How To Work Seamlessly With A Marketing Agency

The ability to work with a new full fledged marketing agency is like navigating a new relationship.

It's important to ask questions and get insight from them as the experts. But for as in-depth as they know your business you'll want to know a lot about them too.

There are many reasons why your company may be looking to make a change with its digital marketing agency. In order to have a stable symbiotic relationship with them, you're going to have to ask some questions. So here's out tips for navigating your new client/marketing agency relationship.

How are you going to improve my business?

Make sure you're getting a detailed plan of how the agency operates, and the campaigns mission. Get a good idea of how they operate. Some agencies are very laid back, and this can be a good thing, but you need to have some trust established too.

More specifically, they should be asking about who owns your accounts and data. Every company uses different platforms for their marketing needs, and the agency needs to be fluent in your past platforms if the transition is going to be smooth. This also relates to the next question:

What's our contract state?

Let's face it, contracts increase the complications of transitions.

All the paper work, red tape, it's enough to make the whole experience unpleasant. While there needs to be a defined scope of work to create an understanding and mitigate future disagreements, contracts that bind your company to stick with the agency are unnecessary and should be red flags.

The common rationale that agencies have for creating contracts sound reasonable. Often times they may tell you that resources need to be invested into your account towards the beginning, and the results of these investments take time to actualize. The resources are costly and would leave the agency in the hole should your company prematurely end the partnership before those results come about.

Lofty Goals:

This ad will bring you millions of customers.....

...Everyone is going to see it!

Realistic promises will actualize, sensational ones will not.

If an agency is able to deliver the results they promise then it's likely they are a good full fledged ad agency. Marketing is a hard business and there's a lot of variables. However, the company will know their limitations and speak to those limitations during your courtship. That's why it's god to ask questions, get an idea of what is realistic with the project.

Remember the marketing agency wants to be part of your ambitions and believes in your cause.

Ask them for fresh ideas to get a perspective that you had not thought of or that your current agency does not do.

Understanding the goals and deliverables

This seems obvious but when you're asking for an ad or website, the concept is sort of intangible. You can view the portfolio of the company you're planning on working with but the end result is like a haircut. You're just sitting and hoping for something fitting, that won't make you look strange in public.

What's communication with an ad agency like?

You want to trust and enjoy your interactions with an ad agency. A full marketing firm should be invested in your relationship and that includes being proactive about your account and with your communications. Make sure you ask questions or understand how regular communication can be maintained.

Even with computers and phones in our faces all day everyday, it's easy to forget the simplest of things, like communication.

This way you are able to know what they are working on at any given time. If you have a concern about your account, you should know they best person to turn to.

Every marketing firm works differently. Some have specialties in what they do. This, believe it or not, really makes workflows very different. It's a world with no particular guidelines on how to operate. This is why the communication realm becomes very important.

Sometimes your team may want to get into particulars with one of the practitioners doing the work. Make sure you have an avenue that is easy to reach someone.

A good agency puts the customer experience first and will provide great insights into the level of work going into your account. This not only makes your transition smoother as you hand over your account, but the entire ongoing relationship much more transparent and collaborative. It will also help build trust which is essential.

Open line of Communication
Detailed Reporting
Realistic goal setting
Understanding of the relationship i.e. contract or billing
Smooth sailing!

If you're looking to transition to a new marketing agency, then perhaps it's time you get in touch. We'd love to hear from brands local and not-so-local.