How much involvement should a marketing agency require?

Whether it's a small sales business or a global company, the primary focus from day one has always been "getting things done." However, "selling things" should also be a priority, and this is where a strong marketing strategy plays a crucial role. Manufacturing companies understand that marketing is essential for success, but investments in time and money are often placed on the list after completing other "more important" tasks.

How much involvement should a marketing agency require?

When commitment and dedication to a strategic marketing plan are lost, opportunities are missed, sales may decline, and a company can lose its identity and competitive edge. For many, working with a marketing agency specializing in B2B marketing for their industry can help ensure a consistent approach to attracting new prospects. Seeking the help of an agency requires dedication from the manufacturer—at least if they want the agency to be truly effective. But how much time does it really take?

Full or Limited Involvement?

The level of involvement a marketing agency has can vary, from being just a service provider to becoming a strategic partner. Do you have a clear plan and simply need a marketing agency to implement your directives? Or do you want to rely on the agency's expertise to collaborate on your Inbound program and work together? Often, the right approach is somewhere in between. Setting expectations from the beginning will help determine how hands-on you need to be.

Whatever you decide, it’s crucial to ensure that the agency you choose has experience in marketing for your type of buyers. Too often, manufacturers are impressed by an agency’s work with B2C clients or businesses in unrelated industries. Successfully attracting prospects in high-consideration purchasing decisions is a completely different challenge. If the agency cannot demonstrate experience and proven results in your industry, you should proceed with caution.

Determining your level of involvement depends on many factors. Do you already have an internal marketing team, or is marketing a one-person operation in your company? Your level of participation can be minimal or highly interactive. Some of our clients engage in weekly calls, contribute to writing and publishing content, and collaborate on an editorial calendar with the agency. Others lack the resources and prefer a hands-off approach, relying on our team to manage all those details for them.

No matter how involved you choose to be, your agency will still need time to get to know you, your market, your product or service, and your competition. When Next Level Strategy begins working with a client, it’s common for them to be eager to jump in right away, wanting to publish blog posts, social media content, and emails immediately. However, before any of that happens, we insist on learning everything we can about them their needs, weaknesses, goals, competitive advantages, existing resources, and much more. This information helps us collectively execute the Inbound program to achieve the desired results.

If you want to be highly involved, great! Make sure your expectations are clear from the start so that communication guidelines can be established. The advantage is that you can contribute to content creation, schedule emails, publish blogs on your website, and more. You will always be aware of ongoing activities. And when the agency equips you with a marketing automation platform like we do with HubSpot to manage content and contacts, you’ll have access to reports that show which campaigns and specific strategies work best, the resulting conversions, and ultimately, your return on investment (ROI).

From there, strategies for improvements and next steps can be developed with your agency. You should also consider how difficult it may be for your internal team to establish solid strategies. They may not have the right tools or a strong understanding of how Inbound Marketing works. An agency can provide the necessary guidance and strategies, then allow your team to handle part of the implementation.

How hands-on you choose to be is up to you, but you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to leverage the skills and expertise of a marketing agency. An Inbound Marketing agency can offer highly valuable external insights that will help you maximize your results.

Do you want to take a limited involvement approach?

No working relationship is truly healthy if it is entirely independent. Keep in mind that you will need to participate regularly, at least in reviews and approvals, discussions, adjustments, and planning. If you’re not willing to commit long-term, it may be more realistic to be more involved at the beginning and then gradually shift responsibilities.

Clearly, the advantage of limited involvement is that the marketing plan and the work it entails require minimal effort on your part, allowing you to focus on other critical functions within your organization. You may later feel disconnected, but it will be your agency’s responsibility to build trust and confidence through open, transparent communication and quality work.

You will know you have found the right agency when:

• They demonstrate knowledge of your industry. The right partner will show that they understand your business and customers, backed by experience. You can trust that they will prioritize your success because their success is tied to yours.

• They show they never stop learning. A good agency is not only committed to continuously learning about your business and prospects but also stays up to date with the latest technologies and best practices in Inbound Marketing. They will always seek strategic and innovative ways to help you succeed.

• They keep everyone engaged. Remember, you will always need to be involved and maintain a level of commitment, especially at the beginning when the relationship is being established. Later, if you choose, you can shift your role to validation and participate in meetings to keep everyone informed about new business initiatives, sales strategies, product improvements, and more.

Whether with full or limited involvement, the level of participation will vary from one organization to another and will likely evolve over time. Trust and transparency are key to a healthy partnership in any situation. The first step is to find the right agency with a team that can demonstrate a proven track record of reliability and excellence.

If you are looking to work with a marketing agency, we would love to meet with you to see if we are the right fit for you and your business. Remember, we take the time to get to know you and your business needs.