So, you found a great award-winning digital marketing agency you think would be a good fit for your company. You have done your research and looked at their past work and testimonials. But, before you jump headlong into a project, consider these five points to make sure your partnership with your chosen agency is a successful one.
1. Designate a “Go-To” Person
Dedicate someone in your company to be the go-to person for the agency. As the agency’s main contact, this person will make significant contributions to the success of your digital marketing partnership. Some responsibilities include providing timely feedback, updates, and the necessary sign-offs throughout the project. A go-to contact streamlines the process and allows the agency to provide better value to your company as new tasks and items can then be brought forward.
Also, a dedicated person for the agency will reduce misinformation and lessen the chance of communications falling through the cracks. And, it goes both ways—the agency will have a consistent contact, usually an Account Manager, for your company.
2. Determine Your Goals
What are you trying to achieve or what problem are you trying to solve? Identifying what challenges you need to address will result in the agency developing solutions that deal with the issue directly—no guesswork required.
Defining the problem you want to solve at the start of the project allows you, and the agency, to check at various points to determine if they are on the right track. The results you receive from the agency can then be clearly measured against the initial project brief.
3. Define Lead Value
Once you have determined your goals, you will then want to define leads and their value (unless you’re an ecommerce store). A ‘sales lead’ is when a potential customer shows an interest and takes the next step towards become a paying customer – this can be anything from booking a consultation or exchanging their email for a free Ebook.
Defining a lead value means that you know exactly how much that lead is worth (how much your company can spend on a ‘lead’ and still profit from it). Having a clear lead value in both your business plans and your Web Analytics account, will help you and your agency measure the ROI for your marketing efforts – and work to improve them.
If goals and leads are not already defined in your company’s analytics, the agency will be sure to set them up (if they don’t, run for the hills!). This is important because it will help the agency refine their marketing strategy if necessary and ultimately understand ROI.
As an additional benefit, a defined lead value can help to determine budget!
4. Consider the Big Picture
What are the key events, deadlines, and launch dates for your project? With those timelines, a strategic plan can be developed with your agency to ensure no detail is overlooked. Once the plan is in place, the agency can then work ahead on your project materials as needed, so deadlines are met on time.
The content your agency develops for your marketing will require your approval in advance, possibly even months ahead of time. The reason? The content may need further refinement after you have approved the materials. For example, say you approve a key article concept multiple weeks before it goes live—the time between sign off and the launch is used to optimize the post for the web, edit the post, and promote it through multiple channels.
A strategic plan, with time allotted for feedback and implementation, results in a higher quality product.
5. Share Industry-Specific Knowledge
The relationship between you and your digital agency is truly a partnership. You approached the agency because they have valuable skills and expertise your company may not have in-house. However, the agency needs your experience as you are the expert in your business—from your customers to niche knowledge about your industry. So be sure to share that information with the agency from the start. With your insights, the agency will be more effective and on target.
These five points come from over a decade of experience collaborating with clients just like you to develop digital marketing solutions that speak directly to your ideal customers. We love partnering with clients to help them reach their goals in a creative way. Want to see more of what we do? Check out our work—our amazing clients range from Alberta Education to JACEK Chocolate Couture.