![\"\ud83d\udc49\"](\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/svg\/1f449.svg\")
<\/span>\u00a0Book your free strategy session now<\/b><\/a> Let\u2019s dive!<\/span><\/p>\n\n
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1. Start With the Only Question That Matters First \ud83e\uddd0 \u201cDoes This Marketing Agency Understand My Florida Business?\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n
There’s countless marketing partners available today. The barriers to entry are low, anyone can open an LLC, play with Meta & Google Ads, post on social media and call themselves a marketer. But, that is not all that makes a \u201cmarketer.\u201d A true market knows how to put themselves in your consumers mindset, understands the market (location) you do business in, your customer journey,\u00a0 and what strategies need to be implemented to win business.\u00a0<\/span> The bad agencies treat all businesses the same. They put each business they service into these \u201cblack box\u201d of service offerings because it helps them optimize their time & scale their business. Don\u2019t get me wrong, this is important to do but not when it costs the client (you) missed revenue. The problem with a limited service offering is that it prevents the agency from expanding on opportunities that will benefit their clients campaigns without charging the client extra. Let’s use an example.\u00a0<\/span> Let\u2019s say a bad agency is offering a law firm an SEO package in Florida. What they tend to do is treat that new client like any other client and limit the amount of work they do on their campaigns based on the monthly retainer. Meaning, they might only offer a hyper-local strategy for your SEO (your immediate zipcode only) but not offer expanding into new markets (zipcodes or cities) because of how much you are paying them per month. The lower the monthly retainer, the less value you get.\u00a0<\/span> Now, let’s clear the air a bit. This doesn’t mean, any agency should do everything and anything in regards to SEO for your business, unless the retainer & scope call for it. There should be parameters based on what was agreed upon in any contract. On the flip-side, your agency should not be limiting so much of their efforts that it hinders your growth. This is exactly why we say, as a business owner it is important for you to be as much of a partner to your agency as they are to you. It will be important for you to understand the unique balance of getting your money’s worth and respecting your agency’s time & effort. A good marketing partner will advise and work with you on these aspects.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> Let’s drill this down a bit more. Florida is its own unique market and has its own competitive rhythm, right? There\u2019s high season and low season for many industries, consumers travel differently than those in NYC, and our demographics are different than those in Montana.Good agencies understand this (and more) and bad agencies overlook it and will give you a strategy that misses the mark.<\/span> Let\u2019s bring back our law firm example from earlier and say it’s a personal injury law firm. Now,\u00a0 the bad agency is running Google ad campaigns for them and just does a<\/span> geo-targeted ad<\/a> with a radius around the law firm’s office. Sounds smart, right? Wrong! Did that bad agency take the time to understand which markets have the highest policy rates? Did they run a cost analysis on keywords and\/or specific markets, Broward -vs- Palm Beach? Probably not.\u00a0<\/span><\/span> Florida is expensive! So having a good agency partner understands how to be efficient with your<\/span> advertising budget<\/a> is important. Click costs are higher, competition pushes harder, and demand swings based on weather, tourism waves, snowbird cycles, and regional behavior. If a bad agency doesn\u2019t account for these elements in their strategy presentation then they\u2019re not ready for this market.\u00a0<\/span><\/span> A Florida-ready marketing partner will understand factors such as:<\/span><\/p>\n This isn\u2019t trivial, these things affect your budget, your funnel, and your monthly revenue. When interviewing marketing partners you want to ask open ended questions that get them talking.\u00a0<\/span> Your goal should be to learn their experience in your industry, the market you\u2019re in (location), and what their strategy might be. Please note, depending on when this conversation happens, they may have limited insight into their strategy for your business because you could be asking them this on the first initial discovery call but, if they are experienced and reviewed your business in advance (which they should) they will be able to answer with a\u00a0 top line idea of what could work but say something like \u201cmore exact details of our strategy will be shared once we do our research\u201d\u00a0<\/span> A few open ended questions you can ask include;<\/span> \u201cShare with me how you\u2019ve helped other service businesses meet their marketing goals\u201d\u00a0<\/span> \u201cWhats the one strategy you\u2019re seeing as the most beneficial for my goals\/industry?\u201d<\/span> \u201cWhat trends are you seeing with my industry in Florida?\u201d<\/span> \u201cGive me a breakdown of how you manage our ad spend?\u201d (Thats the money used to pay Meta, Google etc for advertising)<\/span> Do you have any relevant case studies you can walk me through that highlight your strategy?