So You Are Ready for a Social Media Agency! Now What!? So your marketing department has just realized that it needs professional help with Social Media Advertising and Marketing. That was the easy part! Now you have to choose the right agency that will give you the most bang for your buck, and help you keep your job! So how do you choose the best agency to deal with? Well, I wish I could say that Hashtag Social Media Agency is your go to agency but truth of the matter is, we are not! Many clients would probably be better off with a smaller agency. Reasons could be that the client’s budget just cannot afford a top tier agency, or that the level of sophistication and range of services offered by Hashtag is beyond the client’s scope and capability. That being said, we now look at the key steps to ensure you end up with the right agency for your needs and goals.
1- Know Your Needs In order to know what kind of agency you need, you need to know what your scope of work will be. Determine if you need an agency that is strong in design and branding, or one that is the best at videography, or perhaps you need a specialized local agency to handle your account from A to Z. This should give you a list of about four or five agencies, write them down.
2- WORD OF MOUTH Just like any other service you would use, you will probably ask fellow marketers about the agencies they deal with. Get feedback from third parties who have nothing to gain or lose by giving you candid advice. If the agency is good enough to get a recommendation, it makes the list. Now choose the top three agencies to be shortlisted.
3- Research, Research, Research Now that you have shortlisted three agencies you are interested in, it is time to do your homework. Sit down at your computer and start stalking the agencies online. Check out their portfolio of work; go through their online accounts, read their articles and research. Get as much information as you can about the agency. Chances are you will find yourself leaning to one or two of the agencies.
4- Finally, Meet The Humans Behind The Agency An Agency is only as good as the people who run it. Send them an E-mail or give them a call and ask for a meeting. The agency should be professional enough to welcome your request, after all, if they cannot accommodate you now, just imagine the kind of service you will get later. When you meet them, be honest about your needs and ask questions. There is nothing wrong about asking questions that seem to be “common sense” because the professionals can usually explain it better than anyone else can. At the end of your meetings, you will know in your heart and mind which agency you want to work with day in and day out and can partner with the on your upcoming journey! Good Luck!
Jihad AL Toukhi
