How To Choose A Good Media Agency
You hire a media agency because you want results. But how do you select the right media agency? Marketers are so engrossed in the products or services that they are selling, that they tend to look at the market from just one point of view; which is theirs. Therefore, a good marketer knows when to break out of this stranglehold and seek the help of a good media agency. Good media agencies become an extension of the business as they bring fresh ideas and concepts, which result in increased sales. This is what marketers want. Plus good media agencies come with a wealth of industry experience and knowledge of services that a business would require from the agency.
But asking for a Request for Proposal from a media agency is not enough to find a good media agency; you need to do much more. You must follow a proper methodical process in selecting a good media agency. The steps to follow in selecting a good media agency are:
Questions that you must answer are; why are you looking for a media agency? And what do you want to accomplish with their help? Do you want to increase local sales, international sales or both? Do you want to launch a new product or service? Do you want to change a products' image or your company's image?
After deciding what you want to accomplish, your next task is to do your homework. That is; list down everything about the goal you want to achieve. A good media agency will help you to see what you wish to accomplish from a fresh and different perspective. They will bring fresh eyes and ears to your project. They will look at your needs objectively. They will tell you if they can help you or not. For example, a good media agency will point out that your project does not have an audience on social media. They will not lie just to make bucks and send you down a road that does not benefit you. They know by being honest, you will rely on their advice and they know that a customer-agency relationship should not be taken lightly. This grows and develops into a long term business relationship.
A good media agency cares about their reputation and their customers, which means you. They draw upon their cross industry experience and give ideas that work. A good media agency thinks creatively and strategically. They come up with solutions that would have not occurred to you. They can deliver results and they can prove it. Lastly, a good media agency will be ready to listen to constructive criticism. A good media agency recognizes you as a business partner and will value the relationship. It will help in achieving the goals that you want, and advise you on what is a 'best fit' solution for you.
But asking for a Request for Proposal from a media agency is not enough to find a good media agency; you need to do much more. You must follow a proper methodical process in selecting a good media agency. The steps to follow in selecting a good media agency are:
- Know exactly what you want
- Do your homework
- Get together for a meeting
Questions that you must answer are; why are you looking for a media agency? And what do you want to accomplish with their help? Do you want to increase local sales, international sales or both? Do you want to launch a new product or service? Do you want to change a products' image or your company's image?
After deciding what you want to accomplish, your next task is to do your homework. That is; list down everything about the goal you want to achieve. A good media agency will help you to see what you wish to accomplish from a fresh and different perspective. They will bring fresh eyes and ears to your project. They will look at your needs objectively. They will tell you if they can help you or not. For example, a good media agency will point out that your project does not have an audience on social media. They will not lie just to make bucks and send you down a road that does not benefit you. They know by being honest, you will rely on their advice and they know that a customer-agency relationship should not be taken lightly. This grows and develops into a long term business relationship.
A good media agency cares about their reputation and their customers, which means you. They draw upon their cross industry experience and give ideas that work. A good media agency thinks creatively and strategically. They come up with solutions that would have not occurred to you. They can deliver results and they can prove it. Lastly, a good media agency will be ready to listen to constructive criticism. A good media agency recognizes you as a business partner and will value the relationship. It will help in achieving the goals that you want, and advise you on what is a 'best fit' solution for you.