How to Hire a Marketing Agency

Hiring a marketing agency is a big step for any business. Whether you are a big or small company, entrusting your marketing endeavors to an external team can be daunting. Finding a good agency is an investment. It takes both money and time to find the right fit. And like all things, you run the risk of making the wrong decision. This is not meant to scare you, but to highlight the importance of thorough research and effective vetting. Before jumping into the “choosing an agency” process, it is best to start by asking yourself some basic questions.

Big Picture Questions

These big picture questions are meant to help you look at your business and its needs in a broad manner. Details are important. But a big picture focus identifies the framework of your marketing goals. Understanding why you want a marketing agency and your intent with that agency can set you on the right course when it comes to actually hiring one.

Are You Ready For An Agency?

Whether or not you’re ready for an agency is largely determined by what you’re looking for. A good rule of thumb is if you’re looking to check off tasks, consider hiring in-house marketing help. If your goal is to develop brand strategy and campaigns, opt for hiring an experienced marketing agency. The driver behind hiring an external team is they can look at your business from an outside perspective. They can use their industry knowledge to develop a marketing plan and strategy that you may have never considered.

Why do you want to hire an agency?

Your intent behind hiring an agency is indicative of whether it is the best idea or not. If you’re looking towards an agency because you’re frustrated with your sales and want an immediate fix, hiring an agency would be a waste of time and resources. Marketing is a long-term game with effects that are often felt further down the line. If you’re looking to set in place a foundation and plan for continued advertising, an agency partner can offer you that blueprint.

Long-term goals with the agency?

Consider your long term goals with an agency. Are you looking to develop a campaign for a specific product? Do you want to run ads for the foreseeable future? Figuring out what you want long term from an agency will not only help you choose the right fit but will also help the agency better serve you and adjust their strategic marketing plan to meet your needs.

Detail Oriented Questions

Now that we’ve covered the big picture, onto the details. Marketing is an industry that plays heavily on specifics. Your type of business, brand, and definition of success can all help you select the right agency for what you need. You will soon find that different agencies have different specialties and operate in different ways. Some of these will inevitably not be right for you. Establishing a selective set of needs will make your options more targeted.

Local or not?

The location of your marketing team depends mostly on your type of business and your preferences when it comes to meetings. For the most part, location-based companies, like storefronts, restaurants, or local services, prefer to work with a local company. A local company has a better idea of the advertising market in that specific area and can offer location-specific insights. If your business is entirely online, the location of your team may matter less. This being said, for either type of business, if you prefer to meet face to face and often, a team that is in your local area is better. 

What kind of agency are you looking for?

Not all marketing agencies are built the same. There are full-service agencies that offer all marketing services and there are more specific agencies that specialize in a specific part of marketing whether that’s branding, content marketing, digital marketing, video production, social media marketing, web design, etc. If you’re looking for a specific service, say you want solely TV commercials or promotional videos, you may opt for a video-specific agency. If you’re looking for multiple agency services, a full-service agency may be the best fit. This way, all your services are sure to look consistent as they are all produced by the same team.

What are you looking to accomplish specifically?

It is important that your specific goals align with the goals of your marketing team. Different agencies will have different opinions on how to go about marketing your product or service. If you find that an agency is too far removed from what you want, it may not be the best fit. While it is important to keep an open mind when discussing marketing with marketing experts, sometimes it just doesn’t line up. Having a specific list of needs or goals ready to discuss can help guide you towards the right choice.

Steps To Hiring A Marketing Agency 

Now that you have asked yourself some basic questions, it’s time to start the process of hiring an agency. It is important not to rush this process. Hurrying through the steps and hiring an agency quickly can not only lead to a loss of time and money but could significantly impact your business. When looking at different agencies, take your time, do your research, and be confident in the decision you make.

Research.

Good research is the foundation to finding the right marketing agency. Start narrowing your field by searching for specific elements you want, whether that is industry, location, price, etc. As you find potential contenders, start putting together a list. Be sure to look at individual agencies’ websites and their past work. Often the website will have a section of case studies or portfolios that outline past projects, processes, and results. Check out client reviews and testimonials to see how other companies would rate their experiences.

Request.

Once you’ve gathered your well-researched list, send out what is called a request for information (RFI). An RFI is an incredibly useful document for both parties. It allows you, the potential client, to outline your business’s background, needs, and wants. And it provides a place for you to collect information on the agencies you’re looking at. The agency that receives the document can now see exactly what you are looking for, and provide any information or numbers that were asked of them. These documents act as digestible summaries of your potential options.

