How do you run a marathon? Any athlete knows it’s a gradual process of training day by day to build up to that final, grueling challenge. No one gets up one morning and decides to spontaneously tackle 26.2-miles.
In marketing, some of the same principles apply. Expectations can plummet when a company signs up with a digital marketing agency, sits back and expects instant results. An effective marketing plan is strategic, collaborative, multi-faceted and results-oriented—given the proper length of time. In marketing, future success can depend on the starting goal posts, just as it does with training for a marathon. The path is a lot quicker if you’ve been working out all along compared to springing off the couch after a series of Netflix binges.
Signs you might not be ready to work with a digital marketing agency:
Looking for an order taker
Most companies approach us because of our expertise, the bank of talent and knowledge firmly rooted in best practices to produce concrete results. However, some businesses want to direct their own marketing strategies without much consultation. If what you’re looking for is simple execution, a better path is an in-house marketer or freelancer that will follow your internal direction.
Our team works through a discovery process to analyze your business and then create a strategic plan, personalized to reflect your audience and goals. These strategic plans are usually designed and then executed over a 12- or 18-month period, with customer collaboration on content and feedback to rate its effectiveness.
Marketing Has Low Priority—Or None at All
The Small Business Administration suggests 7-8% of a company’s annual gross revenue should be spent on marketing efforts. Yet some companies allocate leftover dollars because they view marketing as non-essential.
During tough times, marketing budgets are often the first to get slashed because it is seen a cost-center compared to the revenue generating sales team. And this perception exists even during the best of economic times. Companies that see marketing as the lowest rung on the ladder will deprioritize the activity and become a bottleneck that interferes with plan execution.
The right digital marketing plan will help a company maintain and even grow its business. Especially during a market downturn, if your digital presence disappears, potential customers will as well.
Maintaining a regular digital marketing presence can help you
- Engage with your customers in a world increasingly reliant on digital communications
- Improve your business reputation and credibility
- Forge new business relationships
- Hold onto or increase your market share
- Drive sales of products or services
Distrustful of Agencies or the Strategies
A third category of companies that might want to rethink engaging with a digital marketing firm is the type that doesn’t really trust the process or the agency. It’s important to have a transparent working relationship with your marketing agency. They need to know your business priorities, and you need to understand how their recommendations translate into results for your company. Just as you are the subject matter expert of your business, it’s time to trust that your digital marketing agency will implement web strategies in your best interest.
If none of this applies to you and you feel ready to grow your business with digital marketing, let’s have a conversation. 1-800-779-2445.
