Does this sound like you? Your business is going from strength to strength but suddenly, you’re hit with an all too common problem. There is one huge bottleneck in your business and unfortunately…it’s you!

You need help but don’t have the resources to bring in a full time member of staff just yet. This leads you to looking for a marketing agency to take an area, that isn’t the reason you started your business, off your hands. This will leave you free to do what you’re best at, growing your business.

But...in 2024, it seems that every man and his dog has decided they’re going to start an agency even if they don’t have the experience, knowledge and team to do so. So how do you filter through the rubbish and find not just one of the good agencies, of which there are many, but the agency that is right for you and your business. If you keep reading, you’re about to find out.

Do they have experience your business requires?

A simple but oh so important question. We’ve all seen creative, adverts and copy that looks the part but clearly isn’t produced by anyone with industry experience. Ultimately, your business is growing because you have identified your target audience and know what they are looking for. So, to hire an agency who doesn’t understand that audience is nonsensical. They need to know the lingo, the trends and the key things that make your target audience tick in order to generate the most value.

So before hiring a marketer, consider this. Do they understand your target audience? This understanding can be proven by experience and results in the same sector and also, through a quick chat, it will be easy to identify whether someone is simply talking the talk, without having ever walked the walk. Rather than taking a punt on a one man band who's had success in one industry, you’re safer placing your bets with a team who have the experience, results and knowledge to deliver the marketing performance your business deserves.

Do they have the capacity to scale with you as your business grows?

Very simply, the job of your marketing team is to help you grow your business. So as your business grows, do they have the capacity to grow with you or are you once again heading towards a bottleneck? This would be a good question to ask your agency during the discovery phase in order to understand their ambition for your business and how they can grow with you.

Do they have proven case studies of their work available for you to see?

It’s very easy to say you’ve achieved x results without any proof! So when you’re researching the right agency for your business, please make sure they have proven case studies showing their work in action. Do your research before you make the investment and don’t let someone pull the wool over your eyes. The barrier to entry in order to start an agency is low so you have a lot of options to filter through. But, the barrier to entry for a proper agency is much higher and all of the tips in this article will help you to filter the best from the rest.

Do they show you their team?

The best agencies in the world don’t hide their people. The team is the agency and that is who you are investing in. You might not have direct contact with the whole team but knowing the experience and expertise you have at your disposal should be something you confirm before taking the jump.