Finding the right paid social media agency is a big decision. With the right team you can exponentially grow your revenue and brand awareness. The key factors are trust, transparency, and communication.
What to Look For in a Paid Social Media Agency
Social media platforms have made it easy for businesses to reach millions of people simultaneously. With that said, the level of competition makes grabbing the attention of consumers tedious, much less getting them to convert.
If you’re looking for a way to fast-track the process of generating leads and building brand awareness, it’s time to look for a paid social media agency.
But, choosing the right partner can get tricky. How do you know if an agency is a right fit for your business? Good news, we ARE a paid social media agency, and we'll tell you what to look for:
Their Service is Customized
It's a given that the agency you sign needs to have an in-depth understanding of social media advertising. But an often overlooked part of the hiring process is just how much they understand your brand. A one-size-fits-all strategy simply doesn't work in marketing; every brand has different needs and a unique audience you need to build around. Hence, an agency with predetermined strategies should be a no-no.
Your ideal agency should be able to pitch to you a clear and fresh marketing strategy determined by your brand's goals. This could take many forms, such as drafting a cost-effective ad campaign if you're on a budget, identifying an under-served audience if you're in a highly competitive market, etc.
You might still make a healthy amount of sales either way, but your team needs to understand your brand and your audience to optimize conversion rates.
They Are Versatile
Partnering with a team without direct experience in your sector might be a good thing. Sure, you can sign with an agency specializing in your niche, but then you end up with a team of experts offering the same scope as your competitors. While this isn't necessarily bad, a team with experience and proven success in many areas is a better option.
Think of a versatile agency as a safety net. Marketing is a volatile industry, and things can change at such short notice that you may need to pivot your advertising strategy. A good firm can help you port your brand in any direction necessary so that you stay ahead of competitors. Being able to dip your toes into different parts of the market without losing track of the needs of your audience helps you fast-track your brand-building process.
They Have A Solid Resume
The truth is that there are plenty of marketers out there that can help you. And there's even more that say they can. So how do you narrow down your search? The experts you hire should show you a history of helping brands achieve their goals. This can be through testimonials, reviews, are cold hard stats, like an average return on investment (ROI).
A high ROI signifies that an agency's average profit from social media campaigns compare favorably to the cost of marketing. So, you make back the money you’re investing.
Before hiring a team of experts, you should look at their ROI across various projects and for clients who demanded something a little different from them. This is also a good way of gauging performance levels and versatility.
They Are Strong in Ad Creative
Posts with images produce 180% more engagement. Creating consistent visual images goes a long way in building brand awareness among your target audience. Every color, shape, and pattern contributes to your branding, and these images communicate your message to customers faster and easier than words.
An agency can't qualify as ‘expert level’ if they're unable to cook up an ad with nice images paired with solid ad copy. And don’t forget to inquire about turn around times. The last thing you want is for a design request to take a week or longer.
Moreover, it’s important that any paid social media agency looks at your ad creative comprehensively. They should know how to:
- Write clear and compelling ad copy that fits the framework of ads and the experience of ad viewing process.
- Design visuals that match the brand and the platform, all while popping off the page to entice customers.
- Truly understand the entire customer experience (from first impression to conversion) as opposed to just completing tasks.
You're Not a Number
There are lots of benefits to signing with a large agency. They have a lot of clients, which indicates they know their stuff; this also means they will likely have a bigger team of experts and a lot of resources at their disposal to handle all your marketing problems. Generally speaking, this is a good thing, but the downside is that once the onboarding excitement is over, you become just one among the many.
With a smaller, more boutique or ‘mom and pop’ type of agency, you’ll undoubtedly get more attention. Look at it this way, for smaller agencies every client is important–both financially and maintaining a solid reputation. They essentially become an extension of your team. The leads to faster turn around times, more buy-in, and immediate customer service.
They Offer Transparency
Your paid social media agency should be completely honest with you. It’s their job to be realistic with expectations so everyone is alligned. As we said, marketing is sometimes volatile and unpredictable. You can't always get it right. Sometimes for reasons out of your team's control, a strategy or campaign might not work out or fail to provide the desired ROI. You want a partner that isn't afraid to be open with you.
This type of transparency also helps to set a foundation of trust moving forward. So, if they have an out of the box idea or are asking for more budget to invest, you know it’s in your best interest.
Finding the Best Fit
Deciding on the perfect paid social media agency is no easy feat. You should interview a few so you know what’s out there. This is an important investment. Don’t be afraid to ask hard hitting questions or request another meet before making a decision.
We’d love to be considered. We are Social Ktchn, the ‘mom and pop’ shop of paid social media agencies. Our passion is helping businesses grow through successful social media campaigns.
We offer clients a personalized, custom service with honest and transparent communication. You are not just a number to us, we view our clients as partners and your success is our success!
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