At first, your new marketing agency seemed like the perfect choice. You thought it was a match made in heaven. The agency promised high quality, engaging content to meet your customers’ needs and showcase your company’s value. They said they would double, no triple, your social media followers. They claimed they could move your website to the top ranking in Google in just a few weeks.
And let’s be honest, you ate all of this up. I mean, who wouldn’t want all of the above to be true?
You felt empowered, thinking that your marketing message was going to reach a larger customer base. You rewarded yourself with a chocolate donut with chocolate icing and chocolate sprinkles because, heck, you deserved it for picking this killer marketing agency and well, you’re a sucker for sweets (aren’t we all?).
You believed your marketing efforts were in good hands, and why wouldn’t you? This marketing agency seemed legit, had a cool website and even provides some references. Plus, you were really busy, tired of conducting the agency search and you were anxious to get started. But it wasn’t long before you realized that you chose the wrong marketing agency.
Signs Your Marketing Agency Isn’t Working
Missed Deadlines
Early one morning, when you’re swamped with work, you receive a call from your marketing agency. They tell you that they’ll be missing yet another deadline on a blog post you were promised yesterday. A blog post on the importance of delivering on your customer promises. Oh, the irony!
Poor Quality
When they finally send the blog post over, you are not at all impressed. You can tell it was written in a hurry, as it’s littered with typos and you even see your company’s name misspelled in one sentence. And did they just confuse your with you’re? Oh, the horror!
The post is unfocused, and after you finish it, you’re left feeling dissatisfied and with a million unanswered questions. You wonder, was that a blog post or somebody’s idea of a horrible joke?
Long Response Time
You try calling your account manager point of contact to voice your displeasure, but there’s no answer. You reach out to other employees, but you can’t get ahold of anyone. You’d be happy if the owner’s dog answered at this point. You leave annoyed voicemails, send out emails, all to no avail.
Hours pass with no reply from anyone and your frustration increases. Now you have to work late just so you can fix this blog post and publish it in time. But wasn’t that the reason you hired a marketing agency in the first place? So you weren’t stuck writing a blog post last minute?
You’re greeted the next day with close to a dozen voicemails and emails, apologizing profusely for the inconvenience. You think, well, maybe they deserve another chance.
No Project Timeline
Yet, when you ask them for a website redesign, they can’t provide you with a project timeline or anticipated delivery date. They say it will get done when it gets done and will start working on it as soon as possible. When you press the issue, they go on about cool website features and pricing until your head is spinning. Well, maybe, they’ll come through this time…
Lack of Time Management
When the agency falls behind with marketing emails and social media, you ask for an account of the time spent on your projects. You’re told that they don’t keep these kinds of records and unfortunately, they have nothing to give you.
The agency reassures you that the marketing plan being implemented is going to move the needle, get you closer to your goals. I mean, didn’t you see that awesome (yet unrelated) tweet about last night’s episode of The Bachelor? They tell you they are devoting ample time and resources to your projects. You’re left scratching your head, and wondering, with good reason, if you’ll ever see the ROI you were hoping for.
Fails to Follow Through
Weeks go by, and while it’s true your website has moved up in search engine results, it’s nowhere near the top spot or even the first page. But didn’t the agency promise you the number one ranking after only a few weeks?
At the time, you thought this seemed unrealistic or even impossible because of such competitive keywords as your plan’s target. But you hoped that maybe, just maybe, the agency was that good.
You try to get an answer out of your account manager, point of contact, or anyone really, but they have run out of excuses. You’re left feeling disgruntled, tired and as overworked as ever. Reality finally hits. You made a horrible mistake. Maybe, it’s time for another chocolate donut to deal with the heartbreak?
A marketing agency should be helping your business succeed and increasing brand awareness, not making excuses and forcing you to chase them down for answers. The ugly truth about hiring a marketing agency is that you need to do thorough research before you make a final decision.
If you want to avoid this nightmare scenario, or if it closely resembles your day to day life, then it may be time to join ranks with a proven, authentic and reputable marketing partner. Find an agency that won’t let you down with these 7 Tips for Selecting the Right Marketing Agency.
