You have a great agency, but not so great results?

I get this question a lot from clients. They've got an agency with a fancy portfolio and a hefty price tag, but the results are far from satisfying. What went wrong?

There are many possibilities.

Firstly, is the agency you're using a good fit for your needs?

There are tons of different agencies out there, from creative agencies and design houses to social media agencies. Each of these agencies is further divided into various skills and specializations.

Let's take social media, for example. Not all social media agencies can help you devise a social media strategy from scratch. Some focus on content creation, some only handle publishing, and others specialize in strategic planning. Many clients expect their social media agency to handle everything from strategy and content creation to publishing, all to increase followers and impressions. But in reality, the agency they picked might only excel at creating content. Each element of a social media campaign requires specific skills and knowledge, so not everyone can do it all.

This is something to consider when choosing an agency. Be really clear on what services you need and whether the agency you choose covers them.

Secondly, is the given brief clear enough?

Sometimes, clients are still exploring their marketing channels. For instance, they might want to make a profile video because their competitors have cool ones. But the purpose of a profile video can vary. Does your brand need a profile video for branding or for sales? Do you need it as a general manifesto or to deliver a niche message? Clients should first understand their marketing campaign goals so that the agency can tailor the produced content accordingly.

If you know what you want the collateral to achieve, is this goal clearly stated in the brief given to the agency?

There are other factors also. For example, the designs provided by the agency might not align with our brand. The language used might not be appealing either. This is where brand guidelines or brand books come into play. What kind of design or language suits your brand? What is the overall message of your brand? All of this should be established from the start and followed by the marketing agency to maintain the consistency of your brand's marketing initiatives.

Thirdly, do the internal capabilities adequately support your marketing initiatives?

With so many options available, you need to choose an agency that aligns with your internal capabilities. Many clients pick agencies based on their design taste. Design taste is important, but there are other things to consider. Do you already have an internal marketing team to monitor the strategy? How about content creation? Do you have a copywriter who can help? If not, then you need an agency that can cover all this.

Even if you have all this covered, internal support is still crucial. Your marketing initiatives should align with your product development, promotion, or business goals, and these aspects come from within the company.

Before you appoint an agency, make sure that you have the internal capabilities to support it. Otherwise, you will never get the results you want.

Now, take a moment to evaluate. If you're not happy with the agency you've hired, where do you think the issue lies?