The demand for digital marketing agencies and their services have never been higher. Thanks to today’s tech, millions of businesses around the world are looking to expand their audiences and seek out new target markets using digital platforms – and your agency could be perfectly positioned to meet this demand. However, there are a few common agency marketing mistakes that could damage your agency and its reputation over time.
Here are the most common errors that we recommend avoiding to position your business as a leader in the digital marketing space.
7 Mistakes Marketing Agencies Make
Are you interested in taking your digital agency to the next level? Avoid these mistakes to give your agency the best possible chances of thriving!
#1: Scaling Mistakes
Modern agencies make a range of mistakes when it comes to scaling their operations. Some of the most prevalent faux pas include scaling too soon, not paying enough attention to the challenges the agency is currently facing before scaling and failing to assess key internal investment risks.
Some agency owners also make errors like disregarding their competitors’ growth strategies when creating their own. They don’t clearly define their immediate goals and mission before moving ahead or they rush ahead with their expansion plans without considering long term sustainability.
While growth is essential, it isn’t the only characteristic of a strong agency. Avoid scaling problems by having a clear plan and strategies in place, assessing your competitors, and moving forward in alignment with your agency’s purpose.
#2: Not Getting a Lawyer Involved
Partnering with a business lawyer is an excellent strategy. It gives you access to valuable start-up and operational advice from an experienced professional. Plus, it allows you to create and enforce airtight contracts with clients.
Lawyers can also assist you with tax compliance, cash and asset management, employee issues and agreements, regular advising, and even court representation if necessary. Research attorneys and request testimonials to find the best legal fit for your agency.
#3: Letting Your Sales Team Promote Features, Not Benefits
Simple mistakes in your sales department can negatively impact your digital agency. Your sales agents are the glue that holds your agency together and ensures that you achieve the bottom lines you’re aiming for.
Many salespeople promote digital agency services by highlighting all the interesting features and functions on offer. This can definitely help to persuade leads. But it won’t make sales most of the time. Instead of describing the features alone, salespeople who focus on promoting how your services can solve your clients’ most critical challenges (i.e., benefits!) are far more likely to bring in consistent sales.
#4: Hiring More Employees to Grow Your Agency
Onboarding more employees can certainly help you to scale your agency, but it isn’t a silver bullet.
More doesn’t equal better.
If your internal sales and marketing processes are inefficient and your current teams aren’t working together towards clear goals and milestones, hiring additional team members can compound your challenges and leave you with less money to boot.
If you want to boost your sales and marketing ROI rates, you can do so without hiring new staff in many cases. Instead, invest in training and upskilling your existing team with industry best practices, time and productivity management tools, and automation services that maximise their efficiency. This will help to keep your costs low, your profit margins high, and your sales and contracts pouring in.
#5: Not Listening and Talking Too Much
When your sales and marketing teams are trying to sell your services to leads, they will naturally want to talk as much as possible about the features and benefits of your offerings, the expertise of your agency, and so on. Unfortunately, too much talking and not enough listening can actually put your leads off. Empathetic, considerate listeners are far more likely to close sales.
Encourage your teams to listen to leads, ask them plenty of open-ended questions, and pay attention to the responses. This approach allows them to better understand each customer’s needs and provide personalised recommendations. Research shows that the top closers in B2B sales departments speak only around 43% of the time on average, allowing prospects and their pain points to take centre stage instead.
#6: Offering Too Much at a Low Cost to Secure Sales or Clients
Yes, discounting may provide an immediate sales boost. However, it could also harm your agency in the long run. Customers who receive consistent discounts begin to expect them and may move on if you cannot provide low cost services over time. Low prices could also impact the perceived quality and professionalism of your brand, thereby attracting lower-paying clients.
Avoid discounting. Instead, offer your leads and clients value-added promotions like free gifts, tutorials, bonus features, and earned rewards. These methods allow you to build brand loyalty and keep your clients coming back, all while providing an excellent customer experience.
#7: Making Promises You Can’t Keep
The last thing you want is an agency with a reputation for being unreliable. It’s preferable to promise less and deliver more than to do things the other way around. If your agency can’t live up to its promises, this could harm your reputation and how your clients and prospects perceive your brand.
You need to stay realistic about the quantities and quality of work that your agency can deliver to clients. This could mean being honest with some clients when you feel that your services won’t meet all of their needs. It’s better to communicate this upfront than to disappoint your clients and risk accumulating poor reviews!
Put Mistakes in The Rear-view Mirror
A huge proportion of digital agencies make simple yet impactful mistakes that keep them from reaching their full potential.
By avoiding these marketing mistakes and sales mistakes, you can optimise your sales and marketing approaches and maximise your teams’ productivity. Additionally, you can build relationships with your clients that will keep them eager to contact you when they need digital marketing services.