As the saying goes, take the average of those closest to you to see where you are going. Or to put it another way, “Tell me about your friends and I’ll tell you about your future.” It’s debatable whether that relationship is true, but it makes a lot of sense when you’re working in an inbound marketing industry.
The relationships you develop with the sales force set the stage for many aspects of your business and shape your path forward. Everything from how your brand is perceived to the value you provide to your audience and the sales you close will affect this relationship.
The right people provide you with a team of people who will work with you to develop a comprehensive strategy and help make promising solutions to move you forward. On the other hand, the wrong thing can get you into trouble – trying the same thing over and over again with little to nothing.
So, how do you know which of these situations you are in? Recognizing success is easy, but figuring out when something isn’t working until it’s too late can be a challenge. If you experience any of these problems, it could be a red flag that it’s time to look for a new company.
Marketing agency relationship and poor communication
Good communication is where inbound marketing companies excel. This should hold regardless of whether the company supports your external information or communicates with you.
Regular meetings and reports are important opportunities to share updates, says thetradebuzz.com, but all the meetings in the world can’t beat communication. When you work together, expectations, goals, or future events should not surprise you.
Is the company easy to contact outside of the meeting? Do they respond in a timely manner? Is there a common theme, or do you find yourself trying to find answers through a variety of names?
In fact, listening is the other half of effective communication. Is your company asking the right questions to understand your goals? How do they respond? Add your input?
Poor sales results and zero adoption
Some of the best things in life take time to pay off – as any wine or cheese lover can testify – but there should always be an end in mind. And, perhaps more importantly, the goal should be realistic and break down in a step-by-step plan.
For example, let’s say you’re trying to rank on the first page of Google. In any case, the benefits of SEO are not overnight success. But you should have a solid understanding of the company’s SEO strategies and how they measure progress over time. Market results often take time to play and may require patience, but you will never wonder what the game plan is or if you are going in the right direction.
There can be many different reasons why your expectations are not being met.
It may be that the company’s commitment is too ambitious for the agreed schedule. Or something that doesn’t fit with your current marketing plan or marketing strategy. Or there is some kind of mismatch of expectations.
Regardless of the reason, the company should work with you to develop reasonable goals and timelines. If something is not working as expected, it is important to have a discussion about why and what needs to be changed. Honesty and transparency are always important, whether you see results that turn upside down or fail.
Don’t know enough about your audience or your business
Great marketing starts with a solid understanding of your target audience. Their pain points, their priorities, and where they are in the buying process.
Therefore, it is very important that the company you work for begins with a thorough research process. For example, creating customer profiles through a combination of surveys and interviews can provide valuable insight into customer behavior. In fact, this leads to relevant content and tailored messages that are relevant to your target audience.
Again, it requires a deep understanding of your business and the wider industry to effectively articulate what sets you apart. Your brand strategy and brand story don’t have to be contrived.
If the company’s service seems poor or general, it may be a sign that they are not putting enough effort into getting to know you and your customers better.
