Hiring an inbound marketing agency can feel like you're taking a major leap if you haven't done your research. Yet you can take a lot of the mystery out of the process and ensure you get good results from your inbound marketing partners if you know what to look for when you're interviewing agencies.
Make Sure They're Into You
An inbound marketing agency needs to have you and your business as its central focus. If they're more aligned with their social media presence than your organization's goals and philosophy, it won't be a good long-term fit. For the best results, you need an agency that puts you first and keeps your needs as their focus.
Check for Real Experience in the Industry
While the next "new and improved" agency may seem great on paper, an agency with a solid track record is a better bet for most businesses. You'll be able to see that the company delivers on promises, has a good track record of results with other clients, and will be around to do your inbound marketing not just today, but for as long as you need them to be your partner.
Look for A One-stop Shop
To make life easiest on you, look for an inbound marketing agency that can do it all for you. While you can save money by working with a specialty shop that uses outsourcers to make up for their own internal talent gaps, you don't always get consistent results. To truly have high quality online conversations and engagement with your brand, you don't want inconsistency - you want one team who can do it all for you in one place to a clearly defined in-house standard.
Expect Statistics and Measurable Outcomes to be Set
Any inbound marketing agency who doesn't come to the table with a clear set of metrics they'll be tracking on your behalf should immediately be shown the door. It may seem harsh, but agencies more interested in "branding" or "reputation management" than hard metrics are not going to give you the best return on your money. Look for companies who measure the critical levers in your business, like clicks, conversion rates, website traffic and incoming leads. These companies understand what it takes to move the bottom line, and they'll help you track your progress (and their performance) throughout the life of your relationship.
These four areas are where many inbound marketing agencies just don't measure up. By looking for these things in advance, you'll be able to separate the agencies who can deliver real inbound marketing results from those who simply look good on paper.
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