The Ultimate Guide To Grow Your Agency in 2023

Table of Content

This guide is applicable for any type and size of agencies, although they are specially curated for the list below:

1. Social media agency
2. Digital Marketing Agency 
3. Full-Service Agency 
4. Search engine optimization (SEO) agency
5. Pay-per-click (PPC) agency
6. Content marketing agency
7. Email marketing agency
8. Digital PR agency
9. Creative Agency
10. Web development agency
11. Influencer marketing agency
12. Mobile app development agency
13. Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) agency
14. Advertising Agency 
15. Branding Agency 
16. Online Reputation Management Agency 
17. Integrated Marketing Agency 
18. Event Marketing Agency 

Everyday Agency Challenges

Do you relate to any of these challenges?

• I am always in a Cash crunch; every month is Hand to Mouth
• I am not sure of the right set of affordable software to use to grow my agency 
• Training Fresh Recruits and Freshers takes more than 2 - 3 months 
• The attrition rate is high and quite unpredictable 
• I am not able to retain clients for more than 3 - 4 months 
• I am not able to charge a premium for any of my services 
• Clients Negotiate too much 
• Finding New leads is extremely time-consuming 
• Making proposals & pitches takes about 5 - 6 days, which is extremely exhaustive 
• Deadlines always go for a toss, which is why my team and I need even work after office hours and on weekends 
• The communication gap is leading to crisis situations within my agency 
• Client Expectations are always higher than what we deliver 
• I am not able to generate ROI quickly for my Clients 
• I don't get many referrals from my current clients 
• Too many of my Ex-clients have defaulted on their payments and never paid 
• I can convert only 1 client out of 10 leads
• I never come to know if any brand is looking to change its Agency 

Growing an Agency is no small feat. You will require a deep understanding of the industry and a keen sense of strategy, innovation, and creativity. As someone who has spent more than a decade building, running & scaling digital agencies, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges and opportunities that come with; building and growing an agency. 

But what if I told you there's a way to overcome these obstacles and take your full-service marketing agency to new heights?

In this Ultimate Guide to Grow Your Agency, I will share with you the insider tips and proven SEO strategies that successful digital agencies have used to accelerate their growth and stand out from the competition. 

Whether you're looking to build your Industry niche, scale your Agency, or improve your profitability, this guide has everything you need to Travel down the road from A to B. 

So if you're ready to unlock the secrets of the best tools for successful agency growth, keep reading to learn more.

 Let's look into a Framework that has been the biggest kept secret for decades; they are often only discussed within the 4 walls of hyper-successful agencies.

Abbreviated as F - A - P - E, which stands for Foundation - Acceleration - Profitability - Exponential 

A: Foundational 

As a Digital Marketing Agency Founder, several foundational skills are essential in successfully setting up your Agency. 

Let's look at the 7 exceedingly important must-haves to get your Foundations right!

1. Do You Have What It Takes 

• Do you think you have a deep understanding of digital marketing, including Design, Website Development, SEO, PPC, social media, and content marketing
• Do you possess strong communication skills, both written and verbal, for effective client and team communication
• Are you able to manage your time efficiently to be able to prioritize tasks and manage resources effectively?
• Are you well-versed in cash flow management for the long-term success and sustainability of your Agency?
• Agency operations knowledge to understand how to manage the day-to-day functions of the Agency
• Do you have the ability to create and implement strategies to achieve your business OKRs ( Objective Key Responsibilities ) 
• Sales and Marketing skills to Network & Convert leads 
• Leadership skills to manage and motivate team members toward a common goal

You should use the above list like a Checklist and work on the ones you feel could be improved.

2. Choose An Industry Niche 

In today's hyper-connected world, digital marketing agencies are a dime a dozen. With a staggering 7,00,000 agencies vying for attention worldwide, it's no wonder that many agencies have succumbed to the crushing weight of commoditization. But there is hope, my friends. By embracing the power of specialization and focusing on serving a single niche, these agencies can rise above the noise and truly stand out from the pack. In a world where everyone is fighting for attention, it's the ones who dare to be different that will ultimately succeed.

