Hiring a digital marketing agency is tough enough even under the best of circumstances. There are so many out there, all claiming to be the best in the business. But things get even harder when an organization hires an agency only to discover later on that the agency doesn’t understand its needs. Then what?
Maybe you have found yourself in this very position. We get it. We have been doing digital marketing in Salt Lake City for years. We know what it’s like when a marketing agency and client are not on the same page. The big question is what to do about it.
If this is what you are facing, you have three options. First, you can work with your digital marketing agency to see if you can figure out a mutually acceptable way to get on the same page. Second, you can start looking for a new agency. Third, you could just fire the agency and start managing marketing in-house.
Agencies That Listen Are Priceless
Let us assume you have no intention of handling digital marketing on your own. That means the third choice is out. Whether you choose the first or second, one of the first things to pay attention to is whether a marketing agency listens.
When we first began offering digital marketing in Salt Lake City, there weren’t nearly as many players as there are today. Competition was less fierce because there was so much work to go around. Even so, we learned a very important lesson back then: listen, don’t pitch.
Rather than going into a first meeting ready to pitch our services, we learned to go in with a listening ear. We wanted to get to know clients and their needs. We still have that focus today.
Consider How You Communicate
The difficulty you are having with your digital marketing agency might be rooted in communication problems. Step back and consider how your team communicates with the agency’s team. If you are not on the same communication page, the problem is likely to impact everything else about your partnership.
It could be that fixing communication problems helps the agency better understand your needs. If not, you haven’t lost anything for trying.
Resources Can Be a Factor
Not all issues between digital marketing agencies and their clients are as simple as changing how teams communicate. Sometimes it takes more than just being a better listener to get it right. For example, resources can be a crucial factor.
We have seen cases in which a digital marketing agency and client worked together by dividing up responsibilities. The client did not have the resources to manage its responsibilities at the same level as the marketing agency. Unfortunately, the fallout was interpreted as the agency not understanding the client’s needs.
Insufficient resources can be an issue on either side of the partnership. Maybe your digital marketing agency doesn’t have the resources to provide all the services you need. Perhaps the agency is trying to make demands. Take a look at the resources on both sides. See if there are any gaps that could be causing the problem.
Starting Over Could Help
Finally, you could suggest that you and your digital marketing agency start over from scratch. Scrap everything and build something fresh, from the ground. If you were to choose to go to another agency instead, you would be doing the same thing anyway.
Years of offering digital marketing in Salt Lake City have taught us that sometimes agencies do not understand client needs. It is unfortunate, but there are ways to overcome it.
