When it comes to your digital marketing budget, it’s important to be able to separate the contenders from the pretenders. With so many firms to choose from, you need some parameters to follow, in order to find an agency dedicated to your success. Here are a few things to consider when researching which digital marketing agency is best to support and grow your organization.

Transparency
From your initial contact with the agency, through the discovery sessions, ensure that both communications and service level expectations are clear. Your project is both important and expensive for your business, so it’s fair to expect high quality treatment. You deserve a commitment to punctual responses, a specific outline of project responsibilities for both parties, and a clear timeline for deliverables. You are building a relationship, and the best relationships are those where the communication is open, and expectations are defined and approved.

Digital Marketing Experience
A portfolio is a great introduction into an agency’s work, but it’s also important to learn about the process they undertook to arrive there. Case studies are more revealing than a portfolio, because they take through the individual journey of each project. A well-written case study will peel back the layers of the final product, to communicate the project’s background, the challenges that the agency overcame, a summary of the strategy, and how the work led to desired results. Ask for references from three-five current clients from any potential digital marketing agency partner, and reach out in an effort to learn about the agency’s past. In a perfect world, every project would go seamlessly, but that’s not realistic. More telling about the likelihood of project success is how an agency manages and resolves problems.

Digital Marketing Creativity
The best digital marketing agencies have cultivated strong teams driven by innovation. They are able to produce revolutionary work because of their ability to communicate, brainstorm, and collaborate from within. If an agency pitches you a cookie cutter, run of the mill, template-based approach, they aren’t working in your best interest: they are simply working towards their own goals. Open-mindedness to radical new concepts, technologies, and opportunities is a strong indicator of a digital marketing agency’s commitment to creativity.

Personal Relationships
We do business with people, not line items. We commit ourselves to every workday, and the relationships we forge are the key to successful working partnerships. You need reassurance that you are involved in a partnership, and that you are working with an agency that wants to see your success above their own. This point illustrates a deep understanding that what creates their own success is satisfied clients. Look for a team who responds openly and transparently to your request, one that goes above and beyond for their clients. This type of agency is one that knows, despite the digital and abstract character of their work, that people are their real business.

Reputation
Digital Marketing agencies are seen and judged by the good work they do in their communities. Those who are active community members and support worthy causes show their identity and authenticity to the world. It is also important that an agency is a member of their trade association, an indication that they keep up to date on the evolution of their craft. Agencies who push for excellence frequently apply for awards and profile their award-winning achievements. These methods of altruistically sharing creativity help elevate the industry and raise the bar for marketing best practices.

Your organization’s success depends on building a relationship with an agency whose experience and good work is evident. Finding the “best fit” with a digital marketing agency is a critical decision that can impact your bottom line for years. Your brand can reduce the risk by sincerely questioning an agency’s ability to partner with you.