Top 3 Questions Your Digital Provider Should Ask You

Building a digital presence for your company or brand runs much deeper than “Let’s set up a Facebook page”. Understanding that social media or your website aren’t strategies but channels, is an effective starting point. You have to know where they fit in the larger perspective of your online and offline touchpoints.

Too often, I encounter meetings where there’s a fundamental misunderstanding of how Facebook works. Throwing a single post up every month will not meet the needs of Facebook’s algorithm. Running ads without a corresponding community to compliment them will not prove cost-effective. Vanity metrics do not equal long-term ROI. Negative comments or reviews are not a sufficient reason to panic.

The list goes on and spans all touchpoints similarly. While our market is learning, there is still a gap in the education of the opportunities of a synergistic digital presence. When speaking to your agency or the team in charge of your social media etc., you need to look out for specific questions and discussions:

What is Your Strategy?

What your business wants to achieve will help define the whys and hows of digital. Your digital provider should be deep diving into this topic, and you should have the relevant information on hand to supplement the conversation. Talking about your strategy will ensure that the right channels are chosen to drive goal achievement.

What Are Your Current Touchpoints?

Your digital provider may either need to start from scratch or not. What this question reveals is your digital provider connecting the dots between what is available and what needs to be assessed. This then extends into the next consideration –

What Are Your KPIs?

Digital is a vehicle for many different wins, not just sales. Chasing after revenue without doing the necessary groundwork underestimates the data-centric rewards digital can provide. Are you collecting email addresses? What’s your monthly website traffic? Where is that traffic coming from? This is definitely something your digital provider should explore with you.

What Communication Processes Are In Place?

A recent discovery that a potential client gives approval solely through Whatsapp prompts this inclusion. Your provider should have structure and processes in place that eases communication, and they should want the same of you. For example, a central hub (such as ACM’s use of Sharepoint) provides a private and secure space for all parties to operate.

Bonus: Don’t Let Your Provider Sell You Dreams

This may be hinted in an asked (or unasked) question. Focusing on follower counts or wanting to be part of every touchpoint on the web or being ready to create content without first seeing a strategy are all red flags. Digital can be a true asset to your channel lineup. Know the signs, and make practical decisions for your company or brand.

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