Hiring An Ad Agency
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Advertising Agencies > Hiring An Ad Agency • Ad Managers • Ad Agents
Getting the word out about your product or service can make or break
your business, so when it comes to advertising, you want to make sure
you have a good plan. While some organizations do their own
advertising campaigns in house, others hire an advertising agency.
One of the reasons that you might hire an advertising agency is that you believe they'll do a better job of promoting your business than you will. That's because advertising is their specialty, and they have the creativity and experience necessary to craft effective advertising.
How do you know when it's time to hire an ad agency?
- You lack know-how regarding the details involved in producing and placing advertising.
- You don't have the time to produce your own advertising.
- The advertising you are currently producing is not getting the results you want.
- You're not sure of the best way to allocate your advertising budget.
- Your ideas are getting stale, and you need some fresh, new ideas.
- Advertising is integral to your business, and therefore you want trained professionals working in that area.
- You no longer feel like dealing with the hassle of creating your own advertising.
You don't need to be a huge organization with a big budget to hire an
advertising agency. If you're a smaller organization, keep your
search focused on smaller agencies. In most cases, these agencies
provide all the services of the big players, but at a scaled-down level
designed to meet the goals and budgets of smaller companies. There
are agencies of all different sizes with all different capabilities.
A good rule of thumb when choosing an agency is to choose one where your
account will be large enough so that it matters. In other words, if
you are a small company with local or regional needs, don't hire an agency
that specializes in dealing with large companies who need global
exposure. In addition, if you are a small company that needs local
exposure, a smaller ad agency will most likely be well acquainted with
your local area.
If you specialize in a particular market segment — such as automotive, financial, or health care, you might want to consider agencies that specialize in your particular area.
Once you have decided upon what you need from an ad agency, it is time to
find a good one. It's not enough to just open up the local yellow
pages and look under the heading of "Advertising Agencies." In order
to find the agency that's right for your business, you'll have to spend
some time and do some research.
Ask the media reps and sales reps that call on you if they can recommend an ad agency. Or, troll local publications for ads that appeal to you, then call the sales or traffic departments of those publications to find out which agency created the ad.
Once you've narrowed your search down to several agencies, learn a little more about them by checking out their web sites. Then, invite them to your office to make their pitches, which in the world of advertising are termed "agency reviews." In addition to listening to their pitches, get to know the people behind the agency, and decide if you would enjoy working with them. These Business Week and NFIB articles provide some additional insights into the ad agency selection process.
There are so many excellent advertising agencies out there, that with a little research you are bound to find one that suits you perfectly.