How to Choose the Right Digital Marketing Agency?
Choosing the right digital marketing partner is an important decision, so we’ll offer the following guidance:
1
Understand and be prepared to articulate the reason for choosing a digital marketing agency.
Do you have a digital marketing project in mind? Are you looking for a full-service digital advertising agency to handle all of your marketing activities? Do you simply need supplemental creative support? Have you identified a current set of projects or needs? Are you ready to re-brand? Are you releasing a current agency of record? Do you have a budget? Are you launching a new product? Before you start calling advertising agencies, or marketing firms, you should have an idea of what you’re looking for – or at least a general direction or scope of needs. That way, when you talk to several agencies (and you should), you’ll be able to ask for proposals that you can review.
2
How many advertising agencies, or marketing firms, should I plan to interview?
3
How do I find marketing agencies to include in my search?
You should start by talking to peers, friends and other marketers in your community. Nothing beats an actual referral. However, you should also include a web search to round out the candidates. Some of the terms you should use, include, but are not limited to: South Florida digital marketing firm, Palm beach advertising agency, Fort Lauderdale video branding firm, Miami creative firm, South Florida web design, etc. Obviously if you’re not in South Florida, you should consider your city name in the search, but we’re assuming the majority of people reading this are in South Florida or the surrounding area.
4
How long does the marketing agency search process take?
5
Do I have to sign a contract once I’ve chosen an agency?
It’s a good idea to formalize the agency/client relationship with a contract or a detailed proposal/agreement that outlines the scope of work with cost estimates. This will protect you and the agency. At Lamar G Marketing Tree, we believe that surprises are for opening Christmas presents, not for invoices. We are extremely flexible with our agency/client agreements. Our philosophy is to build long-term partnerships based on quality work and fair compensation – creating value every time we deliver a project. We want our clients to be happy with our services and keep coming back for more. Life is too short to work with people that you don’t enjoy working with and/or trust.
6
Is it better to build in a monthly retainer or estimates for project work?
It’s up to you and what works best for your organization. If you do choose a retainer (with or without Lamar G Marketing Tree), you should be very specific about what’s delivered. At Lamar G Marketing Tree, we rarely engage in monthly retainers. We prefer to outline specific projects with agreed-upon cost estimates, deliver those projects and provide specific value for each task. However, if you are more comfortable with a retainer, we’ll be glad to explore it.
7
When do I know if it’s the right time to search for a new marketing agency?
If you’re reading this section of our website, you have your answer.
