This article delves deeper into an often asked question – can marketing professionals guarantee results or guarantee a return on investment (ROI). We’ll be focusing on the reasons why it’s almost impossible to guarantee results in an ever-evolving competitive space.
Marketing professionals are continuously asked whether they can guarantee results and/or an ROI. This expectation stems from the deep-rooted (albeit wrong) belief that marketing results can be quantified in pre-defined measurable terms. If any marketer promises “guaranteed results”, they are lying. Please note, that a marketing professional can guarantee that your organic traffic will increase or search rankings will improve to reach page 1, but to guarantee how many clients a business will gain is not something that can be predicted.
When a business owner approaches a marketer with expectations of guaranteed results, it’s important to break this notion. No honest marketer can guarantee results (in terms of new clients or ROI) because there is no fixed formula here. Marketing is as much science as it is art. Throw in the importance of educated guesses and the power of data (research) and the whole equation can change overnight.
It’s important for you as a business owner to ask the right questions when approaching a marketer. So, don’t ask the following things:
- Can my $20,000 investment in marketing ensure that I make $60,000 at the end of the year?
- Will my number of clients double when I send 20 more emails every day?
- Will my social media followers increase by 200% if my social media marketing improves?
If you are confident about your business, you will not worry about guaranteed results. Instead, you will seek a professional marketing agency that helps to improve your reach, improved visibility in search rankings, make your business (products/ services) more accessible, and helps to keep you at the top of your game.
How Can a Marketing Agency Help Your Business?
It is obvious that you ask this – why do I go to a marketing agency if they do not guarantee me results? Think of it this way. You buy a gaming PC with high specs, the best graphics and processor, high memory, and invest in the best gaming accessories. But this won’t necessarily translate into better gaming performance. For that, you must improve your gaming skills. While your high-end PC promises you great performance it cannot guarantee improvement in your gaming skills. For that, you have to sharpen your skills.
Marketing is pretty much the same thing. You can invest truckloads of money yet see no measurable results. But if you hire an experienced team of marketing professionals who understand the market, and plan a marketing strategy based on past records, you are more likely to see better results.
Look from the Customer’s Perspective
While you delve into ways to improve results, it is also necessary to take note of what your potential customers seek. Irrespective of what the popular idea is, customers usually look for more than just buying products and services. They seek a promise. If your brand cannot deliver that promise, then your investment in marketing is not worth it.
Before you hire any marketing, ask yourself these questions –
- Is your business standing on rock-solid grounds? If not – you are likely wasting everyone’s time.
- Do you offer competitive services?
- Are your customers wowed by your products/ services?
Why do you ask these questions? Because if your business is not adding value, isn’t built on strong foundations, and is not offering a likeable service/product – no amount of marketing efforts can salvage you. After all, marketing isn’t a magic wand!
Marketing is often an Experiment but Under Expert Advice!
Remember the scouts in school? What were they known for? They were a bunch of adventurous kids who excelled as a team and took outdoor camps and adventures seriously. They were never afraid of a few cuts and bruises. However, they didn’t do it all alone. There was always a scout leader who would guide the young children. Without the guidance of a scout leader, enthusiastic children (even with the best of intentions) would fail.
Think of your business as an enthusiastic child – always looking for adventure and thrill. But without a leader (in this case an efficient marketing strategist), all your efforts can backfire.
When you invest in marketing, you have to trust the experts. They may not get it right in one go. They will lead you through ups and downs but at the end of it all, you will find that the perception of your brand has improved.
ROI is Not the End Goal You Should Chase
Sometimes it is important to look at your business without the lenses of profit and loss. As in life, where every experience cannot be measured in terms of happiness and peace – in business too – you cannot measure success in figures alone. This is specifically true while marketing your business. In digital marketing, there are many factors to consider such as lead generation, social media reach, traffic generation, search engine ranking, etc. These things do not necessarily add numbers to your profit figures but add value to your brand. In today’s competitive market, customers are very much aware of their needs and wants. It’s important to create a buzz and maintain that buzz.
Remember, ROI is not the endgame. Consistent performance and long-term sustenance are factors that will drive your business.
What Should a Digital Marketing Agency Offer You?
Yes, we are saying that do not ask for guaranteed results when hiring a marketer. That doesn’t mean you should zero down on just any digital marketing agency. You should take time to research the agencies in your neighborhood or community. Find out their strengths and weaknesses, and only go for the agency that helps in your business growth.
Oftentimes, it is easier to trust an agency that has past records to show off. Their past jobs can tell you a lot about them. The kind of businesses they have worked with, the goals they identified and consequently met, etc. are all benchmarks that you should look out for.
While ROI isn’t what should drive any marketing strategy, the agency should be able to define some goals and predict a timeline to achieve them. It is always better to identify short-term goals as its realistically possible to meet them.
Essentially, a marketing agency should offer you the following things.
- Trust – You should be able to trust the agency to do its work with efficiency and expertise.
- Decision-making capabilities – They are the experts and should help you in making better decisions.
- Educative – They should help you understand the process involved in digital marketing.
- Transparent – They should be transparent in their operations and should be willing to show their past work.
- Delivers on Time – They should be able to understand the importance of maintaining a timeline and accordingly works to deliver within a set deadline.
What Does Cyrusson Inc. Offer?
Cyrusson Inc. is a boutique digital marketing agency based out of San Francisco, that has been in the business for a long time. As a major force in digital marketing in San Francisco, we are a team of unstoppable creative thinkers. We understand market trends and client needs. We also know how to align the latter with the former.
We offer a complete turn-key marketing solution that includes but is not limited to digital ads, search engine optimization, web design, listings, social media strategies, etc. We believe in offering a flexible working model. This means that we will offer just want you to seek. If you have a plan and want a team to execute it, we will do so. If you want us to look beyond your core business functions, we do that. We also offer a complete marketing package if you are too busy to handle it.
Our flexibility coupled with our transparency and agility makes us a market favorite. But what’s crucial about our business ethos is that we do not guarantee results! We do not make such promises because we understand that in marketing nothing can be predicted while everything can be estimated.
If you are looking for a digital marketing agency that promises dedication, professionalism, and transparency – contact Cyrusson Inc. today! Schedule a consultation meeting and we promise we won’t bore you with our pitch!