\u201d<\/span> \u201cIf this was your business, what would you recommend for the first 90 days?\u201d<\/span> If the marketing agency you’re interviewing cannot answer these questions clearly, or they don’t sound like they know what they are talking about by expanding on the questions, then that\u2019s your sign to move on.<\/span> The next sections goes a bit further into strategy and what to look for when interviews marketing partners.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If an agency cannot explain its thinking without slipping into vague phrases, that\u2019s not a strategy. That\u2019s a script.<\/span> A real strategist should break things down in a way that feels grounded in actual business logic. When they speak, you should hear how they approach revenue, demand, and decision-making, not a mix of marketing or Ai phrases that sound impressive but say nothing.<\/span> As mentioned above, the answers your marketing partner give about strategy will differ depending on the stage you are in. If you\u2019re on an initial discovery(interview) call then their answers should be more top level but sound. The reason I say \u201cshould\u201d is because they are just meeting you for the first time and will be learning your business goals. They should have at least researched your business digital presence to understand what you’re doing from a consumer POV but, that’s just a piece of the puzzle.\u00a0<\/span> If you\u2019re past the discovery call phase and they are presenting their strategy to meet your business goals, then their answers will need to be more thorough and thought out. Side note, if your agency is NOT presenting to you a strategy of how they will execute your marketing to meet your goals, they are just winging it and you should stop the call immediately and tell them to come back with a plan. If they don’t, they are not a real marketing partner.<\/span> For example, at our agency, if we are on an initial discovery call, we already researched the company, have a top-level strategy we think we would want to implement but come to that call with questions that help us refine that strategy for the pitch call. Once on the pitch call we walk the clients through their current situation because we audited not only their online presence but their backend data as well. We highlight what’s working, not working (and why), and highlight how things can be fixed. Mapping out our strategy along the way so the client can feel assured we put the proper thought into a plan and their investment in us is worth it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> A strong agency partner talks in terms that connect directly to your businesses growth:<\/span><\/p>\n If you leave a call more confused than when you joined or uncertain if the plan will work, that\u2019s not your error. It means they lack clarity themselves. You should leave any strategy call confident that the marketing partner knows what they are doing for your business goals<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Case studies can tell you more about an agency\u2019s maturity than any sales pitch. A team that delivers real results shows you real numbers, real timelines, and real examples from industries that behave like yours.<\/span> EAch case study will be different and highlight different KPIs as well as the tactics used based on industry, where your business stands currently, budget, and of course the service\/product being highlighted. Their SEO case study will be different from their Google ads campaign case study and your expectations should be as well.\u00a0<\/span> However, if their case study involves multiple channels like, SEO, Google Ads & Meta Ads, community marketing, and direct mail. Then their case study should highlight each tactic as well as the campaign as a whole and how it translates to the ultimate KPI \u2192 REVENUE!<\/span> When reviewing their case studies, look for details that signal true capability and understanding. Don\u2019t settle for surface level insights like \u201cwe drove this much traffic\u201d or \u201cwe got this amount of messages asking for more information\u201d or the dreadful “here’s how many impressions we got from this client!\u201d These KPIs all play a part in the marketing funnel but they don’t tell you how much revenue they generated for those clients.\u00a0<\/span> Some insights that a good marketing agency would highlight include;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Case studies can be great tools to build trust between an agency and their prospective client but not all case studies are alike. Keep an eye and ear out for the notes mentioned above and tune-in to case studies when they are presented or shared on their website. If they are broad marketing terms and not very thorough, then they might not be real or lack the knowhow to explain what they accomplished (if anything.) .\u00a0<\/span> Additionally, relevance matters. If you\u2019re a<\/span> law firm<\/a> and the agency only shows e-commerce examples, that mismatch will catch up to you quickly. A good marketing agency must understand your consumer journey, cost structure, your competition, and your sales cycle to really help your business.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tracking is what makes or breaks campaigns, you can\u2019t fix what you don\u2019t know isn’t working. There are many variables that come into play when we talk about tracking (just like anything with marketing.) What platform? What industry? What tracking options are available? And more.