The Number #1 Ad Agency New Business Article of 2008

By far FUEL LINE readers chose the following article as their favorite for 2oo8:

Four Ways Social Media is Changing Advertising Agencies New Business

To paraphrase Little Orphan Annie, “Tomorrow is only a day away.” 

Traditional advertising agencies face significant technical challenges. Consumers have turned away from media channels that built the agency industry and have moved toward emerging internet media.  Ad agencies must build new interactive competencies quickly in order to survive. 

I receive inquires almost daily from ad agencies who are trying to discern how social media marketing will impact their current new business business model.

 I’ve highlighted four ways that social media is changing ad agency new business:

  1. A paradigm shift for how new business is acquired. According to a recent CMO survey, 80% of decision makers say they found the vendor, not the other way around. Instead of finding your prospects, the “new” new business paradigm for Marketing 2.0 is to help your prospective clients find your agency.
  2. SEO is now a critical part of new business strategy. According to Marketing Sherpa, 80-90% of business to business transactions begin with a search on the web. That means that SEO is a very important component to your agency new business program.
  3. An agency blog is a necessary component for marketing your agency. It wasn’t that long ago that it became understood, every business needed a Web site. Today it’s, every business needs a blog. This is especially true for ad agencies. We’re suppose to be leading not following our clients.
  4. The growth of social media mandates agencies participation.Social media is now mainstream, your agency’s credibility is suspect if it isn’t walking the walk, not just talking the talk. I can’t imagine ever advising a client to deal with an advertising, PR, or interactive team that doesn’t get social media. One of the best ways to demonstrate your agency’s participation is to incorporate new media into your new business program.

Combining social media and ad agency new business, provides a powerful, inexpensive and highly effective combination for your agency’s self promotional efforts. 

Out of the 200+ FUEL LINES articles for 2008 below are the readers Top 10 list:

  1. Four Ways Social Media is Changing Advertising Agencies New Business
  2. Is it the end for cold calling as an agency new business tactic?
  3. Promote Your Ad Agency Through the Recession
  4. Difficult Times Create Opportunities for Small-to Midsize Ad Agencies
  5. Should Ad Agencies be Expected to Have a Presence in Social Media?
  6. Major Shift in Advertising Means a Shift for Agency New Business Practices
  7. 10 Things Ad Agencies “Usually” Say About Themselves
  8. 5 Ways I Use Twitter to Help Ad Agency New Business
  9. 10 questions to ask before hiring your agency’s new business director
  10. Agencies Gaining New Business Opportunities Using Social Media

Download: 2008 Ad Agency New Business Survey Report

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About Michael Gass

Consultant | Trainer | Author | Speaker

Since 2007, he has been pioneering the use of social media, inbound and content marketing strategies specifically for agency new business.

He is the founder of Fuel Lines Business Development, LLC, a firm which provides business development training and consulting services to advertising, digital, media and PR agencies.