Whilst most agencies will position themselves as offering a comprehensive service, they will probably prefer to take on projects within their own niche. Therefore, the first step to selecting a provider is to begin by asking yourself what your goals and desired outcomes are. In other words, what results are you hoping to see by working with one.
Marketer Neil Patel advises breaking your goals down into deliverables, outlining what you are looking to achieve. Having a clear understanding of your objectives will help you communicate these goals in an initial discussion with a provider.
Whilst businesses definitely can look after their marketing activity in-house (with an internal marketing department depending on the size of their organisation), one of the main benefits of hiring a marketing/PR expert is that they will have the skills and experience in all areas of marketing to enhance your company’s presence and image through various channels according to your objectives. This will help produce better results and, in turn, increase profits for your business.
According to marketing consultant Colin Scotland, there are two fundamental types of experience that a small business consultant should have:
More generally, look for the following in assessing marketing suppliers:
When considering hiring a marketing consultant or third party, Colin says to look at their achievements to ensure that they really do have a robust and strategic understanding of marketing. That is, are they someone who really has the skills, experience, and professionalism to really drive your business forwards? Are they up-to-speed with the current digital marketing landscape to be able to work accordingly with you and devise a strategy that will really project your business?
“Choose wisely, crunch the data, demand results”, he advises.
Overall, Colin’s takehome message is that the old saying “by cheap, pay twice” really does ring true when it comes down to marketing, and particularly so when hiring a marketing consultant. Using the slightly farcical analogy of how you wouldn’t trust your hairdresser to diagnose a medical issue, he says the same applies to your business. He advises that as good marketing consultants come with the experience of growing various businesses, they are well positioned to help you refine your marketing activities for better results. Likewise, he argues that spending money on an inexperienced or ‘cheap’ marketing consultant is a poor investment as they will lack the necessary skills and experience to help devise an effective, profitable marketing plan for your business.
Shared core values and a similar company culture are vital when it comes to choosing a provider to ensure you can establish a rapport with them. Neil Patel says that this is actually just as important as assessing the quality of their work. He suggests looking at the words and phrases a supplier uses on their website to get a feel as to whether you will operate in the same way, and whether they can deliver the results you want to see.
Here at GrowthBox, we are passionate believers that is not just about what a marketing supplier does, but how and why they do it too. Ask yourself questions such as 'can I imagine working well with this person / company?' and 'how well do they fit with our own values and beliefs?'.
When assessing which provider is right for you, take a look at their own marketing and their web presence. A good digital marketing agency will understand how important a well-designed, inviting site is. In Neil's view, if their site is poorly designed and is not showcasing any projects they have worked on, their client portfolio or case studies, this should be a red flag that they would be unlikely to do a better job on your site.
Further, does the supplier have a consistent social media and brand presence? Is their social content of high quality and does it reflect that they have the capabilities to meet your objectives? As a marketing expert, they should have no excuse to have anything but great marketing themselves.
When it comes to reviewing a potential supplier’s marketing proposal, marketing company Strategic Marketing suggest asking yourself if the agency or consultant, firstly, specialises in the areas of growth that you initially set out in your first meeting and whether they are able to deliver the KPIs and results you would like to achieve.
Secondly, have they specified a frequency on which they are going to meet with you to review the progress of your campaigns or projects?
Thirdly, Strategic Marketing advise ensuring that they have set out a process for reporting the success of your marketing activity and have they identified how often they will build a report for you.
Finally, are you able to identify whether the agency/consultant offers any social proof? That is, are there any testimonials from satisfied clients on their website, or can you find any LinkedIn recommendations from verifiable customers?
In addition, San Diego-based marketing agency Bloominari suggest looking for the following core elements when assessing an online proposal:
So, a lot to consider however important points to help you choose the right supplier and proposal to help your business achieve your goals. Or, of course, you can ask us here at GrowthBox to help you find the right supplier to build a proposal to meet your needs. Either way, we hope this has served as a useful guide on what to look out for when choosing a marketing supplier…
For more advice on marketing suppliers and typical costs, check out our advice pages here: https://bit.ly/3CoH7Ay...
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