10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Content Marketing Agency
At some point, many companies realize they need to hire a content marketing agency. If this is you, don’t worry! You are not alone! The Content Marketing Institute found that 26% of companies increased their spending on outsourced content marketing in 2019. Whether to reinforce existing content marketing efforts or start a new strategy, turning to an external agency can provide a perspective and expertise that may not exist internally.
However, not all agencies are created equal, and before you choose, you should ensure that it is the right agency for you. After gathering your requests for proposals and identifying the agencies you want to consider further, ask these 10 questions to the candidates.
- How do you brainstorm and come up with new content ideas?
Not all agencies operate in the same way. Some keep brainstorming as much as possible internally; some will rely on the client to come up with new ideas; and others will use a combination of both to develop content. However, if the content marketing agency comes up with new content ideas, make sure it’s something you’re prepared for. You don’t want to always provide ideas, but you should also be concerned if you have an internal structure to receive a lot of information and support the agency in the process.
- What is your onboarding process?
It is important to hire a content marketing agency that takes the time to understand your business, your goals for the content marketing program, your company culture, and your overall business objectives. This may require face-to-face meetings, so make sure this is an option with the agency you choose and that you are prepared to engage in these activities.
- What is your editing process?
You want your content to fit your brand’s voice and make sense. Ask the agency how they edit pieces, who is involved, and how many revisions are done. The number of professionals involved is very important, but keep in mind that the delivery process tends to become slower with the involvement of more people. If you can lend a hand in the editing process, see if this is also a possibility. What you don’t want is content sent to you that hasn’t had any customization or editing.
- What is your content workflow?
One of the reasons many companies hire a content agency is for them to help set up the organizational processes and workflows that keep deliveries on track. Ask how the agency sets up a content workflow: what the content development process looks like, who is assigned to which task, how they ensure deadlines are met, and how much collaboration is involved.
- What tools and platforms do you use to manage your content workflow?
Whether you plan to work with your agency or not, you want to ensure that the agency you hire has a system for managing the content workflow and that it can work in conjunction with any workflow tools your company already uses.
- How do you choose which writer will work on my account?
The last thing you want to discover too late in the game is that they randomly assigned someone to your account from a pool of freelance or in-house writers who may or may not have the necessary experience and skills to create your content. Many content agencies will have a mix of in-house writers and trusted freelancers with specific subject matter expertise. You can always ask the agency for a list of potential authors who may be assigned to your account in advance and request to view content samples upon a fee agreement.
- Can you provide examples of different types of content you have created?
It’s one thing for a content marketing agency to say they can create targeted content for your business; it’s another for them to have the technical capacity to do so or even a track record of creating it. Ask for samples of white papers, blog posts, e-books, interactive content, videos, and other work they have done, keeping in mind that their website may host only a small sample of their work.
- How do you help our content get seen?
Content marketing also includes promoting your content so that your ideal target audience sees, downloads, and acts on it. Ask your agency what types of content distribution methods will be used to present your content to people. Social media? Paid ads? Email marketing?
- What can you do with video?
You might be surprised at what can be done with videos and how they can attract new customers or help you retain existing ones. However, video capabilities can vary widely, from documentary-style videos to animated videos and various production and editing styles. Find out what specific video capabilities your content agency has, how they present video ideas, how they execute them, and what level of collaboration they require from clients.
- How do you get media coverage for us?
While a weekend edition article in Folha de São Paulo might be a long shot, there are many other opportunities to get media coverage. Ask if your content marketing agency can write contributed articles for trade publications, pitch media stories to the local press, and help get some of your featured content into target publications.
No matter how your content marketing agency answers these questions, you should feel comfortable with what they say and the work they do. You want an agency that is right for your company, whether it’s to expand the existing internal team or to create a content marketing strategy from scratch.
Agência Baloodesign has over 15 years of experience in advertising and content marketing. We believe that there is no single best content marketing agency; instead, there is the agency that best fits your company’s goals and team. We look forward to hearing from you for a chat.
