Jose Garcia
Web Developer

Look at existing client work Speak to the agency and view their company values.

Ricardo Ortizcazarin
President

Look at the following when reviewing an agency: Google Reviews. Longevity of the company, should have at least 3 to 5 years in business. LinkedIn profile of the presidentReview values of the company making sure your values are similar. Ask for examples of projects similar to what you seek.

Jodie Coen
Social Media Manager

Make sure the agency knows and understands your goals and can do the work within you budget.

Libby Grygar
Project Manager

Before hiring, have an understanding of what it is that you're seeking and the timeline you want it in. It's a lot easier to work with an agency if you have a plan in mind and can provide direction of what you want.

Chris Christenson
Director of Marketing

My best tip for hiring the right agency is to look for a team that fits your personality. Every agency is going to have its own unique style -- not just aesthetically but in terms of team structure and communication. Choose an agency that communicates with you in the way you want to be communicated to and in the way that you communicate with your own customers.

Sean Ragsdale
SEO Specialist

Tough question, really. I say there are levels. The bottom level is you're just starting out and you have no money. Stick with family if you're on a tight budget. If you have a cousin, uncle, or nephew, go for it. The next level is when you've got some investment in your business. If you test the waters, you can find a random person on the internet 500 miles away that will do it for five bucks. You get what you pay for. If you need a bit more oversite, find a local freelancer. Depending on the number of services you are looking for, a freelancer or consultant will be enough, as they are specifically skilled in whatever niche you are looking for, examples being like a logo designer or a google ads specialist. If you're in the mood for the whole shebang ie: website/social/marketing/ads, etc, it's time to look for a trustworthy agency with a proven track record. When you are ready to leap forward with your business, go with the flow and the saying, 'stick to what you're good at'and leave the rest to professionals. Do your homework. Make sure to look at their portfolio. This is basically their showcase to the world of what they are capable of. If it doesn't measure up, you should look elsewhere. Get recommendations from those clients. They should be able to give a good testimonial, letting you know the company's character, work ethic, etc.

Alex Ryan
Project Manager

Look for agencies that offer all of the services you are looking for now, and may want in the future. Look for an agency that uses a transparent approach. You want to work with an agency that is transparent about anything and everything regarding your marketing project. Clearly lay out your expectations, terms, and conditions in your agreements with an agency from the start. This will help build a successful, long-term relationship.

Trisha Fry
Director of Operations

Understanding the clients desired results and using open communication with inner team collaboration are excellent tactics to success. You want to find a team that works well with all areas within the agency. A team that understands the needs of the client, as well as the importance of all areas involved in the project, will have a higher rate of success.

Terry Nygaard
Senior Project Manager

I don't really have any but if I were to hire one I would be interested in their references and track record.

Alex Ryan
Project Manager

Is the agency results-driven? Will I be provided reports on performance? What questions has the agency been asking to get to know my business? Make sure to look for agencies that ask you questions or ask you to complete in-depth questionnaires. It is extremely important that you choose an agency that takes the time to truly understand your business and industry. How can they drive results if they hardly know anything about you? Referrals. Look at the agency's site for their clients and look at their Google reviews. Reach out to these company's and see what others have to say. "

Terry Nygaard
Senior Project Manager

What is included in my project? What is not included? Is the agency providing a dedicated team for the life cycle of my project, or will my company be one of many client accounts vying for attention?

David Bartholomew
Director of Production

I believe it is important to work with a creative agency who has similar ideology.

Jose Garcia
Web Developer

Quality of work and Turn around rate

Ricardo Ortizcazarin
President

Have a budget for the agency and for advertising. Have a page listing goals and objectives for the agency. Compilation of current assets, brochures, logo files, passwords for website, url etc. Assigning communication to a person - a person who takes care of communication, meeting scheduling etc. This can be the sales manager, executive assistant, marketing manager etc.

Libby Grygar
Project Manager

Asking the agency for relevant work samples and their qualifications as it relates to your project. I might also want to know who I would be working on the project.

Sean Ragsdale
SEO Specialist

Your specific goals. Sometimes a digital agency is needed, while in other cases a creative agency is needed. There is a slight difference between the two. Sometimes you can get lucky and find an agency that does both. Next would be the budget. Some agencies will not work with anyone who does not have at least $5,000 to spend.

Chris Christenson
Director of Marketing

Before hiring a creative agency I would recommend asking yourself two questions. First, am I bottlenecking my company's marketing because I don't have the time or technical skills to accomplish what I want to accomplish? Second, do I have someone on my team who has the bandwidth to devote 2-5 hours a week to work with a project manager at an agency? If the answer to both of those questions is yes then you are in the sweet spot for hiring a creative agency to augment your team.

