Hiring a digital marketing expert can feel like putting on a blindfold and throwing darts; only, there’s no bullseye, and the stakes are considerably higher. In a world where everyone with a laptop and a latté labels themselves a social media guru, separating the wheat from the chaff seems nigh impossible.
Great marketing is not addressed by algorithms alone. It is bespoken by creative ingenuity and strategic thinking. Thus, before you bring anyone into your marketing mix, it’s vital to sift the gems from the overinflated CV claims — a task more challenging than threading a needle in a whirlwind. Here are five questions that, if answered satisfactorily, may just lead you to the marketing Midas you’ve been searching for.
1. Experience and Expertise: Can You Weather the Digital Dust Storm?
In the fickle digital landscape, experience is precious. You need someone who has navigated the minefields, fallen into the occasional trap, and emerged a little wiser. Ask for specifics. Which campaigns have they orchestrated, and what were the results? Request a peek behind the wizard’s curtain: did they just pull levers, or did they create fireworks?
Remember, just because someone knows the platforms doesn’t mean they know how to perform on them. Any marketer can start a Facebook page; the true artisans can tailor a CTA that stops thumbs, makes eyes sparkle, and compels wallets to open.
2. Success Metrics: Are You Speaking the King’s Tongue or Just Numbers?
In this realm of likes, shares, and conversions, the true measure of a digital marketing expert is in their language of success. If they’re still churning their victories into likes and retweets, graciously pass. Your success metrics should be dollar signs and demonstrable growth.
A good expert, contact King Kong, for example, won’t just talk graphs and charts; they’ll tell you stories of how they turned a budget struggle into a bottom-line victory. Flip the script on the conversation, and probe for the P&L and not just the likes and shares.
3. Strategy and Approach: Can You Paint Me a Picture With Numbers?
Numbers don’t mean much without context. Push potential hires to reveal the brushstrokes of their marketing masterpiece. How will they get from point A to B? Every plan should begin with a map, not just a ‘best of luck.’
A strategy crafted without the specifics of your business is not a strategy at all; it’s a stalemate. Curb the cliche digital marketer who rebounds with ‘innovative’, ‘cutting-edge’ or ‘best practice’. The devil is in the plan – and the details.
4. Communication and Reporting: Can You Dance and Not Just Perform the Steps?
Your daily life as a manager does not revolve around data and campaigns; it’s a symphony, not a soliloquy. An expert who can’t translate the marketing data into your business’s larger narrative may drown you in figures without purpose.
They must be more than capable of reporting; they need to explain the rhyme and reason in a digestible form. Good communication turns data into a story, and in the story of your business, their campaign is just one chapter.
5. Budget and ROI: Are You A Spendthrift or a Wise Saver?
A disdain for the concept of money might arouse suspicion in an accountant, but in marketing, it’s not the amount but the value. A marketer who spends without concern for ROI is a wandering sailor without a compass. Any capable expert should be steward of your money, not just spender. Their eyes should be on the return, not the shopping list of marketing innovations.
