Many of us swear by the motto, ‘you get what you pay for.’ The trouble is that sometimes, you don’t get what you pay for, and you end up disappointed. If you’re a business owner, you want to be sure that any money you spend on marketing is returned.

A marketing strategy should boost sales, increase customer numbers and enhance your brand reputation. If you’re concerned that you’re wasting your money, or you are considering switching to a new marketing firm, here are some reasons why you should fire your marketing agency.

When should you fire your marketing agency?

If you hire a marketing agency, it’s natural to expect results. As a business owner, you don’t want to be paying marketing executives to implement and oversee campaigns that are ineffective.

You want to see results for your investment, and you also want to enjoy a relationship with the agency that inspires trust and confidence. If you’re thinking of hiring a new company, here are some telltale signs it’s time to fire your existing agency.

1. A never-ending stream of names on your account

Do you speak to somebody different every time you call your marketing agency, or do you keep receiving emails from new people introducing themselves as the account manager?

If you deal with several people in a short space of time, or staff come and go with alarming regularity, this could signal that there are internal staffing issues and that employees are unhappy.

It’s natural to work with a group of people over a prolonged period, for example, 5 or 10 years because circumstances change, but changing personnel every few months is a red flag.

As a customer, it’s beneficial to have a point of contact and to establish relationships with your agency, and it’s very difficult to do this if you’re always communicating with a different person.

Changing contacts can interrupt and disrupt working relationships, and it can also set you back, as the new person in charge of your account will need to be brought up to speed.

2. A lack of clarity

If you’re paying for marketing services, the agency should ensure that you know exactly where your money is going and how your business is being marketed.

Even if you have little knowledge of marketing, it should be clear what the agency is doing for you.

3. A lack of answers

Does your marketing agency send you reports, but not answers? Reports are documents or presentations that contain information, but they don’t provide solutions or answers to questions.

A report may give you an idea of how well your marketing campaigns are performing, but if there are issues or obstacles, you want your agency to highlight problems and identify solutions to get you back on track.

4. Wasting time on management

One of the main benefits of outsourcing marketing is freeing up time to enable you to focus on the core tasks that ensure that your business runs like clockwork.

If you’re having to manage your agents and devote time to marketing, this will eat into the time you have available to concentrate on the fundamentals. You should be able to trust your agency to deliver services without having to engage in management.

5. A gut feeling

Humans often experience a gut feeling, which is difficult to explain, but often proves accurate. If you’ve got a gut feeling that something isn’t right, trust your instincts.

If you’re not getting the results you want, and you feel you can’t trust your agency with your money or your company’s reputation, explore other options.

6. You haven’t identified priority targets and objectives

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to marketing, and a good marketing agency should always design, plan and implement a campaign based on the individual objectives of each company.

Every business is unique, and what works for one company may not for another. If you haven’t been asked about your objectives and your marketing goals, this should set alarm bells ringing.

7. Low ROI

If you’re not getting any return on your investment, there’s little point in spending money on marketing. The whole point of marketing is to use techniques and strategies to attract customers and increase sales.

You want your money to be used to tell people about your brand, encourage them to find out more, and ultimately, maximize your profits. If you’re not getting results, it may be time to put your trust in the hands of another agency.

8. A lack of teamwork and passion

When you hire a marketing agency, you want the professionals you work with to be as passionate about your brand as you are. If you feel like the relationship is non-existent, and you’re not working in tandem, this is a sign you may be better off taking your business elsewhere.

It’s crucial for marketing firms to work with clients to establish goals and create campaigns that have the best chance of hitting those specific targets. Clients should feel able to share ideas, provide feedback and comments and get involved.

They should also have confidence that the marketing agency will rebuff ideas that won’t work, rather than accepting suggestions just because they come directly from a client.

A yes-man or woman won’t help you in the long-run if your ideas aren’t on the money. Marketing experts should be able to use and draw on their experience and knowledge to craft effective, tailor-made campaigns.

Ask yourself:

• Are you disappointed with the results of your marketing campaigns?
• Are you tired of being passed from pillar to post when you make a call to your marketing agency?
• Are you wondering what exactly you’re spending money on?
• Are you reluctant to get in touch with your marketing agency because you feel like the relationship is strained?
• Have they asked you about your goals and targets?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, it may be wise to consider firing your marketing agency and look for a firm that will deliver on its promises. It’s not enjoyable to fire anyone, but you have to think about your investment and the future of your business.