The backstory.
EAG Advertising & Marketing is in the middle of a brand refresh. When you’ve been in business long enough, a brand update is inevitable. The process involves evaluating changes in your industry and among your clients’ expectations and needs. Ultimately, the goal is to position (or re-position) your brand in the marketplace to be compelling to your clients and prospects.
Getting to that point takes soul searching. Who are your ideal clients? Have they changed? Does what you offer solve their problems? Make their lives easier?
For us, one ideal client is a marketing director for a mid-sized company. Do our advertising and marketing services solve their challenges, making their lives easier? Yes, with the caveat that our services constantly change based on client need and industry evolution. For example, when EAG was founded in 2003, geofencing a tradeshow wasn’t invented yet. For marketing directors, geofencing puts their company in a target-rich environment. Prospecting problem solved.
Another example happened yesterday. A client’s marketing director wrote a product listing for an industry trade publication. She knew she could turn to us, her outsourced marketing agency, to proofread and edit the listing before she submitted it. For her, it was easy and convenient to get a second pair of eyes on it. For us, it was proof we’ve built a trusted, productive relationship with this client.
The point.
For marketing directors, an outsourced marketing agency brings plenty of benefits and opportunities:
- Marketing strategists with whom to brainstorm ideas
- Advertising experts who can execute ideas
- An extra set of hands (or eyes) whenever you need them
- Less work on your plate and responsibility on your shoulders
- More time in your day to focus on your role and what you enjoy doing most
Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Here’s how to get the relationship you deserve with your marketing agency, whether you need to reset with your current one, are in the process of hiring one or transitioning to a new one.
Define the team on your end who’ll be working with the marketing agency. And, your marketing agency should do the same.
Why? Outsourced marketing is designed to streamline processes and maximize budgets. Identifying who is the key point of contact and who needs to be kept up to date on what is a time savings measure for you and budget conscious move for the agency. For example, there is no need for the agency’s web development expert to be included in monthly meetings unless there is a web project underway or coming up. That being said, you should feel comfortable asking your agency to include one of its marketing experts if you need assistance in campaign or project planning or presenting results and ideas to your company’s stakeholders.
Set your marketing goals and budget.
Maybe you want to improve brand recognition, focus on lead generation or simply make your marketing materials look better. Some parts of marketing can be more difficult to measure than others. Even so, every aspect of your marketing strategy should work toward achieving your company’s goals, whatever they be. Be prepared with a budget, either firm or ballpark. Your outsourced marketing agency should realistically evaluate the numbers and create (or revise) a marketing strategy and execute tactics within your budget.
Don’t be shy about sharing your communication preferences and reporting expectations.
This one is all about YOU. Your marketing agency should follow your lead. If you’re the type who needs to be involved in or updated on the smallest details, say that. If you prefer to stay big picture, say so. One or the other should not affect marketing outcomes or results, and of course, preferences can change over time or circumstances at any given moment.
EAG Advertising & Marketing works with marketing directors the way they prefer across the board or on certain types of projects or reporting. For example, our web and digital analytics reporting drills down to granular detail. Some marketing directors want the whole enchilada, while others need only the big picture. Then there are times when they want a mix, big picture monthly, details quarterly. Expect weekly marketing updates or are monthly meetings better for you? Your preferences should be honored and expectations met, however, your marketing agency can only do so if they know them.
Remember, you cannot overshare.
This is a two-way street. If you are new to the marketing director role or you’re familiar with the position, but not the industry, your marketing agency can be a tremendous resource, especially if they deep experience working with other clients in your industry. If your marketing agency is getting up to speed in your industry, share everything you can to help their team better understand your products, services and customers. Between the two, the relationship, work and results can only benefit.
The importance of an annual review.
Whether you work with your marketing agency for strategy, execution or both, an annual review is an opportunity to celebrate marketing wins and identify areas for improvement. It’s a time to look to the year ahead and map out needs and budget. It’s a chance to identify what’s working and what to add to the marketing mix, if it makes sense. It’s a chance to check in on one another and discuss any steps or changes that can be made to strengthen the marketing director and marketing agency relationship.
Your agency should make you look phenomenal.
If we’re judged by the company we keep, then working with EAG Advertising & Marketing will make you look like the smartest marketing director on the planet. We’re here to save you money compared to hiring additional in-house marketing talent, give you access to a wide range of marketing and advertising experts and take some of the marketing weight off your shoulders.
Could outsourced marketing be the relationship you’ve been looking for? Let’s find out.