27th Feb 2015

Calgary Marketing Firms

How do you choose the right marketing agency from all the Calgary marketing firms you have found on the internet? It’s not easy, is it? There are a myriad of choices in what type, style, size and feel of an agency is in Calgary, but how do you know which one is right for you?

Let’s have a look at what other agencies say about choosing the right marketing firm for your small to medium business and see if we can find out what you need to know before looking for the one that will become the creator of your company image.

 

“Choosing the right Calgary marketing firms for your small business is no different from selecting a product from a store; if you don’t know exactly what you want, you are likely to go for the most convincing salesperson around you. It is easy to fall for marketing people when there are hundreds of them and each one is trying to showcase their expertise and abilities just to entice customers. This is why it is important to know what is really needed to make your business a successful one. When it comes to marketing for any small business, the stakes are high.

Let’s discuss how to choose a small business marketing firm.

Identifying What Your Business Needs

Start by taking inventory and assessing your current marketing situation. Ask yourself the following questions?

Do you have a compelling message and clearly defined value proposition?

Do you know who your target market it?

What is the lifetime value of your customer? What is an acceptable cost of acquisition?

Are you ready to advertise, or do you first need to refine your marketing message?

If you have clear answers to the above questions, then you need a firm who can translate your marketing message into profitable campaigns that will yield leads and sales. But, if you have a diluted or weak value proposition, you may need to first invest in some internal marketing workshops or seek a marketing firm who specializes in helping companies craft strategic positioning.

Juicy Results

http://bit.ly/1Cugr7r

 

“So there are A LOT of agencies out there claiming they can offer you awesome results, but who can you really trust?

Check out these top five questions you should ask yourself, when shopping around for the right content marketing agency to suit your business.

Question 1: Do I like their content?

This is a bit of an obvious one but since you are their target audience, their content needs to be something that appeals to you. What is it that draws your attention to them? Is it the price, or the quality of content. You may be on a budget, but you should never compromise on quality. Not only should their content look good, but it needs to fulfil the purpose of actually converting you into a customer.

Does their website provide clear messaging? Can you find your way around easily and do you feel inclined to click onto another page? Do you understand what they do and get a feel for their personality? These are all really important factors to take into account when choosing the right company – and if the answer is no – then you might want to reconsider.

Takeaway:

Their content should make you want to call them

Their messaging needs to be clear

They need to have a great personality

Question 2: Do they blog often?

Producing quality content at least twice a week for your blog is important because it will help with SEO, it gives your brand more authority, and helps to create better customer relationships. If you don’t have the time to manage your own blog then hiring a marketing agency is ideal. Check out their blog to see how often they post, and if you find their posts worthwhile.

Business2business marketing is harder than most, as the target audience can be absolutely anyone. So if you find the Calgary marketing firms posts interesting and can take away some real actionable points then they are doing something right.

Takeaway:

They should post at least twice a week

You should be able to learn something from their posts

Their blog posts should be easy to read

Question 3: What is their social media like?

Social media is a place that is full of content, and if you’re looking for someone to create content for your social pages, then they need to show you the proof that they can do it themselves. Try and find out which social platforms they use and see how they use them.

You’ve probably heard of the 80/20 rule when it comes to social marketing. 80 percent of posts need to be interesting content from around the web, and just 20 percent should be promotional. Check out their engagement levels. How many Likes do they have? How many followers do they have? What is their Google+ page like? All of these points are great indicators as to how they will approach yours.

Takeaway

Make sure they are posting on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ regularly

Check to see if their posts are something you would share

Check out engagement levels on their social media

Question 4: Who have they worked with?

Go and take a look at their examples page to find out what they have done previously. Whether they have worked with a ton of big clients, or they have only produced work for smaller companies, the important thing to takeaway is the type of content they created for these clients. Did they achieve what they set out to do for them? Is their content varied and good enough to share around the web?

From infographics and e-books, to blog posts and shareable videos, there’s plenty of different and unique types of content that can be created for your company. Does the content marketing agency offer various content, or just one type? It’s wise to choose a company who can work on a variety of work for you, so the style is consistent throughout.

Takeaway

Look at their examples and make sure they are varied

Choose a company who can create multiple types of content

Find a company who is offering something different than the norm

Question 5: What are they offering me?

The price of content marketing can be costly, but the results you will expect to see are definitely worth it. That being said, it’s important that you are getting your money’s worth. Their prices and what they will offer should be clearly set out on their website. If you have to call them to find out, then you might want to prepare for a lengthy sales pitch. Make sure that the price being set is the price you pay – many content marketing agencies will make you pay more if you want amends to your content.

In addition to the price, you need to consider the value that they are offering you. Is their customer service up to scratch? Do they have good testimonials from other clients? If you have sent them an email, how long did it take you to respond? Gauging response time is a great way to predict how efficient they will be with you as a client.

