5 important questions to ask when choosing a digital marketing agency

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For Southeast Asian entrepreneurs with no expertise or experience in digital marketing, navigating the world of SEO, social media, pay-per-click ads, and content marketing can be a daunting process. This is especially so when their time and attention are already spread thin by running the business.

A survey of company executives by ecommercIQ, for example, shows that digital marketing departments struggled the most to find quality talent.

But ignoring or not taking full advantage of what the digital landscape has to offer could come at a heavy cost.

According to the e-Conomy SEA 2018 report by Google and Temasek, Southeast Asia’s internet economy is on track to surpass US$240 billion by 2025, exceeding previous estimates by US$40 billion.

Much of this growth was driven by online media (e.g. online advertising, gaming, and music and video on demand) and ecommerce, accounting for US$11 billion and US$23 billion by the end of 2018, respectively.

All that money being made on the internet represents an opportunity for businesses in the region to put their brand in front of online consumers.

But the question is: How can you do that if you don’t know the first thing about online marketing, or simply don’t have the time or manpower for it?

Enter the digital marketing agency

As the name suggests, digital marketing agencies provide services designed to promote your business online.

And with internet penetration in Southeast Asia now at 64 percent, up by five percent from last year, it makes perfect business sense to improve your online presence.

Services offered by digital marketing agencies range from content marketing and SEO, digital advertising, social media marketing, to influencer marketing, email marketing, and website development.

Given the expertise and insights these agencies bring to the table, it’s no surprise why many organizations consider them as the most viable approach to launching marketing campaigns.

If you’re considering this option now, you’re not alone. According to Deloitte’s The CMO Survey for August 2018, planned outsourcing of marketing activities was at its highest level that month in five years.

With that being said, below are five questions you should ask when choosing a digital marketing agency for your business.

1. What are your goals and budget?

The first step in the process of choosing any type of digital agency, whether it’s a full-service, SEO, or content marketing agency, is to know what your goals are.

If your top goal is sales, then count yourself among the 64 percent of businesses prioritizing revenue and leads in 2019.

But saying that your goal is to generate sales doesn’t say much, because ultimately, that’s the ideal result of marketing in the first place.

Instead, try to take a more granular approach.

Do you need a better website? You may need a website rebuild or redesign. If you already have a site but people aren’t visiting it, an SEO strategy might be in order. Or maybe you have a restaurant with no online presence, in which case you probably need more social media marketing.

The clearer you are about your goals, the better your conversations with prospective firms will be.

And then, of course, there’s the question of budget.

There is no set price here, but according to the CMO Survey (August 2018), on average, businesses spent 7.3 percent of their revenue on marketing last year.

2. Should you choose a specialty or full-service firm?

The debate over full-service vs specialty agencies goes back a long way. Some studies say that businesses get better value for money by leveraging the expertise of a full-service agency, while other marketing professionals believe that the sheer breadth of modern marketing makes it hard for one agency to do so many things effectively.

Either way, each one has its pros and cons.

For example, if your business has never launched a digital marketing campaign before, a full-service agency can provide a holistic view to digital marketing, not to mention a consistent message on every platform, whether it’s your website, blog, search engine results, and social media accounts.

On the other, a specialized or boutique agency offers in-depth expertise in a specific digital marketing discipline, such as social media or content marketing. Specialized agencies are typically ideal for businesses whose owners already have a general understanding of digital marketing but need assistance in a specific niche.

Again, your choice ultimately depends on what you’re looking for.

3. What are your target markets?

Not all markets are the same, especially in Southeast Asia.

For example, we know that social media penetration in the region is among the highest in the world – countries like Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia have more active social media users than the worldwide median.

However, there are subtle differences in the behaviors of users from different countries.

For example, in Indonesia, the top social media platform is YouTube while the most popular messaging apps are WhatsApp and Line.

In contrast, Facebook is the Philippines’ top social network, while WhatsApp and Line are nowhere near as popular as Facebook Messenger.

Meanwhile, the Connected Life report by Kantar TNS shows that ephemeral content platforms like Instagram and Snapchat are most popular in Malaysia and Singapore.

If you’re launching a digital marketing campaign in Southeast Asia, it helps to figure out which countries you’ll be targeting first. Each country has its distinct culture, media, and language among other things, all of which are crucial factors in your marketing activities.

Once you’ve nailed down your target markets, find a digital agency that’s prepared to target these locations.

4. Does the agency have case studies?

Perhaps the best way for an agency to prove its expertise is through case studies.

Large agencies and companies like Moz, Accenture, and HubSpot understand the power of sharing their clients’ success stories.

According to a Demand Gen report, case studies were among the top five most successful top of the funnel engagement tactics.

Another report also shows that case studies are the most effective content type for B2B marketers.

Simply put, case studies are among the most believable marketing materials out there. It’s highly unusual for a firm to not have a few case studies about the specific activities they’ve performed for their clients.

5. What metrics are they using?

While vanity metrics aren’t exactly useless, it’s not a good sign if an agency charges a premium to deliver more likes, follows, and blog views.

According to HubSpot:

“Vanity metrics include data such as social media followers, page views, subscribers, and other flashy analytics that are satisfying on paper, but don’t move the needle for your business goals. They offer positive reporting, but no context for future marketing decisions – something actionable metrics can do.”

In fact, a survey of CFOs about their views on digital marketing found that 36 percent of respondents were concerned that their organization’s CMO was focused on vanity metrics, adding that these indicators don’t really matter to their ultimate goals.

This isn’t to say that metrics like page views, blog visits, and email opens aren’t important. But a good agency will look at these metrics and think, “What’s next?”

This ultimately leads to actionable metrics worth measuring, such as cost per acquisition (CPA), conversion rate, comments, and shares among others. And as a SpiceWorks survey shows, these metrics are also related to the five most important B2B marketing metrics: leads, revenue, engagement, and customer satisfaction.

Bringing everything together

Before hiring an agency, it’s important that you and your team sit down to evaluate your digital marketing needs. Not all agencies are the same, and even among full-service agencies, certain firms will be better at different things than others.

In any case, it also helps to understand the basics of what goes into launching a successful digital marketing campaign. And remember, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits all approach when deciding how to conduct your digital marketing activities with or without the help of an agency. Your decision has to be made based on your specific situation, budget, and goals, which is where these five questions can help.

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