You should always be looking for ways to improve your business - but certain times require more scrutiny than others. If you’re experiencing poor campaign results, dissatisfied customers, and a suffering bottom line, it’s time for a reality check.
During tough times, it’s crucial to take a step back and assess your team’s performance objectively. You don’t have to panic, but you do have to learn from mistakes and adapt if you’re going to turn the ship around. At Emotive, we understand because we’ve been there before - and it made us the marketers we are today.
Here are some hallmarks of agencies that are not good fits for ambitious businesses.
Overpromising and Underdelivering
One of the biggest issues when it comes to agency performance is a company that promises the moon and delivers a pebble. You want to be sure that you know what to expect - and when you’re getting it.
Ask for realistic goals, timelines, and results. While it may be tempting to work with the agency that has the most inspiring promises, it is important to remember that they will have to deliver on what they have promised.
Focusing on Buzzwords Instead of Results
There is a lot of jargon in the world of digital marketing. Buzzwords like "SEO," "pay-per-click," and "inbound marketing" can make it seem like an agency knows what they are doing, but it's not always true. Ask for concrete examples of how they have helped other businesses like yours, and don't be swayed by flashy lingo. An agency's results should speak for themselves, regardless of the language they use.
Using Words Instead of Data at Critical Times
As a business owner, your bottom line is what dictates the decisions you make - especially when hiring specialists. If your agency is constantly bringing excuses instead of solutions or telling you that the data is misleading, they might be the problem.
At Emotive, we are constantly pushing for more accurate attribution and better data. Our first-party pixel allows us (and by extension, you) to make the best decisions day-in-and-day-out. Our clients’ performance reflects this reality.
Unrealistic Project Expectations
An agency that sets unrealistic project expectations is setting you up for failure. If they are promising unattainable results, you will be disappointed when they fail to deliver. Be sure to have a thorough understanding of what they believe they can accomplish within the timeframes they have set. Clarify what's possible and what's not possible as this will help them understand your expectations.
Not Hiring the Best Talent Available
A marketing agency is only as good as the talent behind it. If they are not hiring the best people, you can expect subpar results. It's essential to ask about their hiring process, training programs, and how they identify the best talent available. Look for reviews and ratings from their previous clients and use them as a reference for their capabilities.
Not Communicating with You
Communication is the key to building a successful client-agency relationship. If your agency is not communicating with you, you will not know what is going on with your campaigns. Ensure the agency you're working with schedules regular meetings to discuss your campaigns' progress and make sure all the project expectations are met. It would help if you weren't left in the dark about your marketing activities.
Transform Your Marketing With Emotive Growth
It can be a rude wake-up call to realize that your agency isn’t getting the job done. We find no joy in pointing out shortcomings. However, at Emotive, we do find joy in helping e-commerce businesses turn their marketing campaigns around, outpace their competitors, and set ROI records consistently.
Our team and strategies are backed by first-party data and server-to-server tracking. We also pride ourselves on being expert communicators who will make life less stressful for you every step of the way. We’ve partnered with Blotout to bring your brand true, first-party data so that we can identify more users - even those who shop anonymously. The implications of not reporting on this missed data can be crucial for your business.
Change can be scary to make - but this one is a no-brainer.