When you’re working with a digital marketing agency, communication is the key to success.

It’s crucial you can get in touch with your digital marketing team through a dedicated project manager when you need them. Accessibility ensures that everyone stays on the same page. But it’s just as important to have regular meetings that set the tone and direction for your campaigns.

That usually takes the form of quarterly meetings, and none are more important than the annual kick-off.

No matter if you’ve already had a big meeting with your marketing agency or you’re getting ready for one, there is no time like the present to ask them meaningful questions. That’s the best way to ensure that your marketing is really in good hands and that your agency is still the right fit for you.

Digital marketing agencies need to change with the times, but not all of those changes are best for you. By asking questions, you ensure you get to the root of the agency’s vision and discover whether it’s compatible with your own. Changing agencies is a pain, but it can also be the right move.

Here are some of the best questions to ask your digital marketing agency in 2024:

1. “Is AI used in my content creation?”

After a busy 2023, the tidal wave of daily headlines about artificial intelligence is finally starting to wane. After hearing that AI can complete challenging professional exams, fly aircraft unassisted, and even bake a tasty soufflé, it might seem like it can do just about anything. But AI still has plenty of limits.

The biggest one: despite the word “intelligence,” AI doesn’t understand anything.

Not even today’s most advanced AI uses anything approaching rational problem-solving. Ask ChatGPT to tell you about Eugene, Oklahoma, and it will – hallucinating an entire city that doesn’t exist along with a college, local sports teams, and an indigenous tribe.

Using AI for content creation is dangerous business, and not just because so much of the output is made up. Google is one of the biggest players in artificial intelligence, and it can already detect AI like nobody else can. What happens when it decides to penalize the search rankings of AI-generated content?

Don’t get swept up in the AI content riptide. If your marketing agency uses AI for content creation, opt out.

And seriously think about choosing a digital marketing agency where humans write content for other humans.

2. “How much of our social media marketing will include video?”

Social media trends come and go. Facebook, once the most popular platform for college students, is looked on by the younger generation today as the place to catch up with grandma. But one trend has been consistent for years and is only accelerating: The importance of video storytelling in social media.

Video is in demand. All mainstream platforms have incorporated video content features into their main feed. Many of today’s most popular social media networks, such as TikTok, are based exclusively around video. And from a marketing perspective, that just makes sense:

• Video is easier to remember than plain text alone
• Video is more likely to be acted on than plain text
• Most people enjoy video … only a minority prefer text

Not all social media content needs to use video. But the more video you use, the better off you’ll be. Look for a digital marketing agency that does its video marketing in-house for greater savings, efficiency, and consistency.

3. “What are our ideal outcomes this year?”

A wise man once said: “If you have more than three priorities, you don’t have any.”

A good marketing campaign is founded on a single purpose. It needs an animating idea that will connect it to the most important strategic goals for your business. For example, you might want your digital marketing to:

• Increase traffic to your website and other digital properties
• Boost the number of social media “likes” your page receives
• Improve the level of qualification that your average lead gets
• Deliver higher engagement levels for your email marketing

What Should You Expect from Your Digital Marketing Agency’s Answers?

With a few caveats (some of which we mentioned), a “good” answer to any one of these questions will look different from one digital marketing agency to another. But here’s the thing: They need to have an answer.

Expect a clear, understandable, well-thought-out response that connects to your goals.

If you don’t get one, it could be time to move on.

Contact New York Ave to find out more and ask some questions of your own.