Would a carpenter keep on working with a blunt toothed and rusty saw? Would an electrician keep on working with a pair of broken wire cutters? Would a plumber carry on using a pipe wrench that had rusted shut? Of course she wouldn’t! None of these professional craftspeople would work with tools that have outlived their usefulness and neither should you. Just like them, your reputation and your livelihood are dependent on the results that your business is able to garner, and if you’ve become reliant on something that can compromise your results, that something needs to go. This applies to your software apps, your employees and even the talent that your business outsources.
In the fast paced, enormously competitive and digitally led marketplace of the 21st century, your digital marketing is one of your most potent tools and your chosen marketing agency must ensure that your strategy is razor sharp and fit for purpose at all times. If your agency isn’t facilitating this, it may be time for you and the agency to part ways. No entrepreneurs wants to admit that they’re backing the wrong horse but if you see any of these warning signs, you may be wasting every penny you invest in digital marketing costs…
They’re all operations and no strategy
How often do you check in with your agency for an update only to be told a whole lot about what they’re doing and almost nothing about what they will be doing. The key to digital marketing is strategy, and that means that an agency worth their salt will be focused not only on what’s right in front of them but what they’ll be doing in 3, 6 and 12 months’ time.
Your strategy stays the same every year
Your business strategy will likely be wildly different with each passing year. It will be in a constant state of evolution, adapting to suit the changing needs of your business and your customers as your business expands and your customer base grows. In this light, it’s impossible to expect your digital marketing needs to remain the same year on year. Thus, if your chosen agency offers the same strategy year on year it may be a sign that they’re coasting. Is this really the kind of agency you want to entrust with your marketing needs?
Your content lacks quality
When Bill Gates said that “content is King” he likely didn’t anticipate the extent to which his words would be misconstrued. While the regular creation of content is important, your strategy should not eschew quality for quantity. While a search engine will penalize inactive websites, it’s no longer enough to stuff your online presence with uninspired fluffy content that’s vague and light on information.
On the other hand, beautifully written content isn’t enough on its own either, it’s vital that your content is written with SEO in mind, making good use of keywords with a smattering of internal and external links.
You’re paying for more than you need
You wouldn’t upsell unnecessary extras to your customers, nor should you expect the same from an outsourced agency. A great agency will look at your in house talent and find a happy medium between what you can do yourself without compromising productivity and adding their own expertise where needed to achieve a cost effective solution.
