Have you ever had these problems with sales and marketing?
- I just fired another salesperson.
- My marketing agency doesn’t seem to understand what we do! My SEO Firm doesn’t understand my business.
- We’re not closing deals.
Does that sound familiar?
If so, this blog is for you. Here are five ideas to help you fix your problem.
1. Your problem may not be “creative.”
Creative is important but it’s only one piece of the puzzle.
Your message needs authority. Authority comes from expertise. Translating expertise into the digital sphere means blogging, ebooks, white papers, case studies, and webinars.
Remarkable content requires that the author understand what they’re writing. Look for a full-service marketing agency with expertise in your field.
2. Get involved in your marketing efforts
Who knows your business better than you?
A good marketing agency will bring you into the fold - especially up front. Once they really understand your business they will take the reins and run - freeing you up to concentrate on running operations. Your chances of success are much higher if the agency pulls expertise from those who have it - especially as you get started.
The right agency will:
-
Do research up front: interview company executives, sales people, the director of marketing etc.
-
Develop buyer personas and create content that targets different stages of the buyer’s journey.
-
Iterate their content based on data analysis and leverage your company’s expertise to continuously improve your strategy.
3. Hire the right firm the first time
So how do you know it’s the right firm?
Start by talking to several different firms. How much can they understand with 30 minutes on the phone? One of the biggest frustrations I hear from tech CEOs is that they can’t get an agency to understand what they do and how they do it. Hiring an agency with industry expertise on day one is better than educating a new firm for three months before they produce anything.
If you’re in a niche skill set and the firms that get your business just aren’t out there, try testing them out. Are they willing to take an action item, do research, and come back with some insight?
4. Ask them about keyword research
Many agencies will say “give us a list of keywords you want to rank for.” A great agency will have a research process in place to generate the list for you. Then they will iterate based on SMART goals and predefined success metrics. You want an agency that works for you - not the opposite!
5. Look at past performance
What does their portfolio look like? Have they worked for firms similar to your business? Do you like what they produced?
A good agency doesn’t necessarily need a record in your industry, but do they have a track record of figuring it out? Have they gone into a new industry, conducted research, learned it, executed it, and produced leads? Or do you just see a portfolio of pretty pictures?
Creative marketing agencies are a dime-a-dozen. The truly great agencies differentiate by their ability to speak the technical language. Look for a marketing firm with the competence to speak “tech” with authority.
