10 Things To Consider Before You Hire An Online Marketing Expert
March 15, 2023 /
Without question, online marketing is essential for businesses of all sizes. Regardless of where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, you need to take advantage of online marketing. It can reach millions of people, increase brand awareness, and drive sales. The challenge is there are so many strategies, tools, and channels to choose from, including SEO, PPC, social media, email marketing, and more. It can be overwhelming to know where to start. Or which online marketing expert to trust.
So, what exactly is an online marketing expert?
In a broad stroke, it’s someone who understands the intricacies of digital marketing and has the skills and experience to develop, implement, and measure the success of online marketing campaigns. If you’re unfamiliar with the field it can be nearly impossible to know who you should be working with and what kind of results you should expect.
As an example, a new client decided to work with us because he had trusted the wrong expert. The story my new client shared was that the expert he trusted had spent thousands of dollars on ad spend. In fact, the ad spend was more than 3x the revenue the ads brought in. OUCH!
Since I don’t want that or anything like that to happen to you, you need to know what to look for before hiring an online marketing expert or agency. So, if you’re ready to take your business to the next level with digital marketing, here are 10 things to consider before you hire someone:
Relevant experience
It’s essential to consider their relevant experience. Relevant experience means that the expert has worked with clients in your industry or with similar marketing goals to yours.
Someone with relevant experience in your industry will have a better understanding of your business and its unique needs. They’ll know the keywords, the trends, and the strategies that work best in your industry.
An online marketing expert who’s worked with clients similar to you will have a better understanding of your target audience. They’ll know how to create compelling content that resonates with your audience, how to optimize your website, and how to target your ads to reach the right people.
They’ll also have a proven track record of success. To assess this, you’ll want to ask for case studies, testimonials, and examples of their past work that demonstrate their ability to achieve results for clients in your industry. (More on this later.)
Someone with relevant experience will also have insights into your competition. They’ll know who your competitors are, what they’re doing, and how to position your business to stand out in a crowded market.
With relevant experience, the agency or expert will be able to work more efficiently and quickly. They’ll have a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t in your industry, so they can skip the trial-and-error phase and get straight to work on creating a winning strategy.
Specialization
Not all online marketing experts are the same. Online marketing covers a lot of ground. So, one factor that distinguishes one from another is specialization. Specialization means that they have a deep understanding of a specific area of online marketing, such as SEO, PPC, social media, email marketing, or content marketing.
An online marketing expert who specializes in a specific area will have a deep understanding of the latest trends, best practices, and strategies that work best in that area. They’ll be up-to-date with the latest changes in algorithms, platforms, and tools.
They’ll also have a targeted approach to your marketing campaign. This means they’ll know how to reach your target audience using the most effective channels and methods. And they’ll be able to develop customized strategies tailored to your business’s unique needs and goals.
The result is they’ll be able to deliver faster results because they have the skills and expertise needed to optimize your campaign quickly and efficiently. Which should save you time and money. In other words, they’ll be able to deliver better ROI.
Communication skills
Online marketing is full of technical jargon. And as with any jargon, it can be overwhelming for non-experts. So, you’ll want to work with someone who has excellent communication skills and will be able to explain complex concepts in simple terms.
When you understand what the person or agency you hire is doing, you can inspect what you expect. And, hopefully, you’ll be able to avoid the mess the new client I told you about is having to deal with.
Online marketing’s a collaborative effort that requires input from both the expert and the client. Excellent communication skills on both sides will facilitate marketing campaigns that align with your goals and vision.
Appropriate communication is also necessary to keep you updated on the progress of your campaign and maintain transparency about any issues that arise. This way, you can make informed decisions and adjust your strategy as needed.
Finally, good communication skills are essential for building trust between you and your online marketing expert or agency. When your marketing team, you’ll be more willing to take risks, try new things, and invest in your online marketing campaigns.
Understanding of your business
Someone who understands your specific business will be able to create a tailored approach to your marketing campaign. They’ll be able to develop strategies specific to your business’s unique needs and goals, making sure that you get the best possible results.
When someone understands your business, they’ll also have a better understanding of who your ideal client is. They’ll know how to reach them, what kind of content they respond to, and how to convert them into paying customers.
By understanding your business, an online marketing expert will be able to maintain consistency in your branding and messaging. They’ll be able to create cohesive marketing campaigns that align with your business’s values and mission.(This is where a brand strategy comes in handy. If you don’t have one yet, you may want to consider putting one together before hiring an online marketing expert. Or you may want to hire someone to do branding first.)
You’ll also see faster results when you work with someone who understands your business. They’ll be able to optimize your marketing campaign quickly and efficiently, saving you time and money.
