How To Choose an Advertising Agency for Your Business to Make Your Projects a Success

Nearly 90% of small businesses use digital advertising. Medium-sized companies allocate 2.5% to 5% of their revenue to digital marketing efforts. Digital ad spending worldwide was estimated at 627 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.  The success of advertising campaigns hinges heavily upon the strategic prowess of the chosen digital advertising agency. A well-aligned agency can elevate brand visibility, engagement, sales, and return on investment. However, the consequences of choosing the wrong agency can be dire. A mismatched partnership can lead to wasted resources, diminished brand reputation, and subpar campaign performance. 63% of companies highlighted the agency they hired hadn’t exceeded their expectations, with almost 35% of businesses that would definitely not hire the same agency. We would like to share with you key aspects of how to choose an advertising agency to make your projects a success. 

Table of Contents:

1. Planning The Right Partnership
2. Why Do Companies Change Digital Advertising Agencies?
3. 6 Crucial Aspects to Look for When Hiring an Advertising Agency
4. Choose VIDEN to Achieve Your Advertising Goals

Planning The Right Partnership

What are your goals? Whether achieving better results, saving time, or outpacing competitors, advertising agencies can help you cover those business needs. Did you know that 45% of businesses do digital marketing without any strategy? Marketing teams that meticulously plan and document their strategies are over three times more likely to achieve success compared to those that don’t.  With a good advertising agency, your journey will start with crafting a digital advertising strategy based on the best practices. Well-defined advertising tactics will improve your marketing results, boost sales, increase ROI, and get you ahead of competitors.  

There are a few common concerns businesses have while deciding to start working with an agency. However, with a professional agency, “those concerns” turn into benefits (higher ROAS as ads are run by professionals, getting quality service delivered with consistency and full transparency).

Here is the checklist you should keep in mind and consider before hiring a digital agency: 

Let’s delve deep into how to do the research and figure out what the key factors are to determine if an agency could be a good match for your business. 

Why Do Companies Change Digital Advertising Agencies

Even though we see strong growth in advertising agencies’ market size from 390.77 billion dollars in 2023 to 410.82 billion dollars in 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1%, brands hiring agencies remain dissatisfied with the quality of the work received. According to the RSW/US survey, 28% of clients cited poor performance as the primary reason for firing their advertising agency. 23% of clients mentioned communication problems as a key factor in their decision to terminate their agency relationship. Research by HubSpot found that 12% of clients reported firing their agency due to a lack of transparency. Agencyanalitics reports such criteria as key factors influencing client retention. 

In this context, it’s valuable to ponder the qualities a digital advertising agency should possess to fulfill all business needs, effectively overcome challenges, and yield optimal outcomes. To achieve this, you have to do deep research on the agencies currently operating in the digital advertising market.

There are plenty of digital advertising agencies on the market. North America is the largest region in the advertising agencies market. Western Europe is the second largest region. You might come across different agencies while searching for the one that aligns with your strategy. By conducting thorough research, you’ll ultimately save time and money by identifying reliable and successful agencies.

6 Crucial Aspects to Look for When Hiring an Advertising Agency

Which aspects you, as a business, should pay attention to when choosing a digital ad partner? We will guide you to find out. 

Certifications and Partnership

How can I rely on a digital agency? Make sure you are collaborating with a trusted partner – an advertising agency recognized, vetted, and relied upon by top-tier giants like Google, Meta, and Bing. If you are searching for a team to enhance your Google ads strategy, you probably should seek a Google Premier Partner to get the highest results. 

According to Google, there are 3 requirement categories to become a partner:  

• Performance. Your Google Partners Ads Manager account requires a minimum optimization score of 70%, giving you control to accept or reject recommendations aligned with your and your client’s objectives. 
• Spend. Your account needs to maintain a 90-day ad spend of $10,000 USD across managed accounts 
• Certification. Your Ads Manager account should have a minimum of 50% of your account strategists certified in Google Ads (capped at 100 users), with at least one certification in each product area with a campaign spend of $500 USD or more in 90 days.   

To get a Google Premier Partner status, agencies must meet standard partner requirements and rank in the top 3% based on:

• Existing and new client growth. Demonstrated growth in both existing and new clients, measured by year-over-year spending and acquisition metrics.
• Client retention. Proven ability to retain clients year-over-year, as evidenced by active Google Ads spending.
• Product diversification. Investment in a variety of Google products beyond Search, including YouTube, Display & Video 360, Display, Apps, and Shopping.
• Annual ads spend. Consistent investment in Google Ads or Google Marketing Platform across managed accounts each calendar year.

