Do you need help finding the best marketing agency near you?
There are so many marketing professionals online these days that it can be tough to know which is the best choice for your business needs.
Who will be able to understand what you need?
How will they help your brand deliver on its promises?
Will it be worth the time investment?
Here are some tips that I hope will help make things easier!
Where to Start Looking? Try Local Search First.
As you start narrowing down your search for the marketing agency near you, here are a few things to consider:
- Do your research
- Don’t discount the power of word-of-mouth
- Ask for referrals from people running similar businesses
- Check around your neighborhood
- Consider hiring a non-local company
- Check online reviews (but don’t believe everything you read!)
- Get help from a marketing agency search consultant.
Does location matter that much? You might find someone farther out than you anticipate who is a good match. However, in this age of digital communication, don’t discount the potential for a long-distance partnership if that fits your goals.
When looking at online reviews on websites like Yelp, remember that they can be biased. Clutch.co is an example of a review website that details both star ratings of agency companies and gives quick summaries of their focus areas.
And if you do a quick Google search, remember that your perfect ad agency might be just around the corner but is new on the scene and not yet established enough to show up at the top of the page.
Study Case Studies!
When hunting for an exceptional marketing agency near you, know that case studies are a great way to:
- Get to know an agencies overall approach and work style;
- Learn about the types of clients they work with; and
- Learn how they’ve helped those clients achieve desired results.
Experienced, professional marketing agencies should have at least one or two case studies prepared to give potential clients.
If they don’t have case studies on their website, don’t hesitate to ask!
Establish Key Marketing Goals and Priorities (Pre-Search)
When you’re looking for the best marketing agency near you, you need to bear in mind that some agencies do a little of everything, and others have specialties.
Agencies specialize in a variety of services. Here are some notable examples:
- Branding
- Digital Marketing
- Social Media
- Public Relations
You might be tempted to get a jack-of-all-trades type of agency with multiple capabilities, but bear in mind that just like any one person, sometimes this means they may not have the right kind of in-depth experience in a specific area or specialty.
But, the best agencies will probably have a diverse team of employees and contractors to draw from to be able to focus on your specific marketing needs and goals.
Start Preparing For The Agency – Client Relationship
Your business is personal and unique. It should not be treated like any other client by an agency.
Begin preparing a substantial brief that will give an agency insight into your unique business challenges as core beliefs. This will help them position you in the market while not crossing the line.
Don’t skip this step. You’ll run the risk of attracting the wrong target audience and wasting a lot of time and energy on an agency that never had the chance to learn enough about you.
Click here for a FREE copy of my creative briefing template!
Value Vs. Price
When you hire anyone to do anything, you’ll get what you pay for.
Look for great value at a reasonable price, NOT the cheapest.
It’s too easy to find the cheapest solution. While it might benefit you short-term you likely won’t get the marketing power that you need.
Define your needs and search for the agency that will provide enough value to meet those needs. Once you find that solution the price will always be right.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate. Many agencies have standardized pricing, but remember, you’re unique and should only pay for the value that meets your needs.
Follow Your Best Recruiting Processes
When you hire employees or contractors, you invest in them — and hiring the best marketing agency near you isn’t much different.
Why not consider taking a similar approach as you do when recruiting a marketing agency?
Don’t just look at experience. Remember that a cultural fit will be essential and ensure that scheduling, work style, and approach are on par with what you want.
Do You Need to Hire a Marketing Agency?
When it comes to finding the best marketing agency near you, you may just luck out on finding a great organization that fits your needs right away.
But there’s one last thing to consider: Do you even need to hire a whole agency? Or can you hire just one or a few individual freelancers?
If your marketing plan is extensive or you are a part of a large organization, this is a no-brainer; you’ll need an agency to ensure that all pieces of the puzzle are coordinated and managed professionally.
However, if you need just one or two pretty simple tasks done (think blog posts or social media), you might be able to get away with hiring one or two freelancers who specialize in certain areas.
I leverage my agency and marketing experience to help clients manage their agency relationships for better results.
I can help you find your “best match” marketing agency and more. If you want more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
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