Building your customer base and getting clients for your agency can be a challenge. With so much competition, many business owners and other agency employees are inundated with multiple sales pitches from agencies every day.
So, how can your agency stand out and get more clients in a crowded marketplace? Use these 16 tried and true tactics to get more clients for your agency.
Related: Get tips to grow and scale your agency here.
Get More Clients for Your Agency by Building Brand Awareness
Before you can get clients for your agency, those prospective clients have to know you exist, which is why building brand awareness is so important. Here are some ways to get clients for your agency through brand-building strategies.
Create SEO-rich content that draws in searchers.
Content marketing is extremely important for agencies looking to get clients. Content marketing that is optimized for SEO can help you get found on search engines when prospective clients are searching for topics related to your business.
For example, if a prospective client is searching for “small business marketing tips” and clicks on a blog post from your agency, they might be enticed to learn more about you, what you do, and how you can help them.
Use the right B2B social media marketing strategy.
Social media marketing is a fantastic channel for agencies looking for clients. Over one-third of B2B decision-makers say they discover new products and services on social media, and nearly one-third consider social media to be a crucial component of their research.
By using the right B2B social media marketing strategy, you can connect with and engage potential clients looking for your services.
Your strategy should include a mix of content that speaks to your intended target audience, highlights your strengths, and educates your social media community.
Stand out with videos.
Over 50% of marketers say video gives them their best ROI, and the majority of executives prefer to get information through video.
By creating and distributing videos across your marketing channels, including on YouTube, social media, email marketing, and more, you can increase awareness for your agency, educate your audience, and stand out from your competitors.
The best types of video content to share with potential agency clients includes:
- Educational video content or explainer videos.
- Video testimonials (which we’ll cover more later!).
- Engaging videos about your services or solutions.
Try creating and sharing these types of videos to see how you can get clients while building awareness for your brand.
Become an industry thought leader.
People want to work with people they see as experts. And one way to position your agency that way is to become a thought leader in your industry. You can do this in a number of ways, including through the content you create and share, by providing educational opportunities and training, and by speaking at (virtual) events in your industry.
By showcasing your expertise, you’re showing potential clients that you not only know what you’re talking about – but that others see you as an expert in the space.
Use these tips to become an industry thought leader on social media.
Encourage your employees to build their personal brands on LinkedIn.
When it comes to agency services, the truth is that people don’t buy from companies, they buy from people. This means that for an agency, your people are your greatest assets. Encourage them to build their personal brands and become thought leaders in their own right.
The best place to do that is on LinkedIn, where there are currently 61 million senior-level decision-makers.
Challenging your employees to build their personal brands on LinkedIn can lead to increased access to these decision-makers, enhanced trust in your agency, and your own network to market your services to through your employees.
Offer educational downloads or webinars.
Another way to increase awareness for your agency and position your brand as an industry leader is to hold educational webinars or offer free downloads.
Think about the type of content and topics your audience would find useful – the purpose of providing these free materials is to serve them with relevant data, information, or insights from your team of experts.
This is also a great lead generation strategy to get more clients because, in order to register for your webinar or download your free material, your prospective clients have to provide their contact information – which you can then use for lead nurturing and lead follow-up.
Get More Clients for Your Agency through Social Proof
Another way to get more clients for your agency is to lean into social proof, or first-hand evidence that other people have had a good experience with your agency.
Here are some tactics to try to get more clients:
Lean on client referrals.
Referral marketing is incredibly powerful for agencies looking to get more clients. Your existing clients can be your best brand ambassadors, and by creating a referral program that encourages them to help you make connections with other businesses looking for your services, you can get new clients with ease.
But, the truth is that most businesses and agencies are rarely tapping into their existing network in this way.
So, it’s best to take the plunge, and get started! Here are nine effective ways to ask for referrals.
Pay attention to your online reviews.
