There’s a lot of writing out there to tell you what makes a marketing agency great. When looking to partner with a new agency, of course, you want them to have a team of creative-minded individuals who are efficient and professional, but what are the potential red flags to look out for? How do you know when your marketing company is failing you?
We’ve got you covered. Here are five reasons you might need to fire your marketing agency.
Lack of communication: Does your agency check in with you often, or do you feel like you rarely hear from them? Do they reply to your emails in a timely fashion,? Are you always communicating with a different account manager? Are they keeping you up-to-date on what they’re working on? Their progress on certain campaigns? Communication is essential when two or more teams are working together. If you aren’t communicating, you can’t collaborate, and if you can’t collaborate, you can’t achieve the best possible marketing for your company.
You don’t trust your agency: You likely spent a lot of time vetting out this agency before you hired them, so it’s time to trust them. Collaborate with them, but also take a step back and give them the creative and strategic freedom to do what they do best. They are the experts in their field, and if you don’t trust them? Then it’s time to find a different firm that you do trust.
The agency is never challenging your ideas: You hired your agency to be the creative voice, inject fresh perspective, and brainstorm campaigns around new initiatives so you don’t have to. So, what if you are the only one coming up with any creative ideas? It’s time to reevaluate your agency. Not only should your agency be the one pitching new ideas, but they should also be challenging yours. Are they just agreeing with everything you say without offering constructive criticism or ways to improve? It’s time to start shopping for a new marketing agency.
They aren’t talking to you about the future: The agency you’re working with should always be looking ahead, planning, and being proactive to meet your business initiatives. The marketing plan for your organization should not be myopically mapped out based on current trends. If you are not consistently asked about future goals, staffing needs, or market opportunities, then your agency is failing you.
There’s little to show for your investment: Hiring a marketing agency is an investment into your company, monetarily and time-wise. If you don’t feel like you’re getting a return on that investment, then what’s the point? Is your brand getting increased exposure? More clicks on your online ads? More client leads? If not, well…we think you know what we’re going to say by now.
If your agency is lacking communication, doesn’t have your trust, isn’t challenging your ideas, and aren’t talking to you about the future, then it may just be time to fire your marketing agency.
If any of this sounds familiar, you may want to start thinking about getting a new agency to work with.
Ben Pettit is the CEO and Founder of STORY, a digital marketing agency located in Greenville, South Carolina, and serving the Southeast. A brand and storytelling-oriented company, STORY handles all aspects of marketing, especially strategy, identity, web design, photography and videography, digital marketing, paid to advertise, and SEO. STORY works with clients large and small and is growing rapidly. To learn more, visit storyagency.co/
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