Your long-term success should be as important to the person or agency you hire as it is to you. And when the person or agency you hire to help you with online marketing deeply understands your business, they’ll be more invested in your long-term success. So they’ll naturally want to ensure you continue to see the results you want over time.
Strategic thinking
You need a well-crafted and thought-out marketing strategy to stand out in the crowded online marketplace. That’s why it’s important to hire an online marketing expert with excellent strategic thinking skills.
Strategic thinking is all about planning and execution. Someone with this ability will be able to create a comprehensive and cohesive marketing plan for your business. By analyzing your business’s strengths and weaknesses, they’ll be better positioned to develop a strategy that aligns with your goals and vision.
Since the online world is constantly changing, your marketing strategy needs to adapt to stay ahead. Strategic thinking skills are required to adjust your strategy in a timely manner to ensure it stays effective and relevant.
This skill set also fosters a focus on the most critical areas of your online marketing campaign. Someone with strategic thinking skills will be able to identify which tactics are delivering the best results and adjust your overall strategy accordingly which will result in maximizing your return on investment (ROI).
Without a doubt, the ability to think strategically is essential for long-term success. An online marketing expert with strategic thinking skills will be able to create a marketing campaign that is sustainable and adaptable to changes in the market. And they’ll be able to help ensure your business continues to succeed over time.
Analytical and data-driven
In order for an agency or online marketing expert to exhibit strategic thinking, they’ve also got to be analytical and data-driven. That’s because online marketing is highly measurable. The individual or team you hire to help with your digital marketing should use data analytics to track and analyze the effectiveness of your marketing campaign, making data-driven decisions to optimize your results.
They’ll also be able to use analytics to identify your target audience and create marketing campaigns that speak directly to them. By leveraging data, they can better understand the behavior, interests, and preferences of your target audience and tailor your marketing efforts to reach them more effectively.
Since the online world is constantly changing, consistently examining the data is required because it will inform continuous improvement of your marketing strategy to make sure it remains effective and relevant. This means you can stay ahead of your competitors.
Results-focused
Closely tied to being analytics and data-driven is being results-focused. With all of the data that’s available, the online marketing expert’s or agency’s focus needs to be on the results you want from your marketing.
Maximizing your ROI requires adaptability. So, your marketing strategy isn’t done after the first iteration. It needs to be adjusted regularly to ensure that it continues to deliver the best possible results, even in the face of changing market conditions or business priorities.
Up-to-date with the latest trends
Digital marketing is very dynamic. As a result, new trends and technologies emerge all the time. So, it’s important you hire someone who stays up-to-date with the latest developments in the field.
Being up to date with the latest trends gives your business a competitive advantage because it will keep you relevant. Knowing and acting on the trends can help you stay ahead of your competition and reach your target audience more effectively.
Understanding what’s trending now allows an online marketing expert to be innovative. They can experiment with new marketing strategies and technologies, creating unique campaigns that stand out from the competition.
When you hire an online marketing expert or agency who is aware of the latest trends and can implement the appropriate new technologies, it can help improve the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. This means they can help deliver better results.
Reputation and testimonials
Hiring someone to manage your marketing strategy or even a part of it is a big decision. You’ll want to make sure you can trust them. A strong reputation and positive testimonials from past clients can help build trust and confidence in the expertise and services you’re considering.
You’ll also want to look at their case studies to make sure you have a clear understanding of what successes they’ve already had and how they can deliver the same or better for you.
Price and value for money
It’s probably pretty obvious, but when it comes to hiring an online marketing expert or agency, you have to consider price and value for the money.
Since you’ve probably got a marketing budget, you’ll want to hire within your budget. However, your decision on who to hire to help with your online marketing shouldn’t be based on price alone. You also need to consider value for the money. A more expensive agency or expert may offer more value than a cheaper one.
Obviously, the ultimate goal of any marketing strategy is to generate a positive ROI. An expert who can generate a higher ROI may be worth the extra investment.
The other thing to think about is that not all businesses have the same marketing needs. So, you’ll also want to consider the level of customization the candidate can offer. A more expensive expert or agency that can provide tailored services that meet your specific needs may offer better value for your money.
When you hire someone to help you with your online marketing, you’re investing in the long-term success of your business. So, it’s important to consider the long-term benefits of their services. An expert who can deliver sustained growth and success may offer better value for the money in the long run.
Hiring the right agency or online marketing expert can truly be a game-changer for your business. And by considering these 10 things, you’ll be well on your way to finding someone who is the right fit for your business and can help you achieve your marketing goals.
Need help marketing your business online? Schedule a consultation to discuss your goals with one of our experts.
