Has Your Agency Generated New Business Through Social Media?

Tried and true best practices and tips can accelerate your agency’s success with social media and keep it ahead of the competition.

Having a clear objective from the get-go is important. I would suggest that you use social media as a big part of your agency’s new business program. Social media can provide a sustainable, affordable and focused program for networking and lead generation and  also a great return on the time invested.

I recently received this note from an ad agency president that has differentiated his agency using social media,

“We just landed a significant project with Coca-Cola purely through our sustainable marketing niche. The best compliment we could receive was when they said our price was waaaay more than the next bid, but given our background in green marketing and sustainability, that it was worth the extra investment. Finally, a value over price purchase. Love it.”

To be successful with social media for your agency’s new business, here are 6 tips:

  1. Identify and address a specific target audience. Face it, most agencies are afraid to put their stake in the ground and even identify who their target audience. You would never recommend a marketing campaign for a client without first identifying who they are trying to reach.
  2. Lead content and conversations with benefits. Social media helps agencies to talk in a new way. To discard the past agency speak for a language the resonates with their audience. That is focused on what are the benefits for them. “You Can Only Get What You Want, If You Help Enough Other People Get What They Want” – Zig Ziglar.
  3. Differentiate from your competitors. You wont win any significant business by showcasing how you match up with the rest of the agencies. You must unlevel the playing field. Set yourself apart. What would give a company reason to fly over hundreds of other agencies, across a number of states, to do business with your agency? Social media provides a great opportunity to for your agency to stand out.
  4. Become a specialist instead of a generalist. Our world is becoming more and more specialized. I had to have surgery a few years ago. My personal physician recommended a neurosurgeon practicing at our suburban hospital. My choice was one of the leading neurosurgeon in the country who happened head up the department of neurosurgery at an academic medical center less than 30 miles from my home. A CMO’s job could be very well on-the-line with the choice of an agency. If I were in their position, I would be choosing a specialist rather than a generalist. Wouldn’t you?
  5. Create appeal. One of the great benefits for using social media for new business is the instant feedback from your audience. It allows you to easily test your message an hone your appeal.
  6. Earn positioning as a “thought leader.” In less than 3 years, social media has created an international awareness for my personal brand among my best target audience. I have clients from coast to coast, so far this year I spoken in over 43 cities, traveled over 43,000 miles, recognition from some of our national trade publications and advertising associations. All of it through social media. What has worked for me and can also work for you and position you as a thought leader to your prospective client audience.

Some additional tips and best practices for using social media for your agency’s new business:

 

Filed Under: New Business Tips, New Business Trends, Social Media Tagged With: , , ,
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.