Introduction
Is swimming in the ocean while there is a red flag safe? Red flags - the most dangerous beach warning flags - alert swimmers to serious ocean hazards. A single red flag signals heavy surf, hazardous currents, or both. Unlike the beach, there are many red flags in content marketing agencies which can be hard to spot. In this guide, we'll cover the most common red flags we see in our industry, and how to avoid them.
If any of these sound familiar to you, you should take it as an indication that the agency isn't right for your project:
You can't meet with the person who will be working on your project.
If you're a small business, you're probably not in a position to hire your own team of writers or designers. You need help from an agency that can provide remote content marketing services. The most important thing is to make sure the agency has people on their staff who are up for the job--and this means meeting with them before signing any contracts.
Why it's important:
In order for your project to go smoothly, there has to be clear communication between everyone involved. If no one from the agency can meet with you face-to-face (or even over Microsoft Teams), then how will they understand what kind of work ethic and style is important for your company? How will they know what kind of voice or tone works best in terms of writing copy?
They're unwilling to provide you with references. As a client, you want to know that the agency you're working with has references. The best way to do this is by asking them directly. If they are unwilling to give out their references, there could be several reasons why:
They don't have any. The worst-case scenario here is that the company isn't legitimate and doesn't actually have any clients using its services. This won't necessarily mean that everything else about them will be fake as well; it just means that they haven't had enough time or experience in their field yet!
They are afraid of giving out their references for a good reason (e.g., they don't want competitors finding out about each other). If an agency has been around long enough then chances are there are going to be some companies who don't want others knowing they use remote content marketing agencies like yours because they might lose customers if those customers knew what other companies were doing similar things as yours but cheaper/better quality etcetera.
It's important to know what's going on at an agency before you hire them.
What are their processes and rates? It's also a good idea to ask about their experience in content marketing, because this is a specialized field that requires certain skillsets beyond just writing or design abilities.
You should also make sure that your prospective agency has experience working with companies similar to yours in size and scope. This is to ensure that they can provide you with the level of service you're looking for or help grow your business.
They can't tell you how they do what they do.
You should be able to ask them how they do what they do, and they should be able to clearly illustrate it. They should be able to tell you what they do and how they do it in a way that makes sense, even if you're not an expert in their field. If a company can't explain their process simply and clearly--or if their answers sound like gibberish--you need to run away fast!
They don't have a process or template.
A process is a set of steps that you follow to complete a task, and it's important for remote content marketing agencies because it ensures that every client has the same experience. A template is an example of this process, but it can also be used as a starting point for new clients or additional projects.
Learn how the CEO of AC Marketing Caribbean, Pauline Joseph, manages her remote team to ensure quality content production and management for her clients here: https://youtu.be/pptK8oucvd0
Ask the right questions to find a good remote content marketing agency
Ask about their process. When you speak with a remote content marketing agency, be sure to ask them about their process and how they work with clients. You'll want to know if they have a specific workflow that they follow for each client or if they use different methods depending on the project at hand.
Ask about references from past clients who are similar to yours in size, industry, and goals.
Ask about their experience working in your industry (and other industries). A good remote content marketing agency will have worked with businesses like yours before--ones that share similar goals and objectives as well as challenges around producing high-quality content on tight deadlines or generating leads from social media platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook.
Conclusion
With the right questions and a little research, you can find a remote content marketing agency that is right for you.
Why Choose AC Marketing Caribbean
AC Marketing Caribbean offers a wide range of content marketing services to help you create content for your business in the Caribbean. Here are just a few reasons why AC Marketing Caribbean is the best choice for content marketing:
- Our content marketing specialists can help create content for your business that is best suited to the Caribbean consumer.
- Our sales funnel strategies are designed to lead your audience effortlessly along the buyer’s journey.
- You need eye-catching and engaging content that converts clicks into cash.
If you need to create content for your business, but don’t know where to start, AC Marketing Caribbean has the start and finish line fully mapped out. We’re committed to helping you achieve your company growth objectives in the Caribbean! Attract a bigger audience, increase your conversion rates, and make content marketing your biggest business superpower today.
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