Some statistics around building industry niche in an Agency Business

1. Increased Profitability: According to a survey by the Association of National Advertisers, specialized marketing agencies that focused on specific industry verticals had an average profit margin of 14.3%, while generalized agencies had a profit margin of 8.6%.
2. Improved Reputation: A survey by Clutch found that 46% of businesses looking for a marketing agency preferred to work with agencies that specialized in their industry.
3. Easier Client Acquisition: According to a report by Hinge Marketing, agencies that specialize in a specific industry are more likely to be recommended by existing clients. The report found that specialized agencies received 2.5 times as many referrals as non-specialized agencies.
4. Greater Client Retention: A study by the Agency Management Institute found that specialized agencies had an average client retention rate of 85%. In comparison, non-specialized agencies had a retention rate of 77%.
5. Increased Efficiency: According to the same Hinge Marketing report, specialized agencies could charge higher rates for their services and were more efficient in delivering those services than non-specialized agencies.

Benefits of Choosing an Industry Niche

a: Establish yourself as an expert

The content marketing world prefers specialists over generalists, its more convincing to hear, "We are a Full Service Digital Marketing Agency having more than 115 Real Estate Clients across the West Coast; we can assist a Real estate brand right from Brand Identity to selling their spaces to creating and maintaining a community of highly engaged Brokers and Channel Partners, some of our clients are ABC developers, Danube Properties" as opposed to "We are a Full Service Digital Marketing Agency, having more than 115 Clients from BFSI, FMCG, Retail, Real Estate, Fashion, Electronics, Events and from many other industry verticals, we specialize in designing your brand identity and help you grow your business, some of the clients are."

b: Predictability

Imagine if you could predict your opponent's moves like Agent J & Agent K from Men in Black; that is exactly what is possible if you build a niche; you would know exactly what kind of carrot will get you a project, and you would exactly know the right reporting standards to maintain, the exact KRA's/KPI's to track, bottom line you would have the most accurate recipe for success. And once you have the recipe for success now, all you have to do is find clients from the same industry niche and repeat the solution. 

c: Increase referrals: 

They say Word of Mouth is still the purest and the best form of marketing; when you establish yourself as an expert in a specific industry niche, your clients are more likely to refer you to others in that industry, which can lead to new business opportunities. For example, a digital marketing agency that specializes in the automotive industry can gain new clients through referrals from existing clients in the same industry.

Bonus Read: How to Grow Your Digital Marketing Agency

3. Give a Face to your brand 

Below are great examples of people who have given a face to their brand, and today you know their companies or brands because you know them. A Human Face sells more than a Company Logo in today's era. 

1. Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk is a well-known entrepreneur, author, and public speaker who has built a personal brand around his marketing and social media expertise. Through his personal brand, he has launched and grown a digital marketing agency, VaynerMedia. This full-service digital marketing agency works with clients like PepsiCo, Chase, and Toyota.

• Instagram Followers: 10M
• LinkedIn Followers: 5M
• Youtube Followers: 4.2M

2. Neil Patel:

Neil Patel is a digital marketing expert who has built a strong personal brand through his blog, podcast, and social media presence. Through his personal brand, he has launched multiple successful companies, including Crazy Egg, KISSmetrics, and his current venture, Neil Patel Digital. The Latest Acquisition by NP Digital group has been AnswerthePublic (Dot) com  

• Instagram Followers: 418k
• LinkedIn Followers: 503K
• Youtube Followers: 1.2M

3. Marie Forleo

Marie Forleo is a business coach, author, and public speaker who has built a personal brand around her expertise in entrepreneurship. Through her personal brand, she has been able to launch a B-School. This online business training program has helped thousands of entrepreneurs build successful businesses.

• Instagram Followers: 735k
• LinkedIn Followers: 36K
• Youtube Followers: 807K

4. Rand Fishkin: 

Rand Fishkin founded Moz, a popular SEO software company. He has built a personal brand around his expertise in search engine optimization. 

