Startup Guides > What To Look For When Selecting A Good B2B Digital Marketing Agency

In the competitive and increasingly saturated B2B market, it's never been more important for you to have outstanding marketing strategies. Finding a digital marketing agency that specializes in B2B is a great way to boost results, as long as they are right for your company and sector.

HOW NOT TO DO IT... AND WHAT TO DO INSTEAD

The most dangerous move you can make is choosing the first digital marketing agency that you come across. It's tempting to want to get the ball rolling as soon as possible by going with that one recommendation you received from a friend, but why rush when your company's success is on the line? You might run into future problems and not get the results you hoped for. This in turn could make you end the contract early and incur financial penalties!


So, invest some time in finding an agency that will bring long-term rewards to your B2B marketing strategies.

Next, draw up a shortlist of 'candidates' to do research on, and get in touch with them to learn more.

And speaking of digital marketing, don't forget online social media marketing sites. For example, you can visit 40Billion.com which is the fastest-growing network of entrepreneurs and crowdfunders. They specialize in promotion of small businesses by broadcasting and promoting to its large network of several million users across the most popular social networking sites for small businesses - including Twitter, LinkedIn, 40Billion, and even Facebook. Innovative services such as, promoted profiles, promoted company listings were created for small business and startup entrepreneurs to tap into a growing, active network online without spending thousands on pay-per-click ads or traditional advertising. They also offer crowdfunding promotion to promote crowdfunders and their campaigns/projects.

WHAT ARE THEIR IDEAS?

When you make that initial call to a digital marketing agency, make sure that you explain your business, its B2B needs and goals. Then you can give them an opportunity to share their ideas. A good agency will understand what you have told them and adapt their ideas to maximize chances of success. If they don't demonstrate creativity, flexibility and evidence-backed proposals, you should look elsewhere. Here are some helpful pointers when discussing ideas with an agency:

• What they can tell you about previous clients in your industry

• How they can back up ideas with facts and figures

• What has worked for similar B2B clients before

• What are the latest innovations in digital marketing

WHAT EXPERIENCE DO THEY HAVE?

A good digital marketing agency will tell you about their experience on their website, particularly under 'About Us' and 'Case Studies'. Look out for how many years the company has been in business, whether they have accreditations or are part of any organizations and networks, and the sorts of clients they have worked with. Testing whether their staff knows the company's background and history well is another indication of credibility.

What WHAT ACCREDITATIONS OR QUALIFICATIONS DO THEY HAVE?

Accreditations and qualifications not only demonstrate great experience, but the quality of the agency's services. For example, B2B digital marketing agencies gain respect in their sector by being a Google Partner. Becoming a Google Partner requires an agency to have a good working relationship with Google, including advanced use of Google Adwords.

You should also look at agency websites to find out more about their staff's qualifications, particularly managers and directors. These don't have to be academic qualifications; they could be chairs of industry organizations for example.

HOW WILL THEY COMMUNICATE?

Everyone is different; therefore, every digital marketing agency will have a slightly different communication style. However, it's important to choose an agency that will make it clear what you can expect from them from the start. Some of the things to look out for are:

• Regular reports to outline the performance of your B2B marketing strategies

• Regular meetings whether they are online webinars, over the phone or in person

• Following up on issues and replying to all emails promptly

• Sharing relevant B2B digital marketing updates with you that might improve your service

• Making updates to your campaigns and strategies to stay ahead of the competition

HOW WILL THEY MEASURE THE CAMPAIGN?

Whether your B2B business is using a social media, SEO, branding, web design or Google Adwords (PPC) campaign, your chosen digital marketing agency will have to monitor and measure performance closely. This requires clear, planned and scheduled activity in the campaign, such as:

• Budget and spending checks

* Ad rank checks on various search engine

• Scheduled Social Media posting

• Split testing website landing pages

• Use of reporting programs such as Google Analytics

Having a solid background in analytical measurement is essential if you want to keep up with the digital marketing revolution. You will see how your B2B marketing is progressing online by receiving well-organized and thorough data on your campaign.

Asking yourself these questions when investigating your shortlist of agencies is going to make choosing the right one a lot easier. Your B2B digital marketing efforts will be so much more effective and profitable once you find the best-matched partner agency.

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