Jodie Coen
Social Media Manager

Ensure the agency has the experience and track record of previous work you are looking for. Make sure the agency has the ability to execute your goals. Check references to make sure the agency has a good reputation.

Trisha Fry
Director of Operations

What successes you want the agency to provide. Reaching higher sales? Tapping into new markets? Get a larger following in social media? Understanding your desired results will help you to discover the best way to achieve those results as well as convey to the agency what you expect them to provide.

Alex Ryan
Project Manager

You will be able to focus more on running your business. Both running and marketing your business yourself will most definitely lead to burnout. Leave it to the experts. By hiring a digital marketing agency, you will have a team of experts helping your business stay relevant. "

Libby Grygar
Project Manager

A digital marketing agency provides so many resources that would otherwise be unavailable or too expensive for freelancers or most in-house staff. With an agency, you're receiving much more than just one or two people. You're having a team spanning many industries and positions join you in your goals.

Ricardo Ortizcazarin
President

A digital marketing agency gives you the full package to meet your needs including specialized individuals, softwares, subscriptions, and many more. The agency you work with should truly be an extension of your company.

David Bartholomew
Director of Production

Time efficiency - you could hire staff to perform the digital marketing but one has to review the ROI; the cost of an employee is not just their salary and benefits, it's also training and building a repor with the vendors who will do some of the actions. An agency will have a steady repor built and ready to go. Usually, when smaller companies look at marketing they believe a person who has four other hats to wear can also be the marketing person - this is really not true. This is why many business seek agencies like us, to be an extension of their company.

Jodie Coen
Social Media Manager

Hiring an agency allows you to focus on other aspects of your business. Digital marketing agencies know the market trends and keep up to date on these trends.

Terry Nygaard
Senior Project Manager

You need professional quality work done and it doesn't make financial sense to hire or retain your own employees.

Sean Ragsdale
SEO Specialist

There are multiple benefits. One is that you leave all the responsibility to an entity that constantly strives to retain talent, be competitive on services and pricing, as well as creating the best portfolios. You will be dealing with serious professionals. If you only need a freelancer to do a specific task, you can do that, but at your own risk. An agency might have freelancers on hand that has proven themselves over the years through multiple projects who can take on the task. It's up to you to ask the agency during the proposal process.

Jose Garcia
Web Developer

They are experts in their field, will cost more and take more time to learn inhouse

Chris Christenson
Director of Marketing

One of the biggest benefits of hiring a digital marketing agency is that you get access to a myriad of highly skilled individuals for the same price (or less) than one highly skilled individual. It is like bringing a Swiss Army Knife with you on your camping trip rather than just a set of backpack silverware.

Trisha Fry
Director of Operations

A digital marketing agency is able to tackle all of your digital marketing needs with proven methods of success. They provide a well-rounded approach to the project. Instead of having one person on your staff attempting to do it all they have a team of people that are specially skilled to focus on all areas of digital marketing. This provides the client with a full staff of individuals that have the skills needed to execute their marketing strategy and reach their desired results. Additionally, this allows you the time needed to focus on other areas of your business and let the agency do the heavy lifting for your marketing needs.

Libby Grygar
Project Manager

An agency will be well worth what you're paying for. Inclusive of agency rates, you are essentially receiving additional staff and team members dedicated to your project and working towards your goals. That, in addition to additional costs like software and staying up to date on trends, pays for itself quickly.

Alex Ryan
Project Manager

Hourly rates for marketing agencies vary greatly depending on a number of factors, including agency size and portfolio size. Agencies may have multiple pricing models, giving you options for which makes the most sense for your business goals and budget.

Terry Nygaard
Senior Project Manager

Time - All activities on your behalf are billable time.

Sean Ragsdale
SEO Specialist

Agencies demand a higher hourly rate as they have a team to provide for. The added costs keep the company focused on creative work and professional results. The Venn-diagram of Good, Fast, and Cheap can sometimes only meet in the middle if you deal with specialists who understand the project. You get what you pay for. Most times, spending the extra money and keeping your mind at ease will be the best bet.

Trisha Fry
Director of Operations

The costs of any marketing project will depend on the scope of work done. Different agencies have different methods of measurement for the costs associated with marketing. Smaller agencies are willing to work within budgets to create better results for the company, while a larger company may require a larger sum in all areas to ensure marketing saturation. Knowing your budget and finding a company that is willing to help you discover the best route to get there will determine the budget needs.

Ricardo Ortizcazarin
President

The costs for an agency would be less than if you went at it alone with salaries, softwares, subscriptions, and many more. Rather that a bunch of individual cost it's bundled into one.

Jodie Coen
Social Media Manager

The cost of hiring a marketing agency (that comes with an entire team of specialists) is less than hiring the similar team in-house.

