Fueling Ad Agency New Business
Stop selling your services, that’s not what prospects are buying. Agency business development programs are often sales focused. They’re built around outbound, interruptive sales tactics that are designed to start engagements with prospective clients. The prospects have little, if any, awareness of the agency or how they’re different from their competitors. Success in “selling the agency” is proving […]
Why is content such a valuable strategy to help ad agencies drum up new business? I thought I would share a recent interview conducted by content marketer, Andy Baldacci. Andy hosts Hubstaff’s Agency Advantage Podcast where he helps agency owners grow their business. If you’re skeptical of the value of content marketing for your agency […]
How to put yourself in front of prospects so they can’t help but find you. Since 2007, I’ve pioneered the use of social media, content and inbound marketing strategies specifically for agency new business. I originated a system that makes targeting, positioning and differentiation easier and helps agencies to find, attract and engage their best prospects online. […]
A “Brand” New Day for Agencies It’s a new day for agencies and for clients. Agencies have been notorious for not creating their own articulated brand, but today we all need a differentiated brand just like our clients. You can “do” a lot of things, but you can only be “famous” for one thing. Agencies […]
Creating and maintaining agency new business is often harder than it should be because one key ingredient is often missing. I was recently included in RSW/US Thought Leader panel. Along with providing questions for their Thought Leader survey, each panelist provided Agency New Business advice and participated in an interview with RSW/US Owner and President, Mark […]
If I were the owner of an advertising, digital or media agency, to build my agency’s brand, I would WRITE! This isn’t a new discovery for me. Since the beginning, I’ve written my way into a thriving new business consultancy. My blog provides a consistent flow of inbound leads. I’ve never had to make […]
A perfect platform for new business. For over ten years I’ve prescribed creating a niche blog for agency new business and have helped create over 200 personal blogs for agency principals. A personal blog can provide small to midsize agency owners with a perfect platform to create positioning of expertise and appeal to a very specific […]
“People trust brands that have people they can trust.” Not only will a poor personal brand damage your agency’s brand, I believe a non-existent personal brand does so as well. Steve Farnsworth writes and speaks about how smart companies can effectively integrate social media, PR and content marketing into their marketing mix. He is also the Chief Digital […]
Full service advertising agencies are filled with talented people but often lack specialists that have a much narrower focus of expertise. Consumers, brand marketers and marketing channels have changed and so has the traditional advertising agency. Smaller agencies often possess specialties and a nimbleness that allows them to adapt quickly to a rapidly changing marketing landscape. […]
How to humanize your agency, build a positioning of expertise and make a personal connection with your best prospects. This is a guest article written by Jeff Fromm. Jeff is an Executive Vice President at Barkley, which is among the largest independent advertising agencies in the U.S. and the largest employee-owned agency. He is the founder […]
From my experience, most agencies finally got on board with social media in 2010. They created their agency’s blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram accounts and jumped in.
70% of marketers report that social media marketing delivers poor or average return on investment.
Many agencies thought that by merely having a social media presence, it would give them social media credibility.… Continue reading
Agency life is chaotic. Too much to do; to little time. The answer to this problem is to work smarter not harder by creating SYSTEMS for new business.
A system is a set of detailed methods, procedures and routines created to carry out a specific activity, perform a duty, or solve a repeated business issue.
Business development doesn’t have to be so difficult.… Continue reading
When you have the right positioning it’s like fishing for a specific fish with a particular bait. You know where the fish are, what bait is appealing to them, the right equipment to use and you have developed the expertise to catch the real trophies.
… Continue reading“By appealing to everyone, brands end up appealing to no one. Standing for everything is the same as standing for nothing.”
My advertising career had been spent working in only two markets, outside of Birmingham, Alabama and Nashville, Tennessee, I had zero awareness. Little did I know that I was about to start my new business at the beginning of one of the longest economic downturns since the Great Depression.… Continue reading
If timing is everything, then Ideasicleˣ is the poster child. Just when the world closes down due to Covid-19, a platform arrives that helps accelerate creativity through remote work. I was intrigued enough with the concept, particularly as a new business idea machine, to reach out to its founder, Will Burns, to learn more about it.
… Continue reading“What the world needs now are ideas. Lots and lots of ideas.”
No one opens an advertising agency because they have a passion for sales. That’s why many agencies only have one dedicated new business specialist or include it in the laundry list of owner responsibilities. By not prioritizing additional revenue opportunities, it only gets done when work is slow or the worst happens.
Maybe your biggest client leaves and now a significant chunk of your annual revenue is gone.… Continue reading
I’ve been working from home for almost thirteen years, but many of you are working from home for the first time. You’re having to adjust to a new work environment that includes kids, spouses, and pets. You’re probably having to develop new skills to successfully work remotely. The last thing you’re probably thinking about is new business.
But just because your environment has changed, doesn’t mean your commitment to growing your agency should change.… Continue reading
This is a guest article written by John Paul Strong, the owner of the Birmingham-based advertising agency, Strong Automotive Merchandising. John Paul has developed a very robust onboarding process that I wanted him to share with you.
Their original roster of 10 employees and eight clients has exploded today, growing to more than 115 full-time employees and 250 automotive dealers. And it hasn’t gone without notice. Strong Automotive Merchandising has been recognized as a perennial winner in Birmingham’s Best Places to Work contest and as a Top 20 Agency among Google’s National Ad Partners.… Continue reading
I read an insightful article on why the focus of a company’s (agency’s) business strategy should not be upon its competitors. The article was written by Gabor George Burt, internationally recognized expert on innovation, creativity and strategy development, and the author of the book, Slingshot.
Burt states,
… Continue reading“In today’s marketplace, I would argue that doing something unprecedented is not just adventurous but imperative … eliminating competition by trying to beat it is dangerously shortsighted.
Many small to midsize agencies have not addressed positioning because of either procrastination or, more likely, their unwillingness to make the difficult business decisions.
… Continue reading“Contrary to common belief, all agencies have pretty much the same basic capabilities, and processes. They all claim to have proprietary tools, and they may have different labels for what they do, but the approach is essentially the same at big or small agencies.”
Michael Gass, Business Development Consultant | Speaker | Author of Fuel Lines
Fuel Lines provides new business resources for Advertising, Digital, Media and PR Agencies.
It has been rated among the top 100 marketing blogs in the world, according to Ad Age’s Power 150.
Since 2007, Michael has helped pioneer the use of social media, inbound and content marketing strategies specifically for agency new business.
Read more about Michael
An essential component to your agency's new business program is a prospective client data base.
In my opinion one of the most accurate online database of marketing and advertising decision makers is Winmo. I highly recommend them.
I'm Michael Gass, I'm an author, speaker and a new business consultant to advertising, digital, media and PR agencies.
Since 2007, I have helped pioneer the use of social media, inbound and content marketing strategies specifically for agency new business.
Fuel Lines is my social media 'home-base. It has been ranked among the top 100 marketing blogs in the world, according to Advertising Age’s, The Power 150.
Learn more about me