Digital marketing agency is today’s speak for encyclopaedia salesmen. I cringe as I write this. Primarily because we are an agency, and we secondly because it seems like I’m giving away the secrets of the industry. However as a digital marketing agency, we hear stories from our clients. About how they were promised the world and they just kept losing money. How they wanted more clients but all they got was the SEO keywords that they were being ranked for. About how they wanted to grow their business but in this new digital age, they had to reduce their prices to keep paying the agency.
Anyway, the key aim of this article is to give you focus in your business and to point out that most times, a digital marketing agency isn’t the answer.
1. A digital marketing agency does what you can do
We do. And that is the biggest problem. Just because people have read a whole bunch of articles and have posted on Facebook for a while, they feel like they can charge someone for the pleasure of their monthly posting capabilities. There is an art and a science to digital marketing. And its only with multiple iterations and experience do you know exactly what and how to do stuff. How to make sure that the strategy works where you get the attention, the engagement and the sales with your digital marketing.
And because anyone can post onto social media, so can you. You don’t have to go out and pay a digital marketing agency for something you can do. Unless, they are absolutely awesome at what they do, or can measure success.
2. You have capacity
If you have the time to figure it out, and if you have the capacity – then the best thing for you to do is to learn (more in point 4). The problem with most business owners is that we think that there are just certain things that we shouldn’t be doing. And its true. But, you only get to a place of NOT doing, when you have enough business coming in that you can hire an expert. If you have the capacity, you should do it.
3. You need more business to make a profit
Please don’t hire a digital marketing agency if you need more business immediately. There are other things that you need to focus on and there are other activities that need your money way before a digital agency does. And, if any agency convinces your otherwise, then that is your first red flag.
If you need to get more business, spend money on travel, meetings and conversations for you to get that business. You need to chat with people you know who can introduce you to potential clients that could use your services. No amount of digital marketing will get you more business. It is only once you are sorted with your business and you’re looking to service your clients and need a long term strategy to keep filling up your lead bucket, that’s when the digital marketing agency can help.
4. You don’t know how a digital marketing agency works
This is such a big one, that I think it should be #1 – but I already numbered these, so I’m not gonna change them. Lazy person I am.
Anyway, its like saying I’m a business owner and I don’t know how the accounting works. Or how the sales work. Or how the team works. Digital marketing is the same. You need to have an idea of what is happening. No one is going to care about your business as much as you. And, as much as anyone pretends to care – only you know how much blood, sweat and tears have gone into creating it. Spend a few minutes a day reading up on the latest trends in digital marketing.
5. You have no way to measure success
Our goal at Amplify is to get to a point where we can guarantee our clients results. Where we return their money if we don’t get them what we promised. We aren’t there yet, but we are close. I feel like its important that businesses guarantee their work. What’s the point, if the customer is guaranteeing payment and the business isn’t guaranteeing results?
Anyway off my soapbox for a second – there needs to be clear metrics of what success looks like. I believe that there are three main types of metrics that you need to look at in order to properly measure the return you’re yielding on your investment. These are:
- Trust metrics
- Relationship metrics
- Analysis metrics
These sets of metrics allow you to measure your strength in different areas to form an overall idea about how well your marketing and your business are performing.
I genuinely hope that this article helps you before you splash money on a digital marketing agency. If you’re looking to create content for your business, then you should download the CONTENT AMPLIFIER FREE by clicking the image below…
Author: Ronsley Vaz
Ronsley is the founder & chief day dreamer at AMPLIFY. He is an author, speaker & serial entrepreneur.
He has a Masters’ degree in Software Engineering and an MBA in Psychology and Leadership. He is known as the creator of We Are Podcast – the first Podcasting Conference in the Southern Hemisphere, and the host of The Bond Appetit Podcast and Should I Start a Podcast. He has an audience of over 3 million in 133 countries.
Comments 2
It is really important not to just read the good side out of it. As business owners, studying one’s investment is important to know where your money will go or will gain when entering this type of strategy.
Brief and Direct to the point.