There are a metric ton of different variables for you to evaluate on as a business owner to filter out which marketing companies in Toronto you should hire for your business, but in the interest of time we are going to cover the top most important factors that will help you decide quickly so that you can get started on growing your business.

 

In this post we are going to cover some very important topics to help you find out if the marketing company in Toronto you are thinking about is the right fit for you.

 

1. What are the skills required to successfully market your business

2. What “personal” skills should you look for when considering the marketing company

3. What any good marketing company looks for before taking YOU on as their client so you can prepare

 

What are the skills required to market your business?

 

-Web design

 

Your website, the current one or the new one that your marketing company is going to build is one of the most important pieces of digital real estate that your business is going to need to get your business a steady stream of good quality customers. So it’s important for your marketing company to actually have the skills necessary to build you a great website. By great we mean, the website visually looks good, something that you can be proud of to show your friends and family and something your customers will LOVE. 

 

Creating a good first impression for your new customers sets the tone before they decide to do business with you. If your website looks high-end and luxurious, guess what? Your customers will treat your business like a high-end brand. But if your website looks like it was built in the 90’s your customers will treat your business very poorly. Also your website helps to filter out the types of customers that you want to bring into your business, if you are targeting “affluent” customers, your website should communicate that. If you are looking to attract “bargain hunters” coupon pushers and low-quality customers, well your website will help attract or filter these people out. Depending on the type of business you are in will dictate the design language you use, but as a rule of thumb it's always good to have a premium image for your brand.

 

-Search engine marketing skills

 

This is one of the most powerful actions your marketing company in Toronto can implement in your marketing mix and it is called “search engine marketing” this can include services like Google Ads or SEO. For example, if your future ideal customers goes on Google and types in “your service in your city name”, the marketing company you hire could help you show up on the first page of Google for search terms that relate to your business. By showing up on the top first page of Google, you essentially get “first dibs” on customers that are actively searching for your specific product or service, meaning that they are very close to the buying cycle for that specific product or service. They are simply looking for the right business to conduct the transaction with. 

 

-Social media marketing skills

 

This is another important type of marketing that any company should offer inside of their agency. This can include services like Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads and even YouTube Ads. Some of the most successful companies in the world have used some form of search engine marketing or social media marketing, it’s time for your business to catch-up and start using these strategies to grow your business. Look for “ marketing companies Toronto ” that offer these services as they are some of the most high impact digital actions you can have to grow your business.

 

 

What are the personal skills required to work with a marketing company long-term

 

Apart from your marketing company having the right technical skills to take action on your behalf to get you results, it's also important for them to have the right “personal skills” that are going to help make the B2B relationship last long and productive for both parties involved. Having the right technical skills is useless if the marketing company in Toronto you hire has staff members that you don’t get along with or don’t take the time to properly get to know your business, your goals and show genuine interest in helping your business grow. Make sure you pay attention to your instincts and if you feel like you don’t get along with your assigned rep at your chosen marketing company, consider asking to be re-assigned to someone else in the organization or change companies. Your business and the chosen marketing company will have a long-term relationship and you will most likely be involved in monthly meetings, so it's important to “like” the people that you have a working relationship with and not dread every second of it. 

 

-Respect for your time

 

This is very important, does the marketing company in Toronto respect your time? This means are they always showing up late to your meetings, are they always missing your calls and never returning them within a reasonable time frame. If so, it’s not because they are too busy, its simply a lack of respect. If your marketing company doesn’t return your phone calls within a reasonable amount of time, it means they just don’t respect you as a client. You are paying good money for their services, its important to have a company that respects your time.

 

-Honest

 

Like any business all marketing companies in Toronto should be open and honest about the results that they can generate for you and set realistic expectations. If they are promising you a million dollars in revenue and asking for money, that’s not the right way to go about presenting their offers. However if your goal is to make a million dollars in sales and they layout a clear step by step strategy and go over it with you and take the time to explain the challenges and time frame involved in achieving the goal, then you probably have a good marketing company in front of you. 

 

-Self development

 

Like any great marketing company or professional athlete, you must always train to maintain and grow your skills, this applies to your marketing company as well. If the marketing companies in Toronto you hire are always attending seminars, industry events then you know that they are constantly working on their skills, as a result you as a client benefit from their services because they are always updating themselves with the latest and greatest strategies and techniques. Don’t hire marketing companies that are stuck doing the same old thing, look for innovative Toronto marketing companies that are always looking to push the envelope 

 

What do the top marketing companies in Toronto look for when taking on a new client?

It’s no surprise that when you are in the early stages of your meeting with a potential marketing company in Toronto, you are looking to evaluate them to see if they are a good fit, one thing you may not realize is that they are actually evaluating you and your company as well, here are some of the top things you need to be aware of if you want to work with a good marketing company.

 

Sales skills

 

Marketing companies in Toronto that are looking to take on new clients in the area are not just looking for any client that is willing to pay them the big bucks, one of the most important things we look for is your ability to be a good sales person, this doesn’t mean high pressure selling your own clients, this means are you a good presenter, are you an expert in your field and can you demonstrate to clients that you are the best at what you do vs the competition, are you a likable person, are you able to create good rapport with customers and make them feel comfortable with you. These are all the soft skills that any good marketing company will look for when considering taking on a new client, because if we as marketers work hard to get you customers, we need to know that you have the right skills and strategies in place to actually sell and close deals. 

 

If your company has a good training process and has a team of great sales people, guess what? Your marketing dollars are going to go a long way and you will get more usage out of it. But if your staff members can’t close deals and are terrible sales people, the marketing company you are considering to hire may not accept you as a client. Make sure you or your people are well trained and ready to rock and roll before you seek the help of a professional marketing company in Toronto.

 

Good reputation

Another important element to keep in mind is, do you have a good reputation? Meaning do you have lots of good reviews already or lots of bad reviews. If you are a legitimate good business then you should have 90%-95% good reviews and a few bad ones(normal) as we all know that there are crazy customers out there who always complain about everything. But majority of your reviews should be positive.

 

Good product and service

 

Ideally you should be really good at what you do, if you provide services, then you should be excellent at providing those services because it will ensure that majority of the customers generated for you will actually hire you for whatever project they are looking for. If you sell products, ideally you should be able to know the products in great detail and be able to sell to a customer if they are looking for that exact product.

 

Great company culture

 

Do you treat your employees well? If you do, chances are they are going to do a great job in taking care of your customers and we marketing companies look for that, we want to make sure that we are generating customers for reliable local brands who are capable of serving clients and giving great customer service. If your staff members don’t like you, they probably aren’t going to do a great job closing deals for your company. So take good care of them, and they will take good care of your business.

 

Self improvement

 

Does your business have systems or resources in place that are always keeping you and your staff members updated with the latest and greatest info about your industry? We as marketing companies look for that when we take on clients. We want to make sure that you are invested in your business and genuinely want to be the best at what you do. If you attend regular industry events, or you get training, coaching regularly, that shows us that you are passionate about what you do and taking on clients like you will ensure that the business relationship will be profitable for both parties involved.

 

Now that you know what to look for when it comes to hiring marketing companies in Toronto, be sure to fill out our contact form if you are looking to take your business to the next level. We look forward to meeting you and helping you become our next success story.