Choosing a marketing company is a major decision for any
business. For small businesses where there is not an internal full time
marketing employee, the business owner is outsourcing important tasks
and decisions. Without effective marketing, a business starts to
stagnate and eventually shrink. So, choosing an effective partner is not
a decision that should be taken lightly.
Following are 3 tips for small business owners considering hiring a marketing firm:
1. Is the firm making claims that are "too good to be true"? If you hear something like "We guarantee first page of Google in 3 days," this is a huge red flag. No one can claim to have control over Google. As a marketer, you can do things which are likely to increase a website's ranking in Google. Often you can get fast results if local competitors are not also implementing these strategies. But, keep in mind that any marketing firm that over promises is not being particularly ethical. They are also acting in a desperate fashion, and setting you up for disappointment.
2. When the marketing agency makes a proposal to you, does it look like they have just taken a generic presentation and slapped your logo on it? Or have they really taken the time to research your business, industry and competitors? Have they put real thought into understanding how your prospects and customers think and behave? Getting inside the conversation in your prospects' heads is critical to creating effective marketing campaigns. If your marketing company is focused on themselves rather than on your customers, they are unlikely to have consistent success.
3. Is the marketing firm asking for significant up front fees or monthly retainers? If so, be very careful about what you are getting for your money. And, be careful about how much it is costing you to generate each new lead they attract. Some of the easiest money made by marketing companies is the retainer money during a month where things are not busy. If your marketing firm is not willing to consider getting at least partially paid on a performance basis, then that speaks volumes about their confidence in themselves. As a small business owner, your investments in marketing need to be tied to real results. If you are spending money on a marketing company, you need to measure and know exactly what you are getting in return.
The mindset and habit of measuring your costs against your returns from a given marketing or advertising activity will go a long way to getting the most out of your marketing company. If they know you are tracking the numbers, you will get their best efforts every time.
Following are 3 tips for small business owners considering hiring a marketing firm:
1. Is the firm making claims that are "too good to be true"? If you hear something like "We guarantee first page of Google in 3 days," this is a huge red flag. No one can claim to have control over Google. As a marketer, you can do things which are likely to increase a website's ranking in Google. Often you can get fast results if local competitors are not also implementing these strategies. But, keep in mind that any marketing firm that over promises is not being particularly ethical. They are also acting in a desperate fashion, and setting you up for disappointment.
2. When the marketing agency makes a proposal to you, does it look like they have just taken a generic presentation and slapped your logo on it? Or have they really taken the time to research your business, industry and competitors? Have they put real thought into understanding how your prospects and customers think and behave? Getting inside the conversation in your prospects' heads is critical to creating effective marketing campaigns. If your marketing company is focused on themselves rather than on your customers, they are unlikely to have consistent success.
3. Is the marketing firm asking for significant up front fees or monthly retainers? If so, be very careful about what you are getting for your money. And, be careful about how much it is costing you to generate each new lead they attract. Some of the easiest money made by marketing companies is the retainer money during a month where things are not busy. If your marketing firm is not willing to consider getting at least partially paid on a performance basis, then that speaks volumes about their confidence in themselves. As a small business owner, your investments in marketing need to be tied to real results. If you are spending money on a marketing company, you need to measure and know exactly what you are getting in return.
The mindset and habit of measuring your costs against your returns from a given marketing or advertising activity will go a long way to getting the most out of your marketing company. If they know you are tracking the numbers, you will get their best efforts every time.
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