Why content?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will know that content marketing is extremely important to the success of your business. Sharing different types of content around the web with your name on it, is one of the most effective ways to drive more traffic, get better leads and improve your sales.
The only problem is, content marketing is a full time job sort of thing, which means that you may not have the time, man power or facilities to be constantly creating content for your company.
Enter content marketing agencies!
So there are A LOT of agencies out there claiming they can offer you awesome results, but who can you really trust?
Check out these top five questions you should ask yourself, when shopping around for the right content marketing agency to suit your business.
Question 1: Do I like their content?
This is a bit of an obvious one but since you are their target audience, their content needs to be something that appeals to you. What is it that draws your attention to them? Is it the price, or the quality of content. You may be on a budget, but you should never compromise on quality. Not only should their content look good, but it needs to fulfil the purpose of actually converting you into a customer.
Does their website provide clear messaging? Can you find your way around easily and do you feel inclined to click onto another page? Do you understand what they do and get a feel for their personality? These are all really important factors to take into account when choosing the right company – and if the answer is no – then you might want to reconsider.
Takeaway:
Their content should make you want to call them
Their messaging needs to be clear
They need to have a great personality
Question 2: Do they blog often?
Producing quality content at least twice a week for your blog is important because it will help with SEO, it gives your brand more authority, and helps to create better customer relationships. If you don’t have the time to manage your own blog then hiring a marketing agency is ideal. Check out their blog to see how often they post, and if you find their posts worthwhile.
Business2business marketing is harder than most, as the target audience can be absolutely anyone. So if you find their posts interesting and can take away some real actionable points then they are doing something right.
Takeaway:
They should post at least twice a week
You should be able to learn something from their posts
Their blog posts should be easy to read
Question 3: What is their social media like?
Social media is a place that is full of content, and if you’re looking for someone to create content for your social pages, then they need to show you the proof that they can do it themselves. Try and find out which social platforms they use and see how they use them.
You’ve probably heard of the 80/20 rule when it comes to social marketing. 80 percent of posts need to be interesting content from around the web, and just 20 percent should be promotional. Check out their engagement levels. How many Likes do they have? How many followers do they have? What is their Google+ page like? All of these points are great indicators as to how they will approach yours.
Takeaway
Make sure they are posting on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ regularly
Check to see if their posts are something you would share
Check out engagement levels on their social media
Question 4: Who have they worked with?
Go and take a look at their examples page to find out what they have done previously. Whether they have worked with a ton of big clients, or they have only produced work for smaller companies, the important thing to takeaway is the type of content they created for these clients. Did they achieve what they set out to do for them? Is their content varied and good enough to share around the web?
From infographics and e-books, to blog posts and shareable videos, there’s plenty of different and unique types of content that can be created for your company. Does the content marketing agency offer various content, or just one type? It’s wise to choose a company who can work on a variety of work for you, so the style is consistent throughout.
Takeaway
Look at their examples and make sure they are varied
Choose a company who can create multiple types of content
Find a company who is offering something different than the norm
Question 5: What are they offering me?
The price of content marketing can be costly, but the results you will expect to see are definitely worth it. That being said, it’s important that you are getting your money’s worth. Their prices and what they will offer should be clearly set out on their website. If you have to call them to find out, then you might want to prepare for a lengthy sales pitch. Make sure that the price being set is the price you pay – many content marketing agencies will make you pay more if you want amends to your content.
In addition to the price, you need to consider the value that they are offering you. Is their customer service up to scratch? Do they have good testimonials from other clients? If you have sent them an email, how long did it take you to respond? Gauging response time is a great way to predict how efficient they will be with you as a client.
Takeaway
Make sure what you are paying for is great value (like unlimited revisions)
Pick a company who comes well recommended
Make sure they are efficient with excellent customer service skills
The choice is yours…
Once you’ve answered these questions then you should be close to choosing the right one for you. If you do set up a contract with an agency then make sure they send you a plan before they start. It should outline the dates of the content you can expect to receive, including ideas and concepts for each piece, and it should outline what results you can expect to see.
If you ever need help with your content then you come and check out what we have to offer! We’d love to help your business become a roaring success with awesome shareable content.
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