To handle marketing in-house, or to work with an outside, full-service marketing agency? That’s a question that many business owners needs to answer. The truth is, it’s not much of a question. While many businesses have people that are knowledgeable in one area of marketing, it’s impossible to truly make an impact by focusing on just one marketing medium. It’s the sum of all parts that makes marketing truly special, and a comprehensive approach is a must if you want to stand out from the competition.
Therefore, your choice of agency becomes vitally important. Choose the right one, and you’ll expand your reach and your customer base beyond your wildest dreams. Make the wrong choice, though, and not only will you not see results, but you’ll never even know why your marketing is failing. With that in mind, here are a few things to look for as you select a full-service marketing agency.
- Company Vision. Who are you, and where do you want to go? More importantly, can this agency take you there? If there’s not a great fit between your vision for the future and what the agency sees for you, it’s an early sign that it’s best to look elsewhere. Ideally, you want to find a partner that will grow alongside your business, helping both sides of the equation achieve prosperity.
- Creativity. Even a business with significant marketing know-how can struggle with creative advertising ideas. While there’s no way to determine exactly what an agency will come up with for your business, you can at least get a feel for what to expect. As an emerging brand, the last thing you want is a generic campaign that doesn’t differentiate itself from other businesses in the marketplace. Look at the other campaigns the agency has undertaken and determine if you see a future with this agency.
- Technological Solutions. A major issue for many businesses that opt to handle their own marketing is that they soon find that their infrastructure is unable to keep up with modern advertising trends. This means missing out on valuable marketing opportunities. Furthermore, these businesses typically can’t handle the cost, downtime and training considerations that go with upgrading their systems. When you work with a full-service marketing agency, this isn’t an issue. As an established presence in the marketing industry, your agency is sure to have the best technology available, leaving you to focus on making your business the best it can be.
- Connections. The ability to connect businesses to mutually beneficial partners is generally the role of public relations. But there’s no reason why your marketing agency can’t open some doors for you. This can include working with other companies that mesh well with your message and brand image. What’s more, marketers work with lots of different businesses. You may just find some inside information that can help your business that you wouldn’t get anywhere else, such as discovering you’re paying too much for materials or shipping.
- Ability and Willingness to Change. Change is the ultimate constant in marketing. Your needs today might not resemble your needs in three years, or even in three months. The ideal full-service marketing agency is one that can change along with the needs of your business. An agency with a rigid one-size-fits-all approach is a sign to run for the hills and find an agency that’s more willing to adapt to the growing pains that you’ll undoubtedly experience.
Your choice of a full-service marketing agency is one of the most important decisions your business will undertake. Make sure it’s the right one. To learn more about what a full-service marketing agency can do for an emerging business, contact us today.
