| How do you choose between two seemingly adept | | | | you are given any guarantees. |
| marketing companies that are vying for your | | | | After making your score card, talk to the companies |
| business? Here are some suggestions. Create a score | | | | and see who leaves you with a warmer and more |
| card and start marking points for each of them to | | | | confident feeling. Rapport isn't everything but it's |
| see who looks like a better fit for you. | | | | important when you'll need to communicate with a |
| - Look at their service offering. Are you comparing | | | | marketing company for the foreseeable future. |
| apples to apples or does one company seem to far | | | | Whether you're working on a one-off project or |
| outshine the other. | | | | thinking about partnering with someone that you can |
| - Browse the website. Marketing companies selling | | | | outsource a lot of your marketing and consultancy |
| online marketing services should make an impression | | | | tasks to, you'll want to deal with someone who's |
| online. Look at the impression they make on you | | | | professional and easy to talk to. |
| when scoring points. | | | | In some cases, it will be difficult to choose and if |
| - Google the company principal(s). Online brand | | | | you're in a position, you should ask both companies |
| management might be something you're interested in | | | | to do a small project for you. This will give you an |
| and if that is the case, you'll want to see how well a | | | | opportunity to compare results. You can look at the |
| marketing specialist manages their own brand. | | | | finished product as well as measure the |
| - Browse testimonials but do more as well. Of course | | | | effectiveness of the overall project, including: |
| most marketing companies will boast some great | | | | communications, response time, quality of responses, |
| references but go and look up the companies that | | | | etcetera. Sure, a new marketing campaign can take |
| are being listed and see what YOU think of their | | | | time to bear fruit but if a marketing company doesn't |
| marketing presence. Does it impress you? | | | | prove their worth in a short time after starting to |
| - Compare pricing. You know price isn't everything | | | | use them, you should definitely move on. There will |
| and the least expensive or most expensive may not | | | | be other marketing companies out there that would |
| always be the best or worst idea but it's good to | | | | be more than willing to show you what they can do |
| get an idea of the pricing and what that pricing | | | | for you. |
| includes. Another important area is whether or not | | | | |