Using his personal brand, he has been able to establish himself as a thought leader in the SEO industry and grow Moz into a brand that we all know today. 

• Instagram Followers: 11.5k
• LinkedIn Followers: 139K

Some direct key advantages of personal branding for the web design, agency website, web design, digital marketing, and agency website owners:

1. Build Trust
2. Create Differentiation
3. Command Credibility
4. Attract 4x more Clients
5. Retain Employees longer

4. Use A CRM 

  - Manage Leads on a Sales Pipeline 

• Usage of a Sales pipeline CRM platform provides a clear and comprehensive view of the entire sales process
• Helps organize and manage leads systematically, leading to increased revenue and growth
• Allows prioritization of leads and allocation of resources more effectively
• Provides insights into customer behavior and preferences
• Tailor's cold outreach efforts more effectively
• Increases conversion rates and ultimately leads to higher revenue

- Optimise your TATs using Templatized Proposals & Contracts

• Saves time and resources by automating the proposal and contract creation process
• Enables faster response times to clients, leading to improved customer satisfaction and increased sales
• Ensures consistency and accuracy in proposals and contracts, reducing the risk of errors or omissions
• Allows for better collaboration within the team and with clients, as all parties have access to the same information
• Enables tracking of proposal and contract status, helping to prioritize resources and manage workload more effectively
• Allows for easy customization of proposals and contracts to fit the needs of each client without starting from scratch every time

- Streamline your E-signing process 

• Speeds up the signing process by allowing clients to sign contracts or agreements digitally, reducing the need for physical documents or in-person meetings
• Enables better tracking and management of contracts and agreements, reducing the risk of lost or misplaced documents
• Improves the customer experience by providing a seamless and convenient signing process for clients, leading to greater satisfaction and loyalty
• Increases efficiency and productivity by reducing the time and resources needed to manage contracts and agreements

- Create Invoices in seconds & Avoid Awkward Payment Follow-Ups using a reminder system 

• Improves cash flow by ensuring timely and accurate invoicing and automating payment follow-up reminders to reduce delays in receiving payments
• Provides customizable invoicing templates and workflows, ensuring consistency and accuracy in invoicing practices
• Reduces errors and disputes by providing detailed billing information and tracking invoice status
• Provides valuable insights and analytics into billing activity, helping to identify trends and opportunities for improvement

- Use an Appointment Scheduler to avoid Overlapping meetings 

• Saves time and increases productivity by automating the meeting scheduling process, reducing the need for manual back-and-forth communication
• Enhances customer experience by providing a convenient and user-friendly scheduling process, leading to greater satisfaction and loyalty
• Provides real-time availability updates, reducing the likelihood of scheduling conflicts and missed appointments
• Enables scheduling across different time zones and locations, making it easier to work with clients and team members in different regions

  - Use a White-labeled Client Portal to update your clients in real-time 

• Increases client engagement and satisfaction by providing a centralized platform for communication and updates
• Enhances brand recognition and professionalism by using a custom-branded portal that aligns with the Agency's visual identity
• Provides real-time updates and progress reports, increasing transparency and accountability between the Agency and its clients
• Streamlines communication and reduces the need for back-and-forth emails or phone calls.
• Enables easy sharing of files, documents, and other project-related materials, improving collaboration and efficiency

• - Never run out of ways to accept payments 
• The most common reason you would get for payment delays from your clients would always be 
• 1: I am not able to access my Bank Account App Today 
• 2: I have forgotten my Bank Account App Password
• 3: I only pay via Credit Cards 
• 4: I only pay via ACH 
• 5: I only use XYZ payment gateway to process payments
• With a CRM in place, you are well equipped to open all the doors to accept payments; in Clientjoy CRM, an agency can accept payments using Stripe, PayPal, Payoneer, Xendit, Square, GoCardless, ACH, Credit cards, Debit Cards, Instamojo Razorpay and agencies can also record an offline payment in case of a cash transaction thereby ensuring all accounts are maintained at one location.

