5 Things You Should Expect From Your Social Media Agency

If you are business owner and you just signed a proposal with an agency, you're probably pretty excited about the results you'll soon be seeing, and so you should be. But as with all B2B relationships, it is vital to address expectations from the get go to avoid misunderstandings later down the line or get off on the wrong foot with eachother. In this blog post we have listed our top 5 things to expect from your agency and if any of these haven't been made clear or are not being fulfilled, you may need to book an urgent call with your agency. Now, let's crack on!

1. Results

Sounds obvious, but it's often overlooked and commonly misunderstood. The best way to avoid a misunderstanding with your agency is to clearly outline expectations from the beginning. A good beginning makes a good end. Ensure your expectations for results are mutual and that your agency will be able to achieve said results. Then agree on a timeframe etc. Be on the same page with eachother. If your agency has clearly shown that they understand what you want to see and they have agreed to achieve those results for example the number of leads, conversions, expectation of lead generation, importance of nurturing, follow ups etc, then you are bound to see positive results. For this reason we have paced "Results" at the top of our list, because as ironic as it sounds, results are often not me simply based on miscommunication and misunderstanding.

2. Initiative

There are exceptions where collaboration from both parties is useful and this will undoubtedly be crucial at some points during the relationship, especially if you want to see consistent results. Many hands make light work, however having said that, agency work is predominantly about having an outside department take care of what you cannot work on, which is why your agency will need to take initiative for most of the time, in order to achieve results. In our experience, initiative has taken us and our clients a long way. There is truth in the statement "when the going gets tough, the tough gets going". Look for these qualities in your agency. Time is money people.

3. Communication

Key! But often overlooked. Communication is vital in any B2B relationship especially with your agency. Listen to your agency, hits also make sure they hear from you, or at least be accessible to them when/if they need to communicate with you. Disclaimer - agencies aren't right all the time, but some are more right than others. It's about balancing ideas and feedback between eachother. An agency needs to hear about results from your end just as much as you need to hear about results from their end. The best way to keep the ball rolling is through communication.

4. Knowledge

Expect to work with an agency who knows what to do and when to do it. By all means pitch in ideas about direction etc, but only an agency will truly know what works. The reason for this is the same reason you hired them, they are qualified. "The key for us, number one, has always been hiring smart people." - Bill Gates.

5. Testing

Be prepared to spend more. Spend little, expect little.

"Stopping advertising to save money, is like stopping your watch to save time." - Henry ford.

Expect a whole lot of split testing and retesting etc. if your agency is not split testing, you're setting yourself up for disaster. Not every campaign reaps the same results and some campaigns work better for certain businesses but not for others. It all comes down to the variables.

End Note

So as with every business, yours is unique. You are experiencing different barriers and likely have different goals to your neighbour and no matter your situation, we'd like to give you a further helping hand by offering a strategy call with one of our team members to assess your situation, see where you're at and hopefully give you some advice on what to expect from your marketing agency or what to look for in an agency. Click this link we'll get you booked in for a call with a team member for a time that suits you best! Thanks for reading.