Questions You Must Ask Before Hiring Digital Marketing Agency

If you are reading this blog, it means, you are probably on the edge of hiring a digital marketing company in Melbourne.   

Whether you are making this decision because of the underperformance by your previous company or you are starting your business on the social media channels from the scratch and you need guidance, in any of the situations, this is a great step. So, first, I would like to congratulate you on entering into a completely new world of business. 

This phase is the evolution phase for your business. It will certainly be exciting as well because you will be hiring the best digital marketing agency with the intention to take your business to the next level.  

Even though this step might look daunting at first, this is certainly quite simple and is not a rocket science. All you need to do is understand the basics of digital marketing so that before you hire a digital marketing company, you know what to ask before finally giving a project.  

While you are ready to screen prospective digital marketing companies, here is the list of questions you may want to go through before interviewing the potential digital marketing agency.  

Irrespective of the type of business you deal in, whether it is a nonprofit, or a manufacturing company, or anything in between, you will always want to ask the million-dollar question, i.e., How do I choose the right digital marketing agency which gives the best return on investment. 

To find out the best digital marketing agency for yourself, look into the following questions. These will help you in bringing the ideal marketing partner for your business.  

Ask About the Previous Clients 

 

If you are checking out a digital marketing agency, ask them about the clients they have worked with so far. If the agency has worked with B2B manufacturing company, then take notice.   

This is not to say that the agency will not be versatile. All you have to do is just check the proven results from the previous clients within the industry.  

Also, watch out for digital marketing agencies that work exclusively in one industry – they might have conflicts of interest with your competitors. So, it would be a big no-no. 

Read case studies, blog posts and reach out to some of their previous clients. Ask them about the company and their experience working with them. 

Will the Company Work in Harmony With your Business Goals? 

The best digital marketing company will be the one which works unitedly. The company that becomes your strategic partners and not a burden.  

See if the company is able to tackle your business issues all by themselves by going beyond generating leads and converting visitors.  

Make sure every deliverable relates to your business goals and every action taken by the company presents your company’s vision. 

What Does Success Mean to Them?  

Success in digital marketing is not a matter of a day or overnight results. It takes time. Even though it is time-consuming, or no matter how accomplished the digital marketing agency may be, it cannot be a cure-all for your business ailments.  

Marketing is hard and a long way to go to reach a point of success. It can take weeks, months, or even years to amplify what is working for your business or what needs to be cut.  

Nevertheless, you need to see if your digital marketing agency is able to: 

• 
  

• Work alongside you. 

• Define what your unique brand of success looks like. 

• Demonstrate the results, whether marginal or minuscule. 

Ask the Company’s Experience with Their Last Client  

If it is not your first time, then do tell the digital marketing agency about why you are looking for a new agency.  

Be frank. Do not mince the words. Tell them your expectations and the kind of results you want from the agency you want to hire.  

If you had a bad experience with the previous agency, do not just paint the new agency in the same color. Look at it with a new perspective and use your previous engagements in dictating the questions you will ask.  

Is the Company Jack of All Trades or Just One-Trick Pony? 

Check if the agency is versatile because it is one of the crucial factors. The reason is that digital marketing does not work alone or in vacuum. Apart from robust digital marketing strategies, it would need a disciplined team with strong capabilities to live and thrive even during the unexpected situations.  

For instance, a good blog post will do no magic if your business website is of a bygone era. It will be useless. Even though one company may be better than the other in a lot of terms. It is on you to decide what are you looking for your business. 

Also, you must look for all-rounded marketing efforts. Your agency should have a list of proficiencies to show you at its disposal. So, avoid hiring a company which is like one-trick pony.  

Here are the capabilities that you can consider when vetting digital marketing agencies: 

• 
  

• Web Designing 

• Website Development 

• Website Hosting 

• Branding 

• Digital Marketing 

• Content Marketing 

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 

• Social Media Marketing 

Does the Agency Have its Own Staff or the Work is Outsourced? 

