You’ve worked with a marketing agency before and are considering trying again, but you’re worried that they’re all the same.
Maybe your last experience started with a lot of optimistic conversations and big ideas until things got…quiet.
Updates got vague. Projects moved slowly. You weren’t sure how your hours were being used. When you looked at your goals a few months later, you were left wondering:
“What exactly did we pay for?”
Yikes. That sounds horrible. It doesn’t have to be that way.
You shouldn’t have to take their word for it and hope everything works out. Great agency partnerships are built on visibility, communication, and accountability. You should always know what’s happening and why.
In this article, we'll answer:
"Our last agency kept us in the dark and after a year we saw no results. How can we make sure that doesn't happen?"
What Does Transparency in an Agency Partnership Actually Look Like?
Let’s start with the obvious.
You shouldn’t have to hunt down your agency for an update.
You shouldn’t have to send an email once a week and wonder if you’ll get a response.
Transparency means having a clear understanding of your marketing without having to chase down every answer. You should have clarity on where your hours are going and how they are advancing your organization’s goals.
This includes knowing:
- What they’re working on
- What is being prioritized
- The status of your current projects
- How your time and resources are being used
- What strategies are being recommended and why
- How projects connect to your business goals
And no, that doesn’t mean you need a daily report detailing every copy edit or internal conversation. You don’t need a play-by-play. You need visibility.
Great agencies believe in transparency. That means creating systems designed to give you visibility into the work without asking you to blindly trust what’s happening behind the scenes. When they need something, they should ask for it. When something is done, you should know. You shouldn’t have to chase down your agency to know what’s happening.
You shouldn’t have to wonder whether your agency is working.
You should be able to see that it is.
Define Results Before Getting Started
You can’t know if anything is “working” if you don’t clearly define what “working” actually means.
Before getting to work, your agency needs to understand what you’re trying to accomplish. More website traffic? More leads? Greater awareness? Better conversion rate? The answer is different for every business.
You know your business better than anyone ever could. You know your mission, vision, and competitive landscape better than anyone else. Your agency needs that information so they can take things in the right direction and get you where you want to go.
That’s why a good agency relationship starts with clear, measurable goals and realistic expectations. They need to know where you want to go so they can use their time and resources in the right way.
Don’t walk into a partnership without a clear destination.
And these goals shouldn’t disappear into a strategy document after onboarding. Your agency should use your goals to shape every design and piece of copy that they develop.
Constantly adjusting based on what’s best for your business, looking at what’s happening, comparing it to what needs to be accomplished for you, and pivoting when necessary.
The goal should always be to make sure your goals are moving forward.
What If Something Isn’t Working?
Here’s where trust really matters.
Even with a strong strategy and your goals as the main focus, marketing doesn’t always go according to plan. It’s normal for things not to work out as expected 100% of the time. It’s not normal to hide it or say, “Oh well.”
Your agency should never use the variable nature of marketing as an excuse. And when things don’t go as planned, you should be the first to know.
One of the most important skills in marketing is knowing how and when to pivot.
If your website isn’t generating enough leads or a campaign isn’t driving the results you wanted, the first step is to ask, “Why?” and determine what needs to change.
Maybe the messaging needs to be targeted to a different audience. Maybe the SEO keywords that were relevant last week changed overnight. Maybe priorities or the entire strategy need to change.
Your agency should never let something not work. If something isn’t going according to plan, you should know how they’re fixing it.
That’s accountability.
Honesty about your results and whether something needs to change. Taking ownership of your success. Taking pride in driving results for businesses and helping them meet their goals. That’s why our clients have seen so much success at TwoTone Creative—they never have to worry about our commitment to them.
How Should You Be Kept Informed?
The best way to avoid communication problems is to establish expectations at the beginning.
At TwoTone—before work gets started—we establish how our teams will communicate, what information we need from you, and what you can expect from us.
We’ll be in regular communication with you on:
- Project progress
- Changing priorities
- Upcoming work
- Items that need your approval
- Areas that need your input or attention
You’ll always have a point of contact through your account manager. That means you’ll never have to wonder, “Who do I even ask about this?” Your account manager keeps communication moving between your team and ours to make sure we do the best work and get it ready on time.
We use a project management software that your team will have access to. This helps everyone on our team stay on track with our work, keeps conversations relevant, and gives your team visibility into our processes.
Through our project management software, you’ll be able to view:
- How your hours are used
- All upcoming, in progress, and completed projects
- Message boards under each project to keep conversations consolidated
- Shared files, to-dos, and events
The goal is to give you visibility into the things that matter most for your business. We don’t want you to be lost on what we’re doing or what you’re paying for. Let us handle the projects so you can do what you do best: run your business.
So, How Do I Make Sure It Doesn’t Happen Again?
You can’t guarantee that every marketing idea will be a home run. No agency can.
What you can expect is a partner that pays attention, communicates clearly, and cares about your success. That’s how we approach our partnerships at TwoTone Creative.
Before we start, we get clear on where you’re going. We take the time to understand your business and what you’re trying to accomplish. From there, we build a strategy around those goals.
Once the work starts, we keep you in the loop. Transparency is important to us. You’ll always know what we’re working on and how it connects to the bigger picture. You won’t have to track us down to get an update.
We want you to feel confident handing over your marketing. We want a partnership where you can see what we’re doing and why it’s working.
At TwoTone, we won’t tell you what the results might be. You’ll see it for yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often will TwoTone communicate with us?
We establish communication expectations during onboarding so you know what to expect from the start. Your account manager is your primary point of contact, and we ask that you have one to three primary points of contact for us. That way, communications flow smoothly. We’ll keep you updated on progress, priorities, and things that need your input or attention.
How will we know if our marketing is actually working?
We start by defining what success looks like for your business. We track metrics that help us measure progress towards your goals and adjust as needed. We’ll help you understand what’s working, what’s not, and where we should go next.
What should I expect from my marketing agency’s communication?
You should expect clear, consistent communication—not radio silence for days and weeks on end. At TwoTone, we’ll always keep you informed on how projects move along, how your hours are being used, and what results we’re seeing.
How do I know my marketing agency is using my budget effectively?
Effective marketing is about investing your budget strategically based on your goals. At TwoTone, we look at what’s delivering the most value and where your marketing dollars can make the most impact.
How transparent should a marketing agency be?
Very. You should never have to wonder what your agency is doing, why they’re doing it, or where your budget is going. At TwoTone, transparency means clear communication, visibility into our processes, and context around results.
How involved should I be with my marketing agency?
That depends on you and the scope of your projects. Some clients want to hand over the reins, and others want to be highly involved. Both can work. Our job is to make sure you’re involved where your input matters without making you manage the marketing yourself. We’ll need you to answer questions, approve projects, and be a reliable point of contact when we need it. Beyond that, how involved you need to be is case by case.
How do I avoid another bad agency experience?
Ask how an agency communicates and how they define success. Gauge how they value transparency and how involved they want you to be. Look for an agency that promises visibility, transparency, and accountability. At TwoTone, we believe these are the most important factors in a professional relationship, starting from day one.
The Right Level of Involvement is the One that Works For You
There isn’t a magic formula for how involved a client should be. What matters is creating a partnership where both teams know when to step in, when to step back, and who owns each decision.
We’ll make recommendations. We’ll take ownership of the work. We’ll make sure you’re involved where your input matters most. We’ll create a process that helps you achieve your goals together.
If you're looking for a creative agency that can meet your team where you are and work with you at a level of involvement that makes sense, let's talk.
Book a Discovery Call with TwoTone Creative today.
