My Marketing Contract is Expiring — What Do I Do?

If you’ve recently found yourself asking, “My marketing contract is expiring — what do I do?” you’ve come to the right place. For many businesses, expiring contracts are one of the key events that move them to look for a new digital marketing agency.

Navigating expiring marketing contracts while looking for a new agency to partner with may feel like a daunting prospect, but when you follow the tips discussed in this guide, it’s simple!

Keep reading to learn about what to do when your marketing contract is expiring.

Key Takeaways

• What to do before your marketing contract expires
• How to hire a new digital marketing agency
• Additional tips for switching marketing agencies

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What to do before your marketing contract expires

The big question most people have once they decide to switch marketing agencies is, “What happens once my current marketing contract expires?” After all, it’s a big change!

Cutting ties with your current marketing provider once your contract expires and switching to another agency will require you to do some preparation. Before your marketing contract expires, you should:

• Discuss your options with your current provider
• Review the details of your current marketing contract
• Start your search for a new marketing agency early

Discuss your options with your current provider

If you’re eager to get out of your contract before it expires, contact your digital marketing agency as soon as possible to discuss your options. You may be able to end your contract early by providing a notice. However, keep in mind that all agencies are different when it comes to contract details.

That said, the best thing you can do in this situation is ask. As long as they’re professional, your current agency shouldn’t give you any issues and will work with you to weigh your options.

Review the details of your current marketing contract

Depending on the scope of work, digital marketing providers will set up various online accounts for you, including ones for websites, advertising platforms, and more. Often, businesses will rely on marketers to send them monthly reports on these accounts rather than logging in themselves to check on the status of campaigns.

Unless you specifically asked for the login information, you may not have a way to access these accounts. Before your marketing contract expires, make sure you get login information to access all accounts associated with your company, such as:

• Websites
• Analytics accounts
• Email marketing platforms
• Advertising and pay-per-click (PPC) platforms
• Social media accounts
• Google platforms like GA4 and Google Search Console

You also may have to pause some of your campaigns temporarily once you switch marketing providers. This is normal, as it takes time (roughly two or three weeks) to adjust as a new client. From a search engine optimization (SEO) standpoint, you shouldn’t see much of an impact — a few weeks won’t hurt your search engine performance unless the pause happens during a major algorithm update.

Start your search for a new marketing agency early

Be proactive in your search for a new digital marketing agency. Ideally, you’ll want to start searching a few months before your marketing contract expires. This gives you plenty of time to research and vet new options. That way, when your contract is up, you’re not scrambling.

How to hire a new marketing agency: 4 tips for success

Since this isn’t your first time hiring a marketing agency, we’ll spare you the nitty-gritty details of the decision-making process and reiterate four of the most important steps to take when switching agencies. 

1. Reevaluate your digital marketing needs

Before you begin your search, reevaluate your digital marketing needs and goals so you can confirm what services you’re looking for from your new agency. 

Depending on what results your previous marketing efforts brought, your project scope may be smaller or larger this time around. Whatever the case, look at the current state of your digital marketing efforts compared to your current goals and identify areas where you need agency assistance.

Who knows, your current digital marketing needs lead you to look at agencies you previously overlooked!

2. Confirm your marketing budget

You’ll also want to reassess and confirm your budget when switching marketing agencies after your contract expires. Your new monthly marketing budget may change depending on how your previous marketing efforts affected your business and the services you need. 

If, after reevaluating your marketing needs, you find that you need more services, you might want to consider upping your budget. Or, if you don’t need as much work done, you could downsize. Ultimately, do what’s best for your business and its marketing needs.

3. Review each agency’s portfolio

Once you’ve compiled a list of potential marketing agencies to partner with, review their portfolios (if they have one). Ideally, you want to partner with an agency with experience helping businesses with marketing services like the ones you’re looking for.

Knowing that an agency documented experience in the form of case studies takes a significant weight off of your shoulders. Especially since you’re parting ways with an agency, you deserve peace of mind knowing you’re partnering with a company that will help you get the digital marketing results you’re after.

Check Out WebFX’s Digital Marketing Portfolio!

4. Read reviews from past clients

Finally, get to know your potential digital marketing provider by reading client reviews and testimonials. When looking at reviews, find some from different platforms to get a variety of perspectives and insights.

Look on sites like:

• Clutch
• Facebook
• Google Reviews
• On-site customer testimonials

Additional tips for switching marketing agencies

Before we go, we have a few more tips to remember when hiring a new marketing agency. 

Ask questions

In addition to the thorough research you conduct, ask questions about agencies to better understand who they are, what they’re capable of, and how they work with clients.

Below are a few questions to help you get started:

• Does this agency have experience with my industry?
• How does this agency report results?
• How often does this agency report results?
• What marketing metrics does this agency use to measure success?
• Does this agency use any marketing technology?

Be transparent about why you’re looking for a new marketing agency

You parted ways with your previous agency for a reason — be honest with prospective agencies and explain why you felt the need to look for a new digital marketing provider. We’re not saying you should bad-mouth your previous agency, but bring up some specific pain points you had.

Say your previous digital marketing agency didn’t communicate with you, or you weren’t seeing the results they promised. Whatever the issue, voice them when talking to a potential provider so they can address them head-on. That new agency may have a strict schedule for when and how often they communicate results with clients. Or, maybe they’re very transparent about what marketing strategies they use and how they readjust if they don’t produce the results you’re looking for.

WebFX helps companies like yours reach their business goals

“Our marketing department has a lot of key performance indicators that WebFX has always helped us achieve… WebFX has always worked hard to make sure that we’re getting what we need out of the partnership, not just what may seem like the best result.”

HydroWorx

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Looking to switch digital marketing agencies? Look no further than WebFX

Since you’re in the market for a new digital marketing agency, why not start and end your search with WebFX, an award-winning digital marketing agency with 350+ reviews on Clutch and over 1,100 client testimonials!

Whether you’re looking to revamp your current marketing strategy or build one from the ground up, WebFX is home to a team of digital marketing experts with the technology and experience needed to make it happen. Learn more about our digital marketing services today by giving us a call at 888-601-5359 or contacting us online!