Compare.

This is where the real selection starts. The requests that you collected in the previous step are an excellent launch pad for comparison. You have a snapshot of budgets, skills, and agency services that you can compare and contrast. This is the step where you begin to decide what factors are more important to you. Maybe you have a strict budget and the agency that offers the most within that sum is the best option. Or maybe you’re most interested in skillsets and willing to pay a little over what you had originally settled on. Ultimately this is where you look at all the research and resources that you collected and take your pick.

Start.

If you’ve made it this far, congrats! You have a new marketing agency. Now the fun starts. Your first meeting with the new team can be exciting and nerve-wracking. This is where you can start to outline the plan for your company’s marketing strategy. You’ll go over the different services and goals for each, and see how the team begins to develop your blueprint. This meeting is important for you to confirm that you’re confident in this decision. And remember, if it doesn’t work out, it’s okay to break up!

Marketing Agency Red Flags

When you’re on the agency hunt, it’s important to be wary of red flags. Here are 5 telltale signs to look out for when considering an agency.

They overpromise results

Marketing is a game of patience and consistency. If an agency promises you success immediately, you may want to consider why they would need to oversell.

They lack proof of past success

An agency that is confident in their abilities and has the results to prove it will post it to their site. If you can’t find any proof of success for an agency, it may mean it was never there to begin with.

They have poor communication

If an agency has poor communication at the very beginning, it won’t be there at the end. A lack of communication is a lack of transparency, and that is not something you want.

They use a lot of buzzwords

You don’t have to be a marketing genius to understand the basics of what an agency is helping you with. If all you hear are big, fluffy words and no explanations, it’s best to find someone else.

They have little to no client retention

They say the proof is in the pudding. In marketing, the proof is in the past clients. If an agency shows little to no client retention, the issue isn’t the clients, it’s them.

The Bottom Line

Hiring a marketing agency is an investment. It requires you to dedicate time, money, and energy. It is important to take your time, be thorough, and do your research. But, successful marketing efforts offer excellent return on that investment. 

It may seem daunting, but we hope these steps ease some of those nerves. And if you’re looking for some help, fill out the contact form below. We look forward to chatting with you.

Big changes are happening in AdTech. Over the past 20 years, advertising technology has exponentially increased in sophistication and effectiveness. This has led to incredible advances for marketers in the ways we promote goods and services. At the very core of this advancement is user data. From niche audience segmentation to personalized marketing experiences, user data has become the most valuable asset of nearly every company on the planet.

However, after a decade of data privacy scandals such as Cambridge Analytica and many others, the public has gained an increased understanding of how their data is collected, sold, and utilized—fueling public outrage and serious political pressure for change.

Faced with mounting pressure, digital giants Apple and Google have taken the opportunity to put user privacy first, limiting personal data access for marketers moving forward.

Digital ads have relied on personal data gathered by third-party cookies since the early days of the public internet in 1994. As part of their commitment to putting user privacy first, Google is progressing with plans to phase out third-party cookies on Chrome by 2022, and Apple’s 14.5 iOS update has already begun to severely limit ad targeting capabilities across their mobile devices.

Instead of automatically opting users into tracking, Apple now requires apps that want to track user data for advertising on Apple devices to prompt users to opt-in first. Marketers are worried that if users are faced with a choice on whether they consent to third-party sites tracking their data, most users won’t say yes—making it harder for ad campaigns to be effective.

What Are Cookies?

When you visit a website on your phone or computer, a small text file from the website attaches itself to your browser. That text file—called a cookie—holds data like your name, username, email address, and other personal information that can help marketers tailor future content to your preferences and interests.

Cookies are great for things like remembering products you left in a website’s checkout cart, automatically filling in forms with your contact information, and showing you ads for products you’re probably interested in. They’re convenient for customers and provide helpful insights for marketers.

Up until now, businesses have been able to easily track website visitors using cookies. The data collected improves user experience and helps target digital ads to the right users. But some people (and corporations) aren’t too happy about businesses knowing that much personal information about individual customers—hence: the cookie phase-out.

How Will This Change Impact Businesses?

Since the changes are still being rolled out, it’s difficult to see how the cookie phase-out and iOS update will impact marketing efforts long term. Many small businesses have relied heavily on third-party cookies up until now, so this change might put a wrench in some digital ads for a bit. But not forever.

