Maximize Your Marketing Efforts by Fostering a Collaborative Relationship with Your Agency
Your business is starting to grow, or maybe you’re just getting started. You’re ready to expand your reach, so you outsource your advertising to focus on your projects while they focus on your marketing — awesome! In our digital era, it’s a wise move to hire a marketing agency that can do it all. But how do you guarantee you’re getting the most from working with this hired team?
In these relationships, communications is key and is also the unifying factor in each of these methods of ensuring you have a strong collaboration:
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Results
You’re paying for an outside group of hired professionals — don’t be afraid to ask for reports on their efforts! Whether it’s some kind of monthly graph, digest, or revenue report, you are entitled to know how much your spending is yielding in terms of new incoming clients or engaged prospects.
Inquire About Competitors
Your agency is working to understand and utilize the most cutting-edge marketing tools to get more projects through your door — that can often mean looking at how competitors are conducting business and what you can learn from their efforts. If you see something you like, it’s not a bad move to borrow it and adapt it to your style. Plus, your agency can give insights into what’s smart or not about others’ e-mail tactics, print materials, or social media strategies.
Get Together Regularly
Much of your work will be on site, and much of the agency’s work will be online. Still, you can’t underestimate the importance of setting some time aside to meet in person, by Zoom or on the phone on a consistent basis to touch base, exchange ideas, and blossom together. It also gives your agency the chance to present new findings, reports, and ideas.
Set Goals
While your marketing agency can create their own plan for success, only you know your company’s history, successes, and needs. Communicate those with your agency: tell them what has worked in the past and what hasn’t so they can create the most efficient plan to move your business forward.
Be Transparent About Budgeting
It will save time and maximize efforts if you can clearly articulate how much you are looking to spend — and where you want it spent most. Within your budget, what is most essential? A new website? Paid advertising? Renting names for an e-list to reach more people via your blasts? Help your agency help you by being transparent about your marketing finances.