Finding the best local SEO services company will take some time and effort on your part. It’s not about choosing the first company that comes up in your Google search, and it’s not about talking to a rep on the phone for five minutes and ‘believing’ everything that rep tells you about the company’s reputation and track record. A great marketing strategy can catapult your business to heights you never dreamed of, but a bad marketing strategy can put your business so far in the red you may never recover.
Planning and research can put you and your company in the former category, and keep it there for years to come. Here are 5 tips on how to choose the right marketing company for your enterprise:.
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5 Marketing Tips To Consider
- Know your business: Who is your target market? Seniors, millennials, single moms, professional couples? Where do you want your business to be in one year? 5 years? 25 years? Where are you right now? Your purpose should not be ‘to make money’. While revenues are essential, your business must have an identity of its own, and you need to be able to convey that to your marketing rep if you want them to implement an effective strategy.
- Search online: When you search for marketing companies, who comes up first in the organic listings? Those are the people you want to contact, not the ones on page 10. Why? Because the first listings obviously know their stuff when it comes to SEO. Spend some time on their site and see if they have a Facebook page, Instagram and/or Twitter account. They should have a heavy online presence, with at least 1,000 followers (the more the better). Is their contact information displayed on their site? Do they have a mobile presence? Is their site or blog easy to read and updated regularly? If yes, then these are people you want to get in touch with!
- Talk to other business owners: Do some research and find sites and social media campaigns that are successful; then contact them to ask who their marketing manager is. It doesn’t have to be a company within your industry, but that may be a good place to start. A good marketing company knows the value of a diverse marketing plan, so ask about online, offline and mobile strategies. With more than 224 million Smartphone users in the US alone, mobile marketing efforts are a very important part of any marketing strategy, particularly if you’re target market is millennials.
- Go Local: If possible, find a local company in your area to support. Of course, if they don’t measure up then go elsewhere, but this may be a good place to start your search. Supporting the local economy is always a good idea and, if they are qualified, could end up costing you less. Ask friends and family if they know anyone who has the expertise and qualifications you’re looking for.
- Ask questions: Don’t be afraid to ask questions before choosing a company to partner with. Before you shell out your hard-earned money, you need to feel comfortable not only with the company as a whole but the rep who you’ll be working closely with. Ask about the strategies they will put in place, how long a ‘first draft’ will take to get online, and how much it’s going to cost, both upfront and ongoing. Also, companies should be ‘forward thinking’ and not afraid to implement new strategies as they are developed.
This may sound like a lot of work, but it will be well worth it when your business gets the branding and exposure it needs, both online and offline. Never underestimate the power of a good marketing strategy.
If you are interested in even more marketing-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels then we have a lot to choose from.
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