7 Things You Must Know When It Comes to Choosing a B2B Marketing Agency

B2B marketing sounds like just another buzzword that marketing agencies throw around to look interesting, but is actually a rather complicated and complex topic. Any business owner knows that the right kind of marketing is crucial for growth and success, and B2B businesses need their own approach.

However, getting B2B marketing right isn’t easy, and a dedicated B2B marketing agency may be necessary for busy companies. These agencies have experience and specialize in giving their clients whatever they need for effective and efficient marketing.

Choosing the right B2B marketing agency, though, is easier said than done. There are many agencies claiming to be the best, so how do you tell which one is equipped to meet your unique needs?

This article aims to help you discern what to look for in a good agency so you can make an informed choice.

The Purpose Of a B2B Marketing Agency

Before we look at what to keep in mind when choosing a B2B marketing agency, let’s get an understanding of what a B2B marketing agency does.

These marketing agencies offer companies services that will help them complete complex and intricate sales processes. Because B2B companies don’t sell to the general public, they need a different approach to marketing. A good agency understands this and has experience in this industry.

Typically, there is a big focus on getting as much value as possible out of the company’s brand, website, and overall marketing.

Although there is more to it, the finer details can vary from one agency to the next and should be discussed with them before starting to work together.

Considerations When Choosing a B2B Marketing Agency

There are many factors to keep in mind when choosing a B2B marketing agency to work with, and we’ll be looking at the most important considerations.

1. Expertise

The very first thing you need to look for is the expertise of the team behind the agency. You certainly would not want to give over the reins of your marketing to an agency that doesn’t have the necessary skills.

The agency must know how to create content that is relevant to your industry and makes sense. It’s also important that the team knows about more than just content marketing. There is a lot more that goes into B2B marketing, and the agency should be ‘in the know’.

Before partnering with an agency, find out how much they know about your industry, and how they’ve handled similar business to yours in the past. 

2. Knowledge of The Latest Trends and Practices 

Unfortunately, some agencies hold on to methods and strategies that have worked for them in the past and don’t change to adjust to shifting practices and trends. This is not a good thing, so you must be sure the agency you want to work with is informed about trends and best practices in the B2B marketing industry.

It’s especially important that an agency is up-to-date with trends and changes when it comes to Search Engine Optimization. The Google algorithm is constantly changing, and the agency should stay on top of these changes to give you the best solutions and marketing strategies.

To get an idea of how much current knowledge an agency has, ask them about their view of the current state of B2B marketing. Vague answers can be a red flag, so be careful.

3. Experience With Your Target Audience

The B2B marketing agency that you want to work with should have a good understanding and enough experience with your target audience. They need to know all the pain points, the ideal sales funnel, have a detailed target persona, and understand what makes your audience tick.

When an agency has experience working with your target audience, it will also know what kind of strategies work best and which ones to avoid. 

Creating content will be much easier because the agency knows how to speak to your audience and how to get (and keep!) their attention without too much trial and error.

4. Results

The agency’s track record is another highly important element to keep in mind. What kind of results were they able to get in the past? What could they achieve for companies similar to yours? Are their campaigns able to achieve good ROI (return on investment)?

It’s also important to know how many clients the agency has worked with before. This will be an indication of their expertise and experience, and what industries they’re familiar with.

You shouldn’t hesitate to ask the agency to share their data and previous results with you. A successful agency will be more than happy to show you what they’ve achieved for other companies.

5. Cost

The price of the B2B marketing agency you want to work with is another important consideration. These agencies are usually not cheap, but they are worth the investment when they know what they’re doing.

Ensure you’re getting good value for your money, but don’t settle for the cheapest agency you can find. When an agency is costly, it is likely because they offer many services, such as B2B marketing, B2B web design, SEO, and more.

Find an agency that offers you a good balance between cost and services so you get what you pay for.

6. Company Culture

Another important factor to keep in mind is the agency’s company culture. You should only work with an agency that has a similar culture to yours so you can collaborate well. Company culture refers to the attitude and behavior of the company’s employees.

If your own company’s culture and the agency’s culture don’t complement each other, working together might become strenuous and difficult, especially on long-term projects.

7. Honesty And Transparency

Although it can feel nice to work with an agency that simply says yes to everything you want, you should consider that a negative. You need to work with a team that will challenge your thinking and offers more effective and efficient alternatives. 

Naturally, this doesn’t mean you and the agency should be arguing about strategies, but they should be honest and offer constructive criticism and advice.

Let the agency review your prior work and give their opinion. This way, you can determine that you’ll get value for your money, rather than a team of ‘yes men’.

Also, transparency when it comes to your contract with the agency is essential. You should be well aware of what kind of deal you’re making.

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Finding the right B2B marketing agency that will help you achieve your goals won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible. GoingClear is a dedicated in-house team of designers, developers, marketers, and strategists located in Boston, MA. We can help you bring your B2B website project to life.