Well, there’s certainly no shortage of them out there, but how do you choose an inbound marketing agency that will get you the results you want?
The best way to get started is to get them on the phone (or invite them in for a pitch) and put them on the spot with some crafty questions.
Yep, it’s your chance to pretend to be Jeremy Paxman, quizzing the eager contestants on University Challenge.
And their ‘starter for ten’ is…
1: How are you going to make my business thrive
Nice open-ended question eh?
This gives them space to tell you about the work they’ll do, so that they can understand you and your customers, how they’ll connect you to them, and what this will do for your business.
You should hear about a clear delivery process with trackable, measurable and achievable results.
2: Tell me about similar clients you’ve had to us and what you did for them
Ideally, they will also invite you to speak to this previous client.
3: How long have you been around?
You’ll want to hear about an accomplished track record and low staff turnover.
4: Do you have a sector specialism or do you work with anyone?
Listen out for specialist experience that shows that they understand your sector.
Also, ask them if they work with any of your competitors.
If they do, this may be a good thing. This will show that they have a greater understanding of your sector and they can, therefore, get up to speed with your business quickly.
5: How do we go about setting budgets?
You need to know about the ROI you can expect to see and also how much it will cost you and how the payments will work.
6: Paint me a picture about working together week by week
You need to get a good feeling from the get-go, that you’ll develop a smooth rapport.
You may also go on to ask them; what input do you expect from us, how will we communicate and how often?
7: What quick wins can you bring me?
For example, every website will benefit from improvements and some content elements will stand out more than others.
A canny digital agency should be able to spot some website wins that can be implemented straight away.
And a good one to end with is…
8: Is there anything else we should ask you?
This gives them further opportunity to show you, how they understand you and your customers, and your overall marketing aim.
We’ve started, so we’ll finish
