7 Things You Should Ask Before Hiring An Email Marketing Agency

Melanie Balke
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September 13, 2022

Emailing is still one of the most efficient means of communication. You want your business or name to grow, and email marketing is an effective  method  to achieve this. In addition, attaching important details and images on your newsletters can help catch the reader's attention.

However, getting the perfect email marketing agency can get tricky because of the rapid development in handling online businesses. Here are 7 key questions that you should be asking to choose the right email marketing agency for you.

1. What is your track record?

A marketing agency's reputation is important in attracting employees and contractors. Agencies with a strong positive reputation are perceived to provide more value and quality output. Generally, it also attracts loyal partnerships. Having a strong track record can make an agency's appeal more authentic to its work.

Are they competent enough for you?

There are many marketing agencies that provide a clean track record but you should be checking more than this  to know if they are charging fairly for their services.

Are they capable of delivering an output perfect for your business? It's important to note that the agencies can keep up with the different demands of their clients. Keep track of the companies that they have worked with. Make sure that the previous clients they have worked with had experiences with a company as big as yours or at least in the same field or market. You can also use a cognitive ability test to ensure that the team is competent.

Of course, among the things you shouldn't forget is to check how things came to an end in some cases. What went wrong with the previous client, and why was it necessary to terminate such an agreement? Knowing this information can give you a general idea of how the marketing agency works. To see if they fit to work with your business.

2. Do you offer custom email marketing services?

Did your marketing agency candidate have little to no common type of services? Then it's best to look for a different one. You need to pick an agency that suits your business type and a team who will be able to stick with your company's standards.

Benefits of Having a Personalized Email Marketing

The best scenario is if the email marketing agency is open to adjustments for your company's needs. A service customized especially for you is the best. You have the right to set the bar fair and high. Plus, possible misunderstandings are avoidable since you can be very specific on your terms on this one.

1. Improves your Credibility as a Business

In the first section, you as a business should also have a good track record. You can enhance your brand awareness by getting your emails exactly as they need. Adjustments are free as it is customized for your brand's identity.

2. Establishes and Enhances Existing Partnerships

Proper email marketing can acquire more potential partnerships in your business, making it even bigger. Even potential investors are possible to get hooked by proper management that is catered for your company.

3. Your Company's Profit will Increase

Being credible, having more brand recognition, and having a good reputation with your partners will surely increase your profit. And you don't have to go with the flow of common email marketing strategies because you have your way, and no one can copy that from you.

Lastly, for this section, don't forget to check the following for further checking of legitimacy.

  • Have they had previous experiences with customized services?
  • How did they handle it, and was it a success?
  • Did they make you feel appreciated?
  • Have they taken note of your company's interests?
  • Have they come up with incentives immediately upon discussion?

3. Do you have any case studies?

Aside from getting to know an email marketing agency's record and services, it's also important to know if they conduct case studies. Always request a sample of how they conduct their case studies and find out how the agency gets results for their clients. Check if they have any significant commendations that might apply to your business.

After all, an email marketing case study is to aid a business in persuading more potential customers and investors in the online field. Since a huge percentage of consumers are most likely using the internet to discover different products. And so do shareholders or investors looking for the right company to place their money on.

4. Do you outsource work?

Outsourcing has been a huge part of businesses, and there's no doubt it's contributed hugely to different companies. Although some outsourcing strategies are good, the majority are not. Especially since it could delay your production and give you incompetent results, outsourcing your market strategy should be a priority to avoid.

Confidentiality is at Risk 

Since outsourcing typically hires people outside the company or agency, the security of your firm's information may be at risk. Although this might not apply to all companies who outsource their services, it is still a huge risk you wouldn't want to jeopardize.

Working preferably inside the company is more efficient, especially when urgency is needed. Plus, time is saved because working directly (internally) will be faster for you and your business. There won't be any potential problems, especially in terms of communication.

5. Will you revise my email marketing strategy?

You have the means to control the approach, style, and tone to set your business's identity. It's still better to leave revisions in the hands of professionals. They do know what's best for your company. However, it would be best to consider the following before considering revisions:

  • Is it necessary to change?
  • What importance does it add to your company?
  • Is it time for a new marketing cycle?
  • How effective would the new strategy be?

6. How will results be measured?

One of the most important and anticipated in terms of marketing is results. It's easy to hypothetically make strategies for different circumstances, yet good results are only certain once they're right in front of you. Even if the direction of the feedback seems to be going positive, there are a lot of possibilities that it might not end up like what you're expecting.

Measurements Should be Effective in Action

It is crucial to analyze the results of email campaigns. Your chosen agency should be able to provide near-accurate tools that measure success for you to track your campaign's progress. And any possible loopholes would be worked on or at least planned out from A-Z.

Ensure that you and the agency are on the same page regarding agreements and strategies. It's important to keep in touch to handle a situation, especially if there are unavoidable accidents smoothly. In the meantime, take note of these aspects if the agency includes these in its plans. If they do, that is a good indication of how professionally they handle their services.

  • Cost per acquisition (CPA)
  • Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
  • Conversion rate (number of customers)
  • Return on Investment (ROI)

7. What is a realistic timeline for success?

Despite mapping out the strategy from zero to a hundred percent possible outcomes, it's important to note whether the plans are realistic. What is the sense of mapping out many strategies if not one of them can be achieved realistically?

The email marketing agency is responsible for providing details on how well they perform the said strategies you and your company aim for. It's easy to conduct emails and click send to your potential partners, but it matters how they will make it work. And is it even possible for it to work in your favor?

Most marketing agencies will have a general idea or timeline for the process. Discussing it in detail would greatly help you get a clear picture of when results are expected.

You have to remember that the results vary from case to case. Some results may appear early, and some a bit late. There are also instances where results are heavily reliant on a particular scenario that, if it doesn't happen, the expected result will not show.

Conclusion

Before selecting an email marketing agency, ensure that all seven questions match your preferences. There are many promising agencies out there, and it will be a tough decision if there's more than one that fits your standards and what you want for your company.

Be aware of clever agencies with promises and how they construct their messages to persuade you. Additionally, do research on  previous results from their past clients to know more about their performance. Their actions will always speak volumes about how professionally they could handle your desired outcome.