The marketing agency may offer web designing service, but that might be outsourced, or ask the company if there is an in-house art director or a design team.  

Well, this should actually not bother you if the company is outsourcing the work or not. But if you are revamping your business website, it would comfort you if you know that there are experienced web developers, designers and content writers.  

Talk to the Team with Whom You will Stay in Touch Regularly  

When you hire a digital marketing agency, you will be working with another team, different people with varied work experience. It means you will get new teammates to work with.  

You must know who in the team will keep you updated with the progress report. Or who in the team will communicate with you for a long period.  

Also check if the staff is easily approachable or not. Meet the team in person once and talk to them.   

Does the Marketing Team Fits with Your Company?

  

Why would you agree to work with the company which does not have similar work ethics or values like yours. See if the company is friendly, cold, easy to work with or really hard to deal with. A company which is a mix of all will also do. The only thing is that it should stay in harmony of your business goals.  

This may seem easy and unnecessary but business relationships are built in this way.  

Which Marketing Tools Do They Use? 

By now, you will know the type of work they do. Next thing that you must know is how do they work. Which tools and software they use.    

For instance, The Big Unit, the best digital marketing agency in Melbourne uses Microsoft Teams for interaction and communication among the staff.  

It streamlines the communication process between the team and the clients.  

Which Marketing Software the Company Use? 

If you are using some marketing software and are not looking for a change, then hire a company that has an experience in using that particular platform.  

For example, HubSpot is a popular inbound marketing software with automation built-in. It ranks its 2,050+ partner agencies based on different levels. 

So, look out for the credentials that the digital marketing company offers.  

How Often will You be Able to Meet the Team Members? 

Although, you will stay in touch with the team members through the communication software used by the company, the personal meet once a week or once in a month will play a big role.  

As said earlier too, do not hide anything. If you have a query and want to talk to a team member, tell them, talk to them and figure out the way that best works for all.  

Communicate what you expect from the very beginning so that the company can meet your expectations and needs. 

The Format of Meeting and How Often will You Be Available? 

Even though everything is online. The meetings are conducted online, we still will look into the in-person meetings. If still the company wants to go for the video conference meets, then then ask the platform they will use.  

While you ask the digital marketing agency about its availability, ask yourself this question too. Tell the agency clearly about the time you realistically will be available and approve designs and the content. 

Hiring a digital marketing agency also require a bit of account management on your part also. 

If you think you cannot be there, then hire someone at your place and let that professional take care of the things.  

Talk About the Length of the Contract 

Well, the marketing is not a matter of few months. As also mentioned above, it takes time so understand that returns are not likely to return after 3 to 6 months. 

There is no short cut to generating ROI through digital marketing.  

Marketing takes time to cultivate and grow. 

The marketing agency should be able to understand your business. Do not ditch your marketing firm after a month thinking the results are slow. Have patience, wait for the magic to place.    

In case you really want immediate results, go for paid advertisements.  

You can even ask your agency if they have a quick-win strategy which might not be sustainable, but will definitely drive some leads. 

Look for an agency that sets long-term goals for you to achieve.   

Kindly Don’t Forget that the sales and marketing success is like a marathon. 

You cannot jump your way to success within three-months.  

What Does the Contract Typically Include?  

Different companies will have different contracts. It is essential for you to be aware of what deliverables are expected and when to expect. 

Your contract can either contain one blog, four guest blogs, promotional emails every two months or can vary. In case, you are not satisfied with the plan, try to negotiate it with the company. 

Talking about the plan and the contract beforehand will make things clear. No ambiguity and no conflict later on.  

Hiring a digital marketing agency which proves best for you can be a daunting task if you have zero knowledge about it. the above points will certainly help you in hiring the best for your business.  

In case you are still confused and are not able to decide, do not worry, just contact the best digital marketing agency in Melbourne, the Big Unit and rest leave it on the team.     

Once you outsource the work to the seasoned team of the Big Unit, you will be left with nothing to worry about.  So, contact now!