How would it feel if you tried to fit into the letter jacket you wore when you played linebacker on the varsity football team? Or, if you still had it in the back of your closet, would you want to try slipping into your prom dress?
For most of us, for better or worse, the answer would have to be no. We’re just not the same people we were back then, and wearing those old clothes would show it up in a hundred unflattering ways.
They’re just not the right fit anymore.
Did you know your business can run into the same issue? Sometimes partnerships that felt just right a few years ago don’t feel good now. You might be feeling a pinch here or some chafing there (metaphorically speaking, of course) and not even realize what the trouble is. But it could be that your current inbound marketing agency just isn’t the right fit anymore.
In some cases, like if I were to try on that old football jacket, you’ve outgrown your agency. Your content needs and omnichannel strategy have expanded beyond what they can reasonably handle. They want to help, but the stress is threatening to rip them apart at the seams. They just aren’t built for handling your inbound marketing needs anymore.
That’s ok. It’s not their fault. They’ve done great work for you in the past, and they’re giving it all they’ve got. It’s just one of those things, you’re better off now as friends.
So what do you need to do? Go to LinkedIn and write up a series of fantastic recommendations for every member of the team you’ve worked with over the years, settle up your current contract amicably, and gracefully part ways.
And in the meantime, start your search for your next inbound marketing agency partner.
Sometimes, it’s the other way around. The inbound marketing agency has outgrown you. As the customer, this is a little more difficult to take, especially if the agency doesn’t handle it well.
You’ll notice signs of this when the agency’s quality of work starts to suffer, or you notice that every piece of content is being churned out robotically. Maybe the content itself is getting stale, or you can just tell they’re not having as much fun with it as they once did.
This is kind of sad, and oftentimes it’s not really fair either. A professional agency should be able to continue offering top-quality services regardless of their workload or current specialties, or they should notify you of the fact that they can’t do that anymore. But, if that doesn’t happen, you can still pull the trigger and end the relationship in a mature way before your strategy starts to suffer as a result.
In both cases, your inbound marketing strategy is at risk. Either the content is going to be low quality, there won’t be enough of it, or it will just end up being too stressful to get it taken care of on a timely schedule.
That’s why it’s so important for you and your current inbound marketing agency to be a perfect fit. You’ll both be able to concentrate solely on producing the very best content on the most beneficial schedule, and in the ways that best accomplish your optimal strategy. No stress, no headaches, just solid work at the right time and in the right way.
Like a comfortable pair of jeans or a perfectly tailored suit, when you and your agency are a perfect fit, you make each feel good, and you both look good doing it.
