It’s finally happened
You feel like you’ve gone as far as you can with traditional marketing tactics and have decided to start using digital marketing to supplement your other marketing programs. Or maybe you have been using digital marketing tactics but are not sure you’re getting the value you should be from your digital marketing agency.
Either way, you need some advice on how to avoid common pitfalls that other companies have experienced with digital marketing.
Take a look at these 7 mistakes that businesses often make when working with digital marketing agencies. Be aware of these up front and know that if you can avoid these mistakes, you’ll have much more success with your digital marketing experience.
Mistake #1: Not Being Prepared for Meetings
When you are meeting with your agency, you need to be as prepared as possible, especially the first time. Be clear in what you want to accomplish and communicate that clearly to your agency. This gives them the information they need to be able to help you. Be equally prepared for every meeting after that first one. Being fully prepared for each meeting builds a solid foundation for your relationship going forward. This means compile a list of notes or questions to go over with your account manager and be prepared to answer their questions or provide them with any information that they may need to help make your campaign successful.
Mistake #2: Assuming the Relationship is Not a Partnership
Don’t go into your digital marketing relationship thinking that you’re merely hiring an agency to perform a service for you. A good digital marketing agency wants to partner with you. They want to know your business as well as you do, inside and out. Share information with them freely. It’ll help them help you, and together you can work to grow your business.
Mistake #3: Not Clearly Defining Your Goals and Metrics for Success
When beginning any project, it’s always a good idea to know what result you’re expecting before you start. The same is true when working with a digital marketing agency. Be clear on what you want to accomplish, and know what metrics to track along the way. Are you measuring the source of your leads? Time spent on your website? Online sales? Ensuring that all metrics are defined at the beginning of the campaign and can be tracked throughout is one of the keys to success.
Mistake #4: Thinking Results Happen Overnight
There’s often a misconception among businesses new to digital marketing agencies. Since there are so many stories circulating about social media going viral, many businesses assume that once they put a good digital marketing campaign in place, they’ll have instant results. In reality, it takes time to build a solid digital presence on the Internet, but a good agency can shorten that timeframe. Be patient and trust that your agency knows what they’re doing. If you’ve clearly communicated your end goal and metrics for success, you should start seeing positive trends within 4 -6 months*.
Mistake #5: Not Spending Enough on Your Marketing
The reality is that businesses can’t survive without a marketing budget. The good news is that digital marketing often provides a better return on investment than does traditional marketing. According to GetResponse, “70 percent of small to medium sized businesses said they will increase their digital/web-based marketing budgets this year.”** These businesses are obviously seeing the payoff. Make sure your marketing budget is sufficient to achieve optimal results.
Mistake #6: Micromanaging Your Agency
Micromanaging your agency will lead to less than ideal results. Bearing down on an agency often forces them to make decisions that will show a short term impact but which may not be ideal for the long term. While it’s completely normal to want to know what’s going on with your campaign, this is why it’s important to schedule regular account health checkups. Most digital agencies welcome questions and feedback, but it’s also important to sit back, relax, and trust that your digital agency knows what they’re doing. If you’ve done your work ahead of time and have chosen a solid digital agency with a good reputation for success, there will be no need to micromanage. Trust that you’ve engaged a good firm and let them guide you through the process.
Mistake #7: Thinking All Marketers and Marketing Agencies are Created Equal
There are a lot of digital marketing agencies in business today, and choosing a good one is important to your success. Do your research before you hire a digital agency. Find out how long they’ve been in business. Do they have any experience in your industry? What kind of success have they had with similar clients? Do they understand your business? Make sure they specialize in the type of digital marketing you want to employ.
Digital marketing agencies are not all created equal. Keep these 7 mistakes in mind and make sure you ask questions up front to determine the best fit for your digital marketing needs. Digital agencies like Organically can help you create and implement a digital marketing plan that’s perfect for your business needs. Give us a call today.
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