Does implementing an effective marketing strategy feel like taming a tornado? Between the data, marketing channels, new tools, algorithm changes, and sales tactics - it can seem overwhelming to generating new sales and increase revenue with today's marketing when you try to take this in-house. That’s why hiring a reputable marketing agency that specializes in the marketing and sales process from top-of-funnel down, with end-to-end production™ and measurable revenue outcomes, is essential to business growth.
So, how do you find and hire a reliable marketing partner that aligns with your company culture and goals and provides a return on investment (ROI)? It may seem impossible in an endless sea of marketing companies, but if you follow the steps outlined here, it is possible to find the right marketing vendor, calm the winds of overwhelm, and see revenue results.
First: Answer These Questions About Your Company
To hire the right marketing agency, one who will get to know you and your company, start with top of the funnel campaigns, work with you to achieve your goals, and prove their worth, you need to answer these questions about your own company first:
> What are my goals?
Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate qualified leads, or grow inbound or outbound sales? How much of a revenue increase do you need to meet your growth goals quarterly and year-end?
> What is my budget?
Be realistic here. Do your research to determine how much increasing sales means to your bottom line. This can be tough as today’s marketing costs can vary greatly. It may help to come up with a range and hone it after you interview/hire your new marketing agency.
> What is my timeline?
Are you at a critical stage where you need to see results in three months, or can you unfurl the program over the course of a year?
> How much support do I need?
This may surprise you. If you’ve been “marketing in-house” with lackluster results, you probably need more help than you realize. It’s okay to say, “I need objective, professional help from the top of the funnel to closing the sale, including sales training.”
> What can I handle in-house?
This goes back to the previous question. Once you partner with a marketing company, this should become clear. They may be able to work in conjunction with your people to get them up to speed and enable greater in-house capabilities.
> What is my team good at?
Are they great at customer relations? Does your company keep customers forever once you get them? Is your team organized with superb follow-up? This is a fun question that helps you determine what is missing by showing what is not.
> How much does it cost to acquire a new customer?
How many leads are truly qualified, and do they convert? How long does it take to convert them, and do they come back? Do you know what it costs for each lead to turn into a customer? This information can then be measured against your new strategy with the goal of your customer acquisition cost (CAC) going down.
> What kind of agency do I need? Full service? A Solopreneur?
Once you define your goals and the scope of help you need, you can answer this. If you are a larger company, your sales process and growth strategies are likely more complex and require many steps in the process to get to the desired result. You may need to start with a competitive analysis and differentiation, analyze key performance indicators (KPIs), and reorganize your revenue operations structure before you launch a marketing program. This will require a full-service marketing company. Be sure you choose one that has proven results in all the required areas.
If you are a small to mid-size company with a few solid marketing pieces in place and some growth, you may simply need a one-or-two-person team to boost repeat sales or deepen brand awareness. This could include writing your website to appeal to your target audience and for SEO, generating regular digital content like blogs or white papers, or scheduling consistent social media postings.
Questions to Ask Marketing Companies
Now that you have a solid idea of your company’s needs, goals, budget, strengths, and weaknesses, it’s time to interview prospective marketing agencies. Here is a list of questions for them. Also, be sure to ask for references from their other clients.
- Have you worked with businesses like ours before? What are the typical results?
- What do you need from us to succeed?
- What does the process look like on your end?
- How will we measure KPIs and ROI?
- How do you communicate with your clients?
- Will you work with our other vendors?
- Will you train our internal staff or co-work with our in-house marketing department?
- How closely do you stick to the budget/can we expect any expenses above the quote?
- Do you own our digital assets and creative or do we?
- What if the results are not what was promised?
Hire a Marketing Agency with Confidence
Once you’ve implemented the above activities, you’ll have a relatively clear idea of what you need from a marketing agency and how to confidently hire the right team. Once you start working with your chosen marketing company, you'll realize benefits from that outside agency when it comes to time-freedom, objectivity, structure, and reliable, measurable growth.
Not sure who to turn to first or how to pick? Atomic Revenue specializes in revenue operations and aligns all the parts of your business to launch growth. We’ll be happy to help you select a vendor and do an analysis of your options that include getting answers to all 10 of the above questions and help guide you in quality lead generation, sales conversion, and customer advocacy! Please reach out to our team if you have any questions about this article or to get your free revenue assessment today.
