Marketing is the key to any business’s success. No one will know how wonderful your product or service is if they never hear about it. The right marketing can win you consumers even if your offering isn’t the most affordable or effective. Because marketing can make the difference between a successful business and an unsuccessful one, it’s generally advisable to entrust your marketing to professionals. You wouldn’t perform life-saving surgery on yourself, so why take on your own marketing that could mean the life or death of your business?

Deciding to hire a marketing agency is the easy part. The difficult part comes in choosing who translates your product or services into an appealing and effective marketing message that gains you customers. How do you choose? Dallas Marketing Agency Get Savvy Digital has a guide to get you thinking about what to look for in a marketing agency.

Channels and Services

A good agency will have plenty of recommendations for the channels you should be using to promote your business, however it’s important to make sure that they have experience in those channels and they’re not simply recommending services that are within their expertise. A company that does lots of billboards might be helpful with your chain of roadside restaurants, but probably won’t move the needle as much for your specialized B2B sales software. And a company that focuses on flashy digital advertising might be the perfect fit for a clothing brand but less impactful for a bait and tackle shop. Find out what various marketing agencies recommend for your business and find out their experience with it.

One helpful exercise is to consider your business’s marketing goals. Do you want people to know that you opened a new location? Or that you’re having a sale on shoes? Or that your restaurant was rated #1 in the local food publication? Who are the people that you want to inform?

Location

Unless you’re a large global brand or operate exclusively online, it’s wise to choose an agency that’s in your region. Local agencies are likely well-versed in the demographics, spending habits, and marketing opportunities that are unique to your area. Like you, they know and interact with the people in your community who will (hopefully) become your customers—and that connection makes it a whole lot easier to understand what ads and placements will be most effective. A New York marketing agency may not know that everyone in your small town in Texas goes to the high school football game on Friday night and that you can sponsor the marching band’s halftime show for a steal. It pays to go local.

Cost

Some business owners may see marketing as a chicken-and-egg situation: “The marketing budget will come when I start making enough profit to afford it.” While every business is different, there’s almost always something you can afford. Find an agency that fits within your budget and has cost-effective ideas for getting you exposure. There are plenty of big agencies out there that won’t touch anything under a six-figure budget, but for every one of those are ten more small, hard-working agencies that care about your business’s success just as much as you do. You might even find an agency that’s willing to trade their services for yours—do you run a janitorial business? An office supply store? A catering company? Maybe you just gained a new marketing agency and a new client.

Results

Results matter. A marketing agency may have a flashy pitch or innovative ideas, but they’re only really worth your time and money if they can help you achieve your marketing goals. Don’t be afraid to ask about a prospective agency’s track record—any agency that does good work should be able to point you to positive results they’ve delivered to past clients, or even a list of client testimonials or references. If a marketing agency is having trouble proving its proficiency, it’s probably best to walk away.

Hopefully you’re now a bit more comfortable with the process of choosing a marketing agency that fits your goals, budget, and expectations. Remember that in the end, you’re the client and you should get what you want from the client-agency relationship. And if you happen to be looking for a Dallas Marketing Agency, we’re here for you. Here’s to many years of effective marketing and business growth.