Your business has been growing. You've put in long hours, so much that you doubt your spouse could pick you out of a police lineup. As the business owner you've had complete control of and handled the local marketing efforts as best you could, considering no one really has a background in the subject. You see a bright future for your company. But growing a company also means it's difficult to do everything yourself. Your staff is already working as hard as they can and the marketing ideas that were once dancing happily in your head aren't effective anymore, you need some recommendations for a new successful marketing campaign.

Your staff agrees with you…if the company is going to expand its market share and digital marketing efforts, it's time to hire a digital advertising agency or digital marketing agency.

Congratulations. It's a momentous occasion in your company's history. But before you pop that champagne cork, be forewarned. There are a lot of companies competing for your business, and the majority of them may not be a good fit for your company. In today's economy, you need your marketing dollars to work extra hard for you. You'll need patience and perseverance when choosing the right digital agency for your business model and target market.

How do you choose the right digital advertising agency? There are hundreds of agencies out there, each claiming to offer the best types of services. How do you decide who to trust?

Digital marketing has become a major part of our lives. Whether your business sells products or wants to advertise your brand and grow your potential customer base, digital media plays a key role. 

But choosing the right digital advertising agency isn’t always easy. In order to get the best service, you should consider several things before signing a contract in this highly competitive market. This article provides some useful information about selecting the right digital advertising agency.

To help make your job a little easier, here are four important factors to keep in mind (drum roll please).

#1 - Experience

It's vital to choose a digital agency that has already done what you're looking to achieve. Do you need your website redesigned? Do you want to make a splash with social media? Are you looking to launch a creative campaign to introduce another product?  Perhaps you want to branch out to mobile advertising?  Do you need overall digital marketing services?

Whatever your needs, the prospective agency should show samples of their work created by their in-house team that demonstrates high-quality content and a similar approach to what you want to do. Everyone will tell you they can do what you want. But if they can't or won't show you their previous work or digital marketing projects, you're just rolling the dice with your company's future.

Also, searching for experience doesn't always mean looking for a marketing director with the most gray hairs and dozens of photos of the great-grandchildren either. While it's possible that they've kept up all of the new social and interactive marketing techniques, it's likely they may not be as “hip” to these important aspects of digital advertising and marketing as they should. The right combination may be someone who has plenty of real-world experience, yet is young and (let's face it) kewl enough to be on the cutting edge of digital marketing trends and current strategies as well as new technologies.

A great way to find out which agencies are worth working with is by asking around. Word of mouth from satisfied clients.  Client testimonials are still one of the most powerful tools in business. If you don't know anyone personally who uses an agency, ask your social network, your friends, colleagues, and family members. They'll likely recommend potential agencies based on their experience with agency services.

#2 - Reliability

Nothing ruins the weekend like missing a Friday deadline because your agency partner bumped you down the priority list for a bigger client. Make sure the prospective agency has a solid reputation for being on time with their deliverables. Talk with some of their clients and ask about their dependability. Obviously, an isolated incident is bound to happen once in a blue moon, but for the most part, these clients should be giving glowing reports on the agency's ability to meet deadlines.

Reliability or reputable agency also means the agency answers their phones or gets back to you promptly. If your calls always go to voicemail or your emails go unanswered for days, you're either too low on the agency's totem pole or they're just plain flaky. You would be wise to steer clear of any agency with a pattern of poor communication.

By talking to past clients you can gauge how well a particular agency will work for you. Ask them what it was like working with the agency and whether they were satisfied with the results. Also, check online reviews from previous clients. These reviews can give you insight into how reliable the agency is and whether they'll provide quality service in a timely manner.

#3 – Size of the Agency

When it comes to agencies, the bigger, more prominent ones may not always be right for your specific needs. Bigger agencies also mean more levels of red tape and bureaucracy. Approvals may take longer to be signed off on, which could stand to delay your launch/release dates.

Small to medium-sized digital marketing agencies on the other hand often have the ability to be more flexible than their heavyweight counterpart. This affords them the opportunity to be more “nimble” in their decision-making and less rigid in their operating procedures, hence being more inclined to go the extra mile and accommodate a client's special needs.

In addition to the above, small to medium-sized agencies tend to offer better customer service because they're usually run by a smaller group of people who have all the knowledge about your project as well as the experience needed to handle any issues that arise.  In addition to understanding the need for collaboration between clients and their agency partners, they can also react quickly to changes in market trends and business requirements.

Are you still wondering which direction you should go?  Ask the agency directly.  Ask them if they want your project. Big or small, make sure your prospective digital agency is excited about your business and the creative challenges that may lie ahead.   The size of your company, or your marketing budget, shouldn't matter in the quality of customer service you receive.

#4 - Chemistry

In your agency search you are looking for a potential marketing partner, stop and ponder that a moment... now think, are the people at the prospective agency easy to talk to, and do they seem approachable? If everything goes according to plan, you may be working with this agency for years, so it makes sense to pick one that you feel good about and that will help you reach and surpass your business objectives and business goals.

Make sure you know the people you talk with initially are the same people you'll actually be working with. Many agencies have a pitch team that wins your business, only for you to realize you'll be working with a grumpy, tired rep (geesh, is that really whiskey I smell on his breath?). There may be a reason why they didn't want you to know who would be handling your account upfront… and none of those reasons will wind up benefiting your business.

Captivation Agency understands there is a lot of competition for your business. We take pride in our work and strive to maintain the highest levels of customer satisfaction. Please contact us today to talk to a friendly Captivation representative and see how we can reduce your operating expenses, increase your productivity, help you identify effective strategies to grow your business, and make your company more competitive.

Need Help Choosing The Right Digital Agency?

Choosing the right digital marketing company isn't always easy. There is a wide range of agencies out there claiming to offer great services and a digital strategy for you at an affordable price. How do you choose between them?

Digital marketing has become a vital part of every company's strategy today. Whether you want to promote your brand or sell your products, having a strong digital presence is essential. The good thing is that there are now plenty of companies offering their services online.

So how do you decide which one to go with? Well, there are several things to consider before signing up with a new agency. These include the type of service they provide, whether they have experience in your field, and whether they have a reputation for delivering quality work.

The agency should offer a variety of services beyond just pitching your business to create a long-term strategy for growth and improvement. For example, if you're looking for a social media management service, ask whether they provide any analytics or reporting tools. Do they offer a blog creation tool? Is there a way to track ad performance?  Will they use search engine optimization? How many clients do they currently manage?

The agency should offer a variety of services beyond just managing your social media marketing presence. They should help you develop content ideas, provide guidance on how to write copy for blog posts or articles, and work with you to build out your brand's voice and tone.

We'd love to help! Fill out our contact form or give us a call at 941-564-9328.