Why Work with and How to Choose a Marketing Agency

In the busy world we live in, everyone’s time is limited. We all must decide and prioritize what the best use of the precious hours available is to achieve everything we need and want to accomplish. This holds true for any business segment, and marketing is no exception. Engaging a marketing agency can help your organization use its time efficiently. There are many reasons why you might want to engage the services of an agency. Here are a few of the top reasons, and how to choose a marketing agency once you decide you need one.

Why work with a marketing agency

No in-house marketing team

Tight budgets, small teams, and lack of marketing knowledge are common for small organizations. If this is you, you’ll need everything from advice to analytics, and you know it! You find value in the experts at a marketing agency.

Need of expertise for a special project(s)

You have the day-to-day strategy, trends and tactics under control. When a special project arises that requires a specialist to handle something outside of the norm, you turn to an agency.

Too much work for the internal marketing team

Marketing is hard work. It’s important to be consistent for it to be effective and measurable. When the work is divvied up and there’s not enough internal capacity, a marketing agency steps in to get things done.

Lack of expertise for specific marketing programs

A strong marketing plan requires a deep understanding of marketing trends, tools and tactics. Marketing agency experts offer a breadth of knowledge that isn’t always available to an in-house marketing team. If this is you, engaging a marketing agency helps supplement and strengthen what you’re already doing.

Value the benefits of working with professionals who do it all day, every day

Marketing agency specialists live and breathe marketing strategies and programs every day. As their client, you benefit from their knowledge gained from these daily experiences.

Need expertise within a certain niche

There are full-service marketing agencies and agencies who work only within certain industries. Working with industry specialists provides you with the advantage of industry knowledge and know-how. The agency will already be up-to-speed on how to work in your industry, and has specialized expertise that even your team may not have.

How to Choose a Marketing Agency

If you haven’t worked with a marketing agency in the past – do some research.

• Ask friends and business associates for referrals.
• A quick online search will point you in the right direction – especially if you’re looking for a specific industry expert.
• Check out websites. A good marketing company will have a lot of information for you right at your fingertips. Some important information you should find there:
  • Who they are – what’s their philosophy
  • List of services
  • Clients they’ve served (current and past)
  • Case studies on successful marketing projects
  • Awards they’ve won

After a potential agency partner is identified, ask them questions such as:

• Have you worked on projects similar to mine in the past?
• How long have you been in business?
• How do you work with clients?
• Who would be working on my account?
• Can you put me in touch with a current client?

A marketing agency team and their clients are partners. It can and should be an engagement that’s built on trust and open communications. If both partners appreciate and respect each other and have clear expectations, it will be a relationship that produces results and lasts for years to come.