How to get the most out of your marketing agency

Working with a marketing agency can be productive and rewarding. It can be key to taking a business to the next level. Some businesses though seem to benefit from working with an agency more than others.  The question is why? In my experience, having worked both in-house and agency side, I think I have some insight into what works and how businesses can ensure they are getting the most out of their agency.

Ensure your briefs are clear and focused

Probably the biggest mistake that organisations make is not knowing what they want.  A marketing brief is helpful because it gives your agency clear direction and helps them to understand what you want to achieve.  Putting together a brief will also help you to focus and consider your objectives.

Alternatively, if you aren’t sure exactly what you need then say that.  Your agency might have some great ideas or be able to work with you to develop a brief that will keep the project on track.

Sometimes a detailed, written brief is what’s required. For smaller projects or tasks, a clear, well structured email or phone call may be all that’s needed.

Be open to ideas

A good agency will challenge plans and come up with alternative ideas. If an agency questions your ideas don’t take this personally but embrace it and explore new ideas and alternative suggestions with an open mind.   The agency might not have come up with the right suggestion but thinking about approaching things differently is often beneficial.  This can often be when the best creative ideas and solutions are found.

Be honest about your organisation 

A marketing agency might be an external provider but a good agency will want to be part of your team.  Once you enter into a relationship with an agency trust them and be as open as possible.

Understanding any constraints, you are facing as a business and being aware of weaknesses that you might be trying to overcome will help your agency to work with you.  Don’t be afraid to talk about your competition. Share your challenges and mistakes as well as the successes and celebrations!

Appoint someone to be a main contact for the agency

This might be one of the marketing team or someone else within the business.  It will help things run smoothly if there is a contact who is available to answer queries and provide information when it is needed.  It is often the case that a business owner or director would like to be the main contact but in reality, they simply aren’t available because of work load, meetings and travel commitments.

Be realistic

Anything is possible but if your budget is small then it is important to be realistic. Discuss your budget and your expectations.  A good agency will be honest about how far your budget can be stretched and what can be achieved.  You might be surprised!

Keep your agency informed

Marketing agencies are used to fast paced environments.  We understand that things change, sometimes incredibly quickly.  Keep any agencies you are working with informed of changes as they happen.  It is easy when things are busy to overlook keeping your agency informed but by keeping in touch you can ensure your agency is dedicating time to the right priorities.

Stay in touch

This might mean regular meetings, emails, conference calls. It all depends on what works for the client, some prefer weekly phone calls others like to meet face to face. The important thing is to ensure regular communication.  On some projects this might be daily updates on others it might be a monthly catch up over coffee.  Working with an agency is partnership and regular contact will help those involved to stay informed, on track and ensure everyone is working towards the same end goals.

If you are considering working with a digital marketing agency then get in touch.  Contact the Entyce team today on 01244 310 140 or email [email protected].