Tips for Choosing a Marketing Agency
You use accountants, solicitors and other professionals because they have expert knowledge and the same should apply to your marketing: if you need assistance, take the time to find a partner who can help you. However, choosing an agency or freelancer to undertake a creative or internet project for you can be a daunting process, therefore here are some top tips to help you choose the right agency for you.
The free publication Finding an Agency is a thorough guide to choosing an agency and it can be found on the IPA website (www.ipa.co.uk/Content/Best-Practice-Guides). It was created by the five key trade and consultative bodies for the advertising, marketing and public relations industries.
Decide what type of agency you want
Do you want help with direct mail, your website, your PR? Or are you looking for a combination of skills? Being clear about the type of help you want will help you to focus on companies that specialise in your area(s) of need.
Do your research
Once you have established the type of help you need, do some research: talk to colleagues in the industry, find out who they would recommend; visit professional association websites and look up their members; try your local Chamber of Commerce; do a web search for agencies or freelancers in your area.
Write a brief
Before you meet each of the agencies or freelancers, write a brief for your project and send it to them in advance. Remember, you are not asking them to pitch; you are just being clear from the outset about what you want to achieve. This ensures time is not wasted on either side.
Evaluate the agency
During the meeting to discuss the brief, consider using the following questions to understand more about how the agency or freelancer works. It is important to find out everything you want to know at this meeting, so if they have a PowerPoint presentation, ask them to present it at the end.
Approach and design process
How do they approach creativity, from initial brief to presentation to the client?
Project/account management
Who will be the key point of contact for your company – the person working on the designs or an account manager?
Why would they like to work with you?
Ask why they would like to work with your company and what interests them about the project. This is a great question: their answer will reveal what they know about your company and whether they have taken time to research you and what you do.
