15 Reasons You Don’t Like Working With Your Marketing Agency

Marketing agencies are a great way to help businesses attract and convert leads into customers. However, the average time clients work with a marketing agency is just three years.

These relationships break down for a multitude of reasons, including poor communication,  lack of industry knowledge, inconsistent branding and more. When assessing whether your marketing agency is bringing you the results you deserve, take note of the following 15 examples of things that could be causing you to doubt your partnership.

A solid communication plan is essential to maintaining any successful business relationship. Poor communication can lead to dissatisfaction, failed projects, missed deadlines, financial losses and loss of reputation. 

Problems can arise when agencies either under-communicate or over-communicate. If your agency partner communicates too little, you might be confused or worried about project deadlines. If your agency communicates too much, you might be overwhelmed or worried about the wrong details.

Communication breakdowns can sometimes be labeled as “just a little annoying” or “just part of the job,” but they can be detrimental to your bottom line if they’re not addressed. Consider your agency partner’s communication style and determine if it’s working for you or if you need something different. Don’t hesitate to have a conversation to let them know  your needs if a change is needed.

When you hire a marketing agency, they should know your industry and audience inside and out. If they lack key knowledge about what they’re trying to market, they should be putting in the effort to learn. Does your agency partner understand your industry jargon? Can they speak it with authority?

Of course, you don’t want to get so lost in your specific industry terminology that you alienate your customers, but your marketing partners should sound confident in their knowledge.

Building materials and manufacturing is a constantly evolving industry that requires extensive knowledge of building codes, local regulations and zoning laws. 

Your marketing agency partner should be well-versed in those areas. Any new agency partner will have a ramp-up period, but if they are not making an effort to become as knowledgeable as an internal member of your team, it might be time to look elsewhere.

All humans make mistakes, but if your digital marketing agency isn’t  transparent about its mistakes and doesn’t accept accountability, that agency’s problem can quickly become your own.

Agencies should acknowledge their mistakes and work diligently to correct them. If this isn’t happening, it can be a sign of more significant problems in the relationship dynamic, and you should question whether they are a good fit for you.

Is your agency pushing creative boundaries, or are they rehashing the same marketing leftovers they give to all their clients? Your agency should encourage creativity and try new ideas to make you stand out in the market.

A one-size-fits-all approach to marketing doesn’t work. Campaigns should be tailored to your specific audience and business goals, or you won’t get measurable results.

There is nothing worse than someone who promises the moon but can’t deliver on anything. An agency’s desire for success can sometimes lead to overpromising. 

Ensure your agency partner sets realistic expectations for their campaigns and meets or exceeds them. Otherwise, you could be stuck with an agency that makes ambitious claims followed by countless excuses. 

A good marketing agency knows that data-driven strategies should be at the forefront of marketing campaigns. Data is vital to measuring success and uncovering opportunities for improvement.

Your brand will ultimately suffer if your agency isn’t paying enough attention to data or metrics, especially the right data or metrics. Data use needs to be thoughtful and relevant; otherwise, it is impossible to know when to pivot to new strategies or stay the course. 

The data your marketing agency shows you should be clear, concise and easy to understand. If it’s not, you have a problem.

Are your concerns and input into projects being ignored? It’s one thing for an agency to be passionate about their process, but if they are disregarding your feedback, it could demonstrate arrogance.

It’s common for agencies and clients to disagree, but your brand belongs to you. The final say in your marketing direction should always be your decision, and if you find yourself arguing more and more, it might be time to decide if you need to end the relationship. 

Being proactive is an opportunity to add value to a partnership. Being proactive isn’t just about pushing additional campaigns that are going to cost you another check; it’s showing that they truly know your industry inside and out and value you as a client, not just another dollar sign.

An example of being proactive is encouraging new partnerships. For example, if you’re a lumber supplier, your agency could be proactive and look for cross-account introduction opportunities, like for a bulk fastener supplier to cross-promote. 

Your agency should seek new business and marketing opportunities to improve your budget and your standing in the market.

It isn’t your job to ask your agency to find new ways to create value. It should be a relationship where both parties are working towards the same goal.

