Every marketer, at some stage or another, weighs up the pros and cons of outsourcing their company...
Choosing a HubSpot partner to work with isn’t a decision that you should take lightly. Working with the right HubSpot partner maximises the chances of success and seeing incredible results for your business.
So, in order to find out whether a HubSpot agency has the right experience and will be able to guarantee you amazing results for your business, here are some questions to ask them to get a better knowledge and understanding.
1. What's Your Relationship with HubSpot?
There are several factors that can highlight how successful the agency has been in providing inbound marketing services to their clients.
First, their tier. The higher the tier, the more successful they're likely to have been in helping their clients grow. Diamond is the highest level and only one percent of HubSpot agencies have reached this tier. These agencies have shown that they've used HubSpot to help clients go above and beyond their goals.
Diamond partner agencies also have access to the latest innovations and strategies before the agencies in other tiers. This means they'll always have a head start on the cutting-edge methods to implement for their clients.
There are other things that differentiate Diamond agencies from the other partners. You can read more about it here.
Secondly, the best agencies have a close relationship with HubSpot. Although they know the platform inside and out, they'll also have contacts at HubSpot who they can turn to for advice when needed.
2. How Will You Track My Results and How Often?
This depends on the agency and your needs. But as a whole, it usually takes around 12 months for results to properly start blossoming. At Digital 22, we tend to avoid doing one large report every few months as the data can quickly grow outdated. We send regular, monthly updates and provide in-depth marketing reports too.
3. What Results Can You Help Me Achieve?
This one's pretty tricky. One thing you have to keep in mind is that it will all depend on your industry. The right agency won't give you a precise figure or make false promises. But what they will do is provide you with estimates, based on metrics of rates and results from their previous clients that are similar to yours.
4. Do You Offer Standalone Projects or is it Just Inbound arketing?
Some agencies might be able to squeeze in standalone projects but at Digital 22, we don't believe in offering standalone projects. Instead, we work to a retainer model offering inbound marketing as our main service that is complemented by all of our other services.
The right agency will offer the best level of service and generate the best results they possibly can. By offering inbound marketing and GDD together as a package, they can save valuable time and see much faster results.
5. How Are Your Packages Priced Up?
This will depend on the agency.
At Digital 22, our packages are priced up based on a points structure. What we mean by this is that all of our deliverables are allocated a certain number of points and this point structure means that you aren't penalised for the different speeds that team members complete tasks. The point-based structure is brilliant for flexibility for both parties and eliminates the risk of additional payment.
6. How Do I Communicate with an Agency?
Again, this will depend on the agency. As a whole, they should keep communication as transparent as possibles.
They should weekly catch-up calls - including video calls too. They may also organise visits to come and see you at your base, and invite you to come along to their HQ so you can meet the team behind your marketing efforts.
This regular communication makes for a healthy relationship and makes sure you're both singing from the same hymn sheet at all times.
7. How Can an Agency Write About My Niche?
Often, your content may be written by a marketer who isn’t an expert in your industry. So, many people wonder how these writers who aren't experts can make themselves sound like experts.
We've had this question asked so many times that we've actually written a blog post about it. Check it out here.
8. How Long Do I Need to Stay with an Agency?
Again, this differs from agency to agency. Some agencies like to lock you in on lengthy, fixed-term contracts. However, we don't find this productive for both parties, so at Digital 22 we give you the chance to see how amazing our inbound methodology is when working with us. If it's not working out, all we need is 30 days' notice.
9. What Makes You Different from Other HubSpot Agencies?
This is the agency’s chance to really sell themselves to you. If they’re no better than their competition, then why would you opt to choose them?
One key thing to look out for is their range of specialities as a good marketing agency will offer more than just marketing expertise. They'll have experts on hand to fulfil your content writing, social media, graphic design and video needs, for example. Basically, it means they won't have just one person managing multiple tasks for you. Nor will they outsource tasks. It's all in-house.
Another key thing to keep an eye out for is their ranking on HubSpot.
At this stage, the agency will probably credit any awards that they’re previously won, for example, whether they're a Diamond HubSpot partner. The higher the tier, the more benefits the agency will be able to provide you with.
Want to Read More About HubSpot Agencies and Inbound Marketing?
We've got a pillar page dedicated to helping you find the perfect HubSpot agency. It's packed full with information on how HubSpot partners work, the tools they use and you can choose the perfect one for your business.
This page is just being finalised so for the time being, why not join our Facebook group, Inbound After Hours? We'll be discussing all things inbound marketing so you can get your fill until this pillar page is ready.
