Partnering with an advertising agency can be beneficial for your company if you're wanting to increase your marketing efforts with the help of experts. However, this partnership will only yield great results if you select the right agency for your business.
How do you determine which agency will be the best fit for you? By asking the right questions! We've rounded up the top 10 things you should consider before selecting an ad agency.
Questions to Ask Your Ad Agency Before Partnering with Them
By asking these necessary questions when you meet for a consultation, you will be able to evaluate the agency's strengths and weaknesses. This will allow you to partner with a great fit for your company.
1. What industry do they typically work in?
You don’t have to limit yourself to advertising agencies that only work in your industry, but it is helpful to know if your potential partner has any experience running ads in your field.
If they have worked in your industry before, be sure to ask for case studies and references so that you can get a better feel for what to expect.
2. How will they monitor your results?
It’s important to understand how the agency monitors your results, and even more importantly, how to view those metrics yourself. You’ll want to ask what platform they use, if you’ll get access to it to view real-time stats, and how often you’ll meet to discuss updates.
3. Who will be managing my account and executing the work?
While outsourcing work isn’t a dealbreaker, it’s always more beneficial when the agency has in-house advertising experts that you can speak with directly. It can help eliminate miscommunication or misunderstandings. If the agency you’re looking into does outsource their work, just make sure that they will take responsibility for all of the end results.
4. Do they work on a contract?
When you’re meeting with a potential advertising partner, be sure that you understand their contract terms clearly. Ask about their cancellation policy, payment schedule and terms. Be wary if their contract seems unclear because this could lead to some major headaches down the road.
5. How do the marketing agency’s values align with your company’s values? Who is their ideal client?
These questions are meant to uncover whether the agency is truly a good fit for your business. Ask what their top values are and how they apply them in their work. If they prioritize similar values to you, then that is a great sign!
Remember that this is a partnership, so you want to make sure that you are a good fit for them, too. Ask them who their ideal client is and why. If you find that your business fits their description, then that is another good sign.
6. What is their largest monthly advertising budget that they manage?
Smaller companies with smaller budgets don’t tend to be the top priority for an advertising agency that deals with big-name clients with larger budgets. That’s why you should ask what the budget is of the largest account they manage.
If it seems way out of our range, then keep in mind that the agency may not be the best fit for you. Instead, try partnering with an agency that focuses on advertising for smaller businesses.
7. How do they help optimize your Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)?
It’s important to ask how they specifically plan on optimizing your ROAS, so that you can make sure they have your best interests in mind. Find out if they generate landing pages for your ads, perform A/B testing, create re-engagement ads, or offer any other services that ensure your ad spend is consistently optimized over time.
8. How do they determine which keywords to focus on?
Anyone can take the recommendations that ad platforms provide and apply them to your ads. The point of hiring an advertising agency is so you can take a strategic approach to your ads. This is why you will want to ensure that your potential partner takes the time to perform thorough keyword research for your brand and your target audience so that they can make the most of your ad spend.
9. How do they determine the optimal demographic and interest data to advertise to?
You want to have a strategic partner who will take the time to learn about your products/services and take a deep dive into researching your buyer personas. If this research isn’t a part of their process, then they are most likely going to waste your money for the sake of hitting your monthly ad spend.
Ideally, your advertising partner will focus on increasing your ROAS while decreasing the cost of ad spend for lead generation. You want them to stretch the reach of your ad budget over time.
10. What kind of ads do they have experience with?
The world of advertising is very diverse, so be sure that the types of ads that your agency specializes in align with your target audience. For example, if your buyer persona can be found scrolling through Facebook all day, then it’s more effective to run Facebook ads than a TV commercial. So, an agency that primarily does offline ads would not be a great fit.
Aside from finding out whether they specialized in offline or online ads, you want to know what type of ads they do on each platform. Make sure they have experience in running different types of ads based on where a prospect is in the buyer’s journey. For instance, a potential customer in the consideration stage would have a higher chance of conversion if they receive remarketing ads.
There are a lot of things to consider about the ad agency you're looking to partner with. By asking them these questions, you'll be sure to find an agency that is a great fit for your company, which will lead to better results.
If you're ready to step your advertising game, then set up a time for us to look over your current advertising performance and give you tips for improvement—for free.
