According to Facebook, people only spend an average of 1.7 seconds with a piece of content. With our fast-paced society, companies need to make sure their inbound marketing strategies keep up.
When hiring an agency to help, it’s important to ask the right questions. That way, you can ensure they’re the right fit for your company.
Here are 10 questions to ask when hiring an inbound marketing agency.
That way, you can find a company that’s equipped to help grow your business.
1. Who Are Your Best Clients?
Asking an inbound marketing agency about their previous and current clients can teach you a lot about their experience.
Discover which industries the agency has worked with. If they’ve helped a company in your industry, ask about the strategies they implement.
Then, determine how successful the inbound marketing agency was when helping these companies. How did they measure success?
Who they choose as their “best” client might depend on different criteria. For example, they can determine that success based on the highest return on investment, best working relationship, or most sales.
Determine your own priorities and ask the agency about real-life examples helping companies achieve their own success.
That way, you can determine whether this inbound marketing company can help you achieve those goals, too.
2. How Will We Communicate?
Some companies have a difficult working relationship due to lack of communication.
When choosing an inbound marketing agency, make sure they’re dedicated to communicating on a regular basis. This can include weekly analytics updates. That way, you know what the agency is doing.
This will also tell you if they’re actually producing results.
If the company offers regular weekly updates, you’ll also know they’re transparent. That honesty can provide you with peace of mind you’re choosing a trustworthy, reliable agency.
Knowing the inbound marketing agency prioritizes communication can also help optimize your campaigns. That way, you know the agency is asking the right questions when needed.
This also means they’re making the necessary changes to ensure your campaigns are working at their best.
3. What Research Do You Need?
For an effective inbound marketing campaign, the agency needs to start with thorough research. They need to learn who your competitors are, who your customers are, and how to best advertise your business.
Ask the agency about the research they’ll conduct. They should also ask you questions about your company.
That way, you know they’re formulating a customized plan to help your business grow.
The inbound marketing agency should also be aware of your company’s goals.
That way, they can develop a plan that’s designed to achieve these specific goals. Open communication comes into play here again. If your goals change, make sure the agency knows.
That way, you’re both on the same page.
4. How Will You Increase My Company’s Sales?
An inbound marketing agency will develop a plan to boost traffic to your website. From there, they’ll work to turn these visitors into leads. Then, you can turn these leads into sales.
An agency shouldn’t make broad promises to increase your sales.
Instead, ask how they plan to produce these results. Discuss the strategies they plan to implement to ensure your business growth.
That way, you know how they’re generating these results.
5. How Do You Measure Success?
Once you know how the inbound marketing company is boosting your sales, it’s important you can see those results for yourself.
Ask how they plan to measure their success. This can include form submissions, phone calls, chats, online sales, new social media followers, and more.
You can also ask what tools the agency intends to use. This can include Google Analytics as well as other SEO and PPC tracking platforms.
If you have a CRM, see if the agency can connect your tools. That way, you can see these results any time you want to take a look.
6. What Services Do You Specialize In?
According to Forbes, 90 percent of marketers recognized their social media marketing generates more exposure for their businesses.
When you hire an inbound marketing agency, ask about the services they provide. They might also have a distinct specialty that can benefit your business.
That way, you can recognize the company’s strengths and weaknesses.
This will also help you determine whether or not the inbound marketing agency aligns with your goals.
There are a number of different inbound strategies they can use, including SEO, PPC, blogging, social media, and more.
7. What’s Included in the Contract?
Don’t sign a contract until you understand it. Inbounding marketing can take time to generate results, so check how long the contract is set for.
That way, you know you’re making the best decisions for your business.
8. What Do You Need to Start?
The agency will need a few items before they can get started. These include:
- Website, social media, Google Ads, or any other account logins
- Marketing history and past analytics
- A list of your business goals
- Access to existing marketing materials
- Contact information
- Current clients and target clients
- A timeframe
Without these items, the agency won’t have a strong start.
9. When Will We See Results?
A real inbound agency won’t make the promise of immediate results. Instead, the results depend on the services you choose and how much you’re paying.
Make sure to ask about the timeframe. That way, you can develop realistic expectations.
10. How Much Will It Cost?
Finally, you need to know how much you’re paying for everything. If you’re unsure about the price, research, and shop around.
That way, you know your marketing budget is going to the right place.
Bring It In: 10 Questions to Ask an Inbound Marketing Agency
Bring on that business growth. With these 10 questions to ask when hiring an inbound marketing agency, you’ll have everything you need to find the perfect fit.
That way, you can work with a company that’s all about boosting your business.
Have more questions? We’re here to help! Get a free consultation from our team today to determine how our inbound marketing services can benefit your business.