If you are a business owner in 2016, there is a great probability that sooner rather than later, you will make a business move of hiring a creative digital marketing agency. Unfortunately, the word creative is quite debatable in most cases. There is nothing easier than saying that you are creative, except maybe claiming you are modest or responsible. However, in order for these words to have some meaning, one needs actions to back them up. So, in order to help you out, here are some parameters that an agency needs to fulfill so that it can rightfully call itself creative.
Flexibility
Like any other business, digital marketing also has some unwritten rules and laws. However, nothing lasts forever. The landscape of the digital world changes at the astounding pace and those who refuse to change will get left behind. This is why one of the first indicators of whether or not an agency is truly creative is how quickly it adopts new ideas. Going over the top and trying new things for their clients is not a strategy that always works, but in the words of Derek Trotter (Only Fools and Horses), the notorious Del Boy: “He who dares – wins.” Both metaphorically and literally, the most reliable way to get ahead of your competition is to be the first to set off.
Looking for Diversity
Regardless of what the statistics say, it is in our nature to imagine best-case scenarios. This means that every single employer out there has in their mind exactly what a perfect employee looks like. Now, one of the worst rookie mistakes when hiring is trying to copy paste this “ideal employee” as many times as necessary. Most well-versed teams are usually those that employ people with different perspectives on life and with a different approach to problem-solving. Needless to say, this is something that you should always look for in creative agencies you intend to hire.
Commitment
Another thing you need to keep in mind when looking for the right creative agency is what kind of values they support and endorse. We’re not speaking about things they boast with on their website, but the way they treat their employees, their partners and, of course, their clients. Additionally, a company’s social responsibility speaks a lot about their ethics and honesty which just might affect you as a potential client, as well. Flattery is often expected when dealing with a valued client, but this is not something you want from someone on whose honesty the future of your business depends.
Every Aspect of Growth
Creative agency is not supposed to be there to just give you a little push and then just watch you roll into an enormous success infused avalanche. They are supposed to be there to guide you every step of the way, to be your safety net. This is why, some of their duties are strategy, design, technology, and advertising all the things your business desperately needs to utilize in order to stay afloat and even prosper in time.
Business Model
In a recent conversation with people working in an actual creative advertising agency, it became apparent just how important having a proper business model can really be. Organizational structure, source (or sources) of revenue and the spectrum of services they provide all have an effect on their business model. What concerns you most, as a client, however, is whether the company charges on an hourly rate or a monthly rate, as well as what you are going to get for your money’s worth. All of these things are something you need to think about in advance.
Check Out Client Reviews
In the end, although everything might look good on paper, you never know how good someone is on a particular task until they undergo trial by fire. Probably the safest way to see in what way a particular agency works, as well as how good they are at their jobs is to look at the client reviews. Regardless of how overcrowded it may be, you just can’t hide anything from the internet these days and if there are some skeletons in the closet present, you are bound to uncover them after a thorough search. As Frank Ocean once said: “Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise.” Truly creative agencies let their success do all the talking.
Conclusion
All of this and much more are all necessary for an agency to earn the right, nay the privilege, to call itself creative. Even though not all of those features are visible from the outside, not much can elude a keen observer. When you know what to look for, your chances of getting the right people for the job usually start looking up. Sometimes, this is all that it takes for success.
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