The obvious but great time to hire a marketing agency ("marketing partner") is when you don't have one. The second obvious time is when your business is doing well or bank account has been running consistently in the black. If either or both are true, this is as good a time as any to assess your need for professional outside marketing counsel.
What is marketing?
The expression marketing gets used, abused and confused, but I like the simple definition - "the process of bringing goods or services to market." The actual act of transferring ownership is implied. Having said that, marketing means that a host of processes are potentially involved:
- Advertising
- public relations
- research
- development
- collateral materials
- sales promotion
- direct marketing
- interactive marketing
- trade shows
- sales
You may have sufficient staff so that you don't need much outside help. Then again, if that list
encompasses more than you expected, or more than you’re doing for yourself, maybe it’s time to favor hiring experts "as or when you need them."
Whatever the case, the coming months will determine just how well your company will fare in the improving economy.
If you handle marketing in-house:
If you don't have an existing agency relationship, consider this:
- You know YOUR business; are you also a trained marketing expert?
- Even if YES, do you have time and energy to handle both jobs?
- How does your marketing compare against your competitors?
- Is your ad budget more than 5% of gross sales?
- Do you HAVE an advertising budget?
- Is your marketing founded on research?
- Does your in-house work (really) save you money?
- Wouldn't it be nice to tell colleagues you've finally hired your "own" agency?
If your answers suggest you may be compromising more than one on this list of eight, then that would justify conducting an agency review to evaluate your options and subsequently hire an agency if the evidence supports that action.
| 
UK & Europe 
Other
