Having a stake in the Technology and Software as a Service industry, you understand the importance of leveraging digital spaces to grow your business online. That being the case, you've done your research and feel that inbound marketing is a great fit for your business model.
But how do you choose the best strategic partner to work with? Here's the first step in finding the right inbound marketing agency to get the results you need.
Step 1 for Choosing the Right Inbound Marketing Agency for Your Tech/SaaS Company
Start by searching online.
And if you prefer meeting face-to-face with your strategic partners, make sure your search queries include location tags.
So if you're located in Minneapolis, try various search terms and phrases such as "inbound marketing agency in Minneapolis" or "top Minneapolis inbound marketers." And don't forget to add your industry for specialists in the Tech/SaaS space.
For the best search results, hit up long-tail search terms such as:
- Minneapolis inbound marketing agencies for Tech/SaaS
- inbound marketing firms for technology companies in Minneapolis
- SaaS marketing agency Minneapolis
- top ten marketing firms for Tech/SaaS companies in Minneapolis
Do they walk the walk?
The best inbound marketing firms practice what they preach. That means you should be able to easily find them online.
Once you've found a few agencies online, dig into their websites. How do they look? Are they easy to navigate? Is the content well-written and does it speak to your challenges or opportunities?
If the agency can't create excellent content for its own business, how will it be able to do so for yours?
To make this process more efficient, we've identified 5 things you should look for on an inbound marketer's website:
1. Consistent Blogging
Blogging is at the core of content and inbound marketing. Does the agency have an active blog? How often are they blogging? Do they vary the types of posts they publish? What is the quality of the writing and the information? Are the posts “salesy” or educational and filled with actionable tips?
2. Thought Leadership
Do they display thought leadership on their website, blog, and on social media? Do they attend conferences and local events on inbound marketing? Do they belong to any associations? Look to their blog and social channels for participation in the inbound community.
3. Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
Inbound marketers use a suite of tools to usher site visitors from strangers to leads. The lead conversion process begins with highly relevant, strategically placed calls-to-action. Does the agency have CTAs on their blog and website?
4. Premium Content Offers
CTAs lead a site visitor to premium content offers – an eBook, checklist, white paper, assessment, or even a consultation. Each content offer is associated with a landing page and form designed to deliver optimal visitor-to-lead conversion. Does the agency have educational premium content offers throughout their website? How useful are they?
5. Case Studies & Testimonials
Case studies and testimonials serve as social proof on a website. Does the agency incorporate testimonials on their site? Do they seem valid? What about case studies? Can you access case studies on their blog or other areas of their website?
Narrow Down Your Choices
There are many firms that provide inbound marketing ideas, services, products, frameworks, and technologies. The number of agencies and products that claim to provide inbound marketing is endless. To further compound this issue, there is not a single standard definition of inbound marketing or a “best way.” The key is to begin your search carefully, then move onto a more involved vetting process.
Need some help? Our Inbound Marketing Evaluation Guidebook was designed to help Tech/SaaS companies throughout the process of finding the right agency.