Fueling Ad Agency New Business
The new normal for new business integrates your personal life and your work life. If you really want to generate new business through social media – get personal. Learn to use social media to humanize your agency. It’s the secret sauce that most agencies have neglected. Because of technology and social media, the line between your personal and […]
Prospective clients shouldn’t hire a marketing agency that can’t market themselves. I wanted to share some excerpts of an interview conducted by Jami Oetting, content strategist for Agency Post, an online publication for agency professionals. The subject of the interview is Douglas Burdett, former artillery officer, Madison Avenue ad man, stand-up comedian and the principal of […]
In recent studies, agencies have expressed that new business is more difficult than ever before, but it doesn’t have to be. Don’t get me wrong, new business has historically been a problem for agencies. Most small to midsize agencies have no positioning and no point of differentiation. They look and sound the same. They are […]
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 […]
There is a new model for new business that makes the existing model obsolete. It may come as a bit of a surprise but, prospects aren’t anxiously awaiting your sales pitch. They’ve heard it a hundred times before from agencies that look, sound and act just like yours. New business doesn’t have to be […]
This is My Personal Story In Leading Ad Agency New Business I wanted to publically thank my good friend, Ken Henley, who is a Nashville artist that created my new caricature. Ken and I have known each other for years. We’ve seen a lot of changes within the advertising industry, but none as great as what […]
The use of hashtags within social media creates a great opportunity to improve awareness and reach prospective clients. Hashtags are words preceded by the hash symbol(#). Twitter users were the first to use hashtags back in 2007 and are still the primary users, but hashtags are now used a lot on other social media platforms such as Facebook, Google […]
Growing your personal brand can greatly boost your agency’s new business opportunities. It makes sense for the principal to be the face of the agency. Not only are they the least likely to leave, but usually small to midsize agencies are built upon the vision, values and the type of culture that best suites their owners. And, agency owners […]
Consistently creating content is the fuel for an inbound new business program. With the rise of content marketing, writing has become an important component to new business as the battle for business has moved online. Content has become the magnet that draws in prospective clients and provides a positioning of expertise. I’ve been writing about business […]
A step-by-step guide to create a painless prospecting system. Many agencies have historically struggled with prospecting for clients. Their struggles have been intensified due to the rise of social media, content and inbound marketing. Today’s prospects are more in control of the agency selection process than ever before. Instead of chasing new business, it’s now more important […]
For ad agencies that even have a new business plan, the majority fall short in its implementation.
How many annual planning meetings has your agency gone through to create a strategic marketing plan, only to have it fail in its implementation? Maybe this year, instead of focusing so much attention on the plan, use annual planning to create a dynamic process for execution.
Experience has taught me that successfully executing a new business strategy requires a system.… Continue reading
Most agencies have no plan for new business. They can’t express what they are selling or who they are selling it to.
For you to state that you want to “take your agency to the next level” is not a strategy, it’s a goal. A strategy is not your agency’s mission statement. Your marketing strategy is a plan of execution.
Goals, objectives and mission statements are all fine.… Continue reading
As part of my consulting work, I’m asked to review a lot of agency websites from a new business perspective. Recently, I had a request to review the website of a large ad agency in New York. I wasn’t surprised that I didn’t find a single testimonial from a happy client. A good number of agencies neglect to add this important component to their marketing mix.… Continue reading
The battle for new business has moved online.
You want to enlarge your agency’s online footprint to generate more leads.
These are some proven platforms:
It’s natural. We’re at the top and insulated. Our world consists of our employees, clients, vendors and the small, finite amount of time we get to spend with our friends and families.
Sure, it can be fun, exciting and rewarding. Hell, we wouldn’t do it otherwise. These are the highs.
But on the other hand, there are lows. And they get well, really low. In some cases, it seems you don’t have anyone to turn to.
Since 2007, I’ve preached that there was a new model for new business that made the existing model obsolete. Agencies needed a new approach to new business.
During the past decade, technology and the rise of social media changed how people communicated. This dramatically impacted business development. Prospects became self-sufficent. Any business information they wanted about a product or service became easily available online.… Continue reading
The atmosphere is often chaotic at most agencies. There are numerous interruptions and urgent requests throughout each day. It’s an environment that’s in a perpetual state of distraction. Working in this kind of climate is stressful. You’re constantly shifting from one task to the next.
In addition to agency our agency life, we’re now having to process an extreme amount of information daily.… Continue reading
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 to be extremely difficult. And when business development isn’t successful, they think the sensible thing to do is to step-up outbound sales.… Continue reading
As any agency business development executive knows, it’s crucial to track decision-maker shifts in order to beat competitors to the pitch. First-time CMOs are one of the top new business triggers for agency changes, media shifts, and new marketing technology investments, as new hires tend to make changes within 3-12 months following their appointment.
First-time CMO hires signal that a company is making moves to bolster their marketing efforts, and also indicates a probable increase in spend in order to support these initiatives.… Continue reading
Through my experience working with hundreds of advertising, digital, media and PR firms, I’ve discovered how important it is for the agency owner to be the face of their company. Given the rise of social media, their personal brand story is as essential, or even more so, than the agency’s brand.
… Continue readingBeing the “face” of an agency is an intimidating role, and as a result, many owners and founders avoid the spotlight.
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