Results are why you hire a marketing agency. If your agency’s work is not showing results or demonstrating value, what’s the point?

Your agency partner should know how to measure your marketing ROI and present it in terms that are valuable to your team. Your retainer agreement should outline specific goals and objectives that you both agreed upon. It should lay the groundwork for long-term success and not just consist of short-lived wins. 

If you entered an agreement where they promised you 100 new customers, $500,000 in sales or 150 keywords ranked on Google’s first page, you might have a problem. Agencies shouldn’t agree to everything. They should ask you, “What goal do you hope to achieve with that objective?” and lay out the strategy and initiative to accomplish that goal. 

An agency partnership shouldn’t just be your marketing team working with their marketing team. They also need to connect with your sales team. 

Having marketing and sales work together and involving both teams in lead generation ensures a seamless customer experience. Alignment between sales and marketing allows for better lead management. 

If there is misalignment or a disconnect, the right leads will not be directed to the appropriate dealers, and there will never be a comprehensive understanding of what your customers need. 

One area most marketing agencies tend to overlook is local marketing. Some digital marketers believe local markets are a waste of resources. However, while it may not fit every business, it can yield profitable returns in building materials and manufacturing marketing. 

Targeting your local market can increase local business and engagement, developing lasting relationships in the surrounding communities. It helps you establish your reputation and presence in your local market, spreading positive word-of-mouth marketing and expanding your business's reach.

Local marketing also provides local search and SEO benefits. This is powerful when dealing with search engines and geographic searches, which the importance of can’t be emphasized enough. If your agency is yawning at your mention of local marketing, they are underutilizing a form of marketing that can have a big impact.

Inconsistent branding can lead to customer confusion, disarray in marketing campaigns and lost business. Branding stops working once a message is uneven. Uncertain branding gives a brand a vague personality, making it hard for customers to connect with and trust it. 

Your agency partner should know your branding down to a science. They should know your brand standards and guidelines, logo, font and colors, stylizations, etc. 

It’s your job to  provide these to your partner, but if they have access to these resources and are still missing the mark, your brand will come off as inconsistent to both long-term and first-time buyers.

You deserve an agency partner who is mindful of your brand’s vision, stays focused on your core products and services, doesn’t rely too heavily on trends and understands your audience.

When there are no leads coming in, whether through inbound or outbound strategies, your business is at risk for lost revenue. Lead generation has to be strategic and have multiple avenues in order to be efficient.

If your lead generation is failing in multiple ways, it’s important to inspect why. Is it a problem with your organic traffic? Is it a lack of email marketing? Incorrect buyer personas or bad audience targeting? Sales and marketing misalignment? Are your socials lacking in engagement? 

Your agency partner should be helping you generate leads; if they aren’t, you need to address this. You should expect them to uncover the problems and work through them. Good lead generation doesn't happen overnight, but it may be time to look elsewhere if it’s a consistent problem that remains unsolved. 

Technologies are being added every day to the mix of marketing tools. New platforms are as fast-moving as the digital age itself. The best practices of digital marketing one year ago are not the same as of today. 

Emerging trends are a dime a dozen, but your agency should constantly adapt, or you’ll be left behind. If your agency is still creating campaigns that they were at the start of your contract, you may be missing opportunities that you don’t even know are there.

If you are concerned about being locked into a long-term contract without a clear exit strategy, you aren’t alone. High cancellation fees and complicated break clauses are common, leaving businesses tied to unsuccessful campaigns or mediocre service.

If you’re confident in your choice of agency partner, a long-term commitment shouldn’t be scary. You should trust them to be flexible and valuable. But if you are experiencing doubt, you might want to listen to your gut before entering into another long-term contract.

At Venveo, our main goal is fostering relationships with our clients. Our team works tirelessly to nurture these relationships, listen to client needs and deliver top-notch results. 

We pride ourselves on good communication, industry knowledge, an ability to adapt and be flexible, consistent branding and much more. 

If you’re looking for a marketing agency partner with expertise in the building materials and manufacturing industries, contact us to learn more.