Advertising is a key aspect to the success of a business; without it, how would people find out about your brand or products? Globally it is estimated that in 2020 digital ad spending worldwide is going to surpass $380 billion, which is over half of the global ad market. If you are looking to expand on the influence of your brand, then sometimes it may be in your best interest to look for an advertising agency in Austin to ramp up your marketing campaign. But, what do you exactly look for when you are interested in hiring an advertising agency?

Understand what an Advertising Agency Does

First thing you need to understand when it comes to looking for an advertising agency in Austin is what exactly they do. They don’t help sell your product directly, instead they craft marketing campaigns that help your company reach the best audience possible. They ensure that your company is visible, and they can be easily found by consumers that would be interested in your products and services.

Request for Proposal Process

The request for proposal (RFP) process isn’t as common as it once was, but it is a good method when hiring an advertising agency in Austin to test their capabilities and whether they will be a match for your company. Nothing can be as stifling in a professional relationship between companies than having mismatched ideals and work ethics, so seeing how an agency works gives you a good idea as to whether your relationship will be fruitful.

Ensure the Agency Understands Your Goals

Along with the RFP, you need to discuss with the advertising agency the goals you have for your new marketing campaigns. When working with an advertising agency in Austin, they can assist your company much more easily, and effectively if they understand your company’s long-term goals, your target audience, products, company history and potential competitors.

Determine What Your Brand Represents

Nothing can stall an advertising campaign more than unclear representations of your brand. If you want to be effective in getting your company noticed, you need to determine what you want your brand to represent; it will dictate how an advertising agency in Austin will go forward with their marketing campaign creation. You don’t want to push your company as a family friend brand that focuses on advertising to families and children, then have an ad campaign that focuses on adult-themed innuendo. Boring, confusing, or alienating your target audience can result in an ineffectual marketing campaign in the long run, even if you get some initial hype at the start of the campaign.

Figure Out Your Advertising Budget

Budget is an important consideration when starting new marketing campaigns, whether you are creating them in house, or hiring an advertising agency in Austin to craft them for you. So, you need to determine the budget that you are willing to spend on your advertising campaign, based on sales history and profit margins to ensure that the campaign you push to the public actually ends up having a positive return on investment. A big benefit to hiring an advertising agency is the fact that they will let you know their costs up front, and it will be in writing as a contract, so you are less likely to overspend on your marketing campaign, and stay within budget.

Ensure that all Your Marketing Campaigns Integrate Properly

Integrating your marketing campaigns is important, so when you hire an advertising agency in Austin, you need to keep them in the loop of all your other marketing campaigns on various platforms you have currently running. Ensuring a united marketing front across social media channels, customer service areas, sales materials and internal communications between your employees and any contractors.

Look for an Innovative Agency

Boring, old, and overused clichés in advertising can result in a marketing campaign that falls flat on its face right from the get-go. When you are looking to hire an advertising agency in Austin, you need to look at their history: previous clients and previous campaigns, their successes, and their failures. Knowing that the advertising agency you hire can create innovative marketing campaigns, and they have the ability to adjust to trends and evolve your campaigns as your company evolves can give you peace of mind for a long lasting business partnership.

Hiring an advertising agency in Austin can seem like a daunting task, but making use of the information you now have, you will have the best chance to find an agency that fits in with your company, and can create innovating, budget friendly marketing campaigns that can target the right audience to bring customers to your company effectively.