You have a busy practice to run. But you need fresh new content on your website, newsletters, emails, social media, etc. so, what’s next?
You may be tempted by those exciting marketing messages you receive on a daily basis, i.e., those SEO/PR/marketing companies claiming they’ll take care of everything for you. They’ll manage your website security, post new content, send out press releases… the list goes on. This is fantastic! Or is it? Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Buyer, beware
Over the last few years, many new clients have come to me asking about their content and public relations. They’ll say they hired an SEO or marketing company a few months ago but weren’t really sure what was happening or what they were paying for at the time.
In some cases, after asking a few questions, I found out that they had no access to their website, back-end hosting, domain names, social media accounts and more. Basically, they lost control over all of their intellectual property, and when they tried to restore this information, their agency company charged them a hefty service fee to get the data back. Thousands of dollars and many stressful hours later, they were able to start fresh and resume control after online scams.
Don’t let online scams happen to you
You may not think this will happen to you. Well, unfortunately, It doesn’t matter if you are highly educated and have extensive technical experience and knowledge. These unscrupulous business behaviors happen all the time. (Yes, I’ve been ripped off, too.)
I hate to see this happen, so here are a few insights to help protect you moving forward…
Check every company out for yourself.
Do your due diligence checking out publicly available information on any company you’re thinking about working with. While it takes effort, set aside time to research appropriate service providers for your specific needs to avoid online scams. Some things to look up:
- A basic Google search of the company name, to start with
- Online reviews from customers,
- Better Business Bureau ratings
- Case studies (you may have to request these directly from the company)
- Work samples (again, you may have to ask for these)
- References (and personally call each reference)
Have a decent amount of working knowledge of a company before you contact them for more information about their services. If you keep uncovering red flags, move on.
Ask questions and get answers.
When you contact a new service provider, ask specific questions about how they will protect your intellectual property, privacy and security and track data. Get it in writing that if you work with them, you will own all of the content created and have current passwords and login information for everything related to your website, social media, hosting, domain names and other important accounts at all times.
Also, if you don’t understand some technical jargon or other aspects of your agreement, get answers. You need to know what you’re paying for!
Speaking of which, find out how they prefer to e paid, and how often.
Be transparent about your wants and needs.
Communicate your specific goals and ask for a trial period before you commit to a service contract of any length. This way, you can set expectations on both sides and see how you work together.
If you are dealing with social media, public relations, marketing, SEO, and other content, remember this is all about communication. It’s important to be transparent about what’s going on, when and why so that you send the right messages out to the right audience at the right time. (And if the wrong message goes out, which happens sometimes even with reputable companies, find out how responsive you can expect the company to be when you need something changed or removed.)
Final thoughts: Enjoy success, not scams
Know that there is no “easy button” when it comes to your communications. Conduct the appropriate research, ask questions, then ask some more questions and find the right services to help you. Always maintain control over all of your intellectual property, know what messaging is going out where and when, and communicate strategies, tactics and results on a regular basis. This way, you’ll form a positive relationship with a reputable service that will keep your interests top of mind and provide the best results possible and avoid online scams.
The founder of Rembrandt Communications® LLC, Melanie Rembrandt is an award-winning publicist, SEO content strategist/ghostwriter and speaker who has helped thousands of entrepreneurs and medical professionals worldwide boost sales, awareness and credibility through her articles in top publications (Harvard Business Review, Dental Economics, Dentistry Today, Success, etc.), presentations at Dan Kennedy’s No B.S., Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, American Writers and Artists Institute, PINK, podcasts, and many other events. A magna cum laude graduate of UCLA, Rembrandt has appeared on all of the major TV networks and is the author of Simple Publicity, Secrets of Becoming a Publicist and “Dance Class Etiquette. When she’s not at her desk, you can find her helping others, training at the ballet studio or diving with sharks.
