In order for a company to grow and be successful, there are a number of steps that need to be taken. One of the most important steps is creating brand awareness so that you can not only attract new customers/clients, but retain them and start to create a loyal base.
Brand awareness isn’t something that happens overnight; in fact, it is something that many businesses here in Los Angeles struggle to master. There’s a lot of competition out there, even in the niche markets, so it’s hard to stand out. This is exactly why hiring a professional ad agency can make sense. They can take all the pressure off your shoulders, and inject a whole lot of wisdom and advice that helps you to advance your advertising goals.
But there’s more to it than just hiring the first ad agency that you come across. Here we’ll take a look at some helpful tips that you can use as you look to find the perfect ad agency in Los Angeles.
What Are Your Expectations?
Before you even start looking around for an ad agency, it is important to be clear on what your expectations are. What are your goals in hiring an ad agency? They can include short- and long-term goals, and here you need to be as specific as possible. This information will be needed by the ad agency that you hire in order to put together an effective campaign.
What Is Your Budget?
You will also need to set a strict advertising budget. Keep mind that it needs to be realistic, as you cannot expect top level service if you don’t have the budget to fund it. If you are on a tight budget, digital marketing will be your best bet. This will cost a fraction of what you would spend on traditional marketing efforts and can prove to be more effective too.
Read Up on Reviews
This is also a good time to do a little investigating yourself by reading reviews from other companies regarding ad agencies. While it’s always wise to take reviews with a grain of salt, they can still prove to be enlightening.
Choose an Agency with Experience in Your Industry
Because marketing campaigns are all so different, you want to be sure that whatever agency you pick has experience in your specific industry. This experience will allow them to offer tips and advice, and understand the market, the demographics and what the best practices are.
Does the Agency Offer Different Packages/Services?
It will also be important to determine what the ad agency can do for you. Do they have different packages and services, and if so, which ones make sense to you and your company? It can be extremely helpful to meet with them in person to discuss the approach they would take with your business if you were to hire them. This will also give you a feeling about the rapport, as you need to be able to communicate with the agency.
As they make it clear what their packages and services are, this is when cost will come up in the conversation. You want to be sure their pricing fits with your budget. Make sure to also ask if there are any hidden or additional fees, or if some services carry a surcharge.
Will It Embrace a Digital Campaign?
Although a digital campaign may not be right for every business, considering how much time people spend on their mobile devices nowadays, this is a topic that should at least be discussed with the ad agency.
Don’t Discount the Smaller Agencies
One mistake people can make when looking for an ad agency is to ignore the smaller ad agencies, making the assumption that they couldn’t handle your work load, or they wouldn’t have enough experience and knowledge. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as many of these smaller agencies are rife with talent and experience. This is why it’s so important you do a thorough job researching all the potential agencies.
Keep an Eye Open for Campaigns That You Like
During the search for the perfect ad agency, experts recommend you start paying more attention to ads in general. Take notice of those ads and campaigns that do make you take a second look and figure out which agency was responsible for it.
Does the Agency Understand Your Company and Its Goals?
The final question to ask is whether or not the ad agency understands your company, what it does, who its clients are, and what its goals are. If the agency can’t tap into these elements and get a good feeling of the company, then it’s not going to be effective in getting the messaging out to customers.
By taking all of this advice into mind, you’ll be able to find an ad agency in Los Angeles that will more than meet your company’s needs and goals.