Digital media especially the internet has grown over the past 3 years with around 40% of the world population is connected to the internet today and with a large chunk of businesses moving towards digital media to implement sales.
It is not news that digital media has a wider coverage of audience with reference to all the social networks and platforms on the internet not to talk of the millions who use one form of digital media or the other like televisions.
With about 3.5 million internet users, the digital market is a booming ground for businesses these days especially with the vast number of internet users.
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Digital marketing is simply a way to connect with your audience using digital media to promote your brand, product or service.
Unlike traditional marketing, you can analyze your strategies based on results obtained and also weigh your options to know which medium sells your brand the most to the right audience.
Digital marketing can either be online or offline. Online marketing refers to social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, pay per click etc. while offline refers to radio, television etc.
we are already conversant with television, billboards and radio while online marketing goes further to use all available mediums and tools on the internet to drive sales.
There are a bunch of things to get involved with when venturing into digital marketing and you know you can’t do it all alone.
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Digital marketing services in Nigeria are getting better by the day and to achieve the best results, it is advisable to hire the services of a professional digital marketing company.
Due to this, some agencies have sprung up out of the need to meet the demand for this growing market.
The digital market has given rise to a number of companies who help other organizations and businesses manage their online reputations and presence to ensure they attract customers and grow revenue through digital mediums.
With this, the businesses can market and sell their products online with the help of these digital marketing firms. A creative digital marketing company will provide services to their clients to enable them move with the growing trends.
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To ensure these businesses are at the top of their game, a digital marketing agency is expected to promote the web visibility of the organization, protect their reputation and also create strategies to enable them make sales.
It is up to these agencies to put up the right strategies for success in both ways. Any mushroom agency can claim to be a successful digital marketing organization but there are some essential qualities to look out for before hiring the services of a digital marketing firm in Nigeria.
This post will be looking at some of these important qualities to enable you make the right choice and get the worth of your budget.
Transparent and honest
This to me is one of the most important of all the qualities to look out for before hiring the services of a digital marketing agency. Am sure you don’t want anyone running away with your money without providing you with the sort of service promised.
There are stories about agencies claiming to be what they are not, collecting monies from clients and end up vacating the premises where they operate. It is very critical to examine and know the trustworthiness of the agency you’re about working with.
If you sense anything out of place, then it is to your best interest you don’t contract their service. You can inquire about the agency by checking their website and ask around from other people who they have claimed to work with.
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This is essential to prevent any fraudulent activity. Also, some digital marketing firms might claim to be proficient in executing digital marketing services but in the real sense, they have no idea on that aspect.
An initial research through inquires will enable you know the level of success they have achieved with their other existing or past client. I will advice that you contact past client, with that; you should have an idea on why they aren’t presently using the company’s services.
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You can thereafter weigh your options and decide on the next line of action. Once you implore the services of the agency, you should make sure that all you agreed upon should be executed promptly to avoid any form of breach of contract.
Creativity
Anybody can open up a digital marketing agency at anytime but what distinguishes one agency from another is the extent of their creativity.
In hiring a digital marketing firms services in Nigeria, you have to be sure that they are creative in their imagination and execution.
Marketing is advertising your product or service for prospective buyers, and you know you must do it the right way. For any form of marketing, you should be able to creatively portray the product in the way people will want to purchase.
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Digital marketing gives you room to give visual displays of the product with persuasive words. The creative aspect of the digital marketing agency is tested when they translate your thoughts and product into a must have product.
For them to do that, they must be able to come up with a creative process to pass the message. For television, radio and other electronic media, you can play with words, images and motion in various perspectives but with online marketing, you can use all three elements to drive sales.
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On social media, you have ads with videos, while some come in as images and text, then you have email marketing, content marketing etc. there is a variety to play with when it come to online marketing.
A good digital marketing agency should have a concrete idea on these mediums to ensure they sell your product to the utmost areas.
Practice what they preach
As it is said, “talk is cheap”. People love to give their own opinion on what you should and shouldn’t do but do they really practice same when it comes to their business?
Most agencies only preach, with all the big grammar in the dictionary but when you check their business, it is practically trying to stay afloat. They don’t practice what they preach.