• - Collect leads directly into your CRM using Web Forms 
• Time-saving: With web forms, agencies can streamline the lead collection process and avoid errors from manual data entry. Leads are automatically added to the CRM, which means sales teams can focus on closing deals instead of administrative tasks.
• Accurate data: By eliminating the risk of human error, web forms can provide more accurate data for agencies to work with. This can help with better decision-making and more targeted marketing efforts.
• Customizable: Agencies can create web forms that collect the specific information they need from leads, such as their industry or interests. This helps them tailor their sales pitches and marketing efforts to be more effective and relevant

• - Reach out to more prospects by automating Cold Email Outreach 
• Make it personal: With email sequences, digital marketing agencies can personalize their outreach and make a stronger connection with potential clients. By using merge tags to insert their name and other details, it feels like a one-on-one email and not a mass blast.
• Save time: Email sequences can automate the outreach process so agencies can spend more time on other important tasks. Set up a series of emails to be sent at specific intervals, and let the system do the rest.
• Get better results: By using email sequences, agencies can improve their response rates and build trust with potential clients. Customized follow-up emails can be more persuasive and increase the likelihood of getting a response.
• Track progress: Email sequences provide agencies with valuable data on how their outreach performs, including open rates, click-through rates, and responses. Use this data to make informed decisions and optimize outreach efforts.

- Quickly get a Snapshot of your Agency on a Smart Dashboard 

Important information should always be available for your perusal like 

Upcoming Activities- Displaying Planned events & important reminders for the next 7 Days 

Due Invoices- See Due Invoices and start immediately following up with them if required 

Due Activities- See activities that are due and mark them complete directly from the Dashboard 

Expired Documents- See Documents that are still not approved or accepted by the client; these documents could be Proposals, Contracts, Estimates, or Quotes 

Recent activities by your Leads- See Recent activities of your leads as Emails opened, mail opened, proposals accepted, etc 

Opportunities created- Here, you can see the total number of leads generated in each of your sales pipeline stages alongside their dollar size

Summary Documents- Here, you can quickly view the status of your Documents in the form of Sent | Open | Accepted | Declined 

Revenue Chart- Here, you can see the revenue you've done and recorded on the Clientjoy CRM; you can sort this data by Annual - Current Year - Last Year - Custom 

Summary of Invoices- Here, you can see the status of your invoices in the form of Outstanding, Overdue & Collected - The amounts are shown in your base currency. 

Client Stats- Here, you can see the total number of clients you have and the number of retainer clients as well.

Experience the power of streamlined invoicing processes and payment with the best invoice management software by signing up for Clientjoy today: Book a Demo for Clientjoy CRM.

5: Create a Damn Good Website 

Your Website is the first impression of you and your brand; think of your Website like a shop front of your business; if the shopfront is non-appealing, then people hesitate to enter your shop; the same logic follows for a website as well; if your Website doesn't cover all the important information which is required for a visitor to drop their information on your contact form or if your Website isn't visually appealing or if its too slow, the load times are pretty sad, or even if it's non - mobile responsive, then your Website won't make the cut. 

6: Create Your Sales Arsenal 

Your Sales Arsenal should have the below-listed assets ready before even approaching your first lead 

a: Case Studies x 5 

b: Company Introduction Deck 

c: Textual and Video Testimonials of your previous clients 

d: A well-made website with a chat button, lead magnets, and contact forms 

e: Your reviews on Google, Digital Agency Network ( DAN ), Clutch & Glassdoor should be positive 

7: Build the Right Team Structure

The 3 main pillars of a digital agency are 

• Content Pillar
• Design Pillar 
• Business Pillar 

Development becomes the 4th pillar for agencies that also offer them development services.

Your hiring should also reflect the same; start by hiring a generalist and give him the designation of Account Manager 

Then hire executives in every department like 

• Social Media Executive 
• Content Writing Executive 
• Graphic Designing Executive 
• Strategy & Operations Executive 
• Client Servicing Executive 
• Web Designer Executive 
• SEO Executive 
• PPC Executive 

Have all your executives report to your account manager 

Once you realize the workload and the number of clients have increased, move on to hiring additional executives in every department.

