More than 83% of businesses say that their digital marketing strategy is working. This shows just how important having a solid online presence and strategy is. As a business owner, it can be difficult to find the time to put into your digital marketing strategy. In this case, you might be considering the help of a digital marketing partner.
There are many reasons to choose a digital marketing company to work with, but how do you know if they’re the right fit? Here are seven things to consider before hiring a digital marketing partner.
1. Do They Have Experience?
When selecting a company to work with, you want to be sure that they have digital marketing experience. A great question to ask is how many years they have been in the business. This can tell you a little more about them.
Don’t be alarmed if they haven’t been in the business for years. Experience is important, but it doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker. If they have the expertise along with the experience, they are likely a great company to work with.
You can also inquire about the skills their employees have. They may have a few different experts working on your strategy. One may have experience with SEO, while another may be an expert in design. At David Taylor Digital, for example, we’ve been in business since 2007, giving us more than 15 years of experience.
2. An Understanding of Your Industry
Every business in every industry can benefit from a digital marketing strategy. Chances are good that a digital marketing partner has worked with a business in your industry before. This means that you can tap into the knowledge that they already have and kick-start your strategy to see results.
Asking about other businesses in your industry is a great way to learn more about a potential digital marketing partner. It’s good for you to hear the success stories of companies in the same industry as yours. It indicates that you can trust that the agency will be able to provide you with results.
They’ll also understand the struggles or individual needs of your business. Information such as this will help the agency craft an effective strategy that is tailored to your business. If a potential agency understands your industry, then they are a great choice.
3. What Skills Can They Offer?
One of the best ways to get an idea of the skill of a potential agency is to look at their portfolio. This is a compilation of some of their best work that can give you insight into what they can do for you.
It’s a great idea to take a look at this and see if you like the quality of their work. Keep in mind that creativity is subjective, so what works for another company may not work for you. A good digital marketing partner should be able to provide you with a finished product that works for your customers. Always ask to see the company’s portfolio so that you can see if you like the quality of their work.
You should also ask if they keep up with the latest trends in digital marketing. It’s a good sign if they do, as they’ll be able to stay one step ahead with your marketing strategy.
4. A Variety of Services
A quality digital marketing partner should offer many services to you as a business. This allows you to take advantage of their expertise in all these areas, as well as have a cohesive strategy.
Some services that you should look for are:
- Web Design
- SEO
- Branding
- Graphic Design
- Email Marketing
- Copywriting
- Social Media
In short, they should be able to offer you various services to contribute to your overall digital marketing strategy. All the elements of digital marketing are meant to work together to give you the best results. If the company can provide this, then they are most likely a great business to work with.
We’re proud to offer all these services and more to our customers. We can create a comprehensive plan to give you the best strategy that produces results.
5. Do They Have Proven Results?
Going into your digital marketing strategy, you should have an idea of what goals you want to achieve. For some businesses, that might mean that you want to increase brand awareness. For others, it may mean targeting valuable leads.
You should go into your search with goals in mind. It’s good to talk to the company about their past results and what they’ve been able to achieve. It doesn’t necessarily have to relate to your industry, as it’s more important that they can tell you about how they achieved those results.
If they can give you a few examples of where they’ve excelled with their strategies, then this is a good sign. Just a quick showcase of ideas thrown around the table is a good sign that they can mold and create new types of digital marketing campaigns for you, based on previous heavy-hitting successes.
6. What’s Their Price?
When choosing a digital marketing partner, you want to make sure that you’re getting the best value for an affordable price. Start by creating a budget that will work for your business. Communicating your budget can help determine if they’re the right fit for you.
You can ask if the company has different packages to find a price point that works best for you. This allows you the flexibility to pick one that suits your needs while meeting your budget. Communication is key to working with your digital marketing partner, so be sure to let them know.
Another great idea when discussing pricing with your potential digital marketing partner is to ask them to break it down for you. There’s no point in receiving a retainer quote or full job quote with no idea what the nuts and bolts of it cost.
Here’s an example:
Imagine you receive a full quotation for $5000 to execute your campaign, but this estimate includes design. You may think, hang on, I have a full-time, in-house design resource that the digital marketing agency can use. They should be able to tell you what the cost of the campaign will be if you supply them with a designer, instead of just going all-in with them. Flexibility with packages and pricing is key for your brand’s peace of mind.
7. Check on Reviews
Reviews are a great way to get a feel for a potential company that you are going to work with. Remember to take care when reading reviews online. One bad review may not accurately reflect the entire business, but many might be a red flag.
Look for trends in the reviews instead. If there are mostly positive reviews, chances are good that they’ll be great to work with. You can also ask for references if you’d like to hear about other’s experiences first hand.
8. Do They Click With Your Team?
It’s important that any digital marketing partner you consider is vetted by your internal team as well. You’ll always hear people say, “Yes, but we don’t come to work to make friends!”
Sure, but if two teams need to work closely together, then it is fairly significant that they gel on some level and can see eye-to-eye. Generally, it’s a pretty good idea to have them meet before you make the final decision and take their first impressions into account as well.
Choose the Best Digital Marketing Partner
With these seven tips, you’re ready to find a great digital marketing partner to work with. By having a comprehensive strategy, you’ll start seeing results in no time. Our goal at David Taylor Digital is to help you develop and execute a digital marketing strategy that gives you results.
Does this sound like what you’re looking for? If so, get in touch with us today!
