Before you hire the first inbound marketing agency you meet, gauge their success by reviewing their own marketing strategy. Do they use inbound to market their own brand? What success have they seen?
Does the agency understand the importance of analytics when discussing how they’ll help your company? Their pitch should be peppered with industry terms,such as “analytics” and “benchmarks.” Their plan should include concrete goals and examples of how they measure progress at every step to ensure your business achieves its marketing goals.
You’re hiring an inbound marketing agency because you need help with your marketing goals, from brainstorming fresh ideas to meeting targets. You want to set and achieve SMART inbound marketing goals. The right agency will outline realistic goals, along with a sound strategy to meet those goals.
The agency you choose understands how your business works. They’ve worked with other businesses like yours and they know your industry inside and out.
They understand who your audience is and how to effectively distribute your message.
An agency that understands your business will develop a custom inbound marketing strategy that works for your unique brand.
What are you looking to accomplish? You want a marketing plan that helps your business grow in the way you need it. If you’re focusing on closing leads, the inbound marketing agency you hire should have a track record of success in that area.
If you’re looking to drive more traffic to your website and build brand awareness, partner with an agency that specializes in blogging and content creation. If you want your business to raise sales in six months, you need to be upfront with the agency, so they can formulate an effective plan that meets those goals.
Not all agencies are created equal. The agency should clearly outline and explain the services they offer to ensure they’re the services you need.
For example, if you desperately need to boost brand awareness but the agency doesn’t offer social media services, this is a bad sign.
Last but not least, you want to work with a firm you can afford. Take a deeper look at their marketing plan to determine whether they’ve presented a strategy that is reasonable for the fee they’re charging.
A killer pitch at a rate significantly higher than you’ve budgeted for isn’t worth your time or theirs. Keep your marketing budget in mind when exploring different marketing agencies.