Social Media for Agency New Business is Networking on Steroids

Everyone has a desire to work with someone they know, trust and like. Social media greatly accelerates and expands networking opportunities.

I’ve heard many agency principals say that they have better things to do than write blog posts, Tweeter, update their status on Facebook or LinkedIn. They clearly do not understand the power and efficiency of social media to generate new business for their agency. Social media for agency new business is networking on steroids.

Creating and managing social networks is more efficient online than generating networks offline. From my office, above my garage, in the quaint community of Alabaster, Alabama I can and have created personal networks globally. The return on my time investment pays huge dividends and that is what compels me to consistently participate in this space.

An important lesson for using social media for ad agency new business, first build a relationship.

I previously owned a houseboat docked in Nashville, TN. A friend of mine, the marketing director for a houseboat manufacturer, had a boat slip near mine.

One weekend I invited to take a couple out on my boat. They were interested in purchasing a houseboat but had not spent much time on one. I told my marketing friend the time we should be returning to the marina and suggested that he hang around and I would introduce him to the couple. They would be a great prospect.

Pulling into my slip, my friend lost the sale before we ever stepped off the boat. He was standing at the end of the pier with sale brochures in hand. The couple’s defenses went up immediately.

If he had only established a relationship first. The couple would have learned that he worked for a houseboat manufacturer. He could have even invited them on a private tour of his companies plant where the couple could have seen first-hand how well their boats were made. But he was too quick to sell and didn’t have the patience to establish a relationship first. A missed opportunity.

Here are some additional lessons gained through using social media for ad agency new business:

• It’s hard for people to socialize with an entity such as an ad agency. The agency needs a face, people must be involved and it needs to begin with the agency’s principal(s).
• Social media isn’t that complex. Use your offline personal networking skills online.
• Always lead with benefits rather than agency’s capabilities. It’s all about your audience. The moment you try to “sell” your agency’s services will be the moment you lose your audience.
• You can realistically build awareness among your best target audience well beyond your geographical location.
• Be transparent. The success of your audience must be more important than your own. But it goes without saying if you can help your audience with their success you will be successful.
• It is a powerful when you can personally demonstrate how you are using social media.

Even though social media is very time intensive in the beginning as you get up to speed, it becomes an extremely efficient use of your time.

Prospects have an opportunity to check under the hood, kick the tires, examine the upholstery within their own timetable. When the need arises and they are ready to do business, they will even initiate the call and that first conversation is going to be much further down the road than if you had made a  cold call. You skip the dating process and move on to the engagement, they are usually ready to do business.