How to hire the right marketing agency for your business

Businesses look for marketing agencies and ask them for a pitch or a strategy on what they can do for them. Probably 100 slides and shared heaven with you if you hired them. You are told what you want to listen. You run a background check what brands they have worked with. That’s where you go wrong!!!

Searching for the right agency is the most difficult task and can sometimes can make the business lose millions in the process. But proven right, can build the business fortunes.

As the CEO, CMO or Head of Marketing, you should always look for the below:

1. Look at case studies and not portfolio: Remember you are paying for results, if an agency has worked with Coca Cola that doesn’t mean they will generate the same results for you. The bigger the brand, the agency would leverage the brand to generate results rather than using their own efforts. It would be very easy for the agency to generate a $1M sales for Coca Cola but would struggle to get your brand to even $50,000. So when hiring an agency ask them results for unknown brands, when they started with a brand and how much revenue did they generate a brand. If an agency can take a brand from $50,000 to $1M, that’s the right partner for you.
2. Founder and team: When hiring an agency, it’s vital to know the background of the team. Is it a team of generalists or specialists. What is the background of the founder? Who is going to handle my account? What success is the person handling my account done? Does the team care about your numbers or their paycheck?
3. Systems and Processes: Agencies have fires within their company, then those fires are passed along to you. You wouldn’t want to work with an agency that is trying to figure out things as you go. You would go to a McDonalds knowing you will get the same taste and flavor all over the world rather, everything is tried and tested before it is given to you, the same methodology applies in hiring an agency. Have the best of the best getting you results from the get go! I have met owners of some of the largest agencies in the world, they are only dealing with fires in their agency so when will they get time to focus on generating results for you.
4. Expertise in your industry: Work with an agency that has worked with at least 3 businesses in your industry. You don’t want to be the first. You don’t want to be spending time teaching them what you do. Rather use the same time to help you scale. They should already know your target market, who is your audience, in depth understanding of copies and creatives, working funnels and much more.?
5. Results Driven or Revenue Driven: Marketing drives sales, if an agency is not focused on the bottom line of your business then turn around and RUN! An agency should be able to tell you, if you give us $1,000 then we will convert it into $10,000. If they don’t you’ll be burnt by them. Then a few months down the line, you will be frustrated and think about doing it yourself or hiring another agency.
6. Performance Basis: All agencies would charge a retainer and sit back and press buttons with no results, but the agencies that are confident to work on performance basis would truly generate value for you.
7. Specialization: This is a difficult one to swallow. NEVER EVER hire an agency that says we will do everything for you. You are being lied to. Let me explain, if you have a heart problem, would you go to a general doctor or a heart specialist? Do not go for a jack of all trades agency because their focus is split everywhere and that split focus will come down on you and eventually not give you the results you desired.
8. It’s all about you: An agency should not even mention about who they have done work with or for. They should only be concerned about you and your business. They should know your business as much as you do. They would bring you onboard as a client for increasing their revenue and not actually increasing your revenue. Why does it matter if they can do $50k for another company, it should matter they helped you earn $500k with in a month.