Having good content on your website is one of the most important criteria for the success of your marketing and, ultimately, your business.
It’s time-consuming and difficult to build a content-rich, well-functioning website, and you may not have the necessary resources, facilities or expertise in-house. Fortunately, there are many agencies out there that provide content marketing services and promise results that will take your company to the next level of success.
But finding a competent marketing agency is another challenge you have to face. You’ll want to take your time and make sure you feel confident before committing to a new relationship.
Here are a few points you should definitely consider:
“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.”
Of course, it’s normal to look for an agency that charges reasonable prices and doesn’t blow your budget, but don’t forget there are reasons why some agencies are more expensive than others. It’s true that creating good content for your website can be costly, but it’s a worthwhile investment. As well as considering the price, think about the long-term value your agency is offering you and if they’re capable of accommodating your wishes.
Ask the agency for examples of their work and pay attention to how long it takes them to respond to you. This can give you an indication of how proactive they will be with you as a client.
Any agency you choose to work with should have a clear, well-defined strategy to prepare and present your content in order to capture your target audience.
There’s little value to be gained from generic or unfocused content that doesn’t reflect what your customers are really interested in or what they want from your product or service.
So be sure to find an agency that won’t just produce content arbitrarily and without direction, but will examine your business, your target audience and their interests, and base your marketing strategy on these findings.
Agencies have to practice what they preach! Have a look on their website and get to know how they present themselves. Find out what social media platforms they use (they should be using at least the basics – Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, for example) and read any blogs or guides they have produced. If you’re impressed by what you see, you can feel more confident of achieving similar results for your own business.
The function of an agency is to help you. So it’s also their responsibility to give you their honest opinion of your plans and ideas. Sometimes, agencies deliver the most value by telling their clients they’re on the wrong track and need to rethink their strategy. A marketing agency that agrees with everything you say just to avoid offending you won’t do you much good in the long run.
Consider if the agency you’re evaluating has experience working with companies in your industry. It’s also useful to know if they have a track record of working with bigger clients or smaller companies. Ask how they planned, produced and delivered content for past clients and if they achieved their goals. Your agency should be able to use the data you provide to understand your audience and create content relevant to their interests and expectations. Look for proof of their experience in doing this for companies similar to yours.
The agency you work with should be able to immerse themselves in a new market quickly and adapt their offer to the content you need on your website. You’re unlikely to gain much from working with an agency that always uses the same content format. They should know what fits best for your brand and be able to deliver that.
Look for case studies or testimonials from the agency’s past clients to evaluate how successful and productive they have been. You have to know they can deliver what they promise, so don’t hesitate to look into their previous customers and ask for evidence of results.
To see what outcomes Axonn has provided for its clients, get in touch with us today.
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