Concept boards help you to see your vision and even allow you to dream a little bit. Like just about every company out there, yours needs a digital marketing agency in order to stay competitive in our Internet age. If you’ve already done some looking, I don’t need to tell you that you won’t lack for options. I probably also don’t need to tell you that this isn’t necessarily a good thing. You could be in for a lot of trial and error before you finally land that one digital marketing agency that will be worth their price. In order to make things easier on you, consider the following characteristics all digital marketing agencies should have.
They Have the Right Attitude
That might not sound like the most important trait for a digital marketing agency to possess, but it really makes a difference. Agencies tend to have a dominant attitude trait. They could be any of the following:
- Artists
- Engineers
- Scientists
- Worker Bees
You want all four. The ideal agency absolutely must be creative like an artist. However, they need to harness that creativity and build something that will perform like an engineer. Like a scientist, they must be able to step back from their creation and think analytically, putting their artistic passion aside for a moment. Lastly, they need to have the work ethic of worker bees-relentlessly putting their talents into getting the job done.
I know this isn’t exactly an interview question, but it’s something you’ll definitely want to feel out. Even having three out of four of these traits could hurt you.
They Bridge the Gap
Every digital marketing agency-or any marketing agency, for that matter-has one huge challenge in common: you. Don’t take it personally; it’s just the way things are. As the customer, you know what you want: more and better exposure. As the marketing agency, their job is to provide it. However, you can both have very different views on how to do this. Even though you’re not the expert, sometimes you’ll be right; chances are that every time, you’ll at least think you are.
So a good marketing agency needs to know how to bridge that gap. They have to both sell you on their idea and educate you on why it’s the right one. Be wary of digital marketing agencies that gloss over the details when you’re interviewing them. This might be a sign that they’re a little too comfortable with the idea that they’re the experts and you’re the meal ticket.
They’re Innovators
Your company needs a digital marketing agency that knows how to innovate. Of course, they need to have mastered the basics and have a good grasp on all the building blocks for a good marketing campaign. But one of the essential blocks some companies miss-in an effort to play it safe-is innovation. If you want to stand out, you can’t use the same formula as everyone else, plain and simple.
They’re a Master of All Mediums
A digital marketing agency needs to do more than just write keyword-laden copy for you. They need to create copy that flies off the page and convinces people to buy. But that’s far from all. The reason you’re going with a digital marketing agency, as opposed to a traditional one, is because they should also know how to get videos made for you that will also work well. They should know how to get your social media presence to the next level. Their ads should feature beautiful photos/graphics with the right selection of words accompanying them.
Get the point? Any digital marketing agencies you’re considering need to have a portfolio that spans every medium out there. And if you’re not using every medium out there, your SEO is suffering.
They’re Curious
They might be masters at SEO, SEM, and everything else, but no digital marketing agency is going to know your company as well as you do. So it’s essential any agency you consider goes through the discovery process regarding what it is you do, how you do it, what you charge, etc. You should know during the interview process whether or not they have this kind of approach-you’re not the only one who should be asking questions, to put it another way.
Making the right choice out of all the digital marketing agencies you have to consider can be a lot of work. But if you keep the above in mind, it will be worth it.