\u00a0<\/span> Thankfully, digital strategies have tracking capabilities but in some industries theta tracking falls off at certain points if foundational items at the client side are not set up properly. For example, there’s something called an off-line conversion, meaning the conversion or sale happens offline (in house at the clients side.) Like when a home buyer purchases a house after seeing a digital advertisement from the real estate brokerage. The buyer say the ad for the house\/brokerage, contacted them, became a lead and weeks, even months later bought the house.\u00a0<\/span> Attributing that sale to the marketing efforts is one example where bad agencies fail. There are solutions for this and a good marketing agency knows how to solve these pain points as well as recommend secondary KPI tracking to attribute offline conversions.\u00a0<\/span> Most industries executing digital marketing today don’t have the offline conversion problem to solve but there are still a few industries out there that do. So knowing if that’s you or not and how to solve them helps identify if your marketing is helping or holding you back.\u00a0<\/span> A serious marketing agency will speak about the following in regard to tracking\/attribution<\/span><\/p>\n Some questions you can ask when interviewing a marketing partner include;<\/span> \u201cWhat<\/span> conversion events<\/a> will you track, and how will you report on them?\u201d<\/span><\/span> \u201cWill we need to implement offline conversion tracking?\u201d<\/span> \u201cWhat KPIs can we track that measure attribution?\u201d<\/span> \u201cWhat KPIs do I need to track for you on my end that contribute to your efforts?\u201d<\/span> If they hesitate, or give vague answers, then they most likely don\u2019t understand this aspect of marketing enough and you should proceed with caution or just leave the call. You want a marketing partner that’s going to have an answer.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The first 90 days with your new agency partner will be revealing in many ways. Do you work well together? Are they efficient? And many other qualitative insights from a communications and personality perspective.\u00a0<\/span> What you want to know before those first 90 days start is more in line with structure, timing, and execution. This way you understand what’s expected of you, what you can expect from them, and what it all means for your campaigns. As I said many times already, this will all depend on the industry, where your marketing is currently, budgets, and other factors but, your marketing partner should be able to give you a high-level first 90 days. They should explain how they assess, plan, build, launch, and refine.<\/span> A 90-day plan from a good marketing agency would\u00a0 include a timeline to help set and manage expectations across both parties. Something like the below;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Again, the timeline for your business will be different depending on the factors already mentioned + many others. The important part is that your marketing partner has a first 90 day plan. If they promise to launch in 48 hours, that\u2019s not speed, that\u2019s a lack of structure & templatizing their services as a \u201cone size fits all\u201d approach.\u00a0<\/span> For added value, if your marketing partner works with you on that first 90 day timeline to meet your needs (being flexible) then that’s a positive sign. Don\u2019t expect them to honor everything, they have their structures\/requirements too but a healthy balance of compromise is a good sign of a partnership.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n You may have a cousin that knows how to go into google ads or meta ads and run a campaign and the thought of saving the money and having them execute is a dream come true right? My 13 year old cousin can do the same but, would I trust him to grow my business? No, full stop!\u00a0<\/span> What about those flashy marketing gurus on social media that offer guarantees? Their targeting me with great creative visuals, they must know what they are doing, right? Maybe? But, be skeptical about guarantees, read the fine print, do your due diligence. Most vendors that fit this category run their business on high volume sales but have a high volume of turnover because they aren’t marketers and can produce results for clients to keep them.<\/span> A good marketing agency won\u2019t be cheap but they will be worth it because they will be driving a return on your investment. You might be sick of hearing this but the cost of an agency will depend. Factors include industry, the tasks required of the agency (AKA scope of work), and the amount of budget they are managing. If an agency charges $500 per month for multiple services, that rate tells you they are either desperate or don\u2019t know what they are doing.<\/span> At that price, here\u2019s what usually happens:<\/span><\/p>\n Cheap agencies cost more in the end, not less.Remember, you get what you paid for. Take your time with interviewing agencies, make sure they are the right fit. Interview a lot of them until you are comfortable. The insights we provided in this blog should be a starting point to help you make the right selection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A vendor asks, \u201cWhat do you want us to do?