Hiring an external company to handle your company’s digital marketing services is not a task that you should take lightly. This company is going to be responsible for handling your company’s marketing and brand management, not to mention the fact that the result of your marketing strategy will influence a large part of your business’ sales and public image.

Finding the right company to handle your digital marketing is a huge task and something that you should definitely take the time to do right. When choosing the right company, it’s important that you ask the right questions to guarantee that you make the right choice. Here is a collection of questions that you can ask a company that you’re considering hiring for their expertise in digital marketing.

Who will we be working with?

It’s important that you meet the people you’re actually going to work with. Digital marketing isn’t something that can be easily planned for and handled over the phone or email, there will be plenty of times when you’re going to need to meet the team handling your account in person to discuss details. Meeting the team is important as this allows you to get a feel for who you’ll be working closely with.

Who are your references?

Any good marketing services company will be more than happy to provide references that you can check. This allows you to get a better idea of how previous clients have worked with the company that you’re considering. A company may look good on paper, but personal experience paints a clearer picture of what to expect.

What is your basic strategy for our company’s needs?

While it is impossible to come up with a clear and defined marketing strategy for your company right off the bat, a good company can provide you with some basic information on how they expect to handle your company’s account. Things like how to conduct industry research, understand trends, and how to analyze customer behavior, these are some basics that a company should be able to provide on the initial meeting.

How will your company communicate with us?

Communication is an essential part of any successful partnership. You need to clarify how the company plans on communicating with you. You can also ask the references that they’ve provided about the communication methods and style of the company.

What tools do you use?

You should also ask about the marketing tools that the company uses for their digital marketing services. Some companies work with in-house tools that they develop themselves, which might make it difficult for you to switch companies if it ever comes to that.