Have you gained as many clients in 2019 as you had hoped? 2020 will soon be here and you may have evaluated your marketing strategy and decided to enlist the help of a digital marketer in the coming year.
This article will help you narrow down your choices to find the best digital marketing agency for your RIA.
Looking to grow your AUM in 2020? Contact Paladin Digital Marketing to see how we can help.
Look for a Firm That Specializes In Working With Financial Advisors
While there is no shortage of digital marketing agencies out there, they are not all created equal. This is especially true when looking for an agency that has experience working with financial advisors. That’s why this should be one of the first questions to ask any potential digital marketing partner.
While you will find plenty of agencies who produce quality work and may check a lot of the other boxes on your list, the financial advisor industry has many nuances when it comes to regulations and sensitive messaging. Without a qualified digital marketing agency that knows your industry, you could find yourself with a partner that doesn’t understand your needs and your targeted audience.
Personalized Service That Fits Your Needs
We all know that bigger doesn’t always mean better but gauging the fit of a digital marketer does involve looking at the size of the agency. Too big and you may find yourself lacking the personal attention your firm deserves. Too small and you may end up with an agency that doesn’t have the staff and resources you need to grow.
While there is no perfect one size fits all approach, it’s essential to pick a partner that can scale to your growth. You certainly don’t want to invest time and resources forging a partnership only to outgrow their capabilities and then have to start your search over again.
Find Out Who Will Work on Your Account
As in any business partnership, the initial communication is likely handled by someone from the sales department. While you may build a strong rapport with that person, it’s likely they’re not the person you would be communicating with on a regular basis about the status of your account.
Once you have an agency you’re considering, ask if the project manager and/or creative team can be a part of the conversation early on. Chemistry is an important aspect of any relationship (business or otherwise) and if there’s a disconnect from members of the team it’s best to know that sooner rather than later in the selection process.
Look at Their Previous Work
It’s becoming commonplace for digital marketing agencies to display work from previous or current clients on their websites. If not, you can ask to see samples of their previous design and content work. It is important to view the type of work the agency has done in the past to see if it will fit with your needs.
Ask for References
It’s one thing to ask a potential partner for references, and another thing to actually contact them. For some, receiving a list of references is enough to believe they have a list of happy clients. Why else would the agency provide them?
In some cases, you might find out a different story when speaking with an actual reference. Regardless, following up on references is an important part of performing due diligence when researching any partnership.
Budget
For financial advisory firms budget is a big factor when considering which digital marketing agency to hire. Are the agencies you are considering transparent with their fees and how they will work with your budget? If not, that should be a major red flag. Just as you are transparent with your clients about how your fees work, you should expect the same from a digital marketing agency.
How Do They Provide Reporting for ROI and Overall Analytics?
Digital marketing requires constant monitoring, optimizing, and analysis. Ask any potential digital marketing agency partner how they will provide reporting for all aspects of the digital marketing they’re managing on your behalf.
Whether you prefer regular weekly, monthly or quarterly reporting, you should always be able to ask for a current report of your ad spending, digital analytics or other metrics.
Are They Flexible?
Flexibility is a necessity when it comes to digital marketing agencies. Working in a digital environment means that things move at a rapid pace and can change in an instant. The agency you work with should be able to pivot quickly and make changes as needed. If you are not seeing the results you are after, they should be willing to try something new or different.
