Nowadays, there are plenty of digital marketing agencies. Many of them will charge you a fortune and give you little to almost no value. As we have seen a lot of digital marketing agencies come and go over the years, our team have decided to put together a list of essential questions you should ask before hiring a digital marketing agency.
Here is a little disclaimer: We know that most businesses don’t necessarily need to ask all of these questions. However, if you have the questions, then you deserve the answers. If the marketing agency representative you’re speaking with won’t take the time to address your questions, then take this sign as the first clue that your business needs to go elsewhere.
Customer Service
- “Who will my main point of contact be?”
- “When and how can I get a hold of that person? In a crisis, who is my backup contact?”
- “What is your policy on re-writes and re-designs?”
- “Can I read some testimonials or contact current/former clients for more information?”
- “What do you think the perfect relationship is between the client and digital marketing agency?”
Analytics & Results
- “Can you show me examples of work you’ve done for current or former clients?”
- “How do you measure results on Facebook, web search, e-commerce, etc. ?”
- “Can I have direct access to my business’s analytics software/accounts?”
- “Do you promise any results? What happens if those results are not attained?”
Expectations
- “Do your employees work independently or as a team?”
- “Am I supposed to provide you with ideas, or do you do the research, create the pitches, design the content, build the strategy, etc.?”
- “Do you charge by the project? By the week? By the month?”
- “Will the same creatives and strategists be working on my account every time?”
- “Do you outsource any part of the services I’m paying you for?”
Financial Details
- “When do you require payment? Weekly, monthly, quarterly?”
- “Do you require a retainer?”
- “How much are you authorised to spend on my marketing strategy without my knowledge?”
- “Is work paid for upfront or after it’s been completed?”
Everything Else
- “What do you consider to be your digital marketing agency’s strengths?”
- “What kind of risks will you take with my marketing strategy?” (Hint: Some level of risk can definitely be a good thing.)
- “What’s the biggest success you’ve had in taking a risk with a client’s strategy?”
- “What’s the biggest failure you’ve had in taking a risk with a client’s strategy?”
- “How long does your average client relationship last?”
- “What do you think my company does, and who do you think we want to reach?”
- “Why do you want to work with us?”
- “If you were me, what would you be doing differently in my company’s marketing strategy?”
- “In your opinion, what should be the number one, key, most essential aspect of any marketing strategy?”