In the past few weeks, I got to talk to many entrepreneurs and I was shocked by what they all had in common: most of them have worked with an agency in the past and had a really bad experience which led them to reconsider working with an agency in the future.

The reasons why? The agency they worked with before

• didn’t really care about their business or what they stood for,
• was worth a lot of money but produced little to no results, and
• showed a lot of effort in the beginning — but only in the beginning.

Whilst I am shocked to hear this, there is a lot of truth in what they have shared with me. There are a lot of these agencies out there but not all agencies are the same. Finding the right agency to work with is one of the most important investment decisions you have to make and it’s one not to be made lightly.

If you are in the position of looking to hire an agency, we have listed three important things to look for before signing with them. Disclaimer: the list does not involve retainer fees.

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1 - Strategic, creative and problem-solving skills.

The reason why you want to hire a social media agency in the first place is that you are having a hard time connecting the dots. You may have experience managing your social media but more often than not, the main challenge is finding a way to use social media to reach your goals whether it’s brand awareness, engagement or lead generation. What I personally love to do is to quickly audit a potential client’s social media platforms, find the gaps and opportunities, and use this information to provide my 2 cents during our first call or meet-up. Another way is asking the right questions. If an agency digs deep to find out more about your specific challenges and what you’ve tried in the past, continue the conversation. If they go straight to their packages, run.

These may not exactly accurately provide you with the extent of skill level they have but it shows you that they will be employing real strategies to help you overcome your challenges.

Another important way to find out how they can potentially help solve your problems is by looking at the challenges they overcame in the past. Read their case studies and identify what they did for their clients. What kind of results did they get? Try looking past the before & after transformations of the feed (unless aesthetic is your only goal) and focus on the real impact.

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‍2 - Client experience.

I believe that hiring an agency is a lot like dating. Some relationships might be a good fit, some aren’t. Some will feel like rainbows and butterflies at first but when the going gets tough, well…it gets tough.

You have to find the right partner: someone who isn’t afraid to challenge your perspectives or judgement, always has your best interest at heart, is easy to work with and helps you see through the tunnel. There’s no point in working with “the best agency” if your work culture is different or if your communication is lacking.

Take a look at the client testimonials. What does it say about their client relationships? Visit their social media and look for posts that show how it’s like working with them behind the scenes. Finding an agency you vibe with is much more important than an agency with all the bells and whistles.

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3 - Values and culture.

Brands that are more connected to their purpose have a harder time finding an agency that truly understands what they stand for. Whilst it’s true that at work, we look at KPIs, data, growth and all the numbers we can think of, conscious brands are so much more than that. The way of presenting and communicating your why is so special and unique — unfortunately, a lot of agencies miss the mark on this. If you are able to find likeminded agencies who share the same values as you, we highly suggest putting them on top of your list.

Values matter. A lot. If these do not align, your client experience will most probably not align.

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How about the money thing?

Putting a price tag on retainer fees is very relative. There is no one right answer to “what’s a reasonable retainer fee for social media?”. Depending on the skill level, expertise, # of team members, softwares and hardwares they use, the impact they provide, etc., retainer fees can range from dirt cheap to very expensive.

It’s all about perspective. The question is: are you looking at social media as an expense or as an investment?

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If you are a wellness-, community-, or eco-conscious brand that is looking to work with a social media agency that understands what it means to thrive as a conscious brand on social media, find out if we’re the right fit: send us a message and let’s chat.

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