There are a lot of tough decisions that business owners and CEO’s have to make and one of them is marketing. What if you need a new website or marketing video? Sure you can go and look at proposals and portfolios, but it is tough to compare apples to apples.
Some business owners, whether they are in financial services, manufacturing or material handling, are comfortable going with their guts. On the flip side, there are some that want to make sure that have all the information and could use a tool to help them decide.
Hey, I understand. It is a difficult decision. There are differences in price, philosophy, experience, capability, and team.
So we decided to break those out and talk about each and how they might relate to your business. Here is a way to choose a marketing agency.
Price: This is the easiest one. You don’t get one quote in US dollars, one in bitcoin and one in stock and have to decide. For the most part, all quotes prices are easy to compare.
Although there are other ancillary questions, like retainers or hosting (if it is a web design project).
Philosophy: Most of the time creative agencies have a different outlook from corporate standard businesses. There might be a dog. There will be someone with non-traditional colors in their hair. These are often superficial, so don’t get thrown off when selecting an agency.
The root philosophy should have some tie to your business. Some creative agencies are more relaxed; some are more button up. Decide what type of company you are more comfortable working with from a philosophical standpoint.
Experience: This can be summed up as; Do you like what is in their portfolio and do you think it will translate to what you want? A portfolio is not only going to showcase a marketing agency’s work, but also how they approach a problem. Are they more focused on technical or creative, or a mixture of the two?
- Have they worked with companies similar to yours? If you are an insurance agency, do you want to know that your chosen marketing firm has financial services background?
- From their presentation, do you think they can help you differentiate your company from your competitors?
- Does their previous work speak to you?
- Do you think they can create something that speaks to your clients?
- Can we learn something from them? Are they willing to teach and train, or do they just take orders?
Team: Team is very subjective. I have seen huge companies go with tiny marketing agencies and tiny companies work with large marketing companies. It is a toss up. What makes you more comfortable?
Do you want to be able to talk to an owner when you call and have them invested in your success?
Or do you want to know that there is a huge team that is available if you need them?
It comes down to your expectations and how you want to interact with the team.
If you would like some help deciding which marketing agency or creative shop you should go with, download our Marketing and Creative Agency Assessment Tool. It can help you quantify your needs and help you make a sound decision.