If the work increases, you should hire an additional account manager and promote your previous account manager to Head of XYZ. 

If you land a complex client, then you may have to hire senior resources ( Each having at least 4 - 5 years of experience to be able to generate early and positive ROI ); in case the complexity of the clients is low, then basic 2 - 3 year experienced executives should be able to do the trick. 

Bonus Read: How to build a dream agency team?

B: Acceleration 

1. Implement Digital Marketing For Your Brand 

Start writing blogs on topics that may interest your Industry Niche. 

Start posting your new client acquisitions, the latest Case Studies of your clients, or just your teammates having fun at the office on social media channels like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. 

Start running Ads on your brand keyword as part of your hygiene activity so that your competitors cannot steal your branded traffic. 

Start regularly posting on LinkedIn. 

2. List on Marketplaces like Upwork etc

List on 

1. Freelancer.com
2. Fiverr
3. Guru.com
4. PeoplePerHour
5. Freelance Writing Gigs
6. 99designs
7. Upwork 

You can buy credits and start bidding for projects on these platforms. 

PS: Try to find an old Upwork or Fiver account with a good history of recommendations, points, scores, reviews, ratings, etc., and start from these accounts rather than starting from scratch. 

3. Introduce The Concept Of MOQ's In Your Services

Often agency owners or business heads in an agency will come across projects where the unit margins are much lower than the industry benchmarks, but still at times, it makes sense to onboard such projects owing to the bandwidth of the resources inside the organization; if you know your current resources are not 100% utilized, then you rather take on a project with low unit margins and still make profits by working up your under-utilized resources, in such situations defining Minimum order quantity becomes necessary to keep the unit margins at check and ensure project profitability. 

4. Play Around With Financial Schemes 

The most basic financial scheme followed by agencies are 

• One-time Upfront Cost 
• Retainer Model 
• Milestone Based Payment 

Sometimes, it gets difficult to convert a client on monthly basis on the usual payment structures

Here are some unique payment structures you can try in your next negotiation 

• Fix Cost + Variable Pay basis Performance 
• Cost Per Lead Model - Get paid by your client only for qualified leads 
• Commission-Based Model - Get Paid a percentage of the sale only when a sale is done from your efforts 

Buy Equity in the client's company against the services you offer them for the first 6 months, get them some growth, and now use the growth as a hook to help them raise funds, sign a 3-year retainer contract with a minimum engagement amount every month, now you know that the client is never leaving you plus you also get the returns of the Equity in the future. 

5. Create Passive Income 

If you have in-house developers, then you can do the following:

Create Apps and micro SaaS products and list them on Envato Marketplace or Appsumo, Pitchground 

If you have in-house designers, then you can do the following. 

1. Creative Market: Creative Market is a platform for designers to sell digital assets like fonts, graphics, templates, and themes.
2. Designhill: Designhill is a popular platform where you can sell your designs and participate in design contests to earn money.
3. Society6: Society6 is an online marketplace that allows artists to sell their designs on various products like phone cases, mugs, and t-shirts.
4. Redbubble: Redbubble is a platform for independent artists to sell designs on various products like clothing, stickers, phone cases, and more.
5. 99designs: 99designs is a design platform that allows you to participate in design contests and sell your designs to clients looking for custom design work.
6. Zazzle: Zazzle is an online marketplace where you can sell designs on various products like t-shirts, mugs, and phone cases.

6. Leverage SEO 

SEO, or search engine optimization, is optimizing your Website and its content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). By ranking higher, you'll attract more traffic to your Website, generate more leads, and ultimately close more deals.

Sign up on all the below tools before starting up with the research - They all have 7-day Free Trials available.

Keyword Research Tool - There are many options to choose from ( Semrush, Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner, Moz ) - Our Favourite is Semrush. 