Chris Christenson
Director of Marketing

To be honest, if your budget is less than $5,000 for a project you are probably better off looking for an awesome freelancer. If your budget is $10,000-$50,000+, you are looking to run a 6-12 month campaign, and/or your project is going to involve lots of moving pieces (i.e. dedicated project management) you are in the sweet spot for hiring a marketing agency.

Jose Garcia
Web Developer

Hard to say, Depending on the company and if they are established

Alex Ryan
Project Manager

Digital marketing agency teams are collaborative and creative. We have a blast brainstorming new strategies to help our client's succeed.

Chris Christenson
Director of Marketing

When you start a project with a digital marketing agency you are assigned a dedicated project manager as your main point of contact. Your project manager works with you to set scope and objectives and coordinates with a team of specialists (e.g. developers, designers, digital marketers) to execute a strategic plan to reach those objectives.

Everett Roberts
Graphic UX Designer

When you hire an agency you're hiring a team instead of only one freelancer. You'll receive collaborative answers and designs. Our team works very closely together to achieve the best possible outcome.

Sean Ragsdale
SEO Specialist

Everyone has their specific roles. Some agencies have a highly structured hierarchy with multiple middle-management positions, while smaller boutique agencies all work in tandem on the same level per project with a creative director who delegates roles and tasks.

Jodie Coen
Social Media Manager

Each person within a digital marketing agency has a role that they specialize in. Graphic design, web development, content writers, project mangager, etc. Collaborating together to create full service marketing plans and execution.

Libby Grygar
Project Manager

In every way imaginable ! I find myself working collaboratively with members of our team every day whether it be on initial strategy, execution, troubleshooting, or even just needing a person to bounce ideas off of. Through a combined understanding of the client's goals, we work together internally to identify and execute solutions to match the needs of everybody we serve.

Terry Nygaard
Senior Project Manager

It really depends upon the size of the agency. In small agencies like ours, everyone has to look out for each other and take on roles that we may not be suited for in order to get the job done. Larger agencies have specialists and experts with more defined expectations & responsibilities.

Trisha Fry
Director of Operations

Understanding the clients desired results and using open communication with inner team collaboration are excellent tactics to success. You want to find a team that works well with all areas within the agency. A team that understands the needs of the client, as well as the importance of all areas involved in the project, will have a higher rate of success.

Ricardo Ortizcazarin
President

Every agency has their own practice and process. At Cazarin Interactive we use sophisticated cloud Project Management system developed internally. We also use a methodology of Project Management called SCRUM. Scrum Scrum is comprised of five values: commitment, courage, focus, openness, and respect. Its goal is to develop, deliver, and sustain complex projects through collaboration, accountability, and iterative progress. What distinguishes Scrum from the other Agile project management methodologies is how it operates by using certain roles, events, and artifacts.

Jose Garcia
Web Developer

As a team and collaborating on specific items that need to be completed in a timely manner.

Jodie Coen
Social Media Manager

I enjoy working with a variety of clients, being creative, and executing efforts to help our clients grow their businesses.

Trisha Fry
Director of Operations

The team is excellent! We are very collaborative with every project. We troubleshoot to figure out the best approach to suits any clients marketing needs. We have seasoned veterans as well as fresh marketeers to help us understand all trends within the digital marketing world. Our teamwork is what sets us apart from other marketing agencies. We know our client's names and we create a relationship with them to help them achieve their goals. Our client's success is our success. We are willing to go the extra mile to help our clients achieve greatness in their market niche.

Jose Garcia
Web Developer

Yes, I enjoy my work and what I do.

David Bartholomew
Director of Production

I enjoy being a part of the Cazarin team. I am energized by helping people and solving puzzles (issues). This means that helping our clients and my colleagues is what encourages and motivates me.

Alex Ryan
Project Manager

We have a great team of highly-skilled individuals who work together in a supportive and collaborative manner to achieve both company and client goals. We all appreciate diverse ideas, which contributes to the inspiring and creative environment at Cazarin.

Sean Ragsdale
SEO Specialist

The company allows me to be creative in solving clients'marketing objectives.

Libby Grygar
Project Manager

I find myself learning new things and aspects of the industry each day, and that in itself brings me joy and fulfills my desire to be a lifelong learner and student.

Everett Roberts
Graphic UX Designer

Cazarin Interactive isn't just an agency its a family, customer or employee you get treated as such.

Chris Christenson
Director of Marketing

Personally, I enjoy my work at Cazarin Interactive. It is hard work -- marketing is not magic -- but it is incredibly rewarding.

Terry Nygaard
Senior Project Manager

I would have left a long time ago if I did not.

Ricardo Ortizcazarin
President

Love it 🙂