Picking the Right Digital Advertising Partner

There are a thousand digital marketing agencies out there. Some are terrible. Some are run-of-the-mill. Some companies are just one guy who works from home and knows a little about digital marketing. Some are huge corporations that have so many clients that it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. Only one of these partnerships will be the perfect fit for your business.

So what should you be looking for when it comes to partnering with the right digital advertising company? Ultimately, the decision comes down to what will work best rather than what will cost you the least amount of money or resources. This would be the time to take a long look at your marketing goals and figure out what goals you want to achieve and what sort of impact you want your company to make. This will also go a long way in cutting out the companies that don’t provide the kinds of services you’re looking for. Here are a few tips when it comes to determining the right digital marketing company for your business.

Client Base
A good indicator of a digital marketing company’s past performance would be its client base. Digital marketing companies often advertise what companies they provide services to. Comb through the potential partner’s website. What sort of companies does the digital marketing company work with? Are these businesses similar to yours? If the digital marketing company builds websites, check out the websites they have built for past clients. This will be a good starting point for determining the quality and past performance.

Communication
How quickly does the digital marketing company respond to its emails? How long will the project take and what’s the timeline for meeting marketing deadlines? Partnering with a digital marketing company requires a lot of back and forth communication: logo files to send and receive, copy that isn’t quite up to your expectations, and a whole host of little details that can stand in the way of reaching your goals. Find an agency that cares about its client base.

You should expect tracking insights and constant, effectively laid-out reporting. Transparency is a must when it comes to a partnership with the perfect digital agency. If the agency doesn’t provide metrics after the launching of an ad campaign, there may be something else going on behind the scenes. A professional digital marketing agency will keep its clients informed of the entire process and how well it is going.

Media Tools
Whether you’re looking to focus more on SEO or build an eCommerce website from scratch, partnering with the right people will be essential. Digital marketing is ever-evolving, and you will want a company that can keep up with the changes. Google updates its algorithm constantly, and more tech companies are introducing plugins and web tools to integrate with digital marketing services. The right partnership will stay ahead of the curve and look toward a future that is streamlined and up-to-date.
In general, determining an agency’s capabilities is as simple as looking at its website. The latest and greatest tools don’t mean anything if the digital marketing company doesn’t know how to use them. The design and layout of the website should be professional. If you visit an agency’s site and it looks like you’ve stepped back into 2002, you should run very far. What’s the effectiveness of a digital marketing agency that has outdated sites and technology?.

Social Proof
Social media has taken over nearly every aspect of daily life. You don’t need to be reminded about how this change in technology and communication has changed the way companies do business. Any company that has not utilized social media has been left behind. A digital marketing company should at the very least have an active and engaging social media presence.

Specialized Team Members
The best way to build your brand is by utilizing the right people in the right jobs. A company wouldn’t exist without its employees, and friendly staff to build a rapport with will go much further than the next available freelancer. Agencies usually list out their team leaders and their positions on their websites, with pictures and short descriptions.