Marketers are a creative bunch. Many companies are already developing and launching early stages of cookieless ad targeting solutions. Fortunately, Apple and Google have been open about the updates for a while. It’s given us and other marketers time to prepare for the iOS and Chrome updates so our clients are well prepared.

And even though this focus on user privacy changes our ad tactics a little, it’s probably a good move in the long run. User privacy is important. We don’t see the downfall of cookies as data we’re losing, but as data marketers probably shouldn’t have had access to in the first place. Like other smart agencies, we’ve diversified our marketing strategies and challenged ourselves to innovate. Organic marketing, SEO, and brand awareness campaigns are going to be much more crucial for businesses in the future—and we’re ready for it.

Dive Deeper

There’s no way we could cover everything about the updates and years-in-the-making privacy battle currently going on between tech companies and governments. So we’ve put together some resources to help you better understand the cookie crackdown a little better:

• What Are Tracking Cookies?
• Apple and Google are Cracking Down on Cookies: What HubSpot Customers Need to Know
• Apple’s Move to Block User Tracking Spawns New Digital Ad Strategies
• The Death of the Third-Party Cookie: What Marketers Need to Know About Google’s Looming Privacy Pivots
• Why Marketing Might Be Better Off Without Cookies
• A New Type of Ad is Heading for Your iPhone
• iOS 14.5: How This Outstanding New Feature Will Change Your iPhone Forever
• 5 Ways Apple iOS 14 Will Affect Your Facebook Ads (and How to Prepare)

The marketing world is constantly in flux. From search algorithm updates to evolving website design styles, it’s getting harder and harder for businesses to stand out to their target audience. For entrepreneurs who want to ensure their business stays relevant, visible, and successful, they need to make marketing as much of a priority as any other aspect of their company.

Your business’s marketing strategy isn’t something that should be overlooked—or worse, put in the hands of an intern. All it takes is one wrong move and your company’s brand, reputation, and entire future could be in jeopardy. Make sure your marketing strategy is always in the hands of professionals. Hiring an agency will ensure your business and brand always gets the professional attention it deserves.

The choice to hire a marketing agency will come at different times for every company, but it’s a choice you shouldn’t take lightly. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why you should hire a digital marketing agency to take care of your business’s marketing needs.

Why Should I Hire a Digital Marketing Agency?

Hiring a digital marketing agency is a cost-effective strategy for companies looking to improve sales and grow their business. Digital marketing agencies help companies attract new customers, improve brand awareness, and generate more revenue.

1. 1. 1. You’ll get access to expert knowledge:
         If you’re relying on a single in-house marketing specialist, you’re extremely limited in what strategies you can focus on. Just because someone is experienced in paid ad campaigns doesn’t mean they can also shoot a quality commercial. With a full-service agency, you have access to more services and a team of experts in their respective fields. Having a suite of creative and technical professionals at your beck and call gives you more growth opportunities than a limited in-house team ever could.

    

   1. 2. You’ll save money (and still grow):
         A lot of people think only large businesses can afford to hire a marketing agency—they’re wrong. In reality, it’s often cheaper for small businesses to outsource marketing to an agency instead of hiring a full in-house team. Hiring and retaining in-house employees is expensive. Recruiting costs, benefits, sick days, payroll taxes, health insurance, and training can quickly become too expensive for small or medium size businesses to sustain. And since one person shouldn’t handle every aspect of marketing, you’d need to hire a team—increasing costs dramatically. Instead of using that money for those internal costs, agencies put it directly back into your business so you get a better ROI.

    

   1. 3. You’ll get precious time back:
         If you’re a small business owner or solopreneur, you’re probably used to doing everything yourself. That DIY mentality is great when you’re getting your company off the ground—but as it grows, you’re going to have to delegate. There are simply not enough hours in a day for one person to successfully run your marketing on top of the multitude of tasks that need to be accomplished for your business to thrive. Once you outsource that work to a marketing agency, you’ll be able to use your new free time to focus on other parts of your business.

    

   1. 4. You’ll get access to better tools and data:
         There are lots of free marketing tools out there, but they often don’t provide helpful data until you upgrade to a paid version. If you’re a large company with an internal team, it’s worth it to invest in those tools yourself. But for small businesses, that might not be financially possible yet. Once you start working with an agency, you get access to those pricey analytics tools and will receive more actionable insights that move your business forward.

    

   1. 5. You’ll get an unbiased perspective:
         Your company is like your child—it can be hard for you to see problems since you’re so close to them. Since agencies are a step removed from your business, it’s easier for them to point out concerns without personal feelings getting in the way. An in-house marketing team is going to be nose-deep in your company 24/7. That can make it hard for internal employees to look at a marketing strategy from an unbiased perspective. An agency’s outside perspective will help you see what is—and isn’t—working in your company. They can also bring up marketing concerns that in-house employees may be nervous to express.

