Best Advertising Agency | How to Find the Right Fit For Your Business  

Who’s the best advertising agency? Well, that depends on a lot. The truth is, there’s no such thing as a universal best advertising agency. Every agency, big or small, has unique strengths and weaknesses. It’s all about whether or not an agency fits the specific needs of your organization.

How do you find the best advertising agency for my business, you wonder? Let’s examine what to look for as you consider your options. As you go through the process, keep one thing in mind: If it feels like a forced fit, it’s not going to work out in the end.

Consider Your Needs

All businesses are created differently. Your company is not the same as the Fortune 500 companies at the top of your industry, so it’s foolish to target the same type of advertising agency as the big dogs. Instead, take a moment to examine where you are, where you want to be and what an advertising agency can do to bring your business to your desired destination.

Your advertising needs depend solely on the unique makeup of your organization. You might need an agency to handle all of your marketing. On the other hand, you might produce marketing materials in-house, but you’d need an agency to oversee everything and track the results of your campaigns. No matter your situation, there’s a marketing agency capable of meeting your specifications and exceeding your expectations. You just have to find the right agency.

Size Matters

The size of the advertising agency you work with isn’t a deal-breaker by itself. However, it’s something you’ll want to be comfortable with right off the bat.

Look for an agency that’s equipped to meet your goals — your present needs and your future objectives. An agency that’s not willing or able to grow alongside your business isn’t one you’ll work with for long. As we said in the introduction, if you can tell right away that it’s not a perfect fit, don’t go any further with the process.

You’ll also want to have a level of comfort with the service you can expect to receive. A huge firm may have tons of staff on hand, which theoretically would mean a higher level of service. However, if the decisions of that agency need to go through many levels of management before anyone can take action on behalf of your company, that might not be an ideal situation. At the same time, a company that’s small enough to give you individualized attention might also be torn between several clients, and they might not be able to provide immediate solutions when you need them.

The ideal agency is one that’s big enough to get things done, but small enough to value you and your business on a personal level. Take note of the ways in which agencies go the extra mile, but keep an eye out for red flags. If they’re not going to put their best face forward during the courting process, it’s an indication as to what you can expect once you hire them.

Ask for Proof

Every advertising agency swears up and down that it’s the best and that it can make miracles happen for your business. But what’s the proof that the agency can do what it claims? The truth is, you’re only going on what you’re hearing from them. That’s only one side of the story. To find the right fit between your business and an advertising agency, you’ll have to do a little research.

This research is twofold. First, ask the agency for examples of similar work they’ve done in the past. Ask about campaigns that have had similar objectives to yours, where the agency provided stellar results for their clients. Seek marketing materials turned around on tight deadlines or with your level of budget. Anything you can do to know what you’re getting for your money will help you to make the best possible decision. Above all else, don’t be an agency’s way to get experience — instead, let the agency show you their experience.

As you go through the agency’s sample work, it never hurts to reach out to the businesses that hired these agencies. Ask about how the agency was to work with and if they were happy with the results that the agency provided. Don’t just settle for self-serving platitudes on the agency’s website. Go in-depth with current and former clients, and ask the tough questions. Better that you find out who you’re dealing with now, as opposed to after signing a contract.

Look for Innovation

Perhaps the main reason why advertising agencies are in such high demand is the fast-changing nature of marketing. Businesses need to focus on running their day-to-day operations. They don’t have the time or energy necessary to keep up with modern marketing trends, and they can’t keep up with the latest marketing software.

A good agency is well-versed on what’s happening right now. Just as importantly, they know where marketing will be in six months. You’ll want to work with an agency that’s comfortable with these changes and that has a clear direction for where they want to take your business. Even if you can’t get tangible proof that the agency can meet the needs of tomorrow’s marketing, you should get a sense of the agency’s ability to innovate and change with the times.

Innovation doesn’t just mean fancy software and buzzwords. It’s knowing what social media platform will be the next to take off. It’s understanding how concepts like user-generated content and corporate social responsibility can be used to transform a company’s marketing efforts. It’s spotting emerging trends and becoming early adopters of new ways of thinking. In marketing, if you’re not first, you’re behind the curve. Work with an agency that lets you reside at the forefront of your industry.

Trust Your Gut

We can’t say this enough. If you have a weird feeling about the company you’re working with, or you don’t trust them, or you worry that there are potential issues, it’s time to walk away while you still can. People talk themselves into bad relationships all the time, and partnerships between businesses and advertising agencies are no different.

More than any of the above criteria, you’ll get a sense of fit from the people who work at the agencies you speak with. Their enthusiasm, their positivity and their desire to wow you will be the real signs that you’ve found the right fit. And just as you know a bad fit when you see one, you’ll also be able to sense when things are aligning just right. When they do, go through the above items and make sure it’s a good fit in every way. When all the boxes are checked off and you’ve found the advertising agency of your dreams, you’ll rest easy — and you’ll be even more inspired to revolutionize your industry.

Finding the right advertising agency can be a challenging and time-consuming process. However, it’s well worth your effort. Reach out to us at Commit Agency today, and let’s see if we can meet your advertising needs.