Before going to discuss “How to Run and Grow a digital marketing agency”. We should know what digital marketing is about. How to achieve business goals with digital marketing?
Digital marketing is a cost-effective marketing way to expand the business and explore customers.
To stand out in the marketing campaign, there are four marketing strategies recommended: video, content marketing, SEO marketing, and media marketing strategies.
Benefits marketers can drive more traffic with high-quality content delivery, more content shared on social platforms, benefit target audiences and improve conversion rates.
Because of that, several agencies are available in the market. but without the proper knowledge about “How to run and grow a digital marketing agency”, these agencies are making losses.
So, these are the Top 10 Tips to run and grow a digital marketing agency that I learned from my personal experiences: -
1. Respect people:
Agencies are all about good people so love your team and will always be there for them. After all, these are the people who run the agency.
2. Define culture and systems:
An agency that has no culture defined, they don't stay in the market for long so define your culture and identify talent that is appropriate for the culture.
There are also agencies which don't have proper procedures and systems. They don’t know how to run the show without the availability of the owner.
So, make procedures and systems that can help you grow your agency without your presence.
3. Have a stringent hiring process:
In my early days at the agency, I showed I would hire people without doing a solid background check and ended up hiring the wrong ones.
The HR team is the backbone of the agency. Businesses have the right policies, have a stricter process of recruitment and get it right.
Even if it takes you a lot of time, even if you think they are not the right fit for you, learn to fire them at the right time.
4. Client relationship:
Agency life can be very demanding, especially when your clients say “Yaar tu ab bahut bada aadmi ho gaya hai, meetings me nahi aata hai” well you need to educate your clients.
It’s your responsibility and tells them that I trust the team member. handling this particular project and I’m always there for the strategy part but if I end up executing how will I deliver the best team.
So maybe you could meet with your clients once a month or catch up over a call and rest drive things, why is your team? if you are going to do it all, then you can never scale it up.
Remember that every client is important, small or big, and treat them with respect and care.
5. Let's go:
If you believe a client is not listening to you, they are not ready to spend budgets and keep asking them okay.
This is your task, keep a buffer period of about 6 months or, 12 months and keep repeating the same lines which you believe they need to do. you are the digital partner, not a vendor.
So, push them to drive things out. but if a client doesn’t want to hear you out, learn to let him go. have plan B in place before you take the call.
6. Ask on time, pay on time:
Most of the agencies failed, because they let clients pay whenever they want to pay. Honestly, it doesn't work that way.
Having a strong follow-up system becomes a headache until you get your payments because cash flow is important in an agency.
when you ask on time, you pay on time. In my digital marketing agency where I have been working for the last 1 year.
They always paid me exactly on the 7th of every month without delays.
7. Work with clients who have big budgets:
Every client has a specific plan. This is a very important call that you need to take for your business, the effort you put in for small budget clients v/s large budget clients are the same so working with few clients does a great job rather than working with many clients in feel exhausted.
Suppose clients don't have budgets. How is digital marketing going to work for them? Think about it, leave them.
8. Celebrate every moment:
big wins, small wins, festivals, and events always keep your organization’s energy alive, It’s your responsibility. A happy workplace brings a healthy brand.
9. Define leaders:
You cannot do everything on your own. find leaders who can work alongside you that can help you focus on your health, focus on doing something beyond the agency, or you will get frustrated doing the same thing again and again.
10. Innovate and upgrade:
Digital marketing is always changing and demanding. you need to be on your toes and adapt to all the changes and new things that digital brings to you.
Don't be afraid to do great things at the workplace. keep in awaiting and keep experimenting. Well, this is what agency life is all about.
It’s been a roller-coaster journey as a digital marketer. but if you ask me, is it worth it? Sort of yes, it is worth it because of the amount of experience that I carry today I am working with multiple brands. I have hands-on experience.
And the second thing, when I teach, I bring a lot of examples from what I have been practising so, the agency is the best research ground that you can ever have, and it gives you the doorways to do something creative and always do something innovative right there.
There will always be a tough time in your agency business. You will decide to quit, you will think of doing something else but, hold on be their Perseverance & Patience these are 2 important components of running an agency.
With this note, I end up with my blog post.