According to Marketing Sherpa, in a survey of 1700 B2Bs, the top 2 barriers to marketing success are “Lack of resources in staffing, budgeting or time” and “Inability to stop executing & think strategically.”
In a perfect world, those barriers wouldn’t exist, and you’d have a world-class marketing team working for free in your office. Unfortunately, that isn’t reality. Often, marketing is left to either: a capable, yet overwhelmed entry-level hire, “Betty” the office manager or that old print shop that now dabbles in web design. If growth is the goal and you can’t afford to staff an internal team of strategists, designers, developers, content writers, data analysts and tacticians, then finding the right partner(s) is a must. So, how do you do it? Knowing where to search can be the trickiest part.
Think about the things you need in a marketing partner (i.e. SEO, campaign strategy, web design, social), then take to Google and compile a list of potential partners. Another avenue is to look for recommendations. Just ask around. Are there industry peers you feel are “doing it right?” If so, reach out and ask who they use. When assessing a partner, consider their client list, verticals in which they specialize, size of the agency, reputation and capabilities. Ask them for an in-depth presentation as to why they should be chosen. If you like the way that goes, ask them to assess your company free of charge and make suggestions for improvement. And most importantly, date before you get married. Make them prove themselves by formulating a comprehensive roadmap to meeting your goals before signing a long-term contract.
