Every company and business owner thinks their product, service, and company is the best in their respective field or market. There is nothing wrong with being positive. However, when it comes to website design, content marketing, brand strategy, and social media marketing it’s incredibly important for companies to be honest with their digital marketing company.
Imagine a doctor that examines a patient and said patient only offers the positives and is never totally forthcoming about their behaviors, habits, health, diet, and exercise. This puts the doctor at a critical disadvantage. If you are overweight, eat fried and fatty foods only, drink too much, do not exercise, and have high blood pressure your physician needs to know. If you aren’t honest about your health, habits, and diet he/she cannot help you achieve optimum health goals. The same is true for your digital marketing agency, person, or firm.
Trying to sugarcoat your digital story and metrics is not going to help your business develop leads, increase traffic and sales. Most company leaders do not realize the rapid assessment a seasoned digital marketing pro can make of their business by churning through a few online metrics and analyses. It doesn’t take long for a digital marketing pro to evaluate your digital message, brand, and story. Metrics don’t lie!
The best thing you can do for your digital marketing agency is to be totally transparent and honest in regard to your current marketing situation. They need to know about your competitors, the message you want to create, and the reality of your current business marketing situation. Be honest with your digital marketing representatives. Tell them about the good, the bad, and the ugly. They will treat your honest assessment like an attorney and client privilege, but they need to know everything!
The “perfect” company does not exist. Industry leaders like Google, FB, Microsoft, etc., are constantly probing, asking, and seeking to improve their digital footprint. They will be the first to admit that you never fully arrive at your destination and there is always more to be done. However, they also know how to celebrate success and seek ways to improve on growing edges while acknowledging what is working well.
Digital marketing agencies are like doctors. The best among them probe, question, analyze and communicate with their clients/patients. They do not “assume” anything until they have done their due diligence. They seek the best marketing map for their clients within the confines of budget limitations and make the most of every opportunity for their clients. Making money is important to them, but gaining a long-term trusted digital marketing partner is far more important than the bottom line.
As a client, don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions and hold your digital marketing firm to the highest standards of production, content, and brand strategy. You are the subject matter expert, but they are the experts in digital marketing. Leave room for constructive feedback and don’t be afraid to offer new ideas, suggestions, and input to your marketing team. There’s an ancient proverb: A fool spurns wisdom, but those with wisdom will heed wise counsel. Trust your digital marketing team to make the wisest decisions for your company if they have done their due diligence!
The reward will be a higher ranking, Google relevance, elevated positioning, and a significant ROI. Ethical digital marketing firms will not be shy about having tough conversations that will challenge you and their approach. Partnership and shared value are the glue that holds digital marketing firms and their clients together. Don’t accept anything less!
At WebSpeak Media we have been helping clients with their digital media marketing needs for 20+ years. We understand our business and want to bring that knowledge and experience to your business so we can promote your knowledge, expertise, products, and services in ways that look to the future.
Charlie Carter, Partner
WebSpeak Media
Greer, SC 29651
Charlie@webspeakmedia.com
864-905-4703
