Finding a qualified digital marketing agency is harder than it sounds. The digital marketing industry is brimming with fly-by-night agencies looking to get rich quick at your expense. This slideshow provides 5 key reasons why the industry is fraught with cowboys as well as some tips on how to spot them and avoid them.

2. It's hard to find a company that hasn't been burned by a
fly-by-night digital marketing agency.
The industry is rife with cowboys and here's why:

4. All you need to set up your own digital marketing agency is a
laptop and an internet connection. There are little to no
software costs to get started and many software products
have free versions for single users.

5. Free website builders and $99 logo services help to make
fly-by-nights appear like a professional business for a low
start-up cost. There are very few industries where the
requirements for starting up are so low.

6. Costs can further be kept to a minimum by outsourcing the
work overseas. This means that anyone can set up an
agency without having to hire qualified staff to service clients.

8. Unlike other professional services like lawyers or
accountants, there are no qualifications required to set up or
practice within the industry. Anyone can call themselves a
digital “guru” without having any marketing or consumer
behaviour knowledge.

9. Many companies delegate social media management to
junior team members (which is also not advisable). This
means that it is relatively easy to gain experience on your CV
without having any real marketing skills.

11. Advertising platforms like Google and Facebook want as
many advertisers using their platforms as possible. More
users lead to more competition for ad space which in turn
means more revenue for the platform.

12. It’s in the platforms best interest to promote how easy it is to
use and how anyone can set up an ad account in minutes.
These platforms know that 80% of startups fail within the first
18 months, so they are looking to maximise their revenue
from these companies over that time.

13. This “ease of use” creates unrealistic expectations around the
expertise required to run effective marketing campaigns. The
platforms aren’t invested in the success of individual
businesses so they won't stop advertisers from wasting
money on ineffective campaigns.

15. Digital marketing is a rapidly progressing industry and even
marketing managers have trouble keeping up to date with all
the changes. Most business owners are specialists in their
industry but when it comes to digital they rely on the agency
to give them guidance.

16. Irresponsible agencies are quick to sell shiny new
technologies without understanding the impact on the
longevity of their client's businesses. They use FOMO to
create urgency and get clients signed on for services that
don’t necessarily align with the goals of their businesses.

17. Jargon is rampant in the industry and it's easy for
underperforming agencies to hide behind misleading
buzzwords. It’s relatively easy for agencies to operate behind
smoke and mirrors and keep their clients at arm's length from
the real work being done.

19. Companies get burned ultimately because the cowboys just
can't deliver on their promises. Any success these kinds of
agencies have typically boils down to blind luck. It doesn’t
matter how long someone spends on social media on a daily
basis, that doesn’t make them qualified to give you marketing
advice.

20. Marketing is not about the cost per click of your ads, it’s about
changing consumer behaviour. Successful marketing is more
about psychology than it is about platforms. You can be on all
the right platforms and still not be successful.

21. Cowboys can hire great salespeople and they can hire great
designers. They can say all the right things and they can
make things look beautiful but in the end, they still fall over.
Even if they don’t intentionally rip clients off, they don't
understand marketing so they can’t deliver results.

23. Look for an agency that wants to talk to you about your
business goals. If the conversation starts off with what
platforms you need to be on that’s a big red flag. Agencies
that understand business and marketing will first discuss your
business needs before they give advice around platforms or
campaigns.
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24. Ask for a second opinion. If you don’t have a background in
marketing it’s best to get several points of view before making
a decision. If something doesn’t feel quite right then trust your
gut and ask other professionals for their opinions.
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25. Look for an agency that has a local team. A local team is
one indicator that the agency is not trying to take shortcuts or
maximise revenue at its client's expense. Be wary of
agencies that aren’t willing to discuss their team members.
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26. Be sceptical about specialist agencies. If a Facebook
agency tells you that you HAVE to be on Facebook they may
be looking out for their own needs rather than yours. Be
sceptical and make sure you understand why they are
recommending specific tactics.
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27. Avoid small agencies or startups that claim to be full
service. It’s impossible for a single person to be a specialist
in all areas. Small agencies can be strong in specific areas
but to be “full service” an agency needs at least 15 to 20 team
members. Small agencies offering full services are likely
outsourcing or using contractors.
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28. Don’t be pressured into making quick decisions.
Platforms like Google and Facebook don’t offer limited-time
specials so any discounts or offers are specific to the agency.
It’s unlikely that you will miss out on anything if you take a few
days to make a decision. In the long run, you will be better
off.
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29. Be prepared to pay for quality. If you were going to court
you wouldn’t put yourself at risk to save a few dollars on
lawyers fees. Don’t put your business at risk to save a few
bucks. Getting marketing services that are tailored to your
needs is going to cost you more but it will also deliver you
more ROI.
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