Advertising! It’s a word that strikes fear in the hearts of many of our customers, and for good reason. Running a business is hard enough and to try and learn a completely different discipline – marketing – can almost be impossible to do. But to run a successful business, you need customers, and to get customers continuously requires advertising and marketing. Today, it’s not enough to just be the go-to company in the neighborhood. Websites like Yelp!, Amazon, and Facebook have made it incredibly easy to find out all the information you need about a business or product, without ever leaving your house. Creating a strong brand presence and keeping your customers engaged, even after they’ve done business with you, has now become a necessity for running a successful business. But how do you find the time to manage your marketing strategy?
Advertising Agencies Can Save You Time and Money
So many business owners hate the idea of talking to yet another advertising agency about their marketing goals and business strategy, and for good reason. As a business owner, your time is extremely valuable to your business’s bottom line, and wasting it means potentially losing a customer. But the alternative may be worse. Daily algorithm changes to Google can mean unexpected drops in website traffic if you don’t adjust in time. Being inconsistent with Social Media can mean losing followers to a competitor. Not knowing that there is a new feature added to Instagram can mean that your company has missed an opportunity to further connect to your customer base.
Digital platforms are powerful tools that allow businesses to constantly remain connected to their customers, and potential customers, but at the same time, have become a completely second business that must be run simultaneously. Ad agencies, like Edwards Media Solutions, can help ease the burden of running and maintaining your company’s marketing.
Selecting the Right Agency
At this point, you might be asking yourself, “How do I select the right ad agency?” Great question. I’ll be honest, there is not a shortage of advertising agencies, and selecting the right one can be tricky. A successful marketing campaign requires ongoing attention and care. The biggest sign that you are selecting the right company is by watching the care they use to understand your goals in your initial meeting (run away if you aren’t given a consultation before starting a campaign). An advertising company should take the time to align its suggested media mix and strategy, with your business goals. They also should be able to back their suggestions with data. That is the beautiful thing about digital marketing. There is ample data to guide your strategy. Below are a few questions to ask any advertising agency before you decide to work with them.
Will there be easy-to-read reporting?
What parts of my advertising campaign are outsourced?
What audiences will be targeted?
- Why were these audiences selected?
- Which keywords will we be targeting?
- How often are hashtags/keyword lists revised?
This list is not exhaustive but is a great place to start. An advertising agency should be able to clearly explain the answer to these questions in an easy to understand way. If you, the business owner, can’t understand your strategy, how will your customers understand your message? If your potential ad agency can’t explain their logic for a marketing strategy, that should be a red flag for you.
The Wrap Up
The Wrap Up
Marketing and advertising is often an overlooked aspect of a business, but is necessary to be successful. Today’s digital landscape makes it easier to gain and maintain a loyal customer following, but can very time-consuming. Marketing and Advertising Agencies, like Edwards Media Solutions, can save you time by creating marketing strategies that help grow your business and save you time doing so. Scheduling that initial meeting could be the step towards a more profitable business. Contact Edwards Media Solutions today to schedule a consultation and discuss your business.
