We then make recommendations in a proposal which can be delivered in person or over the phone. This document is a draft open to further discussion and amends and can be adapted according to budget. We work with clients in one of three ways:

1. Project work – a stand-alone project with a clear end goal/date
2. Retainer work – an ongoing monthly schedule
3. A combination of project work and retained work

Project work is at a set price plus any expenses and will not change unless the scope of the project changes. For retainer work we agree activity based on your marketing goals and budget. This is not exceeded unless additional work is requested and agreed between both parties.

The next stage

Once the schedule of work is agreed, we will send our business terms to you for agreement and signature. You will be assigned an account manager as your main point of contact and any timelines will be confirmed. Goals are agreed at the outset, as well as establishing how success will be measured (KPIs) and reporting intervals for these. If you are a retainer client you will receive monthly check-ins from your account manager to confirm the previous month’s work and planned work for the next month.

Other questions:

How much will it cost?

The marketing services we provide are tailored to each client’s individual marketing needs. Successful marketing is created by understanding the specific challenges that a business wants to overcome. As each business is different, our recommendations are bespoke to your business. So, whether you’re looking for a seasonal campaign to boost your current marketing efforts, or strategic consultation at board level over a longer period of time, we are able to tailor our services to suit most budgets.

Does this really work? What results can I expect?

Our aim is to offer the marketing expertise that you need to take your business to the next level. We start by getting to know your organisation; clarifying your goals, what you’re looking to achieve and why, and setting clear marketing objectives. This ensures we are able to meet a set of agreed deliverables, using the appropriate set of skills and expertise to achieve your goals. For many organisations, we act as an extended marketing team.

Can I see examples of previous work?

We have a range of case studies you can browse through here. But if you’d like to discuss something more specific, let us know.

How quickly can I expect results?

We aim to make an impact quickly, by getting to know you and your company, clarifying what success looks like to you and setting clear objectives that we can get stuck into straight away. Some activity can yield immediate results; others can take a little longer. We will discuss and advise where possible when commencing activity with you. The speed of results may also depend on the nature of the work. For example, SEO best practice is gradual, frequent, and continuous – we recommend a minimum of 3 months for changes to take effect; whereas something like a leaflet or flyer can be turned around in a matter of days. Other key areas of marketing such as branding or market positioning involve a longer-term relationship and strategy.

Do I have to commit to 12 months?

No. In fact, sometimes a better approach is to define some short-term goals via an initial project. This means that specified deliverables can be addressed within an agreed deadline. We also work on a retainer basis, offering flexibility around the type of work we carry out on your behalf on an ongoing basis.  For retainers, we recommend a minimum term of 3 months. This allows us to get to know each other, refine the way we work, and set SMART goals; specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.

Why should I use you over other companies?

The Ideal Marketing Company is a full-service marketing agency driven to support your business goals.  This means that you benefit from our capacity to meet all your marketing needs all under one roof as part of an integrated strategy. We have no agenda to promote a specific service as we offer them all in-house, unlike some agencies that offer PR, website design or social media alone. We have experts in each area of marketing so you can be confident of working with the best person depending on your needs.

How long have you been doing this?

The Ideal Marketing Company has been in business since 2003. To find out more, visit our About Us page.

How flexible are your services?

If we’re working on a project with you and you’d like to change elements which mean that the work needs to be requoted we will let you know. As long as both parties are in agreement, we will then proceed with the changed project, with all parties aware of the impact to costs and timelines. If we’re doing retainer work with you we can change what our time is being used for on a month by month basis, you don’t have to stick with the original services if your business needs change. Many clients find this to be helpful if they have a lot of newsworthy stories one month which require more PR time or are focusing on a design project or require more website support. We can also agree to do an ad hoc project on top of retainer time for something like a leaflet or adding a function to a website. Of course, bear in mind that if we have made strategic recommendations based on your business goals, any deviation from the recommended activities will have an impact on meeting our targets.

What type of businesses do you work with?

The Ideal Marketing Company works with many different businesses, from SMEs to larger corporations; those that deliver services as well as those that sell products. We have experience in both B2B and B2C marketing. To view some of our clients and the results we have achieved for them, visit our portfolio.

What’s next?

Book in an appointment for a free, no-obligation, marketing consultation by clicking here. Once your appointment is booked you’ll be sent a link to complete our ‘discovery questionnaire’ which takes about half an hour to complete. The questionnaire is designed to give us enough information to run some initial reports and allow you to prepare any answers you may need to check with others and which means we can make the most of our time together. If you have any other questions, get in touch on 01858 374 170 or email info@idealmarketingcompany.com.