Most companies choose to outsource digital marketing services. This can be for multiple reasons such as the cost of having different specialists inhouse as well as the time it takes. Considering the big part marketing plays in the success of a company, making sure you are working with the agency that’s best for you is vital.
But how do you audit your digital marketing agency and find out if they’re right for you? It’s not just about revenue. Below you’ll find 4 elements to consider when auditing your digital marketing agency.
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Understanding Your Brand and Audience
The 2 key things you need to sell are 1. to have a product to sell and 2. To have someone to sell it to. So understanding these 2 key elements is essential to any successful marketing activity.
An agency that can’t understand your audience’s challenges, goals and interests simply won’t be able to create relevant messages in order to sell to them. Understanding your brand and products is a very different element to this, it’s not just about knowing what problem your product or service solves, it’s about understanding what your brand stands for and how you position yourself as a brand. This is important to be able to get your brand tone of voice right and ensure your audience identifies with your brand in the right way.
Communication
Your marketing agency needs to be an extension of your team, if you can’t trust them and if both sides are not working towards the same goal, both businesses will suffer.
Building mutual trust between you and your marketing agency will allow both sides to input and share insights equally. They are the experts, but no one knows your audience better than you do, so it’s important have equal input on your marketing activity.
Goals
Agreeing on SMART goals at the beginning of every partnership is the best step you can take to make that relationship successful. You might not be a marketing expert yourself but sharing your high level business goals with your marketing agency will allow them to set meaningful targets that can support your overall business goals.
If your vision for your brand doesn’t match your agency’s vision, it’s time to evaluate that partnership.
Reporting
Regular communication is an essential part of the brand/agency dynamic. That’s why a regular report and a meeting to follow work wonders for everyone involved.
Having these regular catch ups with your team will encourage healthy discussions to shape your decisions based on data. That’s why it’s important that the reports you get cover everything you’ll need to get the full picture and includes learnings from previous marketing activities as well as plans for the future. Make sure you understand the metrics in your report so you can interpret the data correctly. If you can’t understand it, let your marketing team know so they can make the necessary changes so it fits your needs.
After performing an audit, if you’re unsure about what to do next, make sure you enquire about our free strategy sessions and one of our digital marketing experts can help you figure it out.
