Making the Most of Your Marketing Agency

You’ve signed on with a great marketing partner. Time to maximize your marketing dollars and kick sales into overdrive right?

Yes, absolutely.

But the more realistic answer is that it will take time. First, there should be a strong long-term strategy devised in the beginning so that everyone has a clear vision of where the brand needs to go — define KPIs, sales target, and other metrics that define success. There will be some hiccups along the way so the key is to be patient. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind as you bring on a strategic marketing partner:

1. 1. Share Past, Present, and Future — Tell your agency what you have done in the past, what’s worked, what hasn’t, as well as what you hope to accomplish in the future. Disclose survey results, customer feedback, and stakeholder insight with your agency — it only builds a better picture of the whole story.

1. 1. Assess the Teams — Take a hard look at your own team to assess if you have the bandwidth to handle some items in-house so that the agency can focus on others. If your agency is busy with production-type work, the focus will be derailed and the brand will suffer from inconsistency.

1. 1. Do A Data Download — In order to “move the needle” in terms of sales, the agency needs to know where they are starting from. Share analytics, sales statistics, lead generation strategies and industry benchmarks.

1. 1. Process, Process, Process — No company is perfect. We all have flaws in communication or breakdowns in process every once and awhile. Let your agency know your what trips you up so they can tackle them with you and help create better workflows.

1. 1. Empower — Even an incredible agency is only as effective as their point person within your company. Set yourselves up for success by empowering the agency point person to make decisions, consider new ideas, and speak on behalf of your company.

A fully invested strategic partner is in it for the long-haul with your growth… aligned, thoughtful and trusting partnership.

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Published online at Community Newspapers.

About Brand Poets

Founded by Tana M. Llinas, Brand Poets is a collective of strategists, storytellers, and digital artisans crafting smart, poignant campaigns that command attention. www.brandpoets.com