Episode 5: What should I look for when choosing an online marketing agency?

00:00:48
SebaGude - Again!

00:00:50
Niels: Gude!

00:00:54
SebaMorjen, podcast number three. Today it's about agencies and what you should look for when choosing an agency. We are also an agency. Or what are we? what would you say?

00:01:08
NielsSo I think we meet these criteria. (charming)

00:01:12
Seba: We offer agency services. Let me put it this way - I find right there my stomach turns when I say I have an agency now. Difficult. And that's why today I'm going to talk a little bit about agencies and the agency model, because just the word agency makes a lot of people think, whether it's an online marketing agency or an advertising agency: "Oh God - a lot of money and no results. That's actually such the worst idea. You're kind of tied to a contract and you can't get out of it.

00:01:47
SebaAnd the agency does not respond. That's the horror for a small or middle-class person who somehow spends five to ten thousand euros a month and still sees no result at the end. And today we have picked out what you should pay attention to when choosing an agency. Niels has pulled out a few things, Matthias too and I also have a few that we have always come across and that we would like to talk about again today. Who would like to start?

00:02:21
NielsAllright! Then I would make the beginning. I look at the thing of course with the SEO glasses, because in the Onlinemarketing Vogg team I look at the Seo topic of course. And there are of course also very many agencies in their portfolio in it have that the search engine optimization offer. Mostly, even with the description, or often even with the description the term is still so obscure. So that the person who has not heard of it before still does not know what it is about. That's why for me it's always kind of a small indication: "okay you can't really describe well what this is and I wouldn't know now, from the basis of how well they can actually implement it" .

00:03:10
NielsBut one tip I can give you in any case: If you just type in the google search line - SEO analysis free; SEO analysis free; free SEO analysis - something like that. Then there are heaps of tools, which check the basic things for a website, for the home page of, for example, the agency. I have seen surprisingly many homepages and start pages of agencies, which do not even meet the basic SEO criteria. Also specifically SEO Agency. I mean the basics are if you search in Google Search for an agency - which is not unlikely, then you see even as a layman these headings - the meta title and what's underneath - the meta description. And if you pay attention to it, even if you search for these agencies, often the titles are cut off or too long, or the meta description is either also too long or it is not set at all. And there is just some baloney, so this is virtually the absolute once one, the absolute basis that everyone who has ever looked at a WordPress course or has searched on Youtube for the term SEO knows and can implement. After he has dealt with the subject for ten minutes. That's why it's a bit heavy and awkward when you offer this as a service and don't fulfill the basis for it. I mean I can understand it if you have a hundred blog posts or a huge page and still for every service and for every little bit still a subpage, there's something about it you have now times not taken the time or it is not so important or it will probably not rank. So that it is not optimized now - but home page the spearhead, which must be right!

00:05:28
NielsIn any case, this is a good thing where you can briefly determine: "Okay, can they even implement the stuff they want to sell me with themselves?" Important!

00:05:38
SebaBut that also applies to other things. It doesn't just have to be seo. So Matthias, you are the content guy with us, because if they somehow sell you content marketing what should they do. If they don't have any text on their page, it will be difficult.

00:05:55
MatthiasIt just goes back to the point, what you have in the offer, that you must also deliver. And not just this larifari: "Yes, we do SEO, that is, we add in a few alt texts - we do what I know what, some nonsense". And especially in content marketing, if you make any "Gammligen" social media posts that have no topic relevance or upload any images on Facebook to also just somehow push engagement out of that bubble. And then promotes the posts nicely: "Just click on it - Apply here now". Yes Butter times the budget purely!(ironically)

00:06:36
MatthiasSo for me, that's almost cheating if you put something in and say, "We have awesome marketing here; we provide cool content; we do SEO" and so on and it just ends up being bad.

