How to choose an agency for a small business: tips from DMark

 

The internet is a huge marketplace for products. That is why it is especially difficult for small businesses. To bring the site to the top, run advertising and get leads, it is necessary to competently choose an agency that will cope with the tasks set qualitatively and in a timely manner.

Where to start advertising your business?

The expression “advertising - the engine of trade” works, as the vastness of the network is not quite as most entrepreneurs imagine. Many of them perceive it as a magic pill, after which it immediately starts selling.

Firstly, you need to prepare the ground for the launch of the advertising campaign.

• Set up a stable and working lending or website;
• Formulate social networks to provide content to the target audience;
• Set up analytics;
• Study the target audience;
• Study competitors;
• Create a proper media plan;
• Choose promotion channels.

And there are many more nuances, which it is better to entrust to professionals. These tasks are handled by a marketing agency.

What types of advertising agencies are there?

Today, there are several types of advertising agencies, each specializing in a different niche:

• Digital;
• SMM;
• Performance-marketing;
• PR;
• SEO;
• Video Production;
• Contextual and/or targeted advertising;
• Programmatic and RTB;
• CRM Marketing;
• Influencer marketing;
• Mobile Marketing;
• Event Agency.

And the list goes on and on. A separate attention deserves the agencies of the full cycle. What distinguishes them from highly specialized companies is that they provide the client with a wide range of services. For example, such an organization can deal simultaneously with contextual advertising, SEO, content marketing, and PR. These agencies have several departments, each of which is responsible for its own direction. 

A big advantage of contacting a full-service agency is that the customer needs to be involved in the promotion process to a minimum. It is enough to provide the necessary data, approve advertising strategies and allocate the budget. The agency performs all stages of work - from planning and strategy development to its implementation and analysis of results - independently.

What does a business owner need to know when choosing an agency?

The following criteria on how to choose a marketing agency will help avoid a bad experience and, more importantly, an unwise investment:

• Team performance with KPIs. Essentially, these are numbers in reports that clients show the real picture of things. KPIs on reach, impressions, cost-per-click and bids matter. A contractor who cares about their reputation will tell you which KPIs are more important for your small business niche and how to achieve them. 
• Availability of successful case studies. Don't be lazy to look at the portfolio on the website. Companies with experience showcase their strategies with pride. You need concrete information: figures, tools used, final results.
• Geolocation. This is especially important for businesses whose product is localized and need to make live video and photo content. Providing additional services significantly affects the quality of media material and speeds up the promotion process.
• Pricing policy of services. Undoubtedly, you have to pay for creativity in your approaches. But an inflated price is not a guarantee of quality. Familiarize yourself on the site with information on how the cost is formed in general terms. It is only necessary to agree on a specific budget in the context of a personal conversation with a representative of the agency.

If you don't know how to choose an advertising agency, it is recommended to rely firstly on the organization from the contractor of a comprehensive approach for business development on the Internet. It is very important that the contractor can provide a range of technical and marketing solutions on a limited budget (which is not uncommon in small businesses).

How do you find an agency tailored to your type of business or niche?

Many people do this: they type “advertising agency” into a search engine and apply to the first ones on the list. This strategy does not always work. It may turn out that cooperation will turn out to be a waste of time, and most importantly - finances.

There is most likely a professional community in your industry. Alternatively, you can ask your colleagues about their experience working with advertising agencies. Word of mouth is a good old-fashioned way to get objective feedback on a contractor. So you can assess its strengths and weaknesses and get information in advance about specialists and managers with whom it is comfortable to work.

The agency's experience in your industry is another important criterion. Agencies with relevant expertise better understand the specifics of the audience in a particular niche and the nature of products or services. For example, agencies that have worked with small IT companies can offer accurate and effective solutions for a technology niche. Be sure to ask if the agency has similar experience.

Do not bet on a single contractor - request proposals from several agencies to compare terms and conditions and ultimately choose the best option. Even word of mouth doesn't always work. If your coworker's format of cooperation suits you, it's not certain that the same contractor will suit you.

Still, how do you choose a digital agency that won't disappoint you?

Firstly, get in touch with a representative of the team one-on-one. At the initial stage, communication decides a lot. A specialist on behalf of the agency asks a list of questions to the potential client about the product and the purpose of the application and asks him to fill out a brief. Professionals have a lot of clarifying questions, and this is normal.

There are many digital agencies on the Ukrainian market. These are Inweb, Aweb, Promodo and others. But not all of them can qualitatively solve the problems of the small business niche.

One of the agencies that successfully works with small businesses is DMark (DMark.pro), which has been providing a range of marketing and technical support services since 2017. When making your selection, always pay attention to the priorities of a particular agency as far as they match your business type.