One thing we’ve all learned during lockdown is the importance of online marketing and its significant impact on all business models. Those who failed to start marketing their products and services during lockdown have seen a drastic decline in their sales and are currently struggling to get back on the wagon.

With 2023 starting at full throttle, B2B businesses are quickly aligning their online marketing efforts with their business goals. In fact, the US is forecasting a growth of 15.1% in B2B digital spending, reaching almost $15 billion in 2023.

Whether you’re looking to start marketing your business or looking to align your online marketing efforts with your business goals, you need to partner with the right B2B marketing agency. Below are the top 5 questions to ask a B2B marketing agency BEFORE you sign the paperwork!

1. What’s Your Process?

Every marketing agency should have a unique process for each of its marketing services. Ask your potential B2B marketing agency how they use their strategy to achieve goals and drive results. Great marketers should be able to explain their process in detail and explain how they price their work, how they communicate internally and externally and how they provide reports. A result-driven B2B marketing agency will explain its methodology and how they get consistent results, while a “creative” B2B marketing agency will give you promises and set unrealistic expectations.

2. Are You In-House, or Do You Outsource?

There’s no right or wrong way when it comes to marketing. A B2B marketing agency can market in-house or outsource, and they can both be positive or negative, depending on what you’re looking for. A smart B2B marketing agency has in-house employees and outsources to freelancers. This helps the agency run more efficiently, offer a wide array of deliverables and simultaneously execute many services. As the client, you have the right to ask about their marketing services and choose the right fit for your needs.

3. What’s Your Capacity?

You should expect growth within your business after 6 – 9 months of signing up with a B2B marketing agency. As your marketing efforts grow, so should your business! When you reach that growth level and require doubling or tripling your marketing efforts, can your B2B marketing agency meet your needs? A solid partner should be able to present you with a long-term plan when your business grows. They should have a process in place and a strategy in mind when they reach your business goals.

4. What Value Will Your Marketing Bring To My Business?

Marketing is often misunderstood, especially digital marketing. Many B2B marketing agencies are campaign-based, and their primary strategy is to create a buzz across all platforms to increase views and engagement. People often refer to campaign-based marketing as viral marketing because the content is shared rapidly throughout several platforms. While campaign-based marketing increases brand awareness and vanity metrics, it doesn’t increase your conversion rates or leads. A B2B marketing agency should be able to add value to your business through measurable marketing efforts and quantifiable results. Are you looking for likes and shares, or are you more interested in receiving quotes and orders?

5. How Does Your Team Communicate With Me?

Communication is critical when partnering with a B2B marketing agency. Are you going to work with the same staff every quarter, or are you going to explain your business to new members on a monthly basis? Do you initially build a relationship with an account manager only to have your project turned over to novices? Will you receive a meeting with your marketing team to go over the results of the strategy, or will you be sent an email with complex numbers and strange analytics? When partnering with a strong B2B marketing agency, you should have the opportunity to build relationships with the staff on your project, learn from their experience and have regular meetings to discuss reports and results.

ATRIUM is Ready To Answer All Your Questions

With more than 20 years of experience in B2B marketing, we have partnered with many B2B clients across Canada and the US. Our marketing professionals are ready to answer all your questions and offer a free marketing consultation session to help get your marketing started!