The Top 9 Qualities Of A Good Marketing Agency

You’ve worked hard on your business. Now, you’re looking to hire digital marketing experts to help you spread the word. 

But, what qualities should you look for? What questions should you ask them? How can you tell if a marketing agency is good?

Explore these top nine qualities that will give purpose to your partnership.

Qualities Of A Good Marketing Agency

1. They Understand Your “Why”

A good internet marketing agency is intentional. 

As your partner, they should start with a strategic session to get to know what success looks like to YOU. Understanding your business’ story, mission, vision, goals, and audience shapes everything going forward — from goal tracking and analytics, to reporting and results.

Simply put, if they don’t share your vision, the work won’t be effective. 

Look for agencies who prioritize asking questions, perform in-depth audits and analysis, and research your business and competitors before the work even starts.

2. They Are Adaptable

Marketing is not stagnant. In fact, Google makes an average of 13 changes per day!

If you want to achieve internet marketing success, you’re going to have to think quickly on your feet, be flexible in decision-making, and pivot your strategy on a whim. 

What works today may not work tomorrow. Look for an agency that treats every situation in marketing as unique. They should be proactive in anticipating changes and flexible in strategy adjustments.

With the introduction of AI tools, privacy concerns, Google Core Updates, and the switch to an entirely new analytics tracking system (GA4) in 2023, you need an adaptable team now more than ever.

3. They Invest Time In Research

A desire to learn is part of what makes a successful marketer.

Your agency should embody a curious culture to stay on top of trends and news within the industry. Here are some example questions to ask your digital marketing agency to ensure they have a passion for learning in their field:

• What sources do you get your news and information from?
• Who are the most well-known influential people in your field (SEO, PPC, Content Writers, Designers, etc.) whom you take inspiration from?
• What experiments do you currently have running to test marketing success?
• How has your agency responded to recent changes in this industry?
• What’s something you learned in the last month about internet marketing that has surprised you?

4. They Are Knowledgeable About The Competitive Landscape

Not only should they desire to learn about the industry as a whole, but they should also investigate the competitive landscape. Here are some questions to ask your digital marketing agency about your competitors:

• What keywords are my competitors bidding on?
• How much are my competitors spending on Google Ads?
• Who are my biggest competitors in terms of traffic to the site?
• How often are my competitors posting content?
• What sections do my competitors feature on their sites (blogs, eCommerce, podcasts, services, products, etc.)?
• Are my competitors using the most relevant social media channels?
• Are they running both organic and paid social campaigns?
• Are my competitors running paid social campaigns, or simply running boosted posts?

5. They Are Innovative & Propose Custom Solutions

Once they’ve analyzed your business, the industry as a whole, and your competitors, it’s time to find the best custom solution for you.

Your agency should provide you with detailed recommendations, backed by their data and research. 

A good internet marketing agency is knowledgeable about their craft, and you can trust their work. Their passion fuels them, and they should work hard to develop a customized, creative strategy specifically for your business. 

6. They Are Detailed In Reporting & Communicate Results Clearly

Attention to detail, transparency in reporting, and being able to communicate results clearly are just a few of the main qualities of a good marketing agency.

It’s not enough to simply do the work — they must analyze it in-depth to identify additional optimizations for marketing success. 

At first, your agency might appear critical. But, this is actually a good thing! 

Their insight helps you recognize your true potential and have the best marketing possible. They want to make sure you’re representing yourself to your customers in the best light.

Sometimes, the data that is being tested has surprising results. Whether it turned out as you hoped, or provided a different outcome, these insights will help you see which elements of your strategy to keep and which to adjust. 

Part of what makes a successful marketer is being able to analyze data, explain it reasonably, and suggest next steps.

7. They Offer A Full Range Of Services

When you hire a full-service marketing agency, you’re hiring a team of marketing professionals, not just one person. You’ll have access to experts in all departments, such as website development, graphic design, search engine marketing, social media, email marketing, content writing, and pay-per-click advertising.

One word to summarize all of that? Cohesion.

As we mentioned at the beginning of this blog, it’s important to make sure everyone is on the same page and is aligned with the vision and the “why.” After all, they’re your partner.

Look for a full-service marketing agency that offers all of these services in-house. This simplifies the process, giving you one point of contact for all of your marketing needs. It also ensures consistency in your brand, from logo colors and fonts, to the tone of your content and ads.

If an agency collaborates well together, they will collaborate well with you.

8. They Take Responsibility 

An essential quality of a good marketing agency is taking accountability — for their work, for results, and for their own marketing strategy. 

• Is their website innovative and customized?
• Is their brand consistent through color and tone?
• Do they put out regular content that demonstrates expertise in the industry?

Good internet marketing companies should lead by example, because how they market their own business is an indication of how they will market yours.

9. They Act With Integrity

The final quality of a good marketing agency that we want to highlight is benevolence. The ability to look beyond themselves to the needs of others is so important. Do they act with integrity in their work and beyond?

They should use white-hat strategies, and you should be able to trust the methods they choose. They are honest and transparent with results, even when they don’t turn out as planned.

They use AI tools responsibly and see it as a marketing strength, rather than shying away from it completely. They use AI ethically, as a tool, not as a replacement for hard work. 

Additionally, their selflessness extends beyond their work. They invest in the community, host charity events, and give other local business leaders a voice.