During the course of my 20+ year career, I’ve had the privilege of working across many verticals in different markets around the world. Whether it was niche publishing, email marketing, events, online advertising, direct mail, outdoor, radio and/or video production and photoshoots, in some way, shape or form… I’ve been connected to “media”.
When you’ve been in the game for as long as I have you can quickly identify certain characteristics from buyers (Entrepreneurs, Marketing Managers, Directors, CEO’s etc…) some clients/prospects need time — however, most fail to realize that time is the one commodity that has a serious impact towards your economy of scale and future growth in the markets you serve.
It’s a funny thing, understanding the value of time. Regardless of your position, socio-economic background, education, race, creed or religion, we’re all in the same boat… we cannot buy, earn or create more of it. In fact, in today’s digital ecosystem, “time” and/or human ‘in-person’ interaction has become such a luxury that people often forget about the impact it has towards how we communicate with each other.
So it’s fair to say that time is our most valuable commodity.
So, let’s make good use of our time here…
Having a website is not enough to get by or maintain your presence with new and existing customers. The fundamental pillars of online marketing, include: Site / Search / Social the game has drastically changed and most clients/companies fail to understand the impact of how their digital ecosystem impacts their day to day operations.
Brand loyalty is probably the #1 concern for many companies and even more so for marketing professionals alike. When it comes to online advertising nothing hits home more when competing for marketshare, or implementing a strategy that directly contributes to your bottom line.
Whether you choose to keep projects in-house, outsource to freelancers, or hire an agency — remember #ActionsSpeakLouderThanWords too many business owners and companies get caught up the ‘what if’:
– What if this doesn’t work?
– What if we can’t deliver on products?
– What if we get too many calls?
– What if we can’t process orders?
What if we FAIL? Well, you know what the acronym for FAIL is right?
First
Attempt
In
Learning
It really doesn’t matter which route you take (in-house, outsource, agency), as long as you make an effort and attempt to do something differently to drive better results. That’s why I love digital marketing… we can always track, report, discuss, pivot and re-execute. So many businesses are in “set-it and forget-it mode” or key stakeholders take forever to make a decision on something that can have an immediate impact towards the ability to scale their business.
For many, the overall amount towards a specific function of marketing/advertising is something that prevents companies to have a proper ROAS – Return on Advertising Spend – remember, just because something is cheap, doesn’t mean it’s effective!
I’m not saying that digital marketing is the one and only avenue to reach today’s consumers or B2B clients – however, when you integrate digital with traditional methods, things have a tendency to move in the right direction.
Here’s a few things to consider before you find a suitable vendor / agency / digital marketing partner (we tend to treat our clients as partners) as an extension of their team, it’s in our best interest that we provide digital success!
Agency Checklist:
- Social Proof – Google & Facebook Reviews – open, honest and real-time
- Ask for recent referrals and make sure it’s not family or close friends (so easy to cross-reference)
- Research team via LinkedIn – is everything kosher here?
- Follow the agency or key members on Social Media channels
- Ask about their industry recognition, awards and/or experience
- Ask if the agency outsources overseas?
- Can you actually meet Account Managers or Team?
- Does the agency have a physical building or are they virtual only?
I’ve often helped clients navigate their way to find, evaluate selected media or qualify other vendors or advertising opportunities that have nothing to do with services offered at Candybox Marketing. If you need help here, or seeking an un-bias opinion, please don’t be shy!
Until next time, be good and have fun!
