Outsourcing your marketing strategy can be scary, but when your agency fully understands your goals and objectives, they’ll produce their most creative ideas.
Working with an inbound marketing agency is so much more than a couple of signatures on a contract. It’s a partnership, in which both parties should be pushing boundaries and inspiring each other to grow creatively.
Outsourcing any service, whether it be marketing, human resources or fleet management, should all be approached the same way as you would approach hiring a new member to your team.
Before looking for the right agency, you need to establish your goals as a business, and draw up a list of qualities and skills you need from your potential agency. This is the “job description” that you’ll be interviewing to fill. When you begin meeting with potential agencies, you’ll also need to find out what the agency’s goals and objectives are, and what they hope to achieve within the relationship. The key to choosing the right agency lies in knowing exactly what it is you want from your agency, and what you can offer them in return. The agency-client relationship needs to be a win-win for both parties.
There are four simple steps to building a great agency-client relationship, all of which are founded on open lines of communication.
1. Both parties need to add value to the relationship
Too often the agency-client relationship is very one sided. If you’re looking to deliver great results you should look to build a lasting, mutually beneficial relationship together, you need to embrace each other as partners. This means you win and lose together, and will then challenge each other to do the best work.
2. Share information with each other
The best agency-client relationships are the ones where both parties are comfortable being honest with each other. Ask as many questions as it takes to understand the needs or goals of the other party. Communicating openly and honestly, sharing data with each other and constantly analysing what works and what doesn’t as a team, will build a strong partnership that delivers results.
3. Remember, it's all about fit
Successful inbound marketing strategies are built on an agency having a deep understanding of their client’s product or service and their goals and pain points. It’s about us loving your brand as much as you do, and wanting it to succeed. Credentials, skills and price are key to the decision but, don't compromise on the key ingredient to excellent marketing - passion.
4. When something doesn’t work, don’t freak out!
Give your agency the freedom to fly; but more importantly, give them the freedom to occasionally fail. You don’t have to like every single idea that comes your way, simply know when to pull in the reins and when it’s safe to let go a little.
Agencies err on the side of caution when they have the fear of being fired hanging over their heads. If you remove that fear from the partnership, your agency will have the creative freedom to do their best work. When you’re challenging each other to be the best you can be, and your agency loves your brand as much as you do, you shouldn’t need to push back.
When you challenge and empower your agency to do more creative work, the results can be phenomenal.
If you’re looking to give your marketing strategy wings, contact us. Our passionate team of inbound marketers would love to help you solve all of your marketing puzzles over a hot cappuccino.
Let’s fly!