Takeaway

Make sure what you are paying for is great value (like unlimited revisions)

Pick a company who comes well recommended

Make sure they are efficient with excellent customer service skills”

B2C: Business to Community

http://bit.ly/1H879oc

 

“What marketing methods are most likely to be cost-effective for a small business?

For most small businesses, especially those providing services, the most potent way to generate new business is by word of mouth. This is not something that can be bought. But you can certainly help to promote and encourage it, by networking with all the contacts you have in a given market, and by asking all your satisfied clients to recommend you to their friends and acquaintances. If necessary, offer some kind of reward for any contacts which lead to new business.

It depends on whether you are dealing with the trade or consumer sectors, whether you are selling a product or services and whether your market is local or nationwide. Most small firms grow by developing specialist niche sectors, where target audiences can be readily identified and word of mouth can be the key success factor. Think in terms of target segments, rather than the whole population. The goal is to develop your market where customer choice is made on specification, service and availability rather than on price alone.”

Marketing Donut

http://bit.ly/1Oev07y

 

” While having a great product is a wonderful thing nowadays, you just won’t make it a successful one if you try to market its power on your own. Using an online marketing agency will provide you with a wide range of benefits, and we will showcase some of the most important ones in this article.

1. Don’t think that the bigger agencies are better

Assuming that the best online marketing agency would be the best one is definitely a bad thing, because many of these Calgary marketing firms have some other agencies working for them as well in order to cope with the large number of clients, so you might not end up in the right hands. Instead, you need to place professionalism over the size of the company

2. Good SEO results doesn’t really mean that they are good at SEO

Any marketing agency that wants to provide best results for its clients cares more about its clients rather than SEO, so you need to perform better research instead of choosing the first thing that ranks on Google, as you might miss some great agencies this way.

3. The more you pay, the best results

This is true, because if you pay more for your project, then you are bound to have some of the senior staff working on a campaign. So if the price is a little high don’t hesitate to contract that firm, but do try to check some reviews beforehand just to make sure that you chose the right marketing agency.

4. If you have a niche, try to find an agency specialized in it

Getting an agency that provides that particular type of online marketing you need might be hard, especially if you are in a certain niche, but it would be helpful if you work with a specialized agency rather than a generalized one.”

Leon Marinus

http://bit.ly/1aqKK8v

 

“To make sure you engage the right company for your business, ask these five key questions during the interview:

  1. How is your agency set up? 
    The mistake I see most often by small business owners is they say to the agency, “Let’s meet at my office.” Larger, more established brands will go and see the digital agency for at least the first meeting or two and inspect the space, staff and process before hiring them. You don’t want to be duped by someone claiming to have an office and an onsite operation when no such place exists. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Are they fully staffed with professionals in the business or do they rely on freelancers or outsourcing for the heavy lifting?

Do you get the sense from talking to staff members that they are skilled, passionate and trustworthy? Simply put, do you get a good vibe?

Be sure to see the faces of the people working on your project. And if it’s clear, ask! Which of your team members will be working on my project and what are their qualifications? Remember, it’s your baby you’re protecting!

  1. How do they price their services?
    When shopping for an agency, it’s important to compare apples to apples. A lot of business owners make the mistake of just looking at the final price without asking these questions:

What am I getting and who am I getting for this price?

How much time will they spend on my project for this price?

Is there a clear procedure for billing for add-ons or work outside the project scope?

  1. What are the agency’s core services?
    Is this digital agency focused developing a strategy, then relying on other companies to handle the execution? Or do they have the capability to handle the entire project from concept to execution to optimization on their own? Understanding the agency’s core strengths will help you determine if they are fit to handle your entire project or just a particular aspect of it.
  2. How do they measure their results?
    A professional company will show you the metrics they use to measure the results based on your business goals. One of the best features of doing business online is that everything can be measured, from CPL (cost per lead) to CPA (cost per acquisition) to bounce rates and abandoned cart rates. Make sure that the digital agency you hire will not just wow you with grandiose words, but can show you case studies with actual results they’ve brought other clients.
  3. What are their credentials or qualifications?
    Find out if the company staff includes respected professionals in their industry.

Are their key players recognized as business leaders, keynote speakers at industry events or published authors?

Do they have special credentials showing other expertise?

Have they developed any special applications or done ground breaking projects?

And finally, when it comes to the cost of doing business, don’t fall into the trap of being penny wise, pound foolish. It’s better to set aside additional resources for a qualified Calgary digital agency, rather than save money and end up losing business down the line.”

Huffington Post

http://huff.to/1HVK32d

 

These marketing agencies have the experience to know what to look for. Let them guide you to finding a marketing company that cares for your branding as much as you do. Lean on their expertise and let them guide you into new advertising strategies and campaigns that will raise the bar on the industry you belong in.