How to Choose the Best Digital Advertising Agency
Finding the right digital advertising agency to partner with can be a difficult task. It’s not a question of a lack of supply, but rather an abundance of demand. With total digital ad spending equaling $77.37 billion this year along, you can see how digital advertising is exploding. Which means there are digital advertising agencies popping up to meet the charge – but how do you find the right one for you? We’ve come up with a list of questions you should be asking yourself when looking for a digital advertising agency.
How effective is their website?
The first thing you can examine on your own is their website. This will actually show you a lot about their core values and practices, with a simple glance. Look for things like: solutions they offer, partners, news releases and case studies. Reading through their blog will give great insight into their beliefs and practices. You can also take a look at their social media accounts for a well-rounded glimpse into who they are.
A great example of a website is Perion’s, MakeMeReach. Just by scrolling through the homepage, you get a feel of how they operate, as well as a plethora of information valuable to you, as a potential client.
Who are their clients?
Knowing who a digital advertising agency represents is a huge advantage when it comes to evaluating the type of advertising campaigns they create. Be sure to check out their portfolio and case studies for an in-depth look at what they can achieve:
- Do they work on projects similar to yours?
- Do their projects show a wide range of digital capabilities?
- Are there clear cut goals, highlights and results posted from the campaign?
These are all important factors to look at when reviewing client case studies.
How digital are they?
Yes, we’re talking about digital advertising agencies, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are working with cutting-edge, digital technology. There’s more than just “being digital”. You want a team that comes up with digital strategy, design, innovation, and development – the full digital service. Do they have the full range of tools that your campaign needs and deserves? It’s a must!
Have they received professional acclamations or good press coverage?
Showing off awards is something that all digital advertising agencies will do, if they’ve won. It not only displays their hard work, but their creative touch in the advertising world. Be sure to pay attention to the type of award and campaign it represented. This will give you a better idea of what type of strengths they possess.
Press coverages also give insight on how they are seen in the marketing world. What type of coverage do they receive? Are they featured in prominent news articles? Placements in Forbes, Entrepreneur and Ad Week are great indicators of how they are viewed in their industry.
Do they specialize in your niche?
This is an important factor to weigh. An agency might have many huge clients, but are they qualified for working in your specific niche? You want them to be experts in your specific industry, and this means they need to fully understand your nook. Having other clients in a similar industry (or your same industry) demonstrates the knowledge you want them to possess. Ask questions that will invoke their grasp of the industry you are in.
How important is data and analytics to them?
Data and analytics is a huge part of your overall advertising campaign, so it should also be a huge part of a digital advertising agency’s agenda. If it isn’t, keep looking.
Your campaign should start, continue and end with analytics, and a good agency provides this. Perion’s Undertone not only places focus on measurement, but on targeting as well. Using their 3-prong system of ad technology solutions, they are able to successfully target your audience, which will in turn lead for more accurate measurements throughout the campaign.
They then provide ongoing analysis and reports, using top technology methods so you always know how the campaign is performing. This is exactly what you should be looking for when it comes to data and analytics.
Do you feel they are trustworthy?
In the end, it comes down to the relationship you will have with the agency. You want them to become a long-term partner with you in your advertising adventures, so trust and loyalty are extremely important. It’s an investment for both sides, which requires a leap of faith and a lot of communicating throughout the entire process. Developing a good rapport with your digital advertising agency is a key element to creating successful advertising campaigns. Trust is a two-way street, and finding the perfect partner to walk with will be worth it.
Roee Ganot
Senior SEO & Conversion Manager at Perion
Roee is an SEO, social and conversion expert with a strong performance-based marketing portfolio behind him. As a brand reputation specialist, he has proven success when it comes to revenue, traffic & football trophies.
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