Partnering with an online marketing company is a great way to help you reach your business goals. An online marketing company has specific expertise and knowledge that you can apply to your business.

Here is a partial list of reasons why your local business would choose to start a partnership with a consulting firm:

• When your online marketing strategy is not delivering the sales leads you to need
• You don’t have the expertise in-house, and at the same time you don’t want the financial burden of hiring a full-time employee to do it
• You need assistance in developing a long-term online marketing strategy, or to adopt new tactics
• Your marketing and sales collateral look tired and you need a fresh pair of eyes and an objective point of view. You need a creative solution, rather than a pre-determined one

Working with an online marketing agency is a very important decision; here are some guidelines to help you get the best partnership possible.

4 Things You Need to Look for When Choosing a Consulting Firm to Manage Your Online Marketing Strategy

1. Know What You Want

Before you start searching for a local online marketing company you need to have a clear vision of what you expect/need. Make a list of your requirements and then compare this to what the prospective companies offer. This list may contain items such as:

• Website design and development
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Blogging and Content Creation
• Email Marketing
• Video Marketing
• Social Media Marketing (SMM)
• Other

2. Know What They Offer

Each online marketer has unique qualifications, experience, and expertise.  Likewise, your business requires specific expertise and experience. To determine whether an agency can provide what you need, review their website, resume, portfolio, or corporate profile. Contact references and ask them if the marketer:

• Provided useful recommendations and reports
• Worked well with their executive group and staff
• Lived up to the terms of their contract (e.g., they respected the timelines, worked within budgets, and met expectations)

3. How Much Do They Cost?

Know what they are going to charge – and for what. Marketer’s fees are typically based on qualifications. The higher the qualifications, the higher the fee can be. Measure their cost against what you’re buying and determine the value you’d get. Like every other product or service, we get what we pay for; making a decision based on the lowest fee does not mean you will be getting the best value.

4. Small, Medium, or Large – What’s Best for You

Another important factor when choosing an online marketing agency is the size of the firm. If you are a small to medium-sized business hiring a large firm may not be the best choice, because your account may not get the attention it needs. However, a small agency, or single marketer, may not have the ability and power to do the best job either. So, when looking for an online marketer find someone who has the capacity to care for your business needs.

At Strategis Consulting we focus on small to medium businesses and with each project, we mindfully select the best talent for outstanding results. For more information on team Strategis and how we can help your business contact us for a free consultation!

After earning her degree at Simon Fraser University for New Media Journalism and Editing, Allemande has become an accomplished writer and editor. She is also certified in strategic social media marketing. Allemande fluently identifies the channel and content mix that is precisely right for your business and audience, conducts in-depth analytics for continuous improvement in your audience engagement and generation of sales leads, establishes KPIs and related metrics, and prepares meaningful reports that you can quickly action. Connect with Allemande.