Nowadays, everyone does some digital marketing and for most companies, this is something they gladly outsource for any number of reasons. And while most people will be careful when choosing their outsourced digital marketing partners, this does not ensure that they will continue to provide fantastic service, even if their pitch was phenomenal.

Because of this, it is crucial that you take stock of what they have done and what they have been doing for you, simply to make sure they are doing enough. Often times, you will find out that your agency may have missed out on a current trend that is providing great results for other companies and you will want to ensure they provide you with this kind of service too.

But, we are getting ahead of ourselves.

Getting the Basics In Order

The first step in making sure your outsourced digital marketing partners are handling your account the right way is to track the results that they have achieved and how this has affected your company.

In order to do this, you will want to establish clear KPIs and then track how the digital marketing efforts are helping you hit those targets. For example, you might want to increase the visits to your website by 25% in six months, or you might want to get 10% more conversions in this time.

This is something you will have already conveyed to your partners as the targets and through keeping track of how much of it is being accomplished, you will be able to see how well they are working for you.

Sometimes they will have difficulties absolutely hitting those targets, but it is important that they are not taking you for a ride and handing you various vanity metrics in lieu of actual results.

Digital marketing (like all marketing) is all about concrete results and your outsourced partners need to deliver those results.

That is why you are paying them.

Another part of taking care of the basics will be talking to them about the practices they have put in place and the strategies they are using to provide you with the results. You will probably be not an expert in digital marketing, but you can do some research and find out if they are doing the right things for you anyway.

The Need for Innovation

Digital marketing is a field that is always changing and there are always new strategies and tactics that may provide results for your company. Unfortunately, many digital marketing agencies get stuck in their ways and it takes them a while before they acknowledge these innovations and start applying them to their clients (i.e. you).

Because of this, you might want to check from time to time and find out whether they are staying in the loop and whether your company is benefitting from these new tactics and strategies that can boost your digital marketing efforts.

One of the more recent examples of this are virtual summits. Virtual summits are online conferences where you invite experts and influencers from a certain industry and let them share their views and insights.

Just as an example, if you run a B2B company that does account-based marketing, you can invite the leading experts in the field and let them give talks that you will then turn into podcasts that people can watch live or download later. You will ask for emails from the visitors and this way, you will be growing your email list in unprecedented ways. Navid Moazzez has a great guide on virtual summits and you will do well to check it out.

Ask your digital marketing agency is they have heard of this or any new tactics and you will find out how well they are staying in touch with what is happening in their industry. You cannot afford to pay someone whose practices are stuck in 2008.

What the Others Are Doing

Of course, you will also want to make sure that other agencies have not surpassed yours when it comes to their practices, prices and everything else. This is the same relationship you will have with any other supplier or outside partner. You need to make sure you are getting value for your money and the best way to go about this is to discover what others are doing for their clients.

You will probably know other business owners who are using other digital marketing agencies. Ask them about the services that their partners are providing them with and perhaps even try to find out how much they are paying.

Also, keep an eye on your competitors and make sure they are not rocketing past you when digital marketing is in question. If they are, the chances are your outsourced digital marketing agency is not doing as great a job as they think they are.

Closing Word

This is your company. This is your money. You cannot afford to be wasting money on an outsourced digital marketing partner that does not deliver results and lives three years in the past.

You deserve the best for the money you are paying.

Never forget this.