Tough Questions Ask a Marketing Agency Before Renting Them

How do you know what you really get when you deal with a new agency?

Whether you're a large organization or a small business, you have a certain budget with a certain number of resources and a certain amount of time to do so. Most of the time, you need to rely on a team of partners that can help you make sure you're effectively spending your budget and get the most out of it. Research, instinct, and experience aside, since money stops with you, it's important to make sure you're the right team working with you.

So, you have questions to help you this time to share some learnings about the right choice of co-marketing agency that I thought would be useful, or you need to outsource the whole project for an agency.

Well, that depends. Some agencies have a hierarchical process structure that requires a one-stop-shop between the client and the agency itself. Your agency is finally making life easier. From a client point of view, your ideal would be direct access (phone, email, etc.) to all individuals working in your account. This includes everyone from The Production Artist to the person ultimately responsible for your business (usually an Account Manager or agency manager). After all, this general payment can cost you time and money, which can make small projects more expensive.

My personal preference is to work with agencies that are more senior people connected to my account. They know ins and outs to get things done, or even do the project themselves. It's like going to a restaurant and ordering my food. I want a waiter to listen to, or determine the costs for ala basket items that may not be necessary, and I know that special orders take longer or cost more. The same is true of an agency. What usually worked for me either work with a small agency that gained access to more senior staff, or makes sure you are an experienced account manager who understands your processes, your job, and the cost structure of their firm (no ala basket, surprise invoices).

That's a simple question to answer, but only if you ask. There are many ways to track results with software and systems. the quality of campaign responses, number of new customers, media coverage, internet conversions, web traffic, email clicks, etc. But, the first question you have to ask is, what is the most important thing to me as a client, and what is important to my "boss"?

Before moving forward on a project, ask yourself what is the most important thing to measure, and then what results will be enough to justify the time and cost that is relevant. Realistic though it is, and look to become a salesman, not a partner for the marketing agency. For example, you might have a goal of creating 100 qualified opportunities, but you only have a limited budget, a small market, or you don't have the sales resources to track the generated lead. That's why an experienced Account Manager and marketing team are essential. It helps you set your goals so that you can meet them as a team. Once you've set your goals and goals, you can create a plan to address the cause-and-consequence relationship between your marketing program and results. Finally, I can't stress enough that you often convey them to your sales team, managers, and marketing partners, as each will play a role in their success.

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