How to Hire a Marketing Agency: Date Your Agency First

If you’re reading this,

you’re probably thinking about hiring an agency for your marketing or PR needs. You have made it to the right place. Vetting an agency for a partnership is like how you might vet a romantic interest. After all, you wouldn’t start dating someone without first seeing if they are compatible and have actions to back up their words.

As an agency ourselves, we are here to help you avoid agency catfish. Dating multiple agencies to find your perfect match can be time-consuming. To help you sort out the great catches from the West Elm Calebs, we have compiled a list of speed dating questions to ask yourself to weed out agencies that are not right for you.

Are you looking for something completely new or do you have a “type”?

Having an agency who has worked with other clients in your industry can be a benefit, especially if your industry is highly technical. They’ll likely grasp the needs of your business and industry audiences quickly. That’s especially true of SaaS and like companies that really do speak their own language.

However, you may want an agency with no baggage – one who will look at your business differently, from every angle, and not make assumptions.

Ultimately, only you know what you are looking for.

Do you and the agency you want the same things in life?

Some agencies only work with clients who have annual revenues of a certain size. They’ll quickly pass on a client that is too small.

Others prefer to work mainly with small nonprofits or small businesses with 10 or fewer employees. In most cases, these agencies don’t have the peoplepower to execute state or national campaigns.

The third group (like Vela Agency) tends to play the middle. We often can’t beat freelancers on price, but we do offer strategic thinking and a team of specialists to cover most any marketing need. Are we producing ads for the Big Game? No. But if you don’t’ have deep pockets for Big Game advertising, does it matter?

Do you share the same values?

Is the agency brash and flashy while your business is more conservative? Do they cuss like a sailor on social media while you would never do such a thing on your social posts?

That information is telling, and as the late but dearly missed Maya Angelou told us, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Other values you may consider:

• How and what are they involved with in your community?
• Who are their pro bono clients?
• Is their team diverse?
• Would you be proud to see your logo on their website?

Do they talk about themselves or do they ask about you?

If an agency takes the time to tailor its pitch to your organization and its needs, that is a big green flag. You want an agency that puts in some prep work to show you that they care.

If even the early correspondences are all about them – their team, their approach, their accolades – consider investing your time elsewhere.

How much time does your agency spend in getting to know you?

A great agency will have an onboarding process to align both the agency and the business. This is the honeymoon stage in the relationship, when you build the foundation for a healthy long-term relationship, clarify roles and responsibilities, and establish expectations for communication and project goals. This process will also allow the agency to see behind the curtain and fully understand your business needs, love languages and goals.

While it may seem like a slow burn instead of jumping in with both feet, onboarding is entirely necessary and often solidifies the relationship. If an agency does not have an onboarding process, ask them why not.  The onboarding process at Vela Agency has proven successful in establishing strong relationships with our clients. We want them to understand and respect us as much as we understand and respect them.

If you’re still reading this, you should set up a call with us. We could also meet up over coffee, and don’t worry, it’s on us. Chivalry and good manners are not dead.

We wish you luck in finding your agency.

Xoxo,
Vela Agency