October 13, 2020
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5 min read
Choosing a creative marketing agency for your small business is not as easy as it seems. It needs to be the right fit, otherwise it ends up costing you down the road.
So, what exactly do you look for in a marketing agency?
We believe there are five things that are most important to consider when it comes to choosing the right marketing agency for your small business.
Your business is your baby. It started as just an idea, but now you want to turn it into something more, and that’s exciting. The people in charge of bringing your vision to life should be just as excited about that mission as you are.
Now, they may not be as excited about the product or the industry, but they should be passionate about their creative skills and how they can use their talents to highlight yours.
When you sit down and get to know the team at an agency, you get to meet the people behind your website, campaigns and marketing strategies. These people should genuinely love marketing and be bold enough to take chances.
They should also be great listeners.
Understanding who you are, who your customers are and what you value, is critical. An agency cannot fully understand those things if they don’t take the time to get to know you and your goals.
So, before you pull the trigger and choose a partner to bring your vision to life, make sure they love their jobs, are eager to listen and are passionate about the project.
While having someone on your team that is easy to work with is crucial for success, surrounding yourself with “Yes Men” is a recipe for disaster.
Yes, you probably have some incredible ideas. And, you know your business best.
But there is a reason you need a team of digital experts on your side. Because, while you might understand the business the best, they understand how to make you stand out online the best.
A great marketing agency is constantly plugged into the flow of new information. Whether that’s algorithm changes, app updates, or evolving data points, agencies are continually learning and adapting their strategies to best suit the moment.
You might have a great idea. But perhaps your execution plan is outdated. A great agency with genuine people will share your enthusiasm for the end goal, but might suggest a different and more strategic way to get there.
If your marketing agency is always saying yes to you, that might be a sign they don’t have your best interests at heart. They might just be looking to make you happy.
A great agency will never agree with every plan you have. But as long as they introduce data-driven alternatives and work with you to reach your goals, then you know you have the right team of people on your side.
Good design is easy to come by. Great design is rare.
For any marketing initiative to be successful, it needs to be thoughtfully and beautifully designed. Your marketing agency should understand how important great design is and how it can be used to set you apart from your competitors.
How do you know if a prospective marketing agency invests in good design? Take a look at their portfolio and past client work.
Go over their client list and research their personal marketing initiatives and website. While design preferences are often subjective, great design always finds a way to stand out.
How many times do you hear content in a given day? A lot we bet… it might just be the most overused word in marketing ever!
Nevertheless, great content is so important. Make sure the marketing agency you choose to work with can go beyond just creating it, though.
Content needs to be compelling, engaging and effective.
Or else, it’s useless.
A great marketing agency should understand how content changes depending on the sales funnel. They should also have a strategy for their content that includes story telling.
Finally, the agency you choose should know what types of content best suit your business. Content is important, but relevant content is what will help you reach your marketing targets effectively.
Data and analytics are what separate the mediocre agencies from the best marketing agencies.
All successful marketing campaigns are made by choices fueled by data. Your ideal agency should be constantly checking the metrics of a given campaign and adjusting accordingly.
They should also be designing with data in mind, writing with data in mind, and managing your social media with… you guessed it, data in mind!
Be sure to choose a marketing agency that is eager to share their findings with you and always offers advice that is backed with the metrics to prove it.
The best marketing agency uses analytics to measure the outcomes of all their choices–and employs different strategies depending on the data to achieve better conversion rates.
Are you a small business in Edmonton looking for the right marketing agency? We get it. There are a lot to choose from.
How do you know which one is right for you?
We recommend thinking about it in all the ways we listed above.
Your ideal agency should be passionate about you and the project. Passionate marketers always deliver results.
The agency you pick shouldn’t be afraid to say no to your ideas. As long as they come back with creative alternatives that align with your values, you’re on the right track.
Your marketing agency should be in love with great design. If you like their branding, chances are you will love their design. They also need to be content gurus. We’re not just talking catchphrases and radio commercials.
We’re talking compelling content that keeps you coming back for more. If they can do that, they can get you in front of the right eyeballs online.
Finally, your perfect agency should be driven by data. Making decisions based on personal preferences gets you nowhere. Follow the analytics and make adjustments as you go.
That is a sure-fire way to get results.
At the end of the day, finding a creative agency in Edmonton is easy to do.
Finding one you jive with might take a bit more time. But when you find a team that cares about your success and offers creative solutions to your problems, chances are you might have made a love connection!
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