Ever since marketing went digital, the face of marketing, on the whole, has seen a massive transformation. As your brand tries to keep up with this new age, how do you find the right digital marketing agency to take you to the next level?
We’ve all seen ads for ‘digital marketing agencies’ and they seem like such an easy solution to your problems, but choosing a marketing agency can be confusing and difficult. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll have a good idea of how to find the right digital marketing agency for your business and what steps you can take to find the perfect match.
What is a digital marketing agency?
When an agency calls themselves experts in the field of digital marketing, they’re basically saying that they know how, when, and where to make your brand stand out from the crowd. Tons of brands are now redirecting their spends towards digital marketing campaigns, and either reducing their efforts or completely moving away from traditional marketing practices.
And so, in the brand new battlefield of great brands, a digital marketing agency takes up the onus of creating content that has an impact. Not just that, it also handles the technical aspects of making a campaign run successfully on digital platforms. From social media, websites, apps, to Google ads, YouTube videos, and influencer marketing – A digital marketing agency helps you seamlessly set foot into each of these domains, and maximize the benefits your brand reaps from it.
Tips to find the right agency
While there’s no ‘winning formula’ for finding the right agency partner from the get-go, there are certain steps your company can take. Making a wise, informed decision can lead to a lucrative partnership – one that increases your brand’s awareness, helps you achieve your KRIs and KPIs, and generates credible leads in the digital space.
Here’s how you can make that happen:
1. Do your research
The options for choosing a digital marketing agency are aplenty, but that doesn’t mean they are all right for your brand. It’s important to do a background check, look at an agency’s portfolio, and also compare and contrast them to other options you might have in mind. Every agency has a different style of working, while sticking to the more common principles of functioning. And so, it’s important for you to understand what this style is, how their thought process works, and whether or not it aligns with what your brand needs.
2. Understand your goals
What do you plan to achieve from your partnership with a digital agency? Is it sales, brand awareness, virality, new market share? Maybe all of it put together? The answer to all these questions lies in your brand’s current requirements, and also the future plans. Certain agencies are excellent with SEM and paid ads, while others are masters of creative execution. It all depends on which brand goal you are trying to achieve, and which agency’s skill set would pave the perfect gateway to it.
3. Know your budget
There is no standard rate card when it comes to marketing firms. Each agency has different cost and overheads involved, and also various plans a brand can choose from. Now, whether you choose to take on an agency as a retainer, or choose to collaborate on specific projects, it’s essential to understand how much money you can spend. For full-stack agencies that provide end-to-end services, retainers are a better option, but could mean a higher cost implication. On the other hand, project-wise scalability can be cheaper, but doesn’t have the security of a retainer. Hence, it’s important to have your brand’s finances checked and analysed, as it helps you choose the scale, size, and longevity of your agency partnership.
4. Evaluate company culture
Work culture plays a huge factor in the success of brand-agency partnerships. When cultures, ideologies, and methods clash, it often leads to botched projects and missed opportunities. However, when brands and their marketing agency are aligned on core principles and culture, there’s this striking balance and harmony that eventually leads to better productivity. It also boils down to interactions and communication, which is key to how smoothly a partnership progresses.
5. Call for a pitch
Even with a thorough assessment of an agency’s portfolio, being 100% convinced of their suitability for your brand could be tough. In most cases, calling for a pitch on a standard brief really helps with identifying the best agency. In a pitch, the agency has the creative freedom to show you how they think, how they work, and how they execute. It also gives you insight into their ideation process, which is crucial whilst crafting digital marketing campaigns and increasing brand presence. Overall, a pitch is the agency’s chance to show you what they’re made of, and your opportunity to find the right fit.
6. Ask the right questions
When picking an agency for your marketing needs, asking the right questions can solve many hurdles. Instead of saying “How much do you charge?” you can say “Why do you charge this?”. Instead of asking them “How will you make our goals happen?”, ask them “What more can you add to make these goals better?”. The idea is that an agency is a value addition to your brand, and not just an extra leg. Their campaigns and ideas need to be a catalyst in your brand’s growth, and not just one more ingredient in the pot.
To summarise
It’s pretty clear now that a standard brand-agency partnership formula does not exist. Rather, it’s an amalgamation of brand ideals and agency skills, mixed with a good balance of requirements and performance. When the right brand meets the right agency, a slew of amazing campaigns are born. Making your presence felt in the saturated digital space can truly set your brand apart, and also help you reach your desired goals.
Are you a brand that’s in search of the right agency? Find out if we’re what you’ve been looking for and contact us at: business@mindstorm.in
Title: Tips to finding the right digital marketing agency for your business
Description – Determining the right digital marketing agency for your business can be time consuming and confusing. Read our blog for tips to choose a suitable digital marketing agency to set your brand apart and reach the desired goals.
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