The right creative agency will grow with your business and become one of your biggest cheerleaders. When it comes to hiring your perfect creative agency we can sometimes go blank in the mind. What questions should we be asking? How do we know if they’re a good fit and not just feeding us lines?

I was recently talking with our client, Societe Salon, and the owner Kathleen was reminiscing about hiring us over a year ago. She said, “It was so obvious the moment we got on our call. You just got it. You got the vision. You got what I was trying to build. It just made so much sense hiring you [White Point Creative] and I’ve never regretted it.”

So how do you know when you’ve found “the one who gets it” and is that perfect fit your business?

Here are 4 green flags and 4 red flags to look for when you’re trying to pick a creative agency (plus a cheeky bonus topic at the end).

4 Green Flags

1. They are well-versed in exactly what you do

• They understand SEO.
• They easily implement your ideas and strategies across various platforms.
• You’re their niche.
• They’re your ideal customer, therefore allowing them to have a deeper grasp of your target audience.

2. They have a proven track record

• They’ve worked with brands in your industry.
• Their team is educated and passionate about your business.
• You can easily find glowing recommendations on their Google profile, Facebook, website, and more.

3. They clearly communicate

• From the very first email you receive from them, to the video call, they detail out their process, expectations, and delivery.
• They are easy to communicate with.
• You can easily get ahold of them. Through email, phone, chat platform, task manager, etc.
• They are timely to respond to you when you reach out.
• They easily detail every step of the process with transparency and simplicity in a way that you understand.

4. They ask the right questions

• They understand and resonate with your vision.
• They ask questions that help you better understand your vision.
• They are excited to collaborate with you and grow your business.
• They are getting to the root of your problem and not just pushing sales lines on you.

4 Red Flags

1. They don’t answer your questions directly

• They don’t answer industry standard questions clearly and use confusing jargon.
• They skirt around your questions and leave you hanging.
• They address your concerns with backed responses and irrelevant examples.
• They don’t schedule a call with other team members not present on the call, not giving you a chance to get a feel for them.

2. Their culture, personality, and style is not synonymous with yours

• Creative studios should have active marketing, if they are dormant then think twice.
• The content and designs they are producing aren’t in-line with where you want to take your business.
• They don’t match your values, personally and professionally.

3. They are just rephrasing everything you say and not adding a fresh perspective or ideas

• There is a difference between paraphrasing the conversation back to confirm and adding new ideas to the mix and propelling the project forward. Which do they do?
• They don’t inspire or motivate you to work on your business.

4. They are up-selling you without any value and forcing your budget

• The payment process is unprofessional and difficult to navigate.
• The prices aren’t set and are difficult to understand, constantly shifting, and muddy.

Bonus! What can a creative agency do for you?

So what do creative agencies actually do? Well let me tell ya! The services will vary but the hallmarks of a creative agency, including us, is to:

• Save you hours and put time back on your calendar
• Propel your business forward and keep it on a growth track with valuable advice and insight
• Be a valuable team member
• Motivate and inspire you to expand and grow
• Give your brand a memorable look and feel that you can feel confident in

Plus more! Hiring your own creative is a big step and can be an extremely daunting task. Ensuring you hire the right creative for you and your businesses needs is even more important.

Are we the creative agency for you? Let’s find out.

Follow White Point Creative on Instagram for similar content.