Let’s assume we work together or are going to soon. Our goal as a digital marketing agency is to make sure our clients spend money in the right places, run successful campaigns and most importantly get results.

When you begin an engagement with an agency most people don’t understand a lot of the costs that are associated with contracts, where to spend their budget and how to make the most of each dollar. So here’s a little advice on how to make sure you have a clear marketing strategy, maintain a good relationship with your agency and maximize your efforts.

Here are 4 ways to maximize the money you spend with an agency…

  1. Collaborate and set goals. You hired an agency for a reason and that’s probably to take a task you don’t have the time or expertise to handle, off your plate. So, trust them! Collaborate with them and view your relationship as a partnership. Before you begin, know what metrics are important to you and your business. Discuss these and agree with the agency on specific strategies you would like to put in place to reach your goals. Set goals and expectations such as the number of followers you would like to reach, expected email list growth numbers, etc. These details will help the agency create a plan for you. We suggest setting up a 12-month plan, so you have time to set your strategy in motion and see results.

2. Be bold. Taking calculated risks is part of any marketing strategy and success is usually achieved through trial and error, science and creativity and branding and copywriting. Understand that you usually need to test out new ideas and campaigns and make changes along the way. “Failures” are learning opportunities so don’t be scared to test often, fail fast and change direction when needed. Be open to new ideas that you wouldn’t have come up with on your own and embrace the possibility changes may work better than the status quo.

3. Be a good client. Encourage your agency to take bold moves. Communicate with them the way you expect them to communicate with you. Be prompt, make sure to complete tasks on time and don’t waste your agencies time (after all, you’re paying for it!). Approve content, respond to your account executive and make sure to give input along the way. If you notice something’s not right, say so. You know your business the best so if the copy is off or you feel the campaign is not targeting the right group of people, speak up before wasting your time and money. The agency will be grateful too! Address any issues head-on and quickly, and come up with a plan to resolve them.

4. Do regular evaluations. You don’t have to know the nuts and bolts of your digital marketing plan, but you should know and understand a high-level overview of the strategy and the platforms needed to accomplish your goals/KPI’s. Then review your results often! Make sure there is an easy way for you to do this and offer feedback.

At Problem Solvers we provide our clients with a live link to see how they’re doing and growing with each campaign. That way, we can evaluate which direction the campaigns are heading, can gather feedback and make changes without wasting money. Make sure you understand your results and that your agency explains the results, both wins and opportunities.

Maximizing your agency spend is critical to a long, successful relationship for both parties. Like any relationship, it is important for both parties to be committed to achieving your goals.

If you’re interested in learning more about working with our agency at Problem Solver’s, click here to email us and set up a free, no hassle consultation for your business.