5 steps to choosing a communications agency

Choosing a communications agency from the information available on the Internet is difficult, uncertain and sometimes time-consuming.

But the stakes are high: selecting a partner who understands your needs, your project and your identity. An agency whose objective will be aligned with yours (your success) and whose achievements will live up to its promises.

As there is never a shortage of communication services on offer in our neighbourhood (the agency next to your office, your friends' agency or even your little freelance cousin who has already created a Facebook post, for example 😮💨)... how can we sort through them effectively and find the rare pearl?

Believe it or not, we've all done this before. So here are a few tips to help you see things more clearly!

The best agency in the world won't be able to guess who you are and what your expectations are without a clear and effective presentation.

Before you start looking, take the time to draw up a short presentation document dedicated to your project. This stage, known as the Brief in our jargon, enables the person looking for a communications agency to ask the right questions and the agency to really understand their expectations.

This will enable you to define your company, its values and the composition of your team. You can also determine the origin of your project or need and clarify its objectives. Finally, you'll be able to include an overview of the actions or developments you've already carried out, setting out their results and your own conclusions.

This brief will lay the foundations for sound communication. It can be drawn up in text or graphic format and sent to the agency you have chosen. During your first meeting, it will become the basis for discussions and questions from your potential service provider.

As the number of communications agencies is large, so is the diversity of solutions they can offer you.

To save time in your search, it's a good idea to think of a ‘profile’ of your ideal partner. This profile will depend on the most important elements of your marketing project. For example, the key skills you absolutely want to find in your service provider (web development, knowledge of luxury marketing, graphic design, etc.) or their location (do you want to meet them regularly or simply from a distance).

In some cases, you'll want to meet some highly specialised profiles, in others, an agency capable of supporting a more substantial project, integrating several specialities (communication and web application development).

You can also determine the size and maturity of the agency. Do you want to bring in a few juniors to learn about certain practices, or do you want a freelance profile working alone, or a solid agency with a proven track record on complex projects?

These questions will help you refine your search, particularly on the web, and avoid wasting time on pointless exchanges.

You've now selected your ideal type of agency and know your brief inside out. Now all you have to do is get in touch with some of the communications agencies that match your brief!

But how do you identify the most effective ones? How can you be sure you're not contacting the wrong person, who may be incompetent, unavailable or, in some cases, dishonest?

The method is simple: you have to form an opinion by taking a few minutes to find out about the company on the web before contacting them. Read the content of their site to see for yourself whether it is coherent. Find out about previous projects and read a few reviews of the company, for example on its Google page!

If all these elements give you an impression of maturity, stability and sincerity, go for it; if not, it might be better to pass on.

If you have the opportunity to meet your potential agency, don't hesitate. If not, a video meeting can sometimes do the trick.

Meeting an agency is first and foremost meeting a team, an atmosphere and, ideally, a rapport. It's about really discovering the talents that will make your project a success or a failure.

A good team can sometimes turn out to be incompatible with certain companies, because their worlds and working methods can be so far apart. So you need to find the one that suits YOU best, and feel it!

Does it ever come down to a case of gut feeling?

Unfortunately not, and a good understanding shouldn't blind you to the team's ability to provide a real solution.

To finish off our series of recommendations, here we come to...the price, of course. A thorny issue that many people find tricky and awkward, but which determines the feasibility of an entire project.

While the price of a service or a company's budget should not define a project (we'll explain why in a later post), they are essential to the possibility of a project being brought to fruition.

There's no point in discussing the matter too long if the realisation of your project far exceeds your current investment capacity. That's why you need to think carefully before contacting an agency.

Define an overall budget for the project, without overestimating it, but without underestimating it either. Your company's financial capacity is a good starting point. To ensure that your budget is consistent, you will need to find out about the prices charged for certain services and support.

In this area, everyone will need to find a technique that is personalised, fast and effective. Beware, however, of the ridiculously low information provided by many sites for low-end services or services provided by service providers domiciled in certain countries. Local practices sometimes allow them to obtain low prices at the expense of quality and living conditions.

Finally, if you have any problems with the exercise, the agencies you meet should, to some extent, be able to explain their prices and how they fit in with your project.

Are you a professional and looking for a communication agency for your project? Make an appointment with our team to discuss your project and discover our tailor-made working method.