Competitor Research Tool - Semrush 

Backlink Analysis Tool - Semrush 

Forecasting Tool - SEO monitor 

SEO Auditing Tool - Screaming Frog/Search 

Website Audit Tool - Google Page Speed Insights 

Content Audit Tool - Surfer SEO 

Keyword Clustering Tool - Cluster.ai / Keywordinsights.ai /Thruuu

Industry Demand Research Tool: Google Trends 

The Term Digital Marketing Agency has a volume of 49500; this kind of demand is humongous; imagine if you start ranking on the first 3 spots for this keyword, you could easily drive 30% to 50% of the traffic from 49500 volume. That could be enough to get you hundreds of leads every week. You don't need to invest in any other sort of marketing mediums if you play your cards right when it comes to SEO ( Search Engine Optimisation )

7. Build Referrals 

The first year of agency business should be completely focused on taking in as many clients as possible and concentrate only on the top line because the more clients you acquire in your year 1, the more deals, upselling, cross-selling, and opportunities for referrals get created in the 2nd year of your agency business.

Have a straightforward Referral scheme, and make a landing page to promote the same.

Example: for every successful client referred, the referrer would get 10% off or $500 waived off (whichever is smaller ) on their invoice for the next 3 consecutive months .

Additional Read: How to price your agency services?

C: Profitability

1. Keep overhead costs in check

Every financial year you should do an expense forecast budgeting of your Agency for the next 1 year. 

While you do that, simply add 15% as overhead Cost against the salary of every employee.

Example 

Assuming you are running a team of 4 people 

• Employee 1: Annual CTC: $25,000 [10% OF $25,000 = $2500 ]
• Employee 2: Annual CTC: $35,000 [10% OF $35,000 = $3500 ]
• Employee 3: Annual CTC: $45,000 [10% OF $45,000 = $4500 ]
• Employee 4: Annual CTC: $50,000 [10% OF $50,000 = $5000]

Your overhead costs budget should be $2500 + $3500 + $4500 + $5000 =. $16000 on top of the salaries, the budget can be used for parties, entertainment expenses, trips, holidays, birthdays, etc 

2. Experiment with your Pricing (talk about bundling here)

1. Simplicity: Bundled Pricing makes it easier for clients to understand and compare different service packages. Instead of navigating through individual Pricing for different services, they can choose a package that fits their needs and budget.
2. Cost savings: Bundled Pricing allows digital marketing agencies to offer discounts to clients who purchase multiple services as a package. This can help agencies attract more clients and increase revenue.
3. Predictability: Bundled Pricing can help clients budget their marketing expenses more accurately. They know exactly what they will pay for a package of services, and there are no surprise costs.
4. Upselling opportunities: Bundled Pricing can help digital marketing agencies upsell clients to higher-tier packages. As clients see the value of the services provided in a package, they may be more likely to upgrade to a more comprehensive package that offers additional services.

3. Use AI (for ideas, outlines, etc., to improve productivity)

Agencies should use AI to derive Campaign ideas, and blog post outlines, verify details, write emails, and create captions at blazing speed, thereby increasing productivity.

Top 10 Tools Recommended for Agencies 

1. Pathmatics - A competitive ad intelligence platform that uses AI to provide insights into competitors' ad strategies, allowing agencies to optimize their campaigns.
2. Adext - A tool that uses AI to optimize ad campaigns by automating the process of audience targeting and bid management, leading to higher conversions and ROI.
3. Persado - An AI-powered platform that generates personalized marketing messages and copy optimized for maximum engagement and conversion.
4. Phrasee - An AI-powered tool that helps agencies optimize email subject lines and other marketing copy for maximum engagement and click-through rates.
5. Zest AI - A platform that uses AI to help agencies personalize content and experiences based on user behavior, preferences, and other data.
6. Demandbase - An account-based marketing platform that uses AI to help agencies target the right accounts with personalized messages and campaigns.
7. Brainshark - A sales enablement platform that uses AI to help agencies create and deliver personalized sales content and training.
8. Acquisio - A platform that uses AI to automate and optimize ad campaigns across multiple channels, leading to better performance and ROI.
9. Brandwatch - A social media listening and analytics platform that uses AI to help agencies understand and engage with their client's target audience.
10. Qubit - A platform that uses AI to help agencies optimize their clients' websites and digital experiences based on user behavior, preferences, and other data.

