The (Only) 2 Things That Are Key To Choosing An Agency

Choosing an agency is hard — it’s really hard because they all in general look the same. It’s also a difficult decision to make because, and this is especially true if it’s your own company, they are expensive and you’re making a big bet.

Marketing agencies in general all do the same things. They might differ in that they specialise in different areas, but they all have the same fundamentals and ideas (social media, ad-buying, SEO/SEM, etc — we all know how to do all of it). If you took away the name/people, they might as well just be one company.

However, I’ve narrowed down two things that are essential in finding that perfect partnership that we’re all looking for (and they’re often overlooked).

COMFORT AND TRUST

All good partnerships are based on open communications. You need to be able to trust who we are talking to and getting the right information (even if it isn’t what we necessarily want to hear).

You need a partner that will advise you to do the right thing, EVEN if it isn’t in their best interest. If they’re doing things only because it helps your bottom line (and knowing that it’s something that might not help you), then they can’t be trusted.

Ultimately, no matter which agency you go with, the work isn’t going to be very different. The difference if you have the right partner however is that you’re not going to go crazy — spending all day worrying about things and staying up at night chasing for responses.

Be very careful, there are companies who invest in great salespeople, BUT they aren’t the people you necessarily will be working with once the contract is signed!

A good working relationship is more important than marginally differences in execution (especially ones where you won’t see a meaningful impact).

Here are a few things I would ask when interviewing agencies:

• What are your weaknesses? If they say they don’t have any — don’t trust them! They can’t possibly be good at everything, and they’re probably hiding something. When agencies say they can do everything, I wonder if they can do ANYTHING that well.
• Who will I be working with day-to-day? If they’re not on the call or in the meeting, make sure you actually meet them first. The relationship could potentially look very different (or they could be very slow at responding) once the contract is signed. Salespeople are not the same as account people who manage your account.
• What would you do in my situation? If their only suggestion is to go with their company, can they really be trusted? If they were spending their own money, what options would they evaluate?
• What is the worst-case scenario? Think about what they’re willing to put on paper. If they can guarantee results in 3 months, get them to add it to the contract! Chances are, they won’t be able to.
• What do I get if I go with a free-lancer or why shouldn’t I go in-house? Again, this is a way to look at how honest and open they are. Ultimately the decision is still yours, but it opens them up to a bit of vulnerability.

It’s not easy, and it’s a big decision. Good luck!