Marketing & Creative: find professionals

Marketing and creative covers digital marketing and SEO agencies, pay-per-click and social media agencies, marketing consultants, branding and PR agencies, web design agencies, graphic and UX/UI designers, copywriters and video production companies.

Some firms offer a full service; others specialise in one channel or one kind of deliverable. Before you compare proposals, decide what you need most, whether that’s more enquiries, more online sales, a new brand identity or a new website, and how you will measure it.

Ask who will do the work day to day, how results are reported and how long the contract runs. Make sure you own your website, ad accounts, analytics and design files, and that you can take them with you if you change firms. Be cautious of anyone who promises specific search rankings or guaranteed results, and get any performance claim in writing.