00:07:02
SebaIf the service does not correspond to what is stated and "preached" in the offer, then it is not the phenomenon: "Under promise, over deliver", but rather "Over promise, under deliver". If the providers do not implement this for themselves, it may well be that the agencies themselves then find it difficult to implement this for the customers. However, there is also the phenomenon that agencies have so many customers that they can't even keep up with doing their own things. There's that, too. For myself, at Online Marketing Vogg. Has always been important that if I take it to the outside world, the website must also rank. We must be with the most important keywords SEO agency Augsburg on the top places. We simply have to be on top with these keywords, we must have both a cool look on our page, as well as fast loading times so also perform well technically. But also with good texts. That was important to me and I really took a lot of time and I also have my freelancers who do it for me. Of course, I pay them on top of that, because that's an investment for the company. But it is a bit more sustainable. Therefore, even if you are in agency talks, in pitch talks, don't let yourself be sold too blatantly and don't let yourself be "hyped" too much. It can work and it can go well but if they sell you ultra much and say this is the coolest shit and we do great SEO and we do this and that, then that might be true in theory but if it doesn't work then the client is pissed. Then the customer is in a term contract and no longer comes out.

00:08:52
SebaBut Niels, what would you say helps to find out whether people can do something.

00:09:00
NielsWell, I'm a big fan of case studies in which you take an anonymous look at one of your own customers, with their consent, of course, and simply show them live on the example, comprehensible for everyone, ok: What we do works, and it has worked in the past! Of course, it's best to have several case studies, because a blind hen sometimes finds a grain of corn. (laughing)

00:09:30
NielsExactly, that's why case studies are a pretty good variant, which are also rarely implemented. You sometimes see some graphs that are just put there. You don't know what it is. You usually don't know which tool it comes from. That's why in the SEO context, of course, the Google tools are the best to track it authentically. And that probably looks similar in your context.

00:10:01
SebaThese references on the pages always make them nice, of course, we have that clear, but what is really important is simply I have to see what was done and what I have afterwards. For example, I have a wonderful customer called "Geile Weine" (Horny Wines) and I can work very closely with Geile Weine and they have, for example, really officially given me the opportunity to publish a case study on Facebook. With real figures, with sales figures, with performance figures and that's just cool. I just see okay: "Online Marketing Vogg started here, we had achieved "Roar "s of 10, "Geile Weine" has signed here - and they think it's cool! And then it's just a solid thing. And then I have proof from Facebook, proof from Geile Weine and it's not only on my platform, but also on a third platform. That's just such an ideal case that you can have. And if someone then calls Sedat, at "Geile Weine", then he will tell you the same thing. Because it's true and that's not bullshit. That's just another thing. Let an agency give you customers where you can call and ask if the service that is done is good and if they say that then they will not be bribed. (laughing)

00:11:23
MatthiasThat goes back to transparency and that is you don't put up a facade: "We are the big agency and we do this and that" - and then there is nothing behind it and no contact person. Then I also don't know who to contact. But with us it works, with us you know exactly you are writing with Sebastian. And he also passes you on if you want to communicate with Niels or Simion or anyone else about a specific thing. I think that's something, especially with the bigger agencies, you're just left alone. Or once briefly out and then it goes down - down into the SEO Cave purely and then is simply done and you hear nothing more.

00:12:13
SebaOr nothing is done at all or the working student does it. For example, if you get a keyword analysis - I mean: thats the truth.

00:12:26
SebaI mean how does an agency scale? An agency can only scale by hiring more people. Because when you get more inquiries, you have to do the work somehow. But all these mundane tasks that you have to do, the experts can't keep up with them, they have to deal with other stuff. and the ground work is done by the student trainees, for example. Because it's not easy to find good people in the online marketing field - it's difficult.

00:12:52
SebaThat means you have to teach it to people and they have to adapt tired, stressful and then become competent, but that's difficult when someone does SEO for two weeks. Even if you have understood it purely technically, the holistic mindset for how holistic it actually is is completely missing.

00:13:12
Niels: Yes, exactly.