4. Upsell to existing clients (finding new clients is more expensive than selling to existing clients)

1. Higher Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV): Upselling helps to increase the CLTV by adding more services to the existing customers, thus increasing the revenue per customer.
2. Reduced Sales Cycle: Upselling can reduce sales by making additional sales to existing customers already familiar with your brand, product, or service.
3. Better Customer Retention: Upselling is an opportunity to demonstrate the value of your services and build a stronger relationship with clients, which leads to higher customer retention rates.
4. Improved Profitability: Upselling to existing clients is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones, which can improve profitability by reducing CAC.

To find upselling opportunities, you should use data-driven analysis to identify pain points and areas for improvement. You should look for opportunities to offer additional services that align with your client's goals and objectives. 

For example, suppose a client sees success with a particular campaign. In that case, we may suggest an effective strategy for expanding the referral program to more businesses or other channels or increasing ad spending to have successful clients capitalize on their own success stories. We also prioritize ongoing communication and education to help clients understand the value of our services and the potential for growth and success of marketing campaigns.

5. Partner up with a complimentary agency 

Look out for agencies that offer complimentary services and write an email to them for a possible synergy :P ( You know the Drill ) 

Example: If you offer Digital Marketing Services to Small and Medium Ecommerce Clients, you may want to find another agency that is into Website & App Designing & Development, also catering to the same niche ( Small & Medium Ecommerce ). You can refer to each of your current clients and call each other's agencies "Sister Companies."

Its free leads, Zero Customer CAC, additionally the trust is high within the client referred because the current Agency has already delivered good results. There is already a good relationship between the current Agency and the client.

6. Standardise and productize services 

Here are some recent facts from marketing reports and stats about digital marketing agencies in the United States that are trying to productize their online activity and service offerings:

1. According to a survey by the American Marketing Association, around 70% of marketing agencies in the United States are currently productizing their services.
2. A report by McKinsey & Company found that companies that successfully productize their services can increase their revenue growth rates by 30% to 50%
3. The most common services digital marketing agencies are currently productizing include search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, content marketing, and email marketing.
4. In terms of Pricing, digital marketing agencies are increasingly moving away from the traditional hourly billing model and towards flat-rate Pricing for their productized services
5. Digital marketing agencies are also increasingly using software and automation tools to streamline their productization process and improve the efficiency of their service delivery.

Need I say more?!

7. Create SOPs 

• SOPs ensure consistency and reliability in the Agency's work, making it easier for clients to trust the Agency.
• SOPs also help the Agency train new team members effectively, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and that quality is maintained.
• Documenting processes and procedures is key to scaling the Agency's operations, allowing it to take on more clients and grow its business.
• SOPs also enable the Agency to identify areas for improvement, so it can optimize its processes and deliver even better results for its clients.
• According to a survey by Process Street, 83% of companies that have documented their processes and procedures report that it has helped them scale their operations effectively.
• A study by the Aberdeen Group found that best-in-class companies are 67% more likely to have documented processes and procedures than their peers, indicating that SOPs are a key factor in achieving operational excellence.
• In a survey of small business owners by Infusionsoft, 47% reported that creating an SOP for their business was a priority in the next six months, highlighting the growing recognition of the importance of having a documented process.

D: Exponential 

1. Build Strategic Partnerships with Agencies bigger than yours 

• Partnering with larger agencies can help you tap into their existing client base, giving you access to a larger pool of potential clients who may be interested in your services.
• Larger agencies may have specialized expertise or capabilities that complement your own, allowing you to offer your clients a more comprehensive suite of services.
• By partnering with larger agencies, you can leverage their brand and reputation, which can help establish credibility and trust with potential clients.
• Strategic partnerships can also lead to referrals, as larger agencies may come across clients who need services that they don't offer but that you do. You can become their go-to referral partner for these agencies by building a strong relationship with these agencies.
• Collaborating with larger agencies can also help you learn from their experience and expertise, allowing you to improve your processes and operations and providing opportunities for professional development for your team.
• By building strong partnerships with other agencies in your industry, you can also create a sense of community and collaboration, which can be rewarding both professionally and personally.

