If you’re considering hiring a digital marketing agency to promote your business, there are several things to keep in mind. The first of these is that they aren’t regulated, so you have no recourse if they turn out to be fraudulent. Here are some tips for staying away from the scams:
Digital advertising fraud affects 10 to 60 percent of digital advertising, according to the Association of National Advertisers (ANA). The study analyzed insights from 129 digital marketing leaders and found hundreds of millions of bots infecting online advertisements. The researchers also concluded that two-thirds of all marketers will experience some kind of marketing fraud by 2020. Here’s how to tell if an agency is fraudulent. Fortunately, there are some simple guidelines to follow.
Don’t sign up for multiple websites or agree to a multi-site plan with a new agency. Google penalizes websites that have multiple sites, so you should stick to the one that’s trusted by your target audience. And, beware of marketing agencies that ask you for up-front fees, taxes, and donations. Don’t let these companies trick you – stay away from them at all costs!
Check the track record of the agency. A good digital marketing agency should be able to demonstrate a track record of successful campaigns. Sadly, fraudulent marketing agencies often fabricate marketing campaigns and cherry-pick analytics from their past clients to claim a higher performance rate than their competitors. Check their past campaigns and their online ratings and accreditations before signing up. You should be able to get references from them with a few minutes of research.