Once a prospective client finds out about your agency through your brand awareness activities, they will likely look for reviews. Because working with an agency can be a substantial time or budget investment, they want to make sure they’re making the right decision – and many people rely on online reviews to help make that decision a little easier.
Make sure that your online reputation is in tip-top shape by:
- Responding to all reviews – positive and negative. (Here are some tips for responding to reviews to help you get started!)
- Asking for reviews.
- Managing your listings and review sites so no reviews slip through the cracks.
Managing your online reputation in this way can pay off handsomely in the form of new clients.
Create testimonials and case studies.
Testimonials, case studies, and success stories are incredibly important for getting new clients for your agency. Prospects want to know how your services work, that you know what you’re doing, and what types of results they might expect when working with you.
Testimonials or case studies featuring your existing clients can help you showcase your work and win new clients.
Make sure your case studies include:
- The problem you were working with your client to solve.
- The solutions you provided for your client.
- Real results.
- A nice quote from your client about how great you are.
Get More Clients for Your Agency with Better Lead Management
Generating leads for your agency is just half the battle. The other half is nurturing, following up with, and closing those leads so they become a client.
Here are some tips to get (and close!) more clients for your agency with better lead management.
Track your leads.
Marketing your agency is made easier when you know what’s working to get clients so you can better allocate your resources to generate even more leads.
Without tracking your leads, you might miss opportunities to get clients through the marketing strategies that are most effective.
Track your leads to see what’s working, what could be improved, and what you can leave behind when it comes to your marketing plan.
Nurture your leads with email marketing.
Finding an agency to work with is typically a longer sales process than, say, finding the right toothbrush or switching laundry detergents. Most decision-makers will search for multiple agencies over a couple of weeks or months to find the right fit.
This means that you need to be actively marketing to your target audience as they make their purchase decision – from awareness to action.
The best way to do this is by nurturing leads with email marketing. Regular email touchpoints that provide educational information, free resources, and offers can help move them through the sales funnel until they become a client.
Follow up frequently.
Eighty percent of sales leads require five follow-ups after their initial contact, but only 8% of salespeople are actually following up this many times.
This means that your team needs to be skilled in the art of following up with your leads.
Train your team to follow up with leads in a timely manner and to keep in touch with them throughout the buying process so they can convert them into clients. You may need to set specific goals to keep your team on track – and, again, use a lead management system so you can log follow-ups!
Other Ways to Get More Clients for Your Agency
Check out some more effective ways to get clients for your agency.
Join networking groups.
Building trust through personal relationships between you, your employees, and people in related industries work with related interests can help you get new clients and grow your agency.
You can find networking groups on LinkedIn or through Facebook Groups related to a number of interests. Don’t think you just need to limit your networking to business interests, either! You never know who might be looking for your services.
Partner with complementary businesses.
If there are businesses that offer complementary services, you can partner with them to help feed you referrals – and you can do the same for them.
For example, if you provide agency marketing services for small businesses, you can partner with a local financial services business. You can refer this business to your clients looking for tax prep, and they can refer their clients looking for marketing services to you – it’s a win-win!
Offer free consultations or free trials.
Another way to get clients for your agency and generate leads is by offering free consultations or free trials. By taking some time to sit down with prospective clients and provide some free insight, you can build trust and show how you care for your clients.
Free trials can reel in new clients, give them an idea of what to expect, and get them excited for your services long term.
Eat your own dog food.
This is a hideous term, but the idea behind it is effective at helping your agency get more clients. Eating your own dog food, if you’re not already aware, is a saying that means to use your own services and take your own advice.
If you’re telling clients that they need to be running Facebook advertising and invest in retargeting, then your agency should be doing the same.
This not only gives you another prime example of how effective your services are, but it can help you work out the kinks in your process to ensure you’re delivering the best possible experience to your clients.
Get More Clients for Your Agency Today
By using these tips, you can get more clients for your agency and grow a profitable business. Include these tactics into your marketing plan and watch the leads pour in.
Want more agency marketing tips? We’ve got you covered:
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