Hiring a digital marketing agency is like going on a first date. Will you get along? Is it going to be a good match? Will it lead to a long, fulfilling relationship? Or, will you both leave disappointed and frustrated?<\/p>\n
This process of choosing the best digital agency for your unique business needs is a \u201clove affair\u201d of sorts, a professional journey that will take you from \u201cHello, you seem interesting\u201d to \u201cOh my, where have you been all my life?\u201d with maybe a few struggles along the way. And the choices you face can overwhelm you. The market is flooded with agencies of all sizes, specializations, and capabilities, where trying to choose the right one can almost feel as overwhelming and trivial as swiping right on a dating site.\u00a0\u00a0Hiring a digital marketing agency<\/p>\n
But, by asking the right questions\u00a0beforehand<\/em>, you\u2019ll be able to avoid some of the risk that comes with getting your heart broken (or, in other words, hiring a digital marketing agency that isn\u2019t the right fit for your company).<\/p>\n Here are 10 important questions you should ask a digital agency\u00a0before\u00a0<\/em>you hire them, when you\u2019re in the dating phase, so that you boost your chances of enjoying a long, successful committed business relationship:<\/p>\n Ask\u00a0about the process they will undergo to get to know your\u00a0business\u00a0in order to\u00a0pinpoint\u00a0your needs<\/a>\u00a0and align their recommendations and strategies with those needs. This is typically referred to by the agency as their \u201cDiscovery\u201d phase, and ideally the agency should do as much research as possible, immersing themselves into your business structure and teams, to learn as much as they can about your pain points, needs, challenges, and goals. Find out beforehand how thorough an agency will be in \u201cdiscovering\u201d your business, and if they don\u2019t seem to put much emphasis on this phase, that could be a red flag that they\u2019re not a good match for you.<\/p>\n Ask the digital marketing agency you are hiring if they have ever worked with a business like yours in the past, whether that means in your industry or specific sector or market, or even a business of your size and structure. While it\u2019s often best to find an agency that is already familiar with and established in your field and understands your industry (why re-invent the wheel?), you also want to make sure that the agency doesn\u2019t have any dust on them. Look for an agency that makes innovation and learning a priority, but also has experience with your unique business\u00a0vertical.<\/p>\n \u2192 Check out Making Science’s Projects<\/a> portfolio<\/p>\n You want an agency that knows what works and what doesn\u2019t work for your industry and business so they can guide you with authority and experience. But, you also want an agency that doesn\u2019t settle for the status quo but is always looking for new, interesting ways to outshine competitors, keep up with cutting edge trends, and who\u00a0isn\u2018t afraid to make a few waves and\u00a0disrupt\u00a0the market.<\/p>\n When you hire a digital marketing agency, you\u2019re hiring a partner, a collaborator, a team who will work\u00a0with\u00a0<\/em>you, not only for you, to achieve real growth for your company. Make sure you have a clear understanding from the outset of the level of involvement you or your team will need to commit to in each phase of the project and\u00a0the kinds of data, access, or resources you\u2019ll expect to provide the agency so they can work on your behalf.<\/p>\n Ask every digital agency you\u2019re considering hiring what you can expect in terms of reporting and analytics and which methods they use to communicate reports on progress and results. This is one of the most important questions to ask, because, of course, true data does not lie, and the due diligence every agency must do when reporting must be thorough, accurate, and meaningful for your business. Good reporting and data from your digital agency not only\u00a0helps\u00a0to justify your company\u2019s spend on these initiatives, but it also ensures you\u2019re getting the results you need and want in the digital world.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be shy when it comes to bringing up fees and billing, even early on in the process. Ask the agency exactly how and when they bill their services. For example, are they base themselves on performance, or do they\u00a0charge\u00a0a flat fee? How transparent are they about the billing process? All of this should be clear from the get-go.<\/p>\n After you ask about their billing\u00a0processes, follow that up with a specific question about overall or projected cost. Ask if there are any variables or contingencies that could affect cost along the way.<\/p>\n By asking to see examples of their work or relevant case studies, you can get an even better sense of how they work and the kinds of results they\u2019ve gotten in the past for clients like you.<\/p>\n1. \u201cHow will you understand our needs?\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. \u201cDo you have experience with companies like us?\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. \u201cHow do you plan to do things differently?\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. \u201cWhat will you need us to do?\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. \u201cHow will you measure success?\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. \u201cHow do you bill for your services?\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
7. \u201cWhat is the overall cost of hiring a digital marketing agency?\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
8. \u201cCan I see some examples of your previous work?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n