00:13:13
SebaAnyone in my team can talk to anyone, so the customers can talk to anyone for all I care and there are no secrets or anything like that by somehow saying it's already done, but it's not so important who does it because in principle everyone is also independent and can pass on his added value to the customer and that's the cool thing that everyone is there in our team and doesn't want to be somehow so not accessible from the outside. Yes, exactly. I now have a few things to conclude. We have already talked about transparency. This includes, for example, the topic of term contracts. So how do agencies onboard you when you sign a contract with an agency? There are no contracts with us - there simply aren't. I just have such a good working relationship with the clients that we don't need contracts. We don't need term contracts. We don't need gagging contracts and the customers are willing to invest in the agency or the service provider because they see that something comes back from it. Accordingly, it is a no-brainer for them - for me it is a trusting cooperation. We just don't have this constant: "ok, I've signed this contract now and I won't get out until the end of the year. If you sign something like that, we also said that briefly in the preliminary discussion with Niels, then it might make sense to sign a three-month contract for SEO, or to say, I have to wait at least three months until I can evaluate the results for SEO. Accordingly, you must not think too short. As a customer you have to try to have a longer breath and not expect immediate results. Therefore, it is of course even better if the agency does not promise you the highest expectations, but easy approach to the topic and says we first do the groundwork and then we can always look how we can make it bigger. Accordingly, another thing that is often not taken into account, especially in onboarding, is when your agency starts working with you then ask quite deliberately how that works. Are the accounts created by the agency and does the agency do virtually everything for you? That's cool of course but if the agency does everything for you where are the accounts located are they owned by the agency? If that is the case then alarm bells should definitely ring and tell you "No f***ing way". I want the thing to belong to me and not the agency because if you somehow no longer pay the bills or something is and they then make you pressure, then they can kick you out of the accounts and you no longer have access to the account. There are all the data also gone.

00:16:15
NielsThis is not even a rare case...

00:16:15
SebaAccordingly, do not make in any case! There are then also the cases that the agencies let you buy out the account, but that you have to buy out your own account it already really crass. That is already a violent history. Accordingly, you should always be your own master, do not be fooled somehow. Even if you are one hundred percent clear on the subject, try to understand it at least on a larger level. I would only hire an agency, so I myself also If I now become an entrepreneur, if I have understood the topic at least as far as possible and not completely without even knowing what it's about, approach the topic.

00:17:03
MatthiasOtherwise you can get screwed from top to bottom!

00:17:04
SebaOr at least you should get someone who I trust and who then knows whether an agency is talking bullshit and can rattle off these things that we have just discussed - or whether everything fits.

00:17:26
NielsSo the basic understanding of the subject is somehow important in any case, that is the best case. If you can't fulfill that or don't have the time for it, it's definitely good to talk to someone who at least moves somewhere in this subject area. Because about SEO one could also talk with you fundamentally or if you get an offer or if someone else gets an offer then you two for example could evaluate that also quite well, whether that makes sense and whether that is somehow a round thing. From there a second opinion if one does not have then the time behind the topic to rise is in any case also helpful. Never sign completely blindly without knowing what it's about.

00:18:20
MatthiasAt best, the one who sells it to you is also ready to explain it to you. To just simply on demand that all means to disclose and also certain way I mean it's not really relevant but somehow but that he is also "passioned" that he also likes to explain it and also on it Bock has.

00:18:44
SebaI have also often experienced and I have also won a pitch, just because I took time and explained for half an hour to the customer how SEO works. Niels and I also had the conversation before that, before the acquisition call. Then it was just so and so it looks, half hour time taken and in the end it was then a super deal and it worked great. Accordingly, is not magic, it is simply commit. Even as an agency or as a service provider say, I now take time for the customer and invest in it and am not just "In-For-The-Money".

00:19:21
NielsExactly, and as a cherry on top of the cake, it's always very helpful when you get that typical free initial consultation. If the counterpart is ready to look at the current problem area, which is pending with the website or the project, and already gets the solutions explained in an understandable way. Then you have this basic understanding of the topic and you know roughly what needs to be done - and in the best case even how long it will potentially take. If the person is willing to take this time - free of charge - then it is a good sign for my understanding.

00:20:07
SebaYes - absolutely. Allright, if you're looking for a good agency in, online marketing, you know the drill. Always get lots of quotes, but I can recommend someone - just check out the show notes. We also do free initial consultations.

00:20:36
Matthias: Yes of course!

00:20:39
Niels: Just slide into our DM's.

00:20:41
SebaExactly, just slide into our DM's - or into Niels his DM's, for Wolf-of-Seo. Yes, then thanks for your time guys - and thanks for listening to you too - and we'll hear you next time.