5 signs you need to switch marketing agencies

Whether you are a growing or an established business, creating a well-thought out and thorough marketing plan is essential for increasing your visibility, targeting the right people and making sure they continue on as loyal customers. For many, the development of a marketing plan will be done alongside an agency. If you’ve been working with the same agency for a while but find they aren’t cutting it or obtaining the results you’re hoping for, then it might be time to move on!

We’re here to offer some definite signs that it may be time to switch marketing agencies.

Here are 5 signs that you should switch marketing agencies.

1- Results are not what you’d hoped for

We mentioned this point in our introduction, and for good reason. The point of hiring and working alongside a marketing agency is so that your business obtains the best possible results. If you’re not seeing any movement in your marketing initiatives, then you’re definitely not getting what you’ve paid for. Essentially, the role of a marketing agency is to offer you a tailored marketing plan that works for both your business and your marketplace.

A marketing agency should be offering you concrete ways to interact with your customers, increase your online visibility, implement a user-friendly buying experience as well as maintaining and growing trust between yourself and your target market. Do bear in mind that results won’t be instant or happen overnight, but you should be seeing at least some of the results you’d expect including an increase in your sales, more followers or a higher rate of conversion.

There are many distinct types of agencies as well as many variables when it comes to creating the right marketing plan for your needs. If you’re not seeing the results you were promised or the results that you’d expect and a fair amount of time has passed, then we'd consider looking for a new agency.

2- The agency refuses to create a tailor-made marketing plan

As mentioned above, there are many factors that play out in the creation of a marketing plan. Since your business is unique, you’ll want to work with an agency who understands its intricacies and can create a marketing plan that is the best possible fit. For some businesses, focusing all of the attention towards a blog or brand development might harness results, whereas for others it might be more important to focus on how to further develop SEO.

An agency that can customize a strategy will offer the most effective results. If the agency you’ve chosen takes the same approach with every single business, chances are you’re not going to see the results you're hoping for. There is no single method to tackle online marketing. If your agency seems to think otherwise, then we’d suggest looking for an agency that takes the time to understand your individual needs.

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3- Refusal to try new things

When you’re working with an agency, open communication is key. If you’re struggling to get a word in edgewise or your agency isn't taking any of your suggestions into consideration, future trouble may brew. Although most of the work should be left up to the experts, if there's a tactic you read about or something you’re interested in trying, your agency should entertain the idea and at least be willing to open up a dialogue.

For you to obtain meaningful results with your marketing agency, communication is key. If the agency you’re working with refuses to adjust their strategy or make minute changes and you’re finding it impossible to voice an opinion then we suggest you move on.

4- Sell, sell, sell and nothing else!

Depending on your business, getting your services and products to customers will be important. Although selling matters, this is not the only reason you should hire a marketing agency. There are many aspects of an inbound marketing strategy that need to be carefully considered, and if you’re finding your agency is focusing a majority of their attention on selling, a problem could arise.

A marketing agency should know that focusing their efforts towards building customer relationships, positioning yourself as a leader in the industry and exploring the possibilities of social media are essential aspects of a strategy. These areas involve much more than sales. If the agency you’re working with is heavily focused on the number of sales you’ve made and is neglecting these other areas, you’re only getting a small piece of a much larger strategy.

5- An agency who isn’t aware of what’s trending

Technology moves at a rapid pace and what was hot in the world of online marketing in 2017 might not factor in 2018. If your agency hasn’t adjusted their strategy to suit current marketing needs, this is a definite negative. Your agency should be ahead of the marketing game and be on top of the ever-shifting trends. In the past, marketers have relied on analytics to understand and adapt to the behaviours of their target audience.

In 2018, data should be used for proactive and predictive analytics. All marketing agencies should be aware of this and able to understand how to develop a hyper-personalized marketing campaign as a response. If your agency isn’t doing their best to work with current trends, you’ll fall behind your competitors. Do a little bit of research so you’re well aware of where your agency should be. Remember, there are plenty of options out there so find one that works best for you!