WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A DIGITAL MARKETING PARTNER

Digital Marketing is growing more important every day. The definition of marketing grows to include social media accounts and website content. In addition to paid ads, large and small businesses alike are trying to find the best ways to harness the powers of Digital.

The rise of Digital Marketing has created a demand for constant, original content. Where before only certain industries would benefit, today everyone from Financial Advisors to Salons need a way to connect with their clients. This content can include daily social stories, marketing videos, custom graphics, animations and a wide array of other marketing assets.

In the past, in order to reach consumers companies would often hire an outside ad agency. In recent years many companies are finding that more traditional agencies are unable to keep up with the daily content needs of businesses in the digital age.

As a response to this, businesses have turned to hiring internal video content creators to join their teams. In an ideal world these employees have the skills to handle all of the marketing, video and editing that is required. They can keep a company’s marketing and content competitive in today’s landscape.

While some fortunate companies find the ideal person to fill this role, far more often companies pay too much for work that under-delivers. Fortunately, there is an option which provides the full breadth of expertise without sacrificing the attention of an internal team member. That option is to outsource your daily Digital Marketing.

“Digital Marketing Strategy is more than just about what content will look best”

We’ve seen this outsourcing trend over the last ten years across other industries such as Accounting and HR.  Digital Marketing is no different. You get a team of experts available to you daily, providing you value and peace of mind.

In this article we have outlined the skills, resources and services that are most important to look for when choosing your Digital Marketing Partner.

Experts in Digital Strategy

Producing great content is important, but if you don’t have a plan to get the most out of it or the expertise to analyze the results, it won’t do you much good. The best way to make an impact is to plan the strategy for your digital marketing early in the process. This ensures that every decision you make will be in service of the larger goal.

Digital Marketing Strategy is more than great looking visuals. Prime posting hours, SEO, audience engagement index and impressions and click-throughs are all important factors. When deciding to outsource Digital Marketing companies should look for a partner versed in the latest market analytics and strategy. It’s about getting the right eyes on your content, identifying your target audience. Then, building and executing a strategy that reaches them.

Video Production Skills

The list of digital marketing companies who do not provide their clients with video is long. Of those that say they provide video, many will simply outsource video needs to production companies, complicating the process. Video is universally recognized as most effective way to reach your audience. The ability to produce, shoot and edit high quality video content must be a priority of any Digital Marketing company.

For businesses and content creators alike, producing a steady stream of quality video content has become a common need. Conducting video interviews, posting on social media, filming events and creating marketing videos can be great for connecting a company to their audience. These videos can be quick daily hits re-edited into bite size pieces for social, or longer more involved creative spots that can be seen on websites and paid digital advertising.

As we mentioned earlier, it can sometimes be tempting to hire someone with a camera and adobe premiere pro on their laptop to come in full time and create video content. However, there is only so much a one-man band can accomplish.  Professional videos require an expertise in audio, lighting and composition, in addition to the camera operation.

If you hire the right digital marketing company, you should have access to a team of experts. These experts oversee strategy, copywriting, art direction, media buying and placement. The right digital marketing company A/B test several pieces of content in order to determine how the content performs. This leads to more eye balls and business results. Clearly the level of service would go well beyond what an in-house video person can achieve.

Graphic Design

Today, every business needs more than a sleek, bold visual identity to attach to their brand. They need custom content that can be posted as paid digital ads or free of cost on social media platforms.

“In a world where video is universally recognized as the best and most effective way to reach your audience, the ability to produce, shoot and edit high quality video content should be at the forefront of any Digital Marketing company.”

Thanks to Facebook, YouTube and all social media sites, posting promotional content on your company page is absolutely free.  It’s also more important than ever to know how to use these platforms for your brand. Having designers with photoshop and InDesign skills, are key to engage an audience. Beyond static adds they need to be aware of the latest trends and apps and be able to create memes, gifs or use the hot app of the day. Infographics, animations, and pop up ads are now a part of our everyday web content and having a graphic design expert to call upon who can work across all these mediums is necessary.

Copywriting

When most think about copywriting, the first thing that comes to mind is ad copy: the swift, punchy wording that accompanies photos and corporate videos in paid advertisements. But the reality is that corporate copy today includes a lot more writing than taglines. Every individual social media post, website description, newsletter, corporate blog, video script, business proposal, and press release requires a skilled copywriter. This helps make the language pop, but also keeps it succinct enough for the average reader/viewer to follow.

As a business small or large, outsourcing copywriting duties to a third party can be a big step. Words are precious, especially when they’re about your business and the work you do. However, the best copywriters are attuned to finding the company’s voice and carrying it through all their written content. So once the decision is made to outsource your company’s Digital Marketing. It is important not to forget the importance of the written word.

Social Media Marketers

Social media has become so essential now, that lacking a constant presence is almost akin to not having a running website. Companies large and small face high scrutiny when it comes to their social media presence. With today’s media-centric marketing, companies build campaigns especially for Snapchat, or LinkedIn, or Instagram. And while a large company may have a fully stocked marketing department, they still seek assistance to optimize their campaigns. An Instagram campaign alone is an all hands on-deck affair. It requires a design team, photographers, videographers, producers, market analysts, and many more.

“The rise of Digital Marketing has created a demand for constant, original content. Today everyone from Financial Advisors to Salons need a way to connect with their clients.”

Any Digital Marketing Company worth working with should have these skills. The last thing to ensure is that they have a full grasp on not just what to post, but when, how and where.

Social media is a changing every day. The best Digital Marketing companies will be able to guide their clients through the rough terrain of ever-changing rules, loopholes, metrics and strategies to get the most out of their content.