2. Offer Free Samples/Audits > Free 100 Pager Pitch Documents 

If you are in the business of Offering Web Designing Services, then the perfect pitch would be 3 - 4 Sample UI Screens embedded in a Mock Up. 

If you offer SEO services, the perfect pitch would be a Free SEO audit with a 6-month Forecast of the traffic and leads that can be acquired if the client awards you the project. 

If you are in the business of offering Graphic Designing Services, then the perfect pitch would be to make 1 Website Banner + 1 Social Media GIF + 1 Email Newsletter Design. 

If you are in a business of offering PPC services, then the perfect pitch would be to create a new Google account for the client, create a new LinkedIn Ad account and use the initial free ad credits given by the Google ads, for every new account to run ads and ask the client if they realized they got additional calls or traffic in the past few days.

3. Invest in PR

There are many PR agencies out there to who you can outsource your PR work too; you should also consider participating in award shows; if you or your Agency's team is popular, then leads often do not negotiate a lot, and the window of lead closure also decreases.

You can also check out this Website: submit. co, and make PR submissions yourself. 

4. Leverage Performance Marketing 

There are theoretically 2 types of Ads in the world. 

1: Pull Ads

2: Push Ads 

The meaning of Push and Pull Advertisement differs magnificently in the context of Performance Marketing,

Pull Ads are where a potential user has the demand and the need for the solution; this search is usually performed on the Google Search engine or YouTube.

This is why it is advisable to run search ads on Google and keyword-based ads on YouTube; the CTR in these type of ads are usually on the higher side ( 4% to 10% ) 

Whereas push ads are the ones where the platform decides, basis its algorithms and persona data points, which should be shown which type of ads. Now one may or may not need the product or service shown in the ad, which is why the CTR in such type of ads is always on the lower side ( 0.5% to 3% ) 

A good example of platforms running push ads are Facebook, Instagram, Quora, etc. 

As an agency, your chances of success are highest with pull ads instead of push ads. 

5. Poach Clients from Competitor Agencies 

Poaching clients from competitor agencies can be a challenging but rewarding strategy for digital agency founders.

Step 1:

Look out for competitive agencies serving a specific niche or client of your niche.

Example: If your Niche is Real Estate Clients, then look for agencies who do not particularly have any niche and target their real estate client

Step 2:

Closely monitor all the activities for at least 2 months, that are happening around the Real Estate Clients' social pages, SERP rankings, website changes, campaign launches, influencer collaborations, etc.; try to find mistakes & scope of improvements in all the activities you audit, take screenshots, collect proof. 

Step 3:

Find out the exact people in your competitive Agency who are working on the Real Estate Client that you want to poach; once you find them out, now is time to reach out to them via LinkedIn, try to speak to them, and offer them freelancing work and in the same process trying to take out monetary information about the real estate client that they are managing in the Agency. 

Step 4:

Create a Well Designed pitch with all the insider information you have collected in the previous step. Your biggest USP would be that you already have 20 Clients in the Real Estate Domain, so your chances of getting success with the client increase multi-fold. The Cost of learning will be minimal, and you, as an agency, are already aware of the nomenclature and the jargon involved in the real estate industry. 

Step 5:

Suppose the Real Estate Client still doesn't agree to switch its Agency. In that case, you may directly offer a better salary to the person who is currently managing the real estate client's business in their current Agency; now you go back to the potential Real estate client and tell them how their work wouldn't progress enough with the current Agency, "as the person managing your brand has switched to our organisation."

Conclusion: 

Establishing a good agency is easier said than done, but a more complex and challenging task is to have a plan to grow the agency and help it reach the peak of its success.

Some basic and minimal efforts can make a massive difference in an agency's work. Successful agencies, for example, frequently employ tools and technology to streamline their operations and leverage the Internet's power for marketing and networking.

Agencies also spend on training and development to keep their employees updated on the newest industry trends and practices. Finally, they prioritise customer service, ensuring customers have a great experience.