5 Tips for Working with a Marketing Agency
You’re an overworked small-business owner who’s decided to level up (and make your own life a little easier), so you’ve partnered with a marketing agency. Great! But now what?
Hopefully, you’ve chosen a marketing agency that aligns with your goals and values and with whom you can enjoy working (in our books, having fun and making connections is just as important as all the marketing strategies!). If you’ve done your research and chosen the right agency, your job is done, right? Well, not exactly.
Maximizing your marketing investment means developing the right relationship and having the right expectations with your marketing agency. There’s a little work to do on your end, too. Keep reading for our tips on working with a marketing agency.
#1: Focus On Outcomes
If you’re a small business owner, it’s because you’ve got the skills, talent, and passion for your small business. You’re the expert, right? But are you a marketing expert? Probably not, if you’ve outsourced to an agency!
The reality is that marketing is complicated. Yes, there’s lots of noise out there, trying to get you to invest in programs and software to ‘make it easy.’ That probably makes it seem like online marketing is something you can DIY.
But trust us: online marketing is its own world, and it takes years of education (both in ‘real’ school and training, as well as real-life experience) to become a master.
So, if you’ve hired a master, let them be the master! They may post more or less than you were thinking, they may recommend platforms you weren’t expecting, and they may have a different strategy than you’d planned. They might do everything differently than you would do. But that’s ok – as long as they get results!
A pro-tip: don’t expect results overnight. Give your agency some time to get you the outcomes you’re hoping for, and try not to worry so much about how they get there.
#2: Keep Communication Open
We know: you’ve got a lot of hats to wear, and you’re super busy. That’s why you hired an agency. And no doubt your inbox is always overflowing.
But mark emails from your marketing team as a priority. Get back to them when they call. The more you can make time for their questions and suggestions, the better your results will be.
Another pro-tip: this is why it’s so important to pick an agency you jive with! Make sure you find someone you’re actually going to enjoy chatting with regularly.
#3: Be Flexible On Your Budget
Notice we’re not saying ‘plan to spend a fortune.’ If you’re a small business owner, your budget is likely quite tight. That said, you get what you pay for – and this applies to your marketing agency and any ads they might suggest that you run.
Remember, when you pick the right marketing agency, you should be getting a good ROI. This will be money well spent because the right marketing strategy should bring more customers and more revenue.
#4: Set Your Expectations Early – And Stick To Them
In our experience, it’s always important to start any relationship with all the cards on the table – including your expectations.
If you want a marketer who will check in with you every morning, tell them.
If you want one who can increase your website traffic by 50% in 6 months, tell them.
If you want a more retro vibe for your graphics and website, tell them.
You get the idea.
When you work with the right marketing agency, they’ll welcome your goals, and they’ll work to meet your expectations (see #3 – that’s a big part of what you’re paying for!). So don’t be afraid to ask for what you really want or to expect results.
#5: Always Be Transparent
Don’t take your marketer on a wild goose chase. If you’re not happy, let them know. We’re passionate about making our clients happy – and when that’s not happening, we want to know about it.
Finally, if you’re looking for a marketing team that will be committed to helping your small business grow, please reach out. We help small businesses with branding, web design, social media marketing, advertising, photography, and search engine optimization – and we can’t wait to hear from you!