7 Questions to Ask a Digital Marketing Agency
Whether you have a proposal in your hand from a digital marketing agency or are just beginning your search for a digital marketing partner, asking the following questions can help you ensure that you are picking the right marketing agency to handle your needs. Here are a few queries we find ourselves answering when speaking with a prospective client about how they could improve their marketing efforts to reach their customers. You should have the information needed to make a confident decision for your digital communication by asking these questions.
1.“What makes you guys different from Company X?”
Your company is different from the competition, and the same can be said when comparing one digital agency to another. There are many options for choosing a digital marketing team, and you want to be sure that your final choice is the best fit for you by asking this question.
Based on what you are specifically looking for out of a business relationship, a marketing agency should highlight what differentiates them. For example, at 42connect, we use our proven process to ensure that our clients’ campaigns reflect their business goals. Some other factors that set agencies or providers apart could include cost, experience, technologies used, and more. If you Google or research your agency options, each agency team should share with you what makes them the best fit for your needs.
2.“When will I start seeing results?”
If this is your first time considering digital marketing for your business, your potential agency partner must be upfront with you about when their clients begin to see results from their digital marketing activities. This question is critical if you would like to have a clear expectation about when you will see the results of your efforts.
The period between kicking off a campaign and seeing results often varies, depending on what digital marketing services are a part of your strategy. Some efforts require time to see results or become profitable. For example, organic Social Media and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can take six months to a year before reaching established goals. However, other methods like PPC Advertising on Google or a social media platform may yield a faster result when addressing ecommerce sales or lead generation. Regardless, any reputable digital marketing agency should be upfront about forecasting when you should expect to see the results of your campaign.
3.“Do you have experience in my industry?”
If you’re looking for a business partner that understands the specific needs of your industry or understands your target customers, look for an agency that has worked with similar companies. They may replicate similar success for a former client that operated a similar business and understand the biggest challenges facing your company.
If a business does not have direct experience with your industry, they may also highlight the success they’ve had with businesses like yours (Ex: Improving the quality of B2B leads or increased website traffic).
Additionally, agencies can become partners with industry-standard platforms like Google, LinkedIn, and Bing. If you are looking for a specific platform to be a part of your digital marketing strategy, ask prospective agencies to see if they have industry experience working with the platform.
4.“How long are your contracts?”
When a marketing agency creates a proposal, it should clearly outline the contract terms, including the length of the relationship or schedule to complete a project. This term varies from project-based work to retainer work. A timeline is frequently given for a project-based contract (Ex: 12-14 weeks). Retainer work may require a long-term contract (6-12 months) depending on the agreement between the agency and the client.
The last thing you want is to be unhappy with your agency’s work or service and realize that you have another 6 months with the agency or face a fee for early termination. At 42connect, many of our retainer services do not require a long-term contract, we believe that our dedication to our client’s success speaks for itself, and there’s no need to have long-term contracts.
5.“Will I get a dedicated point of contact/point person?”
Do you find it frustrating when you’re looking for an answer and keep getting passed around or can never find the right person? It’s important to know that someone is available if you have an essential question regarding your company’s digital marketing campaigns.
During an onboarding process with an agency, you will meet the individuals working on your account or project. At this point, a good agency will clarify who your main point of contact will be for regular communication, typically a project manager or account manager/executive. This individual will give updates on the work being done for you and connect you with additional marketing team members if they cannot answer your question directly.
6.“How much will it cost?”
Cost is an important factor when considering any investment in your business that should generate value. Before sitting down with an agency, you should know what your budget for digital marketing should be. This knowledge can help you quickly determine if the agency you’re speaking to is a good fit for you. Agencies should be transparent when it comes to pricing for services, especially for retainer-based work. This is a good indicator that a potential marketing agency is not trying to take advantage of you. If an agency cannot give you a specific cost, they should provide a starting cost or a range of pricing. Projects will frequently include a cost range based on specific requested features that you provide to your agency.
7.“Can you share past success?”
It is often beneficial for marketing agencies to provide case studies or reports showcasing their success with clients. For example, at 42connect, we have a section of our website featuring our client’s success.
You may be looking to achieve specific results or metrics through digital marketing, such as increased inbound leads through Google Ads, improved organic traffic to your website, or increased online sales. Agencies can highlight specific metrics they achieved with their former or current clients and feel they can replicate with new clients.
We hope you have found the list of questions in this article helpful when considering what you should ask a potential agency partner when creating a marketing strategy or implementing a digital marketing solution. If you’d like to ask us a question (one of these or one of your own!), we’re always happy to answer them here and see if there is an opportunity to help you reach your digital marketing goals by completing your next digital marketing project!
