Digital Agency what they plan for success
Running a digital marketing agency is tough. To succeed in today’s online environment, digital agencies need to redouble their efforts to attract clients and serve their needs. As one of the most respected entrepreneurs in the world, Sir Richard Branson has set up over 400 companies using innovative management techniques to stay one step ahead of the competition. What can we learn from his approach to business to run a digital agency in today’s climate?
Outsourcing Is Key
Sustained success comes from serving the needs of clients with a dedicated and well-rounded team. An effective digital marketing strategy encompasses so many disciplines — from public relations and content creation, to search engine and social media optimization — it’s necessary to employ a team that can handle every aspect of the process. It’s not something that one individual can handle; using the talents of a marketing firm can be critical to success.
Love What You Do
As a business owner, one of the most difficult decisions is knowing when to delegate tasks, but it’s the only way to strengthen your business. To be more productive, focus on the activities that you enjoy and are good at, and leave everything else to the relevant experts. You may think it’s unaffordable, but by outsourcing core business tasks you can actually end up making more money. By hiring experts, you’ll free up your valuable time to focus on other important tasks to bring in more money.
Define Your Goals
By clarifying your digital marketing objectives, you can hire the experts that are the right fit for your agency. For example, if more clients are asking for social media expertise, track down a company that specializes in this field. The needs of your clients will constantly change, so it’s essential to establish relationships with dynamic, reliable, and established agencies. To cover all bases, look for agencies that have the following members on their team:
- Web development staff
- Content writers
- Programmers
- Research & development personnel
- Conversion experts
- Project managers
- SEO consultants
- Social media experts
- Growth hackers
- PPC experts
Optimize Meetings
Some meetings are necessary, but many businesses hold regular meetings that are really a waste of time. Schedule fewer meetings and concentrate on running your day-to-day business. If you’re going to hold a meeting, make sure it achieves certain goals. For example, set some ground rules to help your relationship with other agencies run more smoothly, or work out which metrics you need to monitor each month.
Richard Branson regularly holds meetings at his own home in Necker Island. The change of scenery inspires original thinking and is ultimately more productive. Think about where you can hold a meeting that will keep things fresh and interesting. Although you probably don’t own an island, you could hold meetings in a local park or gallery.
It Pays to Spend Money
You may think that hiring an SEO specialist or a copywriter in-house will save you money, but if you consider what you’ll have to pay them every year, hiring an outside agency is the smart move. Employing one person may cost you upwards of $45,000 per year, and that’s not including recruitment costs. On the other hand, paying decent money for outside expertise can actually save you money in the long run. Your marketing agency can be working around the clock on your campaigns, and you don’t have to worry about expensive overheads or vacation and sick leave.
Invest in People, Not Machines
Marketing automation tools seem like a good idea to many businesses trying to improve efficiency, but they’re not always cost effective. For example, the license for Adobe Omniture could cost you around $4000 per month. While basic automation tools can help with menial tasks, if you’re looking for effective long-term marketing strategies, it’s people and strategies that make the difference.
Inspire and Reward
A large part of running a successful agency is making sure your employees are happy and being compensated well. This involves empowering workers to make their own decisions and giving them the freedom to be creative in a forward-thinking work environment. Consider performance bonuses for good work. You could even invite outside agencies to your company events and celebrations to strengthen your ongoing relationships. Ultimately — and it’s been proven in various studies — making workers happy improves productivity.
In a constantly changing digital landscape, many marketing businesses are finding it hard to attract and retain clients, and as the digital marketing sector grows it’s not getting any easier. To run a successful agency today, you need to be innovative, focused, and invest in the right people. Ultimately, if you harness the talents of others to maximize productivity, just like Richard Branson, you can reach your goals more quickly.
Published On : Medium