How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency 

As you build brand awareness, the necessity for digital marketing and an online presence grows. Marketing is equally important to sales as it is an intricate part of the funnel. As more and more consumers evolve towards e-commerce and search for products online, businesses should prepare for a shift in marketing for 2020.  

The qualifying factors involved when you’re learning how to choose a digital marketing company are all based on trust. Let’s dive in. 

Common Goals 

When you begin a relationship with a digital marketing agency, one of the first conversations you should have is about your business goals. 

When you have a company that’s taking over your goals, they need to be extremely clear right up front. Setting your strategic marketing goals may require assistance from both parties as your newly hired digital marketing agency may be able to provide their expertise. 

Another important factor is to understand their goals as a digital marketing agency and what they will be providing for you as a service. When the goals are established for each party, the vision is clear and the services provided are equally agreed upon. 

For example: if at the top of your digital marketing goals are SEO and theirs are social media, you’ll have a very different outcome when it comes to growth and services. Goals first! 

Budget Costs 

Obviously, money plays a role in every business decision made. Budgets are set for certain departments as are the costs of each. All have an end goal to increase ROI. If it doesn’t go towards the bottom dollar, it is a waste. 

Considering the cost of a digital marketing agency over hiring a digital marketer in-house is a huge decision! Outsourcing is easy when you have the money to do so. 

The right budget for the right service is the balancing act. What is the right price of growth? What percentage of your budget will be put towards digital marketing efforts? 

When you’re learning how to choose a digital marketing agency, it’s important to be transparent about the budget and costs of services. Where they will be allotted is the most important factor as it will pertain to the goals you previously set. 

Landscape Leadership states, “Most marketing agencies will create packages and pricing that are scaleable for many different sized companies. For instance, we have comprehensive inbound marketing programs priced at $2,000, $3,000, $5,000, and $8,000 per month that include our full range of services.” Make room in the budget for this range of costs. 

Cumulative Experience 

Experience in the field is always important when you’re hiring someone new, whether it be a digital marketing agency or an individual team member. 

Not only is it the amount of time spent on the actual marketing, but it’s also the knowledge they have by just being in the industry. Digital marketing evolves constantly and if you aren’t gaining new knowledge, you may be left in the dust. 

When seeking a digital marketing company, look at their current certifications in SEO, social media, content marketing, emotional marketing, inbound and outbound sales strategy, and overall conversions. 

Knowledge of SaaS marketing tools and platforms used is also key when you’re considering a team to hire. Ask a lot of questions about what they use when it comes to software and tools. 

Workplace Culture 

Have you ever been excited about partnering with someone but you just don’t seem to vibe well with the team? It’s a disappointment when you really like what they have to offer but the culture falls flat. 

Workplace culture is increasingly important as we start a new decade of digital marketing. There are entire roles dedicated to “People and Culture” as we are hitting new strides in the workforce. Diversity is at the top of the list when expanding teams in businesses all across the world. 

Leah Knobler from HelpScout (it’s pronounced Lay-uh, like the Princess) is the perfect example of how workplace culture is done right. She weaves in fun, diversity and cool company culture so that others can learn how important it is. HelpScout is doing it right. 

When considering choosing a digital marketing agency, think about how the team works with each other, how they feel about their individual roles and how the passion shines through in their work. 

After all, it’s all about the people behind the curtain, right? 

Communication 

How do you qualify communication before you even partner with a new digital marketing agency? Right from the very first point of contact. 

Communication should be at the top of your list in any business strategy decision. Without communication, both parties fail to do their jobs. Understanding the different parameters in how you will communicate should be dictated by the decision-maker and should be upheld throughout the entire partnership. 

The best form of communication, the cadence and understanding of expectations should all be outlined when considering how to choose a digital marketing company. If you see any red flags when communicating at the beginning of a partnership, take notice. 

Services Plans 

There are many different services offered in the digital marketing world, how do you choose? Does your brand need every single offering available or just a few? 

How to choose a digital marketing agency when it comes to service plans is simple. If they offer it, great, if they don’t – keep searching. 

The biggest question is do they offer a la carte services so that you can get the best investment out of this partnership. We’ve learned that there are typically tier services offered for the different sized companies, however, that’s not the same for choosing which ones are actually needed. 

Choices in services offered range from social media marketing, content marketing, public relations, webinars and podcast building, affiliate marketing, and event networking. Understanding which services are best for you should be an option when considering outsourcing your digital marketing needs.  

Target Market Reach

Along with goals and budget, determining if your potential digital marketing agency can reach your target market is definitely on the list. Certain agencies have reach that others may not. 

Be transparent about your target audience and ask questions about exactly how they plan to reach them. When doing your research on how to choose a digital marketing company in raising brand awareness, find out how they plan to reach your audience. Ask to see facts, data specifics, and tactics behind their reach. 

Engagement is key when speaking about reach, it’s not just about putting your brand out there anymore. It’s about how they plan on engaging with customers, clients, and potential leads that are important. 

Case Studies and Testimonials 

The proof is in the pudding, right? 

When you want to know if someone else can really do what they say they’re going to do, it’s all about results-driven data. Asking for case studies and testimonials these days is on par with getting on a phone call to find out more about anyone. It is imperative you have an impactful case study and a meaningful testimonial to showcase your success as a digital marketing agency in 2020. 

Understanding that the experience they’ve told you they have comes right along with the customer reviews and data studies they provide. Be sure to check out the number of case studies they have as well. If there is only one, you may want to ask about seeing more. 

When making the decision on how to choose a digital marketing agency, they should have digital proof that they’ve succeeded in several different markets and industries. Be sure that the testimonials are valid and check your sources. 

Remember, word-of-mouth referrals are the biggest form of flattery. They should have a few for you to check out yourself! 

Value Over Price 

We know that budget is a primary factor when choosing a digital marketing agency. Don’t underestimate the power of value here as well. What does that mean? 

The value of service will far outweigh the costs involved because it will bring in organic traffic or ROI. The magic of value is that it usually comes back triple-fold when it’s done correctly. 

How to choose a digital marketing agency when it comes to value, you ask? 

Rely on your instincts, trust your gut and do your homework. Research, research, and more research! The internet is full of resources for this, check out reviews, companies they have worked with, connections they’ve made, and reach out! 

AisforA Wrap Up: How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency 

Overall, hiring a digital marketing agency means you have a lot of decisions to make! Don’t be overwhelmed, take it one decision at a time. 

When it comes to affiliate marketing, we know a team that can crush that for you. We have over 10 years of experience growing WordPress affiliate programs for companies like WP Rocket, BlogVault, MalCare and more. 

The Digital Agency Network has compiled this amazing list of the Best Digital Marketing Agencies in the world, so they’ve got you covered. 

Good luck choosing your digital marketing agency, we hope this article truly helped you! 

What considerations do you have when making the right choice in digital marketing companies? We would love to hear from you. Drop a comment below and let us know. 

Sloth on!