10 Comprehensive Tips to Evaluate Social Media Agencies – Part 3

In a roundup of the 3-part blog series, below are the final points to consider when seeking to outsource your social media project.
8. Others cite this person’s / agency’s work
In the same way that citations in peer reviewed academic journals are used as a measure of credibility and expertise in the academic world, individuals or [...]

10 Comprehensive Tips to Evaluate Social Media Agencies – Part 2

This is the second part a 3-piece blog series that tackles the topic of outsourcing your social media efforts to an agency or social media consultant. To start at the beginning, jump to Part 1.

4. Are you paying the agency to learn on your buck?
The temptation to throw in another service offering when social [...]

10 Comprehensive Tips to Evaluate Social Media Agencies – Part 1

As social media sweeps over the world of Internet marketing and changes the way in which companies manage their brands, so enters a rising wave of social media ‘mavens’, ‘gurus’ and ‘evangelists’ to take your money… and hopefully in the process take your brand to the next level of online exposure.
Given you’ve made the business [...]

Questions to Ask Potential SEM Agencies

When selecting an SEM agency to commission, it is important to ask the right questions in the RFP (Request For Proposal) stage. With targeted questions, you should quickly be able to identify the agencies that know what they are talking about from the fly-by-nighters, trying to make a quick buck online.
A Few Pointers
#1. Budget – [...]

Moving Beyond the SERPs in Your Search

As an alternative to using the search engines, there are a number of independent resources that provide valuable insight into SEM agencies and where they fit into the market. When attempting to ascertain the credibility of a particular agency or searching for a firm that holds a certain market position, the following points assist in [...]

Evaluating The Websites of Potential SEM Providers

Search Engine Marketing agencies offer a substantial number of articles and White Papers, which in great deal cover the many strategies and tactics to implement in order to reduce ‘bounce rate’; make your website ‘stickier’, and ensure your site meets the SEO checklist. Before selecting an SEM agency, check out their website and evaluate whether [...]

Searching Under a Number of Search Queries

When researching SEM providers, upon developing your selection criteria, the search can commence on the search engines. This is where the SEM competitive struggle takes place. The key is to research systematically without being overwhelmed by the volume of results.

So, How Do You Search?
This requires some lateral thinking. Points to consider are as follows:
• [...]

Developing Your Selection Criteria

In a continuation of the topic – SEM Agency Selection Process – this is the first of five blog posts that detail a number of implementable steps to minimize risk when choosing an SEM firm.
Finding a fitting SEM agency is a complex recruitment process that requires you to identify your business goals and selection criteria, [...]

SEM Agency Selection Process

The allocation of a budget to any project is a complex assignment that requires a critical assessment of the associated risks, costs and projected gains. As the economy continues to reel, budget appropriation for selected projects will receive deliberate scrutiny, risk aversion will be amplified and opportunity cost felt more brutally should the investment not [...]