Working with a Marketing Agency

Finding the right Marketing Agency

Let’s face it, there are a LOT of options when it comes to marketing agencies today. There are big, international agencies, agencies that specialize in strategy or creative, or design, or digital work (the list is truly endless), and agencies that claim to do it all but turn out to be a Jack of all trades, but master of none. So how do you decide what kind of agency to hire for your unique business needs? Here are some quick tips:

• Do your research – Ask around and find out which agencies others have had good and bad experiences with. Look for positive Google reviews, strong client lists and examples of work that inspire you.
• Align your values – Make sure the agencies you connect with share and honor your company’s values and mission. But while it’s important to be closely aligned on certain things, it’s equally important to find a team that challenges you to think outside the box.
• Keep your options open – Reach out to multiple agencies and get a good feel for who they are and how they operate. Determine if there’s a strong relationship potential there.
• Don’t lose sight of your objectives – Make sure your business goals are always top of mind. If you find an agency you like, but they don’t specialize in the kind of work you need, it may not be the best fit.
• Check out Two Impress — Shameless plug, but we happen to think our team is pretty great and can tackle just about anything you throw our way. Take a look at our work and learn more about who we are and what we’re all about, then start the conversation!

Working with your Agency

Once you’ve found the right agency—and we sure hope Two Impress is at least in the running—there are a few things to keep in mind that will help keep your marketing initiatives on track and running smoothly:

• Think of an agency as a partner – It’s important to remember that your relationship with your marketing agency should be a partnership, not a dictatorship. Bring your agency team into the fold of your business—sharing insights and lessons learned. The more information shared, the more successful you’ll all be.
• Respect strengths and weaknesses – You are, undoubtedly, the subject matter expert on your business, and probably your industry. Conversely, your agency partner’s expertise lies in the realm of marketing. Keep this in mind when you’re providing input and direction, as well as when you’re listening to recommendations, and make sure you’ve partnered with an agency that respects what you bring to the table.
• Communication is everything – Keeping an open line of communication with your agency is crucial. At Two Impress, we’re all about connecting and collaborating with our clients because strong relationships produce the best work.

The Two Impress Difference

Now that you know how to go about finding the best agency partner for your business, let’s talk about what it’s like to work with a virtual marketing agency like Two Impress. Our innovative agency model is the result of spending years in traditional agency settings that simply didn’t produce the best work and didn’t encourage an especially high level of professional satisfaction among its employees. We set out to do something different: create an agency that values collaboration, flexibility and respect. Here’s what that looks like for Two Impress

• Collaboration – We don’t just work for companies. We work with them. This distinction is important because we’ve seen too many agency/client relationships go sour due to poor communication and missed opportunities to work together to achieve a shared goal. The way we see it, the only way to be successful in these endeavors is to work hard in tandem.
• Flexibility – Our virtual model allows us to be incredibly nimble. We’re a full-service marketing agency with a world-wide network of creative talent and clients in different time zones. This gives us the flexibility to meet deadlines, gather data and adjust strategies in real-time, and scale up or down to meet the demands of our clients. Our flexibility is one of the main reasons our internal team is so darn happy to do what they do—it gives them the option of working how, when and where they want. Pretty cool, huh?
• Respect – We operate with a people-first philosophy. From our clients and their customers to our creative team, we’re committed to putting people first in all we do. It leads to high client and employee satisfaction, and more importantly, incredibly impactful marketing campaigns and initiatives that really move the needle for our clients.

Now that you’re ready to identify and connect with the right marketing partner for your business, what are you waiting for? Let the search begin! (Hot Tip: start here!)