It is not commonly known that it is not easy to get this kind of certification, and it takes a high level of effort. High credibility and trust play essential roles in choosing a digital advertising agency. 

VIDEN is proud to be trusted by the best to stand out as a distinguished Premier Google Partner, esteemed Meta Business Partner, accredited Microsoft Advertising Partner, and certified Google Marketing Platform expert.

Terms of Сollaboration

Collaboration with a digital agency isn’t always straightforward. Usually, companies are taking the risk of signing a contract with an agency they have never worked with before. That’s why it’s crucial to offer a smooth start in partnership.   

For instance, VIDEN doesn’t bind the clients by any time commitment. Whether it’s a one-time engagement or an ongoing project, we prioritize flexibility and adaptability to suit each client’s unique needs and preferences. 

Rates

What real value can I get from this price? The pricing model is a framework digital advertising agencies use to charge for their services. According to the Business Research Company, the cost of hiring an advertising agency could vary from 95 to 225 dollars per hour, depending on the service and the skill set of agency staff. For small-to-midsized businesses, the average cost for digital marketing services ranges from 2,500 to 12,000 dollars per month. Based on the Credo Digital Marketing Pricing Survey, the average hourly rate of a US-based PPC company is 151.88 dollars. Is it costly enough? About 46% of the clients ensure high costs are the biggest concern when choosing to hire an agency, followed by the quality of the product. Ensure that what you receive in exchange for the agency’s hourly rate brings value to your business.

With VIDEN, your business can get robust expertise at unbeatable rates. If you seek optimal value for your investment, your quest ends here. We are proud to offer businesses the best rates.

Proven Track Record of Expertise

How deep is the agency’s expertise? A digital advertising agency with strong and diverse expertise in setting up and launching advertising campaigns for businesses of different sizes across various industries can easily tailor a personalized solution leveraging its top-notch practices. Increased advertisement spending across industries is expected to drive the demand for the advertising agencies market. 

Note those who claim, “We have got everything you need”. Such agencies usually boast about delivering absolute success across the board and tend to provide only mediocre services. Choosing agencies specializing in specific areas can help you grow and get financial outcomes faster. 

We at VIDEN, don’t cover everything; instead, we focus solely on our areas of expertise – digital advertising and digital analytics. We are convinced that to run successful ads, you must put the data in the first place. You can’t improve ad performance without data. An effective digital strategy is applying a data analytics approach. Our team of in-house experts brings a wealth of experience, collaborating with a diverse range of brands, from local enterprises to global giants. 

Look at the agency’s track record, along with the breadth of client reviews and testimonials. What to look for in reviews? Note outcomes achieved by the agency for the clients, quality of services, timing, and deadlines, and willingness to refer. 57% of surveyed agencies say client referrals are the top source for them to acquire new clients.

VIDEN received a 99% client satisfaction score. We cultivate enduring partnerships with our clients by prioritizing integrity, openness, and a genuine commitment to assisting businesses in achieving sustainable growth.

Approach Used

Digital advertising agencies often tailor their approaches to meet clients’ unique needs and objectives. Ask yourself: “Can this agency’s approach help me to overcome my challenges and bring success to my project?”. Learn as much as possible about the agency’s approach and assess its suitability for your business needs.

VIDEN, for instance, considers to rely on data. We help brands across the globe accelerate their growth by putting data-driven DNA at the core of business decision-making.

Results

Can this agency deliver remarkable growth to my business? Take note of the campaign performance and the outcomes of companies collaborating with this agency. Think about how closely these results align with the goals you aim to accomplish in your advertising campaign.

Our average cooperation period with the clients is over 3 years as a result of the value we strive to deliver. Clients’ success is our success. 

Look no further than VIDEN’s client’s success stories: WearMe Pro achieved a remarkable 50X growth in just 5 years, BikesOnline doubled its growth within 3 years while successfully expanding into a new market, and Legacy experienced a significant 117% increase in sales.

Learn how the agency measures client success. Ensuring an agency obtains skills in measuring key advertising metrics is crucial. The KPIs to focus on will depend on your strategy. Pay attention to how agencies measure performance.  

At VIDEN, everything is based on data. We, as a data-driven agency, are running visualized trackable advertising campaigns and measure performance with greater precision by collecting and analyzing vast amounts of data. 

Choose VIDEN to Achieve Your Advertising Goals

Hiring an online advertising agency and deciding which one to entrust with one’s digital advertising endeavors carries significant weight, directly influencing your marketing efforts and business outcomes. With our exclusive strategies, unbeatable rates, and unmatched expertise, we’re poised to elevate your brand like never before. Make the bold move today and choose VIDEN to make your projects a success!