    

   What to Look for When Hiring a Marketing Agency

   Finding the right marketing agency for your company can be a daunting task. Some things to keep in mind when hunting for the right agency partnership include:

   • Your budget. Marketing costs money to do right—but it’s an essential investment in your company. When talking with different agencies, ask yourself how transparent they are about costs and billing practices before you sign any agreement.
   • Client retention rate. Client-agency contracts end for a lot of different reasons. But if during your research you see a pattern of previous clients ending contracts early, that’s a big red flag.
   • Agency expertise. Some agencies specialize in a specific industry, and others offer more general services. If you’re only looking for SEO help, don’t look at agencies whose website only shows video production services. Most agencies today are full-service, but do your research and make sure they actually provide the work you want.

    

   When Should I Hire An Agency?

   Taking the plunge and hiring an agency is a big step for any business. Here are a few signs it’s time to bring in the marketing experts:

   • You’re not getting sales. If you’re seeing a sales plateau, it’s probably time to get a new set of eyes on your marketing strategy. Agencies provide a fresh perspective and can give you insights on how to increase sales that internal teams may have overlooked.
   • You don’t have enough time. If you’re an entrepreneur, you’re probably doing all the marketing yourself at the beginning. But as your company grows, it can be hard to find time in your day for marketing. Agencies take that responsibility off your shoulders so you can focus on other crucial parts of your company.
   • You don’t have niche skills. There’s no way one person can be an expert in every aspect of marketing. Bringing in a team whose entire career focuses on a specific marketing discipline will ensure your business is taken care of by professionals.
   • You don’t have the budget for an in-house team. Hiring an entire internal marketing team is a big expense. Hiring a marketing agency usually ends up costing businesses considerably less than staffing an in-house team.

    

   The Bottom Line

   Hiring a marketing agency is one of the most responsible things you can do for your company. It shows you take your business’s future seriously and are willing to do what it takes to see it succeed. If you’d like to know more about how Epic Marketing can help your company grow, please fill out our form at the bottom of the page and we’ll get in touch with you right away.

Getting a new SEO client is super exciting! Months of hard work finally paid off. So… now what? Whether you’re a seasoned SEO expert or this is your first client, you should have a strategy and workflow for the campaign.

Between on-page optimizations, technical SEO fixes and adhering to Google’s guidelines, your SEO strategy is set up for success. Check out our SEO workflow checklist below.

Step 1: On-page Optimizations

On-page means everything you and your customers can see on the website.

☑ Use a Keyword phrase
Choose a primary keyphrase or topic for each page. Use Google Keyword Planner for ideas.

☑ Use Synonyms
Create a list of alternative keyphrases (synonyms) for your primary keyphrase.

☑ Create title tag
Include unique title tag
Include primary keyphrase
Keep your title is under 70 characters

☑ Meta description
Include unique meta description
Keep description engaging with a CTA
Include primary keyphrase and/or synonyms

☑ H1 tag
Include primary keyphrase in heading of page

☑ Image file name
Include primary keyphrase in the file name

☑ Image alt text
Include primary keyphrase in alt text

☑ Image file size
Optimize images as much as possible

☑ URL
Keep URL under 115 characters
Include keyphrase
Make descriptive/meaningful

☑ Have quality content
Ensure each page has atleast one paragraph of content around 300 words

☑ Headline
Write catchy headline with your goal, audience and placement in mind

☑ Links
Aim for at least 3 internal links per page (not including menu)

Step 2: SEO Essentials

This step might require you working with a web developer.

☑ Create an XML sitemap

☑ Robots.txt
Create a robots.txt file
Add a link to your sitemap from your robots.txt

☑ Check Speed
Check your site speed and reduce it as much as possible (I recommend using GTMetrix and PageSpeed Insights)

☑ WWW
Make sure your site URL with AND without the WWW goes to the same place (301 redirect)

☑ Find Broken links
Check for broken links (I recommend brokenlinkcheck.com)

☑ Responsive
Make sure your website looks great on mobile and desktop

Step 3: Google Google Google

Very basic SEO strategies to keep Google happy.

☑ Create a Google Webmasters account.

☑ Create a Google Analytics account
Follow the instructions to add it to your website

☑ Create a Google My Business listing
Optimize for best practices