How To Have The Perfect Client/Agency Relationship

by | Jul 21, 2017 | Digital Marketing, Marketing Strategy

In this day and age, hiring a digital marketing agency to help your business with digital services has become almost a necessity. Hiring an agency can decrease the costs associated with having an in-house team, and it can help you stay ahead of your competitors.

Since these relationships have become more common, it is important to have a communication plan in place; after all, both parties are striving to be successful and they are dependent on each other to accomplish their goals.

However, sometimes things get lost in translation, which is why I will give you a few tips to foster the perfect client/agency relationship!

AS AN AGENCY, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO BETTER SUPPORT YOUR CLIENT?

Find their preferred way of communication

As soon as you know your client’s preferred way of communicating, you can be on your way to the best relationship. Just ask how they like to convey information. Whether it is with a phone call, an email, or an in-person meeting, you will achieve more by relating at their level.

Establish expectations from the beginning 

It is your job to help the client understand that without their help, their campaign will have a harder time succeeding. It is always helpful to have a “point-of-contact” inside the company you are supporting. It is crucial to stay in the loop.

Schedule regular check-ins with your client

Just like you, your client or point of contact has other responsibilities. Establishing a weekly or bi-weekly check-in can help everyone stay on task.

Ask questions often

Your clients are inside of their company, so sometimes they might forget to tell you something because they might think that it is not important or relevant. Follow up questions can help you get the full story. 

AS THE CLIENT, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO BETTER SUPPORT YOUR AGENCY?

Keep your agency in the loop by informing them of recent changes and more 

You know when a person is talking about a dream they had the other night and you tune them out? I can promise you that your agency will not do that to you. The little details that you think are not important might make or break your campaign. We care about everything! Don’t worry about summarizing. We will take what we need and get rid of what we don’t. In this case, more is better.

Alert them on possible reputation management issues

If something happened internally, we want to know. We can always suggest ways for you to heal a relationship with a disgruntled employee or customer. By letting us know, you also give us the chance to protect your business online.

Communicate about content preferences

Expectations should be clear from the beginning. Make your agency aware of internal policies, appropriate language, and brand voice. Approving content before it comes out can help to minimize mistakes.

PROVIDE TIMELY FEEDBACK 

Handling digital marketing services for brands, including search marketing, social advertising, social media, reputation management and website administration, among others, are very time sensitive. If an issue arises and your agency contacts you, the best policy is to provide timely feedback.

If you want to have a successful digital media plan and strategy, and you have hired a third party agency to help you achieve your goals, it is very important that you understand the expectations the agency will have of you.

Most relationships in the real world are mutually beneficial, and the one a business has with their agency is no different.

At Social Firm, we expect clients to care as much as we do! The best client/agency relationships we’ve had are the ones where the point of contact becomes our eyes and ears. Keeping our team in the loop always helps us bring our clients’ stories to life!

Social Firm
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