A brand stands tall with the right social media agency by its side. Understanding and complementing the brand becomes crucial for a social media marketing agency. Content is king and the agency, a kingmaker.
You could be hiring your first media marketing agency or switching to a better one. Either way, it is important to make sure they help you grow.
After asking candidates their expected CTC and customers’ requirements, you shouldn’t have to ask your social media agency a zillion questions. Ask these 10 heedful questions instead.
1. What services do they offer and specialise in?
Matching your requirements with what services the agency offers and specialises in is important. Get to know the full range of their services, online and offline and align them with the work you need to get done.
Check if they have channel-specific services for the platforms you are targeting. Some agencies specialise in Facebook advertising and their clients highly benefit from this.
If you are unclear on which channels to target, they should be able to help you navigate.
2.Do they have any experience in the industry you function in?
An agency that has worked in your industry before has experience to offer. At the same time an agency that hasn’t, will have a fresh perspective. More often than not, unique content and fresh ideas are appreciated.
Ask them about their approach, and if they are new to the industry build an effective social media marketing strategy together. Your social media becomes the first interaction with your customers, be it for brand awareness or attending to their questions or grievances. An agency that knows how to handle an online crisis effectively is what you are looking for.
3. What do they do to keep up with the dynamic digital space?
(Keeping up is not just for the Kardashians) A marketing agency has to be on its toes at all times. Since the environment they function in is extremely dynamic they need to be aware and alert at all times.
Ask your agency what they do to stay ahead in the game, what sources they follow and what steps do they take. It is easy to create just about any content but it takes understanding to make relevant and effective content. Not every trend is worth spending resources on.
4. When can you see the results?
Now, this is a tricky question you must ask the agency you wish to hire. It takes time for the campaigns and efforts to show their result.
Typically it takes a few months to start showing basic growth and 6-12 months to see consistent monthly growth. After a year you can see prominent growth in followers, engagement and visits.
If the agency promises quick results, watch out. But the same cannot be said for all services like Facebook advertising. You will see notable growth in lead generations, inquiries and hopefully sales once an ad is live.
5. What work are they most proud of?
Get to know the agency’s best work, projects they are proud of and the successful campaigns they have run up till now. This will give you an insight into their working style and help you choose better.
Go through their projects and make a decision. Visit their website, they would have put their best work there. If you are looking at more than one agency, compare the campaigns and work to see what works best for you.
6. Get to business and ask them what tools they use?
For a social media marketing agency, a client’s account is the most valuable. They would invest in proper tools and paid software which would leave less room for errors and improve efficiency.
The quantum of work an agency deals with may vary but how they prepare and execute says a lot about them. Using free software that do not offer additional benefits that make big no.
7. How big is the agency?
Going for a big agency with a lot of clients is good as it shows how many brands are willing to place their trust in an agency like theirs. A big agency also means better networks and expertise in the field.
But that does not mean a small agency is not good. In fact, a small agency will value you more, put in more effort and bring out fresh experimental content that can highly benefit you.
8. What is the budget?
The most important question inarguable is the cost. How much an agency charges for its services becomes a deciding factor. While good agencies don’t shy away from quoting a heavy amount they should be worth the money.
If an agency is charging less and delivering even little then there is no point. Go ahead and discuss in detail what your budget for marketing is and see what they are willing to offer according to your budget.
9. What strategies do they implement for their own brand?
Ask the agency how they maintain their social media accounts, go through them. An agency gets creative freedom in their account, this shows their creative potential. They put their best foot forward, look out for that.
Talk to the agency as much as you can, understand how they approach content. Communicating with the brand will help come up with a social media marketing strategy that is a mix of their expertise and your expectation.
10. Have they ever come across a crisis situation?
As dynamic and fruitful as social media is there are several drawbacks of social media marketing. Some of them are trolling, facing backlash for content, going viral for mistakes.
A crisis can be emerging, which means it can be contained and stopped before it can damage the brand further. It can also be multi-channel, meaning it can damage the brand across platforms as it moves quickly.
A social media marketing agency has to be experienced and prepared to deal with a crisis situation. The way they handle a crisis determines the brand’s future.
Trusting an agency to work like you would for a brand is difficult but these questions will help you make the right choice. Getting to know the agency and how they function is a window into how your relationship will look in the future. When they answer these questions you will be able to put faith in them and their process.
