Identify your company's advertising needs before contacting North Carolina ad agencies

Evaluate your current advertising plan. Whether you've spend thousands of dollars on ad campaigns in the past or are just starting with nothing to compare, focus on where you want to see your company's name. NC advertising agencies help you get the most cost effective and creative ads possible for your budget.

I recommend: Browse the Caldwell Marketing & Advertising online portfolio to see the types of services advertising firms in NC typically offer. Ginger Griffin Marketing & Design specializes in brand development, media, website and ad design and illustrations to give you a variety of talent in one agency.

Search local North Carolina advertising agencies to compare services and prices

Look in your area for full-service advertising agencies. In North Carolina, most of the ad firms are centralized in the larger cities like Charlotte, Raleigh and Wilmington. However, the state has many agencies spread throughout the state. Make a list of the top 5-10 closest to you.

I recommend: Concentrate on your city or closest metropolis to find the best advertising agencies. NC companies like Emery Advertising in Raleigh and ARC Design in Fayetteville reach to the entire state and beyond with web design and search engine optimization to give you as much exposure as you need.

Meet with North Carolina ad firms that meet your requirements

Set up appointments with your top 3-5 advertising agencies in NC to discuss what they can do for your company. Make your choice based on what you see on their websites, what you hear from colleagues and what your initial conversations tell you about prices and results.

I recommend: Ask to meet the staff members you'd be working with and make sure you get along well before committing to any North Carolina advertising firms. Thomas Marketing & Advertising Consultants gives you a list of employees and their specialities right on their website. Creative Strategy and ImageWorks Studio offer portfolios online but make sure to ask for any other samples and testimonials to get a more complete feel for their work.

Choose the best North Carolina advertising agency and begin implementing your advertising plan

Decide on an advertising agency in North Carolina that will best represent your company. Work with the firm to develop a schedule, budget, timeline and creative plan. They're the experts, but it's still your business--you should have the final say before anything goes to press.

I recommend: Assign a small project to your choice of marketing agencies in North Carolina to make sure the team gets everything in on time and on budget. Tweak any problems and continue with the full plan involving advertising, public relations and online marketing. Diversity Advertising, the Goss Agency and The Sumner Group all incorporate multi-function plans.