Very few companies take the time to consider the interdependent relationship between data analytics and their chosen marketing agency. Instead, they opt for the first available marketing agency in the hopes that they alone can work miracles. A true partner is one that has your company’s best interests in mind and one that is capable of altering course.
Your marketing agency must be able to provide the right analytics and data to support a course adjustment. The goal is to create a partnership where your chosen firm has the capabilities to justify that change and the wherewithal to see it through. Here are some questions to ask before getting started on that all-important new relationship.
The days of a “set it and forget it” approach to marketing are long gone. Decisions are made in seconds nowadays based on real-time feedback. It’s no longer a question of enacting a plan and seeing where it leads a year from now. Data acquisition and interpretation must be a driving force for your chosen firm and they must be able to demonstrate an ability to change on the fly.
Ask for clear examples where the digital marketing company suggested a change to a customer and backed it up with data analytics. Understand what the benefit overall was for the company both in terms of additional leads and sales and their marketing return on investment (ROI).
This is a critical decision. Either you’re going to hand over the day-to-day operations of your digital marketing to an outside firm or you’re going to work in unison. Understand the digital marketing agency’s strengths and how they’ll work alongside your team should you opt to give them greater control. Define periods of review where you can assess whether you're on course, need a change or need to adjust due to changing economics.
Linking your internal business data with external data analytics is critical. Your chosen digital agency must be able to merge the two. That means accounting for your daily sales and customer interactions alongside the results and data extrapolated from your digital strategy. In many ways they're one and the same. The data emerging from your digital strategy should support the incoming data from customers.
Having too much marketing data can be a problem. Understanding which data is useful, and which isn’t, must be discussed beforehand. It’s not the amount of data that's a problem, but more about which data you need and why you need it. Your chosen agency must excel at data enrichment. They must show a competency to extract the right data for the right reasons.
It’s not easy choosing a marketing agency. There are multiple variables to consider. However, at the top of the list must be that the firm is a flexible entity that easily adjusts to your changing business landscape. Those changes come from having the right information and it’s the agency that must provide that intelligence in real-time.
The costs of doing business changes frequently and your marketing agency must be able to respond in kind. If it doesn’t, then you will not only waste unnecessary capital, but your online marketing message likely won’t reach its intended audience.
Contact us if you're looking for a long-term partner and digital marketing agency who thoroughly understands the costs of doing business. Our assessments can provide you with actionable business intelligence.