenge for any agency.

Do your research

Just as you would if you were looking to buy a new car, hoover or fridge, start with an online search. Using your preferred search engine, try searching for marketing agencies in your area to see what comes up and take a look through the websites to find out whether they could be a good fit for your business.

In addition to your online search, talk to your professional network to find out which marketing agencies they use and, if it’s appropriate, ask about their experience with the agency.

Shortlisting

Once you’ve completed your research, make a list of the agencies you feel could best meet your criteria. To do this, you should consider how much relevant experience each agency has in your industry, what their clients say about them (check their website and social media channels for any reviews or testimonials) and of course whether they look like the kind of agency you and your team could get along with.

Invite your shortlist to pitch

Once you’re happy with your shortlist, contact each of the agencies to introduce your business. Let the agency know that you’re looking to upscale and outsource your marketing and arrange a meeting to discuss your brief. Once you’ve met with the agency, you can invite them to pitch their ideas to you and provide a proposal outlining their recommendations and costs.

During the pitch, the agency should address the specific requirements outlined in your brief while demonstrating a wider understanding of your brand and its objectives as well as knowledge of your industry.

Check references

Your chosen marketing agency will work as an extension of your team so it’s important that you make the right choice. You wouldn’t hire a new employee without checking references so why would you trust a marketing agency with your brand without references?

Ask to be put in touch with clients directly so that you can ask any specific questions and remember to ask the person giving the reference about any challenges they’ve encountered while working with the agency - after all, it’s important to get a realistic view of what it’s like to work with them.

Consider the relationship

One of the most important things to consider is whether you can see yourself working with the agency. Are the people who will be working on your account the type of people you can see yourself working with? Do they ‘get’ your business and what you’re trying to achieve? Were the team enthusiastic and inspiring?

Ask questions

There’s no such thing as a stupid question - if there’s something you need to know in order to help you make your decision, ask it. If you don’t feel that you can approach the agency with a question at this stage, maybe they are not the right agency for you.

Hiring a marketing agency can be quite overwhelming but, if you take the time to plan your brief, research and ask questions, you’re sure to make the right choice for your business. Find out if we might be a good for for your business - give us a call.