In today’s hyper-connected digital environment, the success of your business is heavily reliant on your social media presence. Whether it’s brand awareness, customer engagement, leads, or sales — social media marketing can deliver great results, but only if it’s done strategically. This is where a social media (or digital) marketing agency will be useful to you. There are so many options out there for agencies that promise results, but how do you know which agency is the right fit for your business?
Here’s a comprehensive guide to make sure you pick the right agency.
1. Determine Your Goals and Budget
Before talking to any agency, you are going to want to figure out what your marketing goals are.
Ask yourself the following:
- Are you looking to raise brand awareness?
- Are you looking to get leads or generate sales?
- Are you looking for help with content marketing, ad management, or both?
After you have set your goals, figure out the budget you have available to work with, monthly or campaign-based. Knowing your budget will limit the agency options available to you and help you not overspend!
2. Assess Their Experience and Expertise
It’s beneficial to employ an agency with experience managing social media campaigns for companies like yours.
Assess their expertise in:
- Specific platforms of interest (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, X/Twitter)
- Experience in your niche or industry
- Data/results from other successful stories and performance
- Request case studies, portfolios, or references from clients.
A reputable agency will happily provide samples of its past work and the results.
3. Check for Full-Service Capabilities
The best social media agencies provide full service. This can include:
- Content Creation (graphics, video, captions)
- Social Media Strategy
- Community management
- Paid Ads (Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, etc.)
- Analytics and reporting
An agency that can provide you with everything under one umbrella will save you time and energy, and allow you to ensure brand consistency and strategy.
4. Inquire About Their Process
Ask the agency how they manage campaigns. Do they have agency-specific platforms they utilize for your campaigns, like Hootsuite, Buffer, Meta Business Suite, or Sprout Social? What is their measurement process?
As a minimum, you should expect a good agency to supply:
- A clear onboarding process
- A complete content calendar every month
- Clear communication and updated information
- Access to reports on performance
- If the agency seems unclear about how.
5. Inquire About Flexibility and Customization
Your business is
Your business is
Your business is its own, and your social media plan should reflect that. Do not use an agency that has provided you with the same package offered to all of their clients. Instead, use an agency that will provide you with a social media strategy that is based on:
- Your goals.
- Your audience’s behavior.
- Your brand voice and identity.
Please also determine how flexible they are regarding changing the plans if something is not working. Agility is important in the fast-paced world of social media.
6. Consider Their Communication Style
Effective communication is critical for a successful relationship. Pick an agency that:
- Is responsive to your requests and easy to get a hold of.
- Is open to collaboration and input.
- Is willing to include you in the planning and approval process.
Regular meetings, strategy discussions, and reports will help keep you up-to-date and on the same page with the agency.
7. Get Pricing & compare contracts
Request quotes from at least three agencies and compare all of the packages. Be aware of the extremes:
Too cheap means likely limited service or some experience, or inexperience.
Too expensive does not guarantee better results.
Also, make sure to read through the contract carefully, looking for key terms such as:
- Minimum contract period
- Cancellation policy
- The scope of work
Try to avoid long-term contracts unless you are sure the agency is going to do a good job.
Conclusion
Selecting the right social media marketing agency can make a considerable difference in your brand’s online success. The agency you choose to partner with should take time to assess and evaluate based on their experience, service, communication, and your goals. The right agency should not only help you grow your followers, but also help convert your followers into customers!
Pro Tip: Looking at agencies such as SDGM Technologies, which provides data-driven strategies, expertise across platforms, and bespoke campaigns developed to represent your authentic brand voice!
