Digital marketing is a vast realm and its prospects are growing over time. For anybody unaware of performance marketing, let us tell you that it is a form of digital marketing where advertisers pay the marketing agency only when some actions happen. It can be click, lead, or sale.

Precisely, you pay your service provider after you meet your business objectives! It is an incredible digital marketing strategy for small businesses, focusing on audience reach at a low budget. Since performance marketing is driven by results, you can expect low investment with higher ROI.

Do you know what the various types of performance marketing strategies for small businesses are? SEO, PPC advertising, content marketing, email marketing, social media advertising, display advertising, influencer marketing, and affiliate marketing- you name it and it’s there! 

The fascinating part is you do not pay for ads like the traditional method. You pay based on how well your campaign is performing by evaluating the number of clicks, shares, impressions, and sales.

However, your journey of experiencing an extraordinary performance marketing result begins by choosing your service provider. An expert performance marketing company can raise your sales sky-high, promoting growth and expansion.

So, today, our topic of discussion centres on settling on the right agency so that you save your precious time, money, and effort. For a promising impact on your small business, follow the guidelines closely and stay mindful! 

Things to Consider Before Hiring Your Performance Marketing Company

Surely, there are numerous performance marketing companies, especially when most businesses these days are leveraging its potential benefits and have experienced tremendous success.

86% of marketers have increased brand awareness through one or more digital marketing channels. And 75% of marketers have improved their company’s trust and credibility using the same.

As we know, figures do not lie! The success of digital marketing lies clearly in front of us! Now that you cannot help yourself but consider harnessing its power to grow your small business, we have some significant tips for you. As your journey of performance marketing (digital marketing) begins by hiring an expert, check out the following points before making a move.

• Understand Your Goal- Identify what you seek from your performance marketing agency because then only you can accomplish the desired results. As a business owner, you may wish to expand your client base, increase online traffic, or generate sales through performance marketing. Whatever your objective, keep it well-defined to ensure you are not disappointed with the performance results.  
• Fix Your Budget- Allocating an amount for your performance marketing strategy is essential to ensure you experience long-term growth. Split your budget between various marketing channels depending on your business goals. It will help you retain your brand’s existence.
• Explore Your Options- Lastly, when you have defined your goal and set your budget, it is time to choose the right digital marketing agency because that makes all the difference! If you want to secure the benefits of performance marketing for small businesses, you must make the best bid! How do you do that? We will come to it in the following section of our discussion.

Tips for Choosing Your Performance Marketing Agency

The global digital advertising and marketing market is predicted to reach $786.2 billion by 2026 (GlobeNewswire).

With such a boom in the industry, numerous digital marketing companies are sprouting up every day! It is indeed difficult to select the right one for your business when everyone claims to accomplish the target goals in minimum time!

Worry not! We are here to help you through the process. So, let’s begin!

• Dig into the Case Studies- Assessing the previous work portfolio must be your primary step in choosing your performance marketing contractor. Visit their official website and check out the testimonials thoroughly. There must be some documented case studies helping you to learn about their scope of work, the type of projects they have worked on, the success rate, and other insights. You can compare whether they will match your business goal criteria or be capable enough to manoeuvre your project.
• Reputation- You possibly cannot land on any company you find on the Internet! Get a clear picture of their offline and online reputation. You can check the reviews and ranking in search results, gather direct feedback from their clients, or rely on recommendations. Comprehend their trustworthiness and collaboration by investing some time in the groundwork.
• Customer Service- A good customer service indicates credibility, responsiveness, and loyalty. Avoid companies with poor customer reviews to stay away from trouble. Post-sales service is often understated, which plays a significant role in determining the company’s reliability, courtesy, and compliance. It is the most crucial tool to retain existing consumers and create a loyal client base.
• Service Costs- To stay away from unpleasant surprises, clarify the cost of performance marketing for small businesses. Get a proper price quotation and review the deliverables thoroughly for a better understanding of the terms and conditions. On top of that, it encourages a transparent partnership.

Additionally, we have some bonus tips:

• Keep Your Options Open- Always approach more than one digital marketing company. Do not settle for the first one you come across! All the companies are equipped with different levels of experience and expertise. So, analyze them all and determine which one fits best for your small business. Also, you get a scope to explore your budget as you will receive diverse price quotations from multiple agencies.
• Interrogate as Much as You Want- Do not hesitate to ask questions to your digital marketing service provider. Ask whatever comes to your mind and clarify doubts till there is time! It aids in narrowing down your options while providing better insights about a company’s authenticity. Doesn’t that make an impressive start?

What to Look For in Your Performance Marketing Partner?

A great performance marketing partner is the one move you need to accomplish your business goals! For a small business, the principal objective of hiring a performance marketing agency is to maximize lead generation, increase sales, and boost brand awareness.

So, you must consider the fact seriously and do not simply go about it randomly! Your decision is all it takes to curb the future of your business! But you don’t worry. We have got it all sorted for you!

Here are the chief qualities you must look for in your performance marketing partner:

• Your marketing partner must have experience in your industry- Hire an agency that has prior experience in your industry. They will possess knowledge about your project complexities, enabling better planning and strategic approaches in campaign creation and promotion. It even boosts confidence in you about the expected results.
• Learn about the tools they use for performance marketing- Before hiring anyone, you must know how to measure performance marketing results. When digging into the subject matter, you possibly cannot ignore learning about its functioning! Right? So, ask them about the tools they use for measuring your marketing performance. If they offer any proprietary technology, learn about their effectiveness.
• Number of employees- You must be wondering why the size of the marketing partner matters. It does, to some extent! A small agency with fewer employees may propose direct communication with you, which is likely a favourable spot. However, they may lack the technological support compared to a company with hundreds of employees. But, in a big company, you may not experience the friendliness and warmth in the partnership. Tough choice, huh?
• No irrational promises- If you think your performance marketing company is promising results that are too good to be true, it is a red flag. No matter how much they try to persuade you, never fall into the trap. Whenever you feel doubtful, ask for proof. There is no miracle that you receive results overnight!

Bottom Line

Performance marketing is an ever-changing game! The rules and trends are always on the move! Thus, the player must be dynamic and alert to track the changes in the competitive landscape. No matter what industry you belong to, hire your performance marketing partner only when they qualify for all the checklists!

If you need more assistance, Black Marlin Technologies is here to guide you. We pioneer in providing cutting-edge performance marketing solutions to businesses of all sizes and across multiple industries.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. What is performance marketing?

Ans. Performance marketing is a digital marketing strategy where payments are made based on the results. In other words, when certain business objectives like click, lead, or sale are accomplished, the marketer pays for it. 

Q. What are the benefits of performance marketing?

Ans. Performance marketing is ideal for a small business as the budget is limited, and the company intends to grow through brand awareness, lead generation, and sales. 

Q. Should I invest in performance marketing?

Ans. Of course, you should invest in performance marketing if your primary objective is to encourage brand awareness and increase web traffic. Since the results are easily measurable, you are at a lower risk of losing money! 

Q. Do I need to hire a professional for performance marketing?

Ans. Yes. A professional performance marketing company possess extensive knowledge and expertise in the industry. They are aware of the challenges and the tools and tactics required to overcome them. If you are not an expert in this field, you should trust the professionals.