Every business uses a sales process to help shape its pipeline of productivity and ensure revenue comes in at a consistent pace. Without one, it can be difficult for agencies to hit their marketing targets and reach the goals which have been set in preparation for success.
A sales process serves as a roadmap for your agency employees to move through the various stages of a sales cycle to convert leads into loyal, paying customers.
In the world of digital marketing, an established sales process can result in better business-to-client connections, increased leads, and improved brand awareness that feeds back into the agency.
Need to get your sales up? Use this step-by-step guide to create a solid digital marketing agency sales process.
Step 1: Identify Your Target Audience
First things first, what kind of clients is your agency targeting? If you don’t have a clearly defined answer, it’s time to find one – and you can do that by following these pointers.
Defining Your Target Audience – Who are your target clients? Defining your target audience is all about drawing up a realistic template for who you’re targeting and then aiming for them.
Understanding Your Audience’s Needs – What does your target audience demographic want from you as an agency? Knowing this will allow you to tend to their needs and meet expectations.
Researching Your Audience – Thorough audience research should be ongoing. Allow social and cultural patterns to evolve alongside your sales process.
When you know who your agency is marketing its services to, you can create a sales process that begins with a precise understanding of the direction you need to go in. This is a crucial step in the sales process because it sets the tone for the rest of the steps on this list.
Step 2: Create Your Sales Process
This step can be broken down into several smaller steps for you to follow. Creating a sales process isn’t necessarily easy, but it is simple when you take it one step at a time.
Creating a Prospecting Plan – Define what your overarching goals are for the sales process and set up specific milestones or objectives to work towards. Take the opportunity to define these steps into cohesive actions.
Creating a Sales Funnel – A sales funnel is the journey your clients take towards booking your agency or making a purchase. Develop a trajectory that appeals to both your own and your client’s needs.
Developing Your Sales Pitch – What makes your agency special, and why should clients choose you over other agencies? Develop an informed, nice sales pitch that aligns with client needs. Identify your USP (Unique Sales Pitch) and use it to its full advantage.
Step 3: Develop Your Digital Marketing Strategies
You’re a digital marketing agency – this is what you do best.
While it is always important to focus on client projects, don’t forget that your agency needs its own strategy to gain momentum and grow over time.
These five digital marketing strategies should be your main priorities:
- Content Marketing Strategy
- Social Media Strategy
- Email Marketing Strategy
- SEO Strategy
- Paid Advertising Strategy
Developing these strategies is essential for making your agency known as a strong competitor in the digital marketing industry and ensuring that your services reach as many eyes and ears as possible.
Step 4: Implement Your Digital Marketing Strategies
Once you have your agency’s digital marketing strategies all sketched out, it’s time to bring them to life in the real world. But how do you implement these changes in a methodical and strategic way? Follow these steps for guidance:
Develop a Content Creation Plan – What kind of content do you want to represent your agency with, and how should it be integrated into your existing platforms?
Develop a Social Media Plan – How are you going to leverage social media to promote your agency and attract new clientele? A strong social media plan is crucial for every business.
Develop an Email Marketing Plan – Email marketing is still alive and kicking. Sending out newsletters and updates is a great way to round up clients and keep them invested.
Develop an SEO Plan – Search Engine Optimisation is still one of the most effective and accessible ways to drive website traffic and promote higher conversion rates. Don’t sleep on an SEO plan – it can make the world of a difference.
Develop a Paid Advertising Plan – although it does cost more, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is another highly efficient way to generate activity on your site.
Step 5: Measure Your Digital Marketing Performance
A successful sales process doesn’t end after your strategies have been implemented. Just like market research, measuring your online performance should be a continually ongoing process. This includes:
Creating Reports for Your Digital Marketing Performance – Monthly, quarterly, and yearly reports for the performance of your digital marketing sales process are important for gaining a well-rounded and informed perspective of its success.
Analysing Your Digital Marketing Performance – Once you have the performance data on your sales process and digital marketing strategies, performing a thorough analysis of its strengths and weaknesses can help you to develop better processes in future.
Making Adjustments to Your Digital Marketing Strategies – Using the information you find through data analysis, don’t be afraid to make the necessary tweaks and changes in order to advance. In fact, it’s essential for overall growth and success.
Creating and executing a sales process will help your digital agency gain direction and develop strength over time. The structure it provides is critical for coping with the natural ups and downs of business.
Make Your Sales Process Soar
A good sales process means better growth for your agency. It facilitates internal productivity and streamlines marketing strategies so that your digital marketing agency can sign more clients, increase its revenue, and evolve into a stronger, more industry-competitive version of itself.
Without a strong sales process, your agency may struggle to see cohesive results. Use this five-step guide to develop your digital marketing agency’s sales process and experience the many benefits of both organic and strategic growth.