In our previous articles in this series, we have looked at a couple of different
factors to consider when it comes to hiring marketing specialists to further the
visibility of your company. We have discussed the wisdom of hiring a specialist
rather than designing a campaign in house, and how the merits of a specialist
lie not so much in understanding the business so much as understanding marketing
itself.
Whether you are promoting wedding decorations or cooking skills, there is a certain
method you should follow when it comes to hiring a specialist. As with virtually
every other non-regulated business out there, many marketing companies masquerade
as successful with little evidence to back it up. Some may be shady enough to
just take your money and run, although this is rarer than many might think.
In this article, we present some steps that should help you find a specialist
who will not only do the job, but do it with results you are satisfied with.
The first thing to do is to check what kind of experience a marketing specialist
has. As we have stressed countless times, a specialist may not have worked within
your industry before, this does not necessarily matter. Take a look at marketing
campaigns the specialist has organized in the past. Demonstrated success promoting
a nursery supply store over the Internet suggests the specialist will be
just as successful with dental marketing for example, because the principles of the
medium remain the same.
That said, similar experience is always an asset. A PR company can be
used in a number of different industries including restaurants, grocery stores,
and food manufacturers. The methods tend to be the same, and the company will
have background knowledge that will come in useful as far as the advertising
campaign is concerned.
A thorough check of past client satisfaction is also a necessity when determining
whether or not a specialist service is right for you. If a company claims to
have put together a successful campaign for an safe driving awareness
campaign, make sure to get contact details from them. Reluctance indicates a
bit of fabrication at the very least, and that's a warning signal that
this might be a company to avoid.
If you do receive references from a marketing company you are considering,
make sure to contact those references with some specific questions. Hiring a
company is not like hiring an employee; you are free to ask almost any question
you like. Get an idea of how happy the former client was with the way the specialist
worked with them, if they felt the cost was worth it in the end, and if the
specialist was able to deliver on time.
Last, consider how much you are getting for the money you are investing in
the specialist. You might be looking for a company with experience in advertising
mortgages. Commercial spots on radio, in print, and on the Internet might all
be a part of your plan. Some companies are stronger in one of these areas than
in others, some may only do one type of marketing plan. If you can find a company
who works with all mediums at a good price, so much the better for you.
In many ways, looking for a good marketing specialist is like trying to find
the right realtor when you put up your home for sale. there are hundreds of different real estate agents, and you need to carefully go through references
and experience in order to pick the right one. The same sort of strategy will
help you to find a good marketing specialist for your efforts at promoting your
business.
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