For any digital marketing agency, you should be sure that they also implement same thing they are selling to you in their business.
For example, you hire the services of a digital marketing agency and they tell you we will make you rank for relevant keywords on the first page after a search on the prominent search engines.
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That’s the promise but in the real sense, are they on the first page on search engines?
If they are not, then it means they are not doing something right with their business, so why should you hire an agency that doesn’t know its onus.
It is better you do the job yourself because it is possible you will achieve more than they have. Once they don’t practice what they preach, it simply means they are not trustworthy in terms of expertise.
Security
With the way things are these days, security is of utmost relevance to everyone including organizations. With the present trend of hacking here and there, it is important that you consider how security conscious the firm you are about hiring is.
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When the agency is expected to handle vital documents and information, you should be sure that your information is safe with them and that they are able to manage your website and your company reputation.
The agency is expected to maintain all forms of discreteness with your information and also ensure you are not being hacked by cyber criminals.
Blend necessary strategies
In hiring a digital marketing agency, you have to be sure they have a winning spirit and are result oriented. If they do, it won’t be difficult for them to put in all their efforts and make plans with meaningful strategies on how to execute the plan for the greater goal.
Most organizations are sometimes laid back when it comes to other peoples businesses. They never consider the fact that once the business doesn’t meet up, it will sure rub off on your agency because the agency was involved as at the time of the collapse.
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It is very important to take note of agencies that will work with you to achieve greater success. Some agencies want the easy way around marketing, and in doing that they go for the lazy route by probably implementing just one or two marketing strategy without evaluating that which suits your business.
A great marketing agency is going to have expertise across multiple digital marketing channels, because users are spending time accessing content, browsing and researching ideas across devices, channels and a wide diversity of platforms.
Up-to-date with evolving trends
It is not enough that a digital marketing agency knows the job but that they also evolve as trends change. It is very vital as new trends especially in social media marketing keep changing.
It is important you select an agency that not only knows its onus but also is abreast with the recent trends and developments in all aspects of digital marketing.
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For example, the trend of advertising on billboards and the likes have been gradually replaced with social media campaigns and ads.
Therefore, for a digital marketing agency that moves with the trends, they will quickly move your business to those platforms to market them to those internet users.
The digital marketing agency must be data driven
Data, measurements, and analytics are necessary components of successful marketing campaigns because they prove the value of your initiatives and enable better decision making.
That’s why great marketing companies use these measures to track their success and iterate. Also, charting the effectiveness of each campaign keeps you informed on the agency’s progress towards achieving your goals.
A great marketing company uses analytics to measure the outcomes of all their actions and employs a process using the data to drive better conversion rates.
Hire a digital marketing agency with a passionate team
A great digital marketing agency is made up of a team of diverse talents and expertise. A great agency will be proud of their team and will put them forward.
They should be a multi-disciplined team, with unique experts in their respective fields e.g. design, development, SEO, content strategy, social media, brand development, etc.
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The staff are also an integral part of a great marketing company because they are the driving force behind all of your campaigns, technologies, and strategies.
To that end, we recommend partnering with passionate, enthusiastic, and creative individuals who genuinely love marketing and aren’t afraid to take risks and launch bold campaigns to achieve the greatest possible impact.
Conclusion
Most businesses feel they can achieve everything on their own but honestly, you need the services of professionals to meet up.
If you want your new business to be discovered by more clients, then you might want to consider hiring professionals who are experienced in marketing businesses using various means like digital marketing.
The trend in digital marketing is constantly changing and is almost unpredictable, which is why in other for your business to rule the online market, you would need to have professionals to guide you and your venture.
Now, if you are already considering hiring a digital marketing agency to reinforce your current marketing plans and strategies, you should know the qualities you must look for in an agency.
These qualities will ensure you make the right decision while trying to hire the services of a digital marketing agency.
According to Neil Patel, Of course, no one can afford to miss out on the opportunities of the web and, eventually, every marketer will have to master online marketing.
Some digital marketing companies in Nigeria have acquired the professional expertise to manage clients and provide outstanding results.
Please, do share with me some of your experiences with digital marketing agencies here in Nigeria and what your opinions are about their services.
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