Marketing can be tough, time-consuming, and an all-out pain in the butt, so when someone reaches out and says “Hey, I love your company and my marketing agency can make you a ton of money by doing your marketing” that offer sounds pretty fantastic. Unfortunately, many so-called “marketers” have used this tactic to take advantage of entrepreneurs, leading many to lose thousands of dollars because someone was trying to make a quick buck.
If you are one of the unfortunate many this has affected, you know the struggle. Since these “marketers” give agencies all around a bad name, my team and I have compiled a list of questions every business should ask a marketing agency before deciding to work with them. These questions are not “make or break” questions, rather can give you some more insight on if these individuals can be trusted and can do what they say they can do. So without further ado, here are 11 questions that will prove or disprove if the “marketing agency” your working with is the real deal.
“Who have you worked with in the past?”
This is a tried-and-true tactic to see if an agency is the real deal. If they have worked with clients and those clients are willing to talk about how they did, that usually means that they A) made them a lot of money B) impacted the business. Most companies will have these lists on their website, but it’s nice to double-check and ask what they exactly did for them.
“How fast can you make me money?”
This is one of the easiest questions to knock out potential agencies. If the person says “right away” or anything along those lines, you are most likely going to get screwed over. Most credible agencies will take anywhere between 3-6 months for a client to see a good ROI since it takes time to create the foundation of the ad architecture, brand strategy implementation, etc.
“What kind of agency are you?”
If it is a real agency, they will most likely give you their specialty may that be digital, web, paid media, or full-stack. If the agency doesn’t know, it’s a big sign that you shouldn’t work for them. For example, Finden Marketing is a full-stack agency. This means we offer a wide variety of services rather than being a specialist at just one. This allows us to take over more of the marketing for a company and help create a fluent market strategy throughout their business. Look for companies that specialize in what you need (if you are trying to grow your ads find an ad agency)
“What do you specialize in?”
Going off of question three, asking what the agency specializes in can be a great way to see if they are the real deal and if they can help your business grow. For example, if they are experts in TikTok marketing and your clientele are men in their 60s they won’t be of much use to you.
- A follow-up question should also be “how can that specialty help my business” and if they can’t answer with a simple answer, you probably should go somewhere else
“How long has your marketing agency been in business?”
Marketing agencies have a low barrier of entry, meaning anyone and their brother could start a marketing agency with little work. They require no little startup cost, and no accreditations or schooling to enter. Because of this making sure they have been in business for at least one year is pretty important. Again this shouldn’t be a deal-breaker but will get you a deeper understanding of if they are real or fake. If they are under a year, ask what they were doing before starting the business. For example, I started Finden Marketing when four independent consultants came together to provide a full-scale marketing agency rather than just one offering. Before combining, our team was working with multi-million dollar clients, and have since focused on the small to mid-sized businesses creating high-quality marketing without the agency prices.
- Another thing to do is to look at their offerings. If they are a social media marketing agency but have terrible social media, maybe you should look somewhere else.
“Can I get some testimonials from your past clients?”
Testimonials are a great way to get a first-hand experience of what the agency does. If they don’t have any; work with someone who does. This either means two things: A) they haven’t had a client that has been pleased and written them a testimonial. B) they haven’t had a client.
“How do you think you can affect my business compared to other agencies?”
This goes back to question five, if an agency doesn’t know why they would benefit you the best then it is most likely that they haven’t done their research on your company and are again just trying to make a quick buck.
“How did you get into marketing?”
The origin story of a marketer can tell you a lot about their credibility. Good marketers come from all walks of life, but it can give a sense of the ability of the person. If they were working in corporate America and took their ability and small businesses have a lot more of an impact than someone who liked social media and made a career out of it.
“Why did you start your marketing agency?”
Questions like these are made to learn more about the person who might be doing your marketing. You want the voice of your company to be on-point with your brand. So figuring out the reason this person started in the first place can tell you a great deal. If the phrase “I knew I could make a lot of money” comes out, then again, maybe you should start looking in other directions.
“What puts your marketing agency above the rest?”
This is an interview question that I use when hiring my marketers. It gives them a chance to boast and showcase their skills. This is however a very popular interview question, so some may have a stock answer. The key is to look for authenticity.
“What is your favorite project you have ever worked on?“
We are ending on a double whammy first you get to know what they like and what intrigues them in marketing. Secondly, you get to see their passion for how they talk about their clients. If they aren’t passionate about their coolest project, they definitely won’t be passionate about yours, and why would you hire someone that isn’t passionate?
Want to chat with a marketing agency that is helping clients double their revenue? Email andrew@findenmarketing.com or check our website to set up a free consultation.
Want to learn more about how you can stand out using ads? Finden Marketing is Duluth, Minnesota’s leading Gen Z & Millennial marketing agency. With years of experience, hundreds of thousands of dollars managed, and a dedicated team we can help grow your business to its true potential. Our team offers a wide range of services, including PR, Branding, Content Creation, Paid Media, Graphic Design, and Web Development. With over 50 projects in the bag, Finden Marketing is becoming a staple marketing agency in Duluth, Minnesota. To learn more about Finden Marketing, check us out here, or visit us at our office in Duluth, Minnesota.
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Andrew Weisz – CEO Finden Marketing Group
