Choosing THAT! Advertising Agency

Congratulations! Your business is experiencing a level of success that encourages growth, and you need to know how to choose an advertising agency to assist in your marketing efforts. Choosing an ad agency is like other forms of product comparison, only the product is the expertise of others and not, say, a dish washer.

So how do you know if you if you’ve really become a big dog marketer in need of an agency? As the proprietor, ask yourself:

• Am I trying a new form of advertising?
• Am I creating an entirely new identity/ brand/product?
• Is this just one project or one of many to come?
• Do I want my agency to be a gateway to other clients?
• How important is the agency’s client roster to me?

Evaluate whether your time or your team’s is best spent drafting text for brochures and electronic/broadcast media, learning design software, negotiating with printers, establishing a Web presence, placing media buys and staying current with statistics, trends, colors and styles – or focusing on the core of your endeavor.

Since you’ve positioned yourself as expert in your space, choosing an ad agency to handle the nuances of marketing can only take your business to the next level.

What about costs? They don’t work for free, right? Right!  Advertising agencies are staffed with experienced communication strategists, writers, designers, Web developers and media planners who have made it their life’s work to understand how to market your business effectively. Leveraging  all that experience costs money. But look at it as a two-fold benefit:  you’ll not only buy the best expertise to get your advertising done, but also gain creative partners dedicated to increasing the success of your business.

But how much? That’s up to you. You’ll need to establish your advertising budget. To do so, keep these two things in mind:

• Agencies will charge by the hour or job for creative services ($40-$200 per hour)
• Agencies also charge approximately 15 percent media commission above the hard costs of production, such as print services and electronic/broadcast development

Since you already know how much you’ve spent on advertising to date, you can calculate in these new numbers as a starting budget with which to approach the agency.

It takes a lot of energy, dedication, confidence and leadership to develop creative, effective advertising campaigns with measurable results.  Choose the right agency and your  company will grow bigger, stronger, faster, and more profitable.