Hey there! How happy are you with your marketing team on a scale of 1 to 10? In this blog post, we will discuss ways to identify whether or not your agency is really helping your sales get off the ground.
Here are seven signs it may be in your best interest to switch:
You have different visions.
If you and your agency have different ideas in mind, your methods for getting there will differ as well. For example, if your vision is to be inclusive, and your agency’s vision is to be exclusive, they might have a more narrow target audience than you. They also might leave out certain groups of people that you want to market to.
Ineffective campaigns and wasted resources can be time-consuming and costly. Right out of the gate, you and your agency should make sure you are on the same page about your objectives.
Having an agency who supports your goal will help you land it the way Simone Biles did in the 2024 Olympics. You’ll get there, and you’ll win the gold.
You aren’t seeing results or a good return on investment.
Results are not only attainable, but they are also measurable. If your marketing agency is ignoring analytics and continuing to post content that flops, that’s a sign they aren’t measuring results.
The purpose of a marketing agency is to adjust content based on its performance. They should also work with the algorithm, create content that’s trendy, and keep all platforms updated. An outdated website is another warning sign that your business isn’t seeing results.
For example, one of our team members here at Hapacity applied for a job some years back for a company whose website did not exist. She almost didn’t show up for the interview because she questioned whether or not the business was a real operation.
Businesses without websites (or websites that are antique) are not taken seriously. It is a red flag to not have established online platforms, especially in 2024. We may be biased here at Hapacity, but we believe marketing is everything.
Make sure your marketing agency is measuring results, updating digital platforms, and leaving a good impression on potential buyers. If you’re not seeing the return on investment (ROI) you expected, it could be a sign that your agency isn’t meeting your needs.
The communication between you and your agency is lacking.
Communication is key. Inadequate reporting, unreliability, and difficulty getting on the same page are all signs that the communication between you and your agency is lacking.
Many startup companies, for example, are unclear on what their vision is. This can lead to uncertainty within the marketing team when being told what the goal is. It is the agency’s job to ask the right questions to get at the heart of what the business owner is trying to convey.
There are two elements of communication: encoding and decoding. When you encode a message, you are attaching a certain meaning to your words. When you decode a message, you are trying to interpret its meaning. Miscommunication happens when the encoded message is not decoded correctly.
If there are constant misunderstandings, it may be time to switch agencies. And remember, it’s not always someone’s fault. It may just be a bad fit.
The agency has high turnover rates.
Businesses with high turnover rates often experience inconsistencies in their products or services. When the members of your team are constantly changing, so is what you are selling and how you are selling it.
It’s kind of like when a restaurant opens in a new state, and people from different locations all over the country come to the new store to train employees. When no one knows who is boss, and everyone is being told something different, it gets confusing. Consumers want a brand they can trust, and it’s not a good sign when that brand’s representatives are constantly in flux.
Change can be a good sign when it’s constructive change, but there is a difference between adapting and being inconsistent. Change is good when it’s done in response to a negative review or to solve a problem within the business.
When change is a result of high turnover, though, your brand may be vulnerable to a shift in its recognition, products, or services. We want your business to feel secure in its team, identity, and mission.
Your business is receiving negative feedback.
Negative feedback could indicate poor post performance and ethical concerns in a marketing agency. Marketing is important for any business. You want good reviews on Google and positive feedback from consumers on social media.
The only thing perfect about the Victoria’s Secret ad campaign, “The Perfect Body,” is that it’s a perfect example of negative feedback. They corrected the wording to “A Body for Every Body,” which received much better feedback.
Listening to negative feedback and adjusting your messages will help you recover from the failure of an advertisement. With a good agency, your business will perform well— maybe even as well as Céline Dion in “Tour De Force.”
Your agency lacks innovative ideas and initiative.
One warning sign is that your agency isn't generating leads. A content creator, for example, may fire a marketing agency for not finding opportunities for them to do brand deals with other businesses. Brand deals are such a major source of income for content creators.
If an agency sits around and waits for other brands to approach them with these opportunities, their content creators might miss out on a large paycheck.
Your agency should have enough knowledge and understanding of your business to implement a strategy to generate leads. Each member of your agency should also be a self-starter to turn those ideas into a reality. It is your marketing team’s responsibility to take initiative and bring fresh ideas to fruition. This involves brainstorming, researching, and planning ahead.
Innovation can also include digital transformation, which is the process of integrating digital technologies into all aspects of a business. An example of this is Netflix and Hulu using digital streaming instead of physical disks to deliver video.
The goal of digital transformation is to meet market needs by improving products and services, streamlining processes, and delivering new value to customers. It may require organizations to challenge the status quo, experiment, and be comfortable with failure.
Here are 19 examples of how companies used digital transformation to improve their businesses. Agencies can help clients reach their goals by evolving the team’s capabilities, tools, and expertise to implement changes.
Their promises are high, and so is their cost.
Did you know Apple almost went bankrupt in the mid-1990s? Poor management of budget can sink a business. If your marketing agency is exceeding your budget and promising more than they can deliver, it’s time to switch.
Marketing material should always fall within the business’ budget, unless it has been discussed and approved ahead of time. This involves your agency being transparent about how your money is being spent.
Overpromising is also a red flag because it can cause hasty decisions and strained resources. If it sounds too good to be true, it often is. Make sure you find an agency that is meeting expectations, deadlines, and budgets. This should be done so without cutting corners or using questionable tactics. Preserving your business’ dignity, reputation, and finances is crucial.
Conclusion
Switching marketing agencies is common. If you are seeing any of these 7 signs, it may be a good idea to switch!
Here are some stories about how 12 big brands chose their marketing agencies. Every brand looks for something different in an agency, but the two common factors that stood out were execution and relationship chemistry.
Every business wants its marketing agency to get the job done and be a good fit. It’s kind of like finding a good therapist. Someone with a Ph.D. and 20 years of experience might not be as good of a fit as someone who is completely new to being a therapist— solely based on the fact that you connect with one more than the other.
Education and experience are good signs, but it also has to feel right.
We encourage you to book a free consultation with us to see if we’re the right fit for you!
