Are you working with a digital marketing agency or planning to hire one soon? Your agency should be an ally and a powerful marketing tool for your business. If you choose the right agency and utilize them correctly, you’ll have a true strategic partner who is just as invested in a successful marketing plan as you are.
Follow these five steps below to get the most out of your relationship with your digital marketing agency.
Communicate
This rule can be applied to any relationship , and it’s important to keep the lines of communication open with your agency. Share information like project goals, company insight, and business strategy. A good agency partner will understand the bigger picture and be able to deliver better results when they have all the necessary information. Be sure to share your business challenges with your agency, as they may have experience in your industry and can offer advice or suggestions.
Ask for a Statement of Work (SOW) and Timeline Document
A Statement of Work should outline the project deliverables, goals, and hours or costs involved. Outlining these details ahead of time will set expectations clearly. Plus, you’ll have a document to refer back to if you have any questions about the work being done, when you should expect to see materials, or whether a project falls in or out of scope.
Give Feedback Efficiently
It’s important that your key stakeholders have a say in your marketing materials. While you may have several stakeholders, you can save time by consolidating their feedback for your agency. Ensure you’ve correctly identified the decision makers at the beginning of the project to avoid costly changes midway through the process. If the day-to-day contacts at your organization aren’t empowered to make decisions or approve project materials, make sure you have an approval process in place to keep everything moving.
Ask the Right Questions During Your Kick-off Meeting
Whether your kick-off meeting is in-person or on Zoom, the same goals apply. Your agency should introduce you to the key team members who will be working on your project, which could include the account manager, project manager, creative director, designer, developer, and other marketing experts. Get to know each other and feel free to ask any questions you may have -- and have fun! This is a creative team, after all.
Review the SOW and/or creative brief with your team to ensure your goals are aligned. Be sure to ask who your main point of contact will be, the best way to communicate with him or her, what materials you will need to provide, and some common roadblocks you can avoid. Prepare your questions ahead of time so you get them answered at the meeting.
Collaborate
Your agency partner would love any and all participation from your team, and there are things you can do to make collaboration even easier. Know who your target audience is ahead of time so your agency can create work that resonates with them. Sharing competitor websites or creative that you like is a great way to help guide the creative team. Share your knowledge as well, whether it’s industry information, tips, or resources that can further educate your agency partner.
Most importantly, address any issues you may have as they come up. If they’re a true partner, your agency will be happy to work with you to resolve any issues to move the project forward.
If you’ve chosen the right agency, these steps can help you maximize your campaign’s effectiveness and further build your relationship. Not every agency will be the right fit for your business, so don’t be afraid to make a change if it’s needed to find success.
Looking for a digital marketing agency to help you achieve your goals? You can always reach out to the WiredViews team. We’d be happy to discuss a plan for your business success.
