At GetCrisp we’ve worked with clients of all shapes and sizes over the past seven years. We’ve supported all of them with results-driven digital marketing. We love all our clients, but there are some that from the first call you think “yeah, this is going to be good.”
So, we asked the team, what makes the perfect marketing client? We took their responses and used it to write this 8-step guide on how you can make the most of your marketing agency.
1, Do you have the resource to manage an agency?
Working with an agency like GetCrisp saves you time and energy. But to really get the most out of it, there does need to be active communication between agency and client.
Agencies need to be clear of your current priorities. When we’re creating content for you, some of the most useful material will often come from within your organisation. We want to get to know you, so we can create work that accurately reflects your personality and appeals the most to your audience.
2, Be clear of your own objectives
What does success look like?
One of the most important things we do with new clients here at GetCrisp is establish commercial objectives. These objectives help frame the work we carry out.
This also applies to your marketing objectives. Think about what your top priorities are, are you looking to raise brand awareness? Improve your customer journey? Or increase leads? If we understand your objectives, we can direct our resources to what matters the most to you, and help you get the most bang for your buck.
3, Decide how you will measure success
Once you have decided on your objectives, you need to make sure they’re measurable. Agreeing a measurement allows us and you to track which activities are working well, and where change is needed.
Examples of analytics you can track include website visitors, customer loyalty stats, social engagement levels, email clicks and of course conversion rate.
We’ll put together regular reports to show you how everything’s coming along.
4, Plan together
If you work together on the plan, there can be no surprises. Activities should mirror your priorities and long-term goals. Everyone works at their best when we can sit down, agree a timeline, and prepare great content in advance.
We know that sometimes a quick response to current events can be incredibly effective, but even then, we should plan this kind of output into a wider media plan prepared in advance.
Let us know if you need help coming up with your next marketing plan!
5, Give us everything
Don’t ever be worried about giving your agency too much information.
Let us know it all. Let them know who’s celebrating an anniversary, if there’s a new office perk, what events you’re attending, who your new staff members are, any awards you’re up for, a new product you’re thinking of launching. All these small bits of information help us get to know you as a business and how to best position you in the market.
Even if you think some details are insignificant, we’ll help you to tease out the little nuggets of gold that could lead to a successful campaign.
6, Agencies should make things easier
At GetCrisp we’re not rigid in the way we work with each client. We want to help reduce your workload and save you time.
That’s why a lot of the communication behind our most effective relationships change over time. We pride ourselves on our ability to act as an extension of your team. After a while we should be so close to your brand that a lot of content can be published without you even having to review it.
Of course this is different for everyone. Plenty of clients review every post and advise on content, or have colleagues that hold great knowledge of the brand to do the same. We’ll agree a plan that works for you, just remember, we’re here to help.
7, Let the agency provide value
No one will know your business like you, but sometimes it’s hard to see the wood for the trees. We’re happy to help with very specific challenges, but sometimes a big picture approach can add more value.
We’ve seen what works well and what doesn’t for a wide range of businesses, especially in the technology sector. At the start of all our projects, we’ll take a look at your current pain points, take a step back, and try and consider them from a customer’s perspective. This big-picture view is an advantage that is much harder to establish internally.
It’s also absolutely fine not to have all the answers at once. Market research to understand areas for improvement is all part of the process.
8, Be honest
If something in the partnership isn’t working, talk about it.
We can be very British in our efforts to avoid conflict. But in our experience, the best work we can achieve is when working with very honest clients. We’re agile and can quickly make changes so that the relationship works for everyone. If there’s a way we can improve your service, there’s a strong chance that it’s a simple change that will work well for our team as well.
And sometimes you may have to admit that not every two businesses can be suited to each other. Sometimes company cultures don’t align, so that’s important to consider this when choosing the right agency for you.
I hope this has offered some food for thought if you are looking to bring a marketing agency on board. If you have any questions about the points I’ve made here, please don’t hesitate to drop me a message or speak to the team on our website.