Inbound Marketing Services: 12 Questions to ask a potential Provider

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There are several factors to consider when searching for the perfect inbound marketing services partner. The keyword here is partner. A provider that is going to support you, while also driving targeted results.

Don't know where to start your research? Different agencies have expertise in different industries, such as technology, healthcare, e-commerce, and more. The three types of outsourcing to consider when looking for an inbound marketing partner are a full-service agency, shared production, or simply, training.

When searching for inbound marketing services, you should have one main question on your mind:

"How do I choose the right agency for me: the one that will work well with my company, help me move toward my goals, and produce concrete ROI for the money I've invested?"

First Impressions Matter

Before you even approach a company, you can do some recon-type research to learn more about them. 

Content

Is their content production regular, consistent, and high quality? If you decide to use their content writing services, that's the kind of writing you will get (though the voice should be targeted to your buyer personas).

Content can also reveal a lot about the agency's personality. Some agencies are strictly business, some have a sense of humor, and some are simply not going to mesh with your company's personality. This doesn't have to make or break your decision, but it should be something you consider since you'll be working with them for a while.

Portfolio

Look through their past clients if they have a portfolio on their site (they should). What industries do they seem to target? Do they offer any case studies you can read? How do you feel about what you see? If they work with other businesses in your industry, they'll probably have some prior knowledge about the kind of content you need and how to attract your best customers.

An agency's website content and portfolio can tell you a lot about your compatibility right off the bat. If you've looked over their website and you want to get to know them a little better, here are some questions you should ask. In no particular order...

 

1.  Who are your best clients and why? (Results or Work Relationship)

"Success" can come in a few forms: biggest results, most ROI, best working relationship, etc. - ask about what matters most to you. Would you prefer to form a symbiotic relationship that brings both ROI and a long-term partnership? Or, are you purely results-focused and don't care who they are, as long as they get the job done?

2.  How and when will we communicate?

One of the worst things a digital agency can do is sign a contract and then fail to communicate for months. How do you know what your marketing agency is doing, or if they're producing results? They could be smearing your name or leaking trade secrets for all you know. 

For context, we offer clients automatic weekly inbound reports as well as at least bi-weekly meetings to discuss progress, analytics, and plans. Be wary of agencies that don't check in often. It's simply best practice and good manners to frequently let a client know where their money is going.

3.  What will you do to understand my business and my clients?

B2B marketing isn't one-size-fits-all. What works for one company won't necessarily work for another, especially across industries and different-sized companies. A good inbound marketing agency will detail how they plan to gather information about your industry and your best buyers, and how they will personalize their marketing strategies to fit your business's needs. 

4.  How will you help my business bring in more traffic, leads, and sales?

A decent agency will not make grandiose promises that they can't follow through on. They will speak realistically about marketing best practices and expectations.

They should also understand that every business is different. So, they will be able to tell you about general inbound tactics (such as blogging, SEO, website optimization, etc.), but they will need to do more research about your business before making concrete plans. Be wary of an agency that tells you exactly what they'll do for you on the first call.

And, if you ask, they should be able to offer up examples of how their current clients are benefiting from inbound. They should also be able to direct you to factual information regarding how inbound marketing affects businesses in general.

5.  Do you offer free consultations?

This should be an easy question with an easy answer. Most agencies are happy to offer free consultations or evaluations.

A consultation will give you a chance to get to know the agency and learn about its strategies and values. If you like what they have to say, you may have found your agency.

 

6.  Do you use analytics? How do you measure success, ROI, and progress?

Prepare specific questions ahead of time to ensure the inbound marketing partner's goals align with your team's long-term success. At the very least, the agency should be using Google Analytics and Search Console. These are the basic SEO & PPC tracking platforms. If you decide to integrate your website with a nice CRM, CMS, or marketing automation software, they can also make reports based on those analytics.

The answer should sound nothing like,  "Well, we just like to go with the flow and see what happens."

 

7.  What marketing services do you offer?

Your agency should offer as many services as you need. If you're already doing something well in-house, there's no reason to start outsourcing that to an unknown company. If you need a full marketing package, look for an agency that brings a variety of skills to the table. Many agencies will have specialties, even if they also offer full marketing services. Find an agency that's really good at the thing you need most.

For instance, we have members on our team who specialize in SEO, and applications that help us to optimize our content. These experts and resources allow our services to be top-notch (and we're not afraid to say so!). Our content and inbound marketing specialists are familiar with website development & optimization, lead generation, and have assisted with trade shows and other outbound methods.

 

8.  Do you offer platform setup, integration, and training?

If you know you need marketing software such as CRM, CMS, email marketing, or marketing automation software, your agency should be familiar with those services. If you don't know whether you need them or if you should switch to a different platform, your agency should also be able to advise on that front.

 

9.  How long is the contract, and what will be included?

This may go without saying, but before making any decisions, review your contract.  Don't get strong-armed into signing a contract you feel weird about. Make sure you understand the terms – do you have a way out if you're uncomfortable? Although inbound marketing can take time to work, you should trust your gut if you're getting weird vibes from your agency. Always do what's best for your business. 

10.  What do you need from us to get started?

First of all, if your agency says, "Oh, we don't need anything from you," run far away. They're either idiots or incredibly shady. 

Your agency will definitely need information from you, including:

• Logins to your website, social media, Google Ads, and any other platforms you're using
• Prior marketing history & analytics, if you have them
• Access to any marketing materials you're currently using (pamphlets, blog, books, videos, etc.)
• What you hope to get out of your marketing
• Contact information for all relevant parties
• Time – you'll want to do an initial consultation, a fleshed-out strategy meeting, and 2-4 hours a month for progress meetings

And there will be a few more things along the way. 

11.  How long will it take to see results?

Clients hire inbound marketing partners to see results. They want to see the statistical payoff of their marketing dollars, and so do we! However, beware an agency that says,  "We'll make sure you see huge results in a few weeks!" because that's simply impossible. Some aspects of inbound marketing can take 6-12 to get off the ground, while others can show results immediately.

Overall, the speed and size of your results will depend on how much you pay your agency. The more you pay, the more hours per month they will be able to block off for your business (because they have other clients that are paying for their time). The more time they're able to put into your marketing strategies, the faster you should see results.

12.  How much will it cost me?

Cost is always the most common question, but it doesn't always have a universal answer. The cost of your services depends on quite a few factors: how big your agency is, how many clients they already have, whether they're a big-city company or a smaller agency, how many services they're providing, etc. Many agencies will be happy to try to work within your budget.

Here's some info outlining what affects the price of inbound marketing.

They'll probably have to do some research and outline a strategy before giving you concrete numbers, so don't expect them to have an answer right away. Once they give you a quote, you are free to accept or reject their offer.

 

We're All Ears!

Remember: There are no stupid questions.

If you have any more questions for a potential inbound marketing services provider, ask them! There's no downside to getting more information and covering all your bases. 

 

 

(Editor's note: This post was originally published March 2016 and was recently updated.)