5 More Tips on Choosing a Content Marketing Agency
December 9, 2020 at 7:45 am,
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On this point I wrote last year about choosing a content marketing agency. In reviewing the topic at this point, a couple of things have changed. All seven points are still relevant, but the agency landscape has evolved a lot in the last 12 months.
Spending within the industry has accelerated significantly as the content marketing skill set seeps into mainstream marketing budgets. We've seen budgets shifting from traditional publishers, digital, search, and PR to our coffers, and now we're seeing agencies in those segments compete to respond and reform to drive their share of the lucrative content marketing dollar. .
We've also seen the top digital, media, and creative agencies come together, making it even more difficult for marketers to determine which agency is best suited to help them with their content marketing programs. With this in mind, let's see if we demystify some of the key points to help you choose a content marketing partner:
1. Check your strategic capabilities
According to recent CMI surveys of the entire market, many brands do not have a documented content strategy, and this can be reflected in the performance of content marketing initiatives.
Therefore, it is critical to look for a content marketing agency that has strong strategic capabilities. This simply suggests having a head of strategy - the agency should have a consistent approach, a strong methodology, and most importantly, an honest post.
Look at your case studies and tune in to clients.
- How have you helped other brands develop successful content strategies?
- What calm approach have you taken?
- How does that translate into how they could help engage your audience, improve your marketing strategy, and achieve your business goals?
2. Ask what tools they offer and how they will generate actionable results and results
I talked about this last year and it is becoming increasingly important to look for a data driven agency. How will you measure the success of your marketing program and help drive your ROI? Look specifically at the tools, processes, and information and measurement metrics you need to live successfully and identify areas for improvement. As we all know, nothing works right all the time, so how do they identify problems and work once they change course?
3. Look under the hood (so to speak ...)
My first thing is people. You meet the boss, you meet the top of "this" and "that," then you sign the deal and you don't see those guys for dust! Ask yourself whether or not they have a strong layer of account and project management - smart, experienced people who will be there to speak to you effectively day after day. The kind of people you would hire yourself.
As the market diversifies and more agencies spring into action, you need to ask yourself if the people within your agency are the right fit for you and your business. Do they understand your business values, motivations, and goals, and do they need the skill sets to help you live by them? Up front, confirm that you know who might be on your team. Think about the questions you would like to ask to feel comfortable that they are up to the task and can deliver on your brand values.
4. Better understand marketing technology
The agency has at your disposal and the way you will interact with it. Marketing technology can be a must - it can help you identify new audience segments, measure engagement, and attribute actions and revenue to your marketing programs. If you are using a technology together with the agency, take a look at the interface. If you and your team use the program on a daily basis, you would like to make sure that it is easy to use and therefore the results are easy to know.
If you have your own marketing technology platforms that will play a role in measuring or assisting with the work your agency performs, ask about their experience with the platform and / or how it will connect or complement the agency campaign. In the last 12 months, technology providers have been involved in the content marketing segment. While there are now a plethora of marketing automation software and platforms, remember that all of them require quality content to work well.
5. Longevity and retention are essential
Do you need a list of clients who have come the distance? Beyond a big pitch, can they really race through time, managing the ups and downs of a program, staying nimble to meet any challenge?
What I'm saying is, can you deliver? You will only get this data if you check with the agency's clients, look at people who have renewed contracts or signed up for additional campaigns. Play Devil's Advocate - Find clients not listed or provided as referrals.
So there you have it: another five points to think about as you go through the method of finding content writing companies that work well for you. Good luck.