\u201d<\/span> A partner says, \u201cHere\u2019s what we\u2019re doing and why.\u201d<\/span><\/span> That difference matters more than people realize. You\u2019re not hiring a vendor to fix a specific problem like a leaky faucet. You\u2019re hiring a marketing partner to help you strategize and grow your business through marketing services.<\/span> A good agency brings awareness that you don\u2019t have time to gather yourself. They study your numbers, anticipate shifts in demand, and bring ideas forward before you ask.\u00a0<\/span> A true marketing partner bring the following to the relationship:<\/span><\/p>\n Most of all, a good partner makes your marketing feel stable, not chaotic. They are able to manage it so there are no dramatic upswing or downturns. They get the campaigns at a health level where there’s consistent performance each week\/month within a range. Why? Because when things are consistent that means the strategy is efficient + if any major drops or dramatic upswings do occur out of the blue, they can go in and investigate why to solve the problem or determine how to double down on the good.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Business owners can sense sincerity quickly. You know when someone is present and when someone is running through a script. You know when someone is listening and when someone is waiting for you to stop talking. Trust your instincts.\u00a0<\/span> As mentioned before, there’s a lot of \u201cmarketers\u201d out there now because the barriers to entry are low, it’s not hard to open a social media page, a google account and turn on ads in these platforms today. But! It is hard to research a market, understand the<\/span> customer journey<\/a>, understand audience behaviors, strategize the proper channels based on budget, and read statistical data to make informed decisions. That’s marketing!\u00a0<\/span><\/span> A good marketing agency knows, if you are not successful, they are not successful! It costs more to gain a new client than it does to keep a current one. A good marketing partner will work day and night to make sure your campaigns are driving results for your business because they want you to grow because that means they grow with you.\u00a0<\/span> You can tell whos good and whos just collecting a check. Good marketing partners ask questions, brainstorm with you, troubleshoot solutions with you, inquiry how your business is performing on factors they don’t work on.\u00a0<\/span> If the agency partner you are working with\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n \u2026then they\u2019re not invested in your outcome and you should be reconsidering.\u00a0<\/span> The right agency shows interest in the health of your business, not just the invoice.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Just like hiring an internal employee, hire slow, fire FAST!<\/span> Selecting a marketing agency in Florida isn\u2019t easy, but it doesn\u2019t have to feel like guesswork. Use this guide as your filter:<\/span><\/p>\n If you apply these points, you\u2019ll avoid most of the traps business owners run into with bad marketers these days. This list is not an exhaustive list by any means, there are many other factors to consider when selecting the right marketing partner for your business but what we shared is a great starting point for any business.\u00a0<\/span> \u00a0 If you\u2019re passed the point and already working ith a marketing partner you are unsure of or simply want a second opinion. Our team offers free audits of any campaigns as an unbiased third party.\u00a0<\/span> We will audit any of your paid media campaigns (Google Ads, TikTok, Instagram, etc) and let you know if your marketing partner is putting in the level of effort to get you the results you’re looking for. You\u2019d be surprised, we\u2019ve spotted insufficient management of budget, improper keyword usage, incorrect market targeting and even FRAUD in some accounts.\u00a0<\/span> \n
\n2. Look Past Buzzwords! \ud83e\udd71 Can They Explain Strategy Without Hiding Behind Jargon?<\/b><\/h2>\n
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\n3. Case Studies and Reviews Matter \ud83d\udcca But You Need to Read Them Carefully<\/b><\/h2>\n
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\n4. Ask the Most Revealing Question \u2753 \u201cHow Will You Track My Results?\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n
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\n5. Ask to See Their First 90 Days \ud83d\udcc5 This Reveals Their Maturity<\/b><\/h2>\n
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\n6. Treat Extremely Low Pricing as a Signal \ud83d\ude45\u200d\u2642\ufe0f Not a Bargain!<\/b><\/h2>\n
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\n7. Look for a Partner \ud83e\udd1d Not Someone Waiting for Instructions<\/b><\/h2>\n
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\n8. The Final Test: \ud83d\udcdd Do They Seem Like They Actually Care About Your Outcome?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
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\nChoose Smart \ud83e\uddd0 Not Fast<\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/h1>\n
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If this is of interest feel free to book a call with our team here <\/span>\u00a0Book your free strategy session now<\/b><\/a>\u00a0<\/b>