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It’s not you, it’s me. No, wait….actually it is you.
Sometimes a relationship can seem perfect on the outside, but it’s a toxic mess behind the scenes. This is true for agency-client relationships as well. Is your agency giving you what you need? You may not know it, but it may be time to break up. Look for these signs that there’s trouble in paradise.
Sign 1: They Don’t Practice What They Preach
Is your marketing agency following the same best practices they tell you to follow? Do they post to their social media regularly? Are they blogging consistently? If they can’t follow their own recommendations, why should you? If your marketing agency is not regularly marketing themselves, you should be very concerned.
Sign 2: They Use Black Hat SEO Tactics
Shady agencies will resort to unscrupulous tactics to get you ranking in search engines – which could get your website blacklisted from Google in the long run. Black Hat SEO tactics violate Google’s standards by keyword stuffing. If you’ve ever seen something like this, you’ve been a victim of keyword stuffing:
BizzyWeb is a digital marketing service in Minneapolis that offers digital marketing and web design in Minneapolis. Our Minneapolis digital marketing teams can help you with SEO, social media, online advertising and all facets of digital marketing.
You may initially shoot up in your Google ranking, but it’s only a matter of time until the hammer strikes down. At best, you could lose your spot in Google. At worst, Google could ban you from their platform. A reputable agency will rely on best practices for your SEO.
Sign 3: They Don’t Communicate
You should always be able to reach out to your agency with any questions. A rotating door of account representatives is a bad sign, and a monthly report with no context or explanation is even worse. Does your agency take the time to explain what each part of their report means? Do they walk you through their Key Performance Indicators? Do you know exactly what services you are paying for? Your agency should be a partner, not an absent force that occasionally sends you auto-generated reports.
Sign 4: They Have All the Control
It’s perfectly normal for an agency to ask for your passwords. What is not normal is for your agency to have sole control of your accounts. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google Analytics, HubSpot and your website all allow for multiple users of varying permissions levels. Someone at your company should always have a login for these platforms and be set as an administrator. An agency that insists only they have control or that any of the platforms mentioned above has only one direct login should not be trusted.
Sign 5: They Overpromise
When trying to make a sale, many agencies will dazzle you with all these incredible results you’ll see – rank on the first page of Google in just one month! Double your business in weeks! Hundreds of phone calls a week! Be wary of lofty, larger-than-life promises. Instead, a reputable agency will set realistic expectations with you based on your goals and have clear metrics that they are held accountable to.
It’s hard to cut a relationship loose, but it’s better in the long run for your health and well-being. If you’re paying an agency for marketing work and they aren’t getting you what you need, don’t stick around! It’s time to find something better.
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Let’s Talk
Don’t worry, we’re not asking you to commit to anything. We just want to talk and see what we can do to help you Generate Buzz for your business. Click the link below, call 612-424-9990 or send us a message at [email protected]
Need a new digital marketing or web design plan? We are a Minneapolis SEO, digital marketing, social media marketing, web design and HubSpot inbound marketing agency. We’re located just outside of Minneapolis. Stop on by and get started – and while you’re here, pick up a free honey stick (yes, we love our bee-related theme).
