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What to Expect Working with an Agency
Guide
by Karianna Haasch
What Should I Expect from a Marketing Agency?
A great agency can take your marketing strategy to new heights and boost your business revenue. But if you’ve never worked with an agency before, you may be unsure of what to expect. We’ve outlined four key things you should look for in an agency – and also a few you shouldn’t expect!
Transparency
Your marketing agency partners should be clear and transparent in their communication, even before you begin working with them. Details of your engagement terms, which outline the work your agency will be doing, should be provided from the start. Milestones and timelines should be included, so both parties understand when the work will be complete. Your agency should also detail what is needed from YOU (the client) to keep tasks on schedule. This transparency ensures that you are aligned on your marketing goals and facilitates a collaborative relationship.
Collaboration
Transparency and collaboration go hand-in-hand. You know your business best, but your agency knows marketing best. By working together, you can create and execute a successful marketing strategy. Your agency partners should communicate with you regularly, but also keep in mind that they only know as much as you tell them! Communicate openly with your agency about any changes to your business, strategy, or offerings so that any corresponding adjustments can be made to your marketing plan in a timely manner.
Insight
What do those numbers actually MEAN? If your agency reports on results by reading a long list of numbers – or even worse, they only send you a report and don’t explain it at all – you should expect better! Top-notch agencies give you the numbers, but they also explain what those numbers mean, and they recommend updates to your marketing campaigns in response.
Recommendations
You are paying an agency for their marketing expertise, so it’s reasonable to expect them to use it! In addition to monitoring the performance of campaigns, your agency partners should be proactively making strategic recommendations and bringing fresh ideas to your meetings.
What you SHOULDN’T expect…
- A full-time employee. The advantage of hiring an agency is that you have access to the collective expertise of a full team – but this isn’t the same as hiring a full-time employee. Your agency partners are also servicing other clients, and your contract likely allocates a set number of hours for your projects each month. While you should expect your agency to be responsive, keep in mind that your agency partners cannot devote non-stop 9-to-5 support every day, Monday-Friday (or 7-days a week!)
- Zero involvement. As mentioned above, working with an agency is a collaborative process. Your agency partners need your input to deliver the best results!
- Instant results. Marketing takes time and persistence. While an agency can help you get results faster, there will be a ramping-up period. Be open with your agency about your timeline and listen to their recommendations when it comes to changes that could generate better results.
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Ready to work with an agency? We’d love to chat! The KDD team helps businesses across multiple industries to create, improve, and implement successful marketing strategies.
Karianna Haasch is the Director of Marketing & Communications at Katy Dwyer Design. Karianna has over 10 years of experience in business strategy, brand development, and integrated marketing communications.