If you're undecided about whether or not to hire a digital marketing agency, if previous "SEOs" have let you down, and if you know people who've wasted money with little-to-no return on their investment (or had their website taken hostage), then this is for you.

We know all of the objections to hiring a digital marketing agency that exist, because we are a digital marketing agency ourselves and have heard these stories from clients.

To ensure that you're prepared to hire a digital marketing agency, we've created this guide! It will explain why hiring an agency is important and how to go about doing it. So let's get started!

3 TIPS FOR CHOOSING A DIGITAL MARKETING TEAM TO HIRE

#1 Not All Agencies Are Created Equal

The most important thing to remember is that no two digital marketing firms are created equal.

The first reason is that some firms will focus on your area of expertise, while others are generalists.

Consider it this way: would you hire a painter who also works as a plumber to do your home repipe? I'd be hesitant to say yes. While their skills are excellent for finishing simple projects, they do not imply that they are competent when it comes to repiping your entire house!

A digital marketing team that is not well-versed in the intricacies of what you do will have to charge more, take longer to complete tasks, and won't understand your industry's unique demands.

Things like:

• What your clients care about.
• Whom do you want to reach out to, and what are their ages, median incomes, and purchasing habits?
• How to speak to your clients through marketing avenues and content
• What pain areas does your firm encounter with clients?
• High-revenue services
• And more

If you hire a digital marketing agency that is aware of this information and can put it into perspective for your company, you will have a better working relationship with them!

#2 The Output of Your Work Does Not Always Reflect the Quality

The second thing to remember is that not all work is created equal!

We're saying that if the marketing agency you are working with doesn't have well-defined procedures to make more money and bring in new leads, their work might not be as useful. Even though it can be tough to measure because you may not know what they're doing, it really comes down to a few basics:

• Is it true that the digital marketing firm I'm searching for has increased revenue for other firms similar to mine?

• Has the digital marketing agency I'm seeking to employ shown competence in the areas that are important to me?

• Are the reviews and recommendations for the marketing agency good?

A digital marketing agency that has helped other companies make more money can be easily found on Google. Furthermore, you can check the company's reviews or how they resolve disputes to get a better idea of the quality of their work.

Contrarily, if you want to hire an agency that lacks a history of the aforementioned in your field, interviewing other similar agencies might be a great plan!

#3 Not every agreement is created equally.

The last thing you want to consider is the agreement you and your agency of choice have in place.

One of the most frequent issues we encounter is companies run by individuals who did not realize the extent of work an agency would be undertaking or what their contract covered, such as content production, website hosting, ongoing work, and so on!

Some things to consider are:

• After I (or someone on my team) creates a deliverable for you, do you then own it? This would include your website, media creations, graphics, logos, etc.

• What will you receive notification of when I'm working?

• Is there a delivery date or just a number of hours to be accomplished?

• If you need to cancel your service for any reason, what are the consequences? Are there additional fees or penalties? What process do you need to follow?

• Is there a pro-rated refund policy?

• Is there any assurance that the professionals will be able to do the work?

The more questions you ask, the better informed you are about how your services are delivered, when they're delivered, and what happens in the event of cancellation. Also, double-check that all information is included on a master service agreement or a terms and conditions page before signing anything!

Positioning yourself as the authority gives you an upper hand when it comes to working with agencies!

Why Hiring a Digital Marketing Agency Is So Important

Most people are unaware of the advantages of enlisting a digital agency – oftentimes assuming they can manage most, if not all, elements by themselves. And in certain circumstances, they very well could!

What if they can't, though? Let's look at a few instances where having a top digital agency on your side is critical!

• Saves you time and money!  More often than not, people spend too much time and money attempting to learn another trade instead of focusing on their existing skillset. For example, take your current per hour rate then multiply it by 40 hours monthly -- that's the bare minimum amount of time it would take to reach a proficiency level in said field. In most scenarios, you could've just hired an expert for less!

• Gives you the ability to focus on your business! We frequently come across company owners who are so preoccupied with how to increase income through marketing that their processes and procedures begin to suffer. As their business has grown, various items have been neglected. Client relationship management, follow-up systems, employee retention, employee training, and other things may be left behind. Other things begin to deteriorate when time is spent away from the company in this capacity.

• Helps you delegate work for a healthier life! There's nothing worse than burning yourself out on both ends. When entrepreneurs take on digital marketing work, it's not uncommon for them to become burnt out or their personal life to suffer due to being overly engaged with new subjects that require hours, weeks, days, and even years to master. As you can see, this ties in with the previous point and allows you to reclaim more of your time!

THE LAST WORD ON WHETHER OR NOT TO HIRE A DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY FOR YOUR COMPANY

We've gone over a lot of issues that apply to many cases today, but there are only a few things you should get out of this educational article.

It's essential to avoid wasting time by choosing the appropriate agency and understanding that it will be a long-term partnership. Also, once you've hired an agency, they can help optimise your company for growth and success in other ways while you focus on specialties that benefit your business' expansion.

After all, there is always room for improvement. Therefore, it is crucial that you find a marketing company that strives for excellence in the same way that you do in your field!