Marketo-DG2DA
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PART II: DIGITAL AD STRATEGY<br />
YOUR DIGITAL ADVERTISING TEAM<br />
In-House vs.<br />
Outsourced Talent<br />
Whether small or large, some<br />
teams may need to outsource<br />
some of their responsibilities to<br />
an outside agency, either to<br />
alleviate internal personnel<br />
pressures or to explore more<br />
possibilities in their work.<br />
For many companies, video<br />
production and creative services<br />
are outsourced, since these tasks<br />
may require the collaboration of<br />
a handful of people, for which a<br />
company may not have<br />
headcount. And on small teams,<br />
even common tasks like paid<br />
search may get outsourced. In<br />
fact, a company may outsource<br />
more tasks than it does in-house!<br />
Whichever direction it takes, it’s<br />
important for a company to<br />
always have at least one person<br />
on the digital advertising staff<br />
in-house who knows the<br />
business and can serve as the<br />
liaison for the agency and for<br />
other teams and departments<br />
inside the company. This ensures<br />
that the company’s brand,<br />
messaging, and goals are carried<br />
throughout all of the digital<br />
advertising campaigns, as well as<br />
ensures that good communication<br />
remains intact across the board.<br />
Sourcing an Agency<br />
If you are going to go the<br />
outsourced route, you need to first<br />
determine which responsibilities<br />
your team needs to outsource.<br />
What would your team do if there<br />
were more hours in the day?<br />
Perhaps explore the use of video<br />
ads, or expand your paid social<br />
reach? Bringing an agency<br />
onboard can breathe new life into<br />
your digital ad strategy, equipping<br />
your company with a digital plan<br />
that’s more comprehensive and<br />
robust and that can become a<br />
more integral part of your entire<br />
marketing strategy. This can lead to<br />
higher ROI overall for your digital<br />
advertising efforts.<br />
Qualities of a Good Agency<br />
In your search, make sure that your<br />
agency not only has the skills to<br />
get the job done, but that the<br />
agency also meshes well with your<br />
company and your team. A strong<br />
working relationship is a crucial<br />
foundation to ensure that<br />
communication and collaboration<br />
will flow with ease.<br />
Other important traits to consider<br />
when you’re interviewing potential<br />
agencies include:<br />
• Industry Expertise:<br />
It goes without saying that your<br />
agency should have talented staff<br />
with background in both digital<br />
and traditional advertising. Assess<br />
the various strengths and<br />
weaknesses of each agency, and<br />
determine where your needs are<br />
met, and where they’re not.<br />
• Shared Vision:<br />
To ensure that your team and the<br />
agency are on the same page, it’s<br />
important for the agency to<br />
understand your company’s<br />
brand and messaging, and how<br />
these translate into the digital<br />
atmosphere. Only after the<br />
agency truly grasps your<br />
company’s brand will it be able to<br />
deliver ads that hit the mark every<br />
time without a need for revision.<br />
• Similar Background:<br />
It’s a good idea for the agency to<br />
have worked with similar<br />
companies so that they already<br />
have a background in your<br />
industry. This helps you and the<br />
agency hit the ground running<br />
much faster.<br />
• Proven Track Record:<br />
Not only request and check<br />
references, but also request that<br />
agencies provide you with case<br />
studies of successful work they<br />
have completed for other<br />
companies. It’s a good idea to<br />
review previous work as a way to<br />
gauge how well they will perform<br />
for you.<br />
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