What to Expect From Your Account Manager

When you hire a marketing agency, you expect them to deliver results. But what you may not realize is that the success of your SEO campaign depends on a lot more than the technical aspects of SEO. It also depends on the communication, trust, transparency, care, and time invested into your account.

Communication

One of the most important things you can expect from your account manager is clear and regular communication. You should be able to reach them with questions or concerns, and they should be responsive to your requests. They should also keep you updated on the progress of your campaign, and they should be transparent about their fees and services.

Trust

You need to be able to trust your account manager to do what’s best for your business.

Home service owners often say they’re looking to work with seasoned staff- not new hires that were just hired to fill a seat. I agree completely with this sentiment- when you hire an agency you’re also hiring the person that you will communicate, collaborate and trust with your entire campaign. If you don’t believe in that person, things can go south fast.

On average our employees have been with Wit 3-4 years, some, almost 10. Happy employees=happy clients.

Transparency

You should expect your account manager to be transparent about agency fees and services. They should be able to explain exactly what you are paying for, and be willing to answer any questions you have about their pricing structure.

But this is basic stuff.

Real transparency happens when:

• We make a mistake
• Things don’t go as planned
• When we need to have a tough conversation

These tough conversations happen, for example- we’re sending lots of leads to a client, but his CSR is losing bookings because she’s not giving 100%. In these situations it’s easy for the marketing agency to get called out for an empty call board, and typically marketing agencies won’t give real feedback about CSRs to clients. We will.

True transparency means we’ll take full accountability for where we can improve and we expect our clients to do the same. Remember, partnerships are a two way street.

For the kind of growth we’re helping our clients achieve, both parties need to be fully invested and willing to face the uncomfortable truths needed to meet their goals.

Care

Your account manager should take the time to get to know your business and your goals. Your campaigns should be tailored for you and your business. They should also be responsive to your needs, and they should be willing to work immediately to resolve any issues that may arise.

But, care alone isn’t enough. Care needs to be combined with informed decision making skills. This comes from your account manager having experience growing businesses like yours, in your same niche.

Find an agency that focuses on home service, and make sure your account manager isn’t green.

Time

Finally, you should expect your SEO account manager to invest enough time in your account. SEO is a complex process, and it takes time to see results.

Your agency will need to dedicate the necessary time to your account and provide you with regular progress updates.

Here’s the best question to ask a new agency before signing:

“How many accounts does each of your SEO specialists manage?”

SEO takes time to see results, and it’s vital that consistent, focused and strategic time is spent to get the best return.

Asking this question will help you begin to understand what kind of attention your account will be receiving. If an SEO person is spread too thin, your growth will suffer.

Finding the right agency

If you are looking for an SEO agency that will provide you with communication, transparency and care, do your research. Ask around for recommendations and read online reviews. Once you have found a few agencies that you are interested in, schedule a consultation.

This will give you a chance to meet with them and ask them questions about their services. It will also give you a chance to get a feel for their company culture and their commitment to service.

Ultimately, you get to choose to do business with people you trust and believe in. A hard sell with glossy graphics and dashboards is surely a red flag.

Don’t forget to trust your gut.

Keep growing,

Andrea