Do you think you might need some Digital Marketing?
So, you’ve come to the point where you think it might be a good idea to consider different ways to market your business in order to find new customers, or remind your existing ones that you’re still out there. You can see that a lot of your competitors have established a solid online presence, which looks like it’s bringing them more business. You’re wondering if this could help you too? Perhaps this is quite a new area for you and you’re thinking that it might be a good idea to look for some help in order to get the best results? You may well be right and there are a lot of people out there claiming to able to do just that. But how do you go about choosing the right Digital Marketing Agency for your specific needs?
You Have a Lot of Choice…
The good thing is that due to the ongoing technology boom and the way that people tend to live their lives online these days, there are a vast array of agencies offering to help you on your journey. A quick Google search will bring up pages and pages of results. They usually all claim to be the best around, so how do you home in on which ones could be the right fit for you?
One thing that be quite confusing is that different agencies will offer different services. Some may specialise in setting up and looking after your social media platforms, some may focus on designing, building and hosting your website. Some may be all about maximising your search engine optimisation (SEO) so that you rank well in Google searches. There are also agencies that will offer full branding or re-branding services, an array of video production needs, traditional PR and even Influencer Marketing. Many of these agencies will do absolutely everything, rather than specialising in specific areas. So, the first thing to consider is what do you actually need?
Which Services do You Need?
For example, is your website in need of some TLC to help it look as good as your competitor’s sites? Does it perhaps need a technology update so that you can offer a more comprehensive way to showcase what you do? Or an easier way to take online payments? Would you like to incorporate more video content?
If you think a website update would help you to gain more attention than your competitors, then have a look at which agencies are doing this well for other businesses and gaining good results. Check real life examples of their work and look closely at client websites that they have built and manage. Do they work well? Are they well designed? Do they get the message across in the right way?
The next thing to check is are the sites well optimised? Are they quick to load with the relevant internal links working as they should? Are they getting good traction in search engine results? Does it look good on both desktop and mobile? Bear in mind that you can have the most visually appealing website around but if it takes an age to load or isn’t putting out a clear message, it won’t be much help to your marketing quest.
Is Social Media Important?
Social Media is a very important consideration. These days, running a successful business is largely about building trust in your brand and an online community of loyal customers. Social Media is the prefect way to do this. There are many different platforms out there, such as Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, Youtube and more. Different platforms work better for different businesses, so not all of them will be relevant to you. The trick is to identify which ones you need and how to make the most of them.
Most Digital Marketing agencies will work across all platforms and be able to advise you on what is likely to work best for you. So make sure you discuss this in detail from the outset. If you already know which platforms you’d like to engage with, check how they are running these for other customers and how successful they are. Does their work resonate with you and do you think they might be a good fit for spreading your message?
Tell your story…
Google loves websites that are regularly updated with new content, which is good for your SEO and ranking for searches. For most businesses, the most effective way to do this is through regular Blog posting. However, always make sure that the content is well-written and has relevance to your area of business.
Naturally you can do this yourself but if it’s something that you’re not great at you might be looking for an agency that includes this as a service. If so, make sure you take a good look at the content that they’ve produced for other clients. Is it high-quality writing, spelt correctly, containing good grammar, easy to understand and relevant to the client in question? If it doesn’t work for them then the content they produce probably won’t work well for you either.
Photography & Video Content
If you manage the type of business that sells products or services, or if you have a particularly colourful and interesting story to tell, then including well-shot photography or well put-together video content could be something that you’d really benefit from.
If you’re looking for a marketing agency that also offers this as a service, be sure to take a look at what they’ve produced for other people. Do you find it engaging? Is it of high quality? Do you think their style would also work for you? These are all important questions to ask yourself.
Good Graphics Can Help Sell Your Story
Producing good quality graphic content for your website, blog pieces, sales media and social content is a great way to grab attention for your business. Some Digital Marketing agencies will offer this as a service. Again, if this is something that you feel you might be looking for, check the work they’ve done for other clients.
Graphics, branding, logo designs, etc. are very subjective. What looks good to one person may not be at all engaging for somebody else. So, the rule of thumb is find a company that will work with you to develop something that you like, promotes your business a way that you’re happy with and resonates with your business identity. Ultimately, don’t be bullied into something you’re not happy with, after all, it’s your business.
Spreading Your Message
Sending out regular newsletters to you customer base is another way to effectively spread your message. Tread carefully though. In a world where our email inboxes are daily bombarded with stuff that we don’t really want to see, the popularity of newsletters has taken a bit of a hit. One way to effectively get around this is to include offers, discounts or giveaways in your mailouts. This gives people a solid reason to open them whenever they arrive.
If you’re looking to a Digital Marketing agency to manage your newsletters, make sure they are fully versed on the use of GDPR. The last thing you would want is to fall foul of the stringent regulations while trying to promote your business.
Important Considerations
Have a Conversation
Before making any kind of commitment, sit down with an agency and talk with them. Make sure that they fully understand your business and what you’re looking to achieve. Make sure also that they demonstrate solid and engaging ideas on how to best accomplish this and what you can expect from them.
Time Allocations
It’s important to get an idea from an agency of how much time they think they will need to allocate per month to marketing your business. Most agencies will have different tiers of time allocations for different types of clients and client needs, so make sure you’re not being sold a package that inflates this.
Building a successful marketing strategy can take time, especially with Social Media, so make sure that you will be getting regular breakdowns of where an agency’s time is being spent, so that you can get a clear idea on the return you’re getting for your investment.
Reporting
It’s completely reasonable to expect to get some form of regular reporting on the progress of an agency’s work and the effect it’s having on your business. For example, monthly reports on Social Media growth and engagement is a must, along with engagement figures on newsletters, if you’re sending these out. If an agency manages your website, you should be given monthly stats on visitor numbers and activity. Likewise, if an agency manages Google, Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook ads for you, you’ll need regular reports on these too.
What Will It Cost?
Make sure that you get a clear cost breakdown from the outset, so that there are no surprises going forward. Most agencies will offer a monthly fee, based on the amount of hours worked, so don’t be afraid to check that this work is actually being done.
Should You Sign a Contract?
Some agencies will ask you to, some won’t, so it’s really up to you. At 1st Option Digital we strongly believe that you shouldn’t need to sign a contract, if we’re doing a great job why would you want to leave? If we’re not, then you should be free to try somewhere else!
Hopefully that’s given you some useful guidance in choosing the right Digital Marketing Agency that will help your business to flourish. If you’d like to talk to us to find out more about how 1st Option Digital could be a great fit for you, feel free to get in touch, we’d love to meet you and would be happy to help!
