Small business owners are busy people. If you don’t have time to do marketing yourself, it’s a good idea to hire someone else who can take care of the work for you. But before deciding on which agency or consultant to go with, make sure they’re qualified and offer what your business needs.

Unfortunately, there are agencies, consultants and self-proclaimed “marketing gurus” who talk a big game about how they grew their business from 0 to 7 figures by running Facebook ads, or how they promise they can you the top result in Google search. But then fail to deliver on results.

Some of the business owners I meet with tell me how they feel neglected, don’t see results, and are not being taken care of like they thought they would be.

Not all small business marketing consultants are created equal. Before you hire a marketing agency, ask yourself these questions first:



Are they making promises that seem too good to be true?

Spoiler alert, they probably are. Talking a big game is a lot easier than executing on it. We see a lot of consultants and agencies promising the first rank in Google results. That’s a red flag and Google itself actually warns against agencies that do this.

Do they talk about your business' specific needs?

Are they asking about your customers, who you’re trying to target or your competition? If not, they’re probably trying to sell you a one-size-fits all approach instead of a strategy tailored to your actual business. If they’re not bringing up strategy and data, and just throwing out costly campaigns and tactics, run.

Are there clearly defined expectations from both parties?

Make sure you’re having conversations up front about what success looks like for you and how it will be measured. Plus, it’s also good to have an understanding of their reporting. What will reports look like? How often can you expect them? Reporting is a great way for both of you to check-in and see how campaigns and initiatives are performing.

What is the cost of their services? What are they providing in return for that fee?

Will they charge hourly? On a fixed price model? Or maybe they charge a retainer service. Whatever pricing model they use, make sure you understand what exactly you’re getting in return for that fee. Another great question to ask is whether or not you’ll be charged for calling or emailing with questions outside of scope. I may be a bit biased here, but I firmly believe a good consultant is there to be a resource and answer your questions, not nickel and dime you out of business.

How long will it reasonably take to get results?

SEO especially is more marathon than sprint. But with that being said, a good consultant will tell you that upfront, and give you an expectation of when you can see results. There are also quick wins a good consultant will recommend to see some results more quickly.

If the answers to these questions don’t feel right, it might be time to find a new marketing agency.

Honesty and transparency are the name of the game around here, and strategy is at the heart of everything we do. To learn more about how we operate, and to learn how we can help grow your business, schedule a free call and marketing assessment with us.