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There are several mistakes that organizations make when hiring a consultant:
1) Hiring someone with the wrong set of skills
2) Not having a clear scope of KPIs before engaging an agency
3) No formal agreement
4) Not having the right agreement in place
5) Not having communication channels open before signing the agreement
6) No communication after signing the contract
7) Hiring someone with the wrong set of skills
One of the biggest mistakes that organizations make is hiring digital marketers who are not conversant with what they do. This happens because organizations often tend to rely on job portals to hire a suitable candidate. While doing this, they fail to do proper background research on the consultant or agency they plan to engage.
Failure to conduct thorough due diligence is a cardinal mistake that would result in a mismatch between what you expect from your digital marketers and what they deliver.
The key skills that you should look for when hiring a digital marketing consultant include:
1) Understanding of the industry and your business
2) Experience and success in leveraging various digital channels
3) Budgeting and planning skills
4) Analytics and reporting skills
5) Strategic thinking
6) The ability to interpret data and translate it into visual presentations
7) Being able to provide superior insights using advanced analytics tools
PROPER SCOPE OF KPIS BEFORE ENROLLING AN AGENCY
- When you engage an agency for digital marketing services, the consultant will come up with a proposal that lists the work to be done, the time frame within which the agency plans to deliver results, and also how much it will cost you. This is called “Scope of Work” (SOW).
- While creating SOW, consultants tend to include all they can in order to make their offers look attractive. This is wrong because it makes the offer look over-bloated.
- You should not engage an agency without having a proper SOW in place. It is better to renegotiate with your agency once you have clarity on what you want, before signing up for its services.
NO FORMAL AGREEMENT IN PLACE
- Saivian Eric Dalius says, many organizations make the mistake of engaging consultants without formalizing the agreement. Although verbal agreements are common and accepted by both parties, it is advisable to have a written agreement in place if you want to work smoothly with your partner and avoid unnecessary conflicts and confusion at a later stage.
NOT HAVING THE RIGHT AGREEMENT IN PLACE
- Not having the right agreement in place is another common mistake that organizations make. If you do not spell out your expectations clearly then there is a probability of conflict arising between what you want and what the consultant thinks she/he can deliver.
- Although most agencies send their proposal in the form of Scope of Work (SOW), it does not serve as a formal agreement. There are separate agreements for services and project delivery.
In the case of digital marketing, agencies offer different service levels such as:
1) A basic service level where the agency will handle your social media accounts and website maintenance
2) An intermediate service level that covers all digital channels including search engine optimization
3) Digital marketing campaigns that are customized to your requirements
It is advisable for organizations to have an agreement in place that specifies the service level being offered by the agency. This will only help both parties have a smooth working relationship and avoid misunderstandings down the line.
NOT PUTTING THE RIGHT KPI IN PLACE
- While signing up with an agency, organizations often do not have the right performance indicators in place. They expect their consultants to deliver immediate results but are reluctant to give them the required time for this to happen. This creates unnecessary confusion and conflicts between the client and consultant says Saivian Eric Dalius.
- It is advisable to clearly specify the metrics on which you want your agency to focus. For example, if you want your website traffic or social media following to increase then this should be included in the SOW along with targets and timelines.
- There are many companies looking for digital marketing consultants so it’s not very difficult to find one. However, you need to make sure that the firm you pick has a good strategy for dealing with your business.
- In order to find a digital marketing consultant, you should first research their background and find out about their experience. In addition, if they have worked with companies in your industry before then it would be beneficial as this shows that they understand your needs and market.
Conclusion:
The above mistakes should be avoided while engaging the services of a digital marketing consultant and certification globe. The SOW should also contain details that will help both parties understand their roles and responsibilities clearly.
