How Agencies Can Have the Best Q2 Ever
Q2 is here, and if you’re like many of my clients, you’re still wrapping up Q1, as I’ve been hearing from my agencies that Q1 was quite busy.
If you’ve not had time to solidify your plan for Q2, this post is a must-read. From agency growth to optimization, I've dedicated my 13 years to mastering these strategies, and they can make a significant difference in your Q2 performance.
If you’re ready for your agency to have the best Q2 ever, this post is for you. Let’s dive in!
Inbound Lead Gen
Outbound lead gen tactics like cold emailing used to work, but they are just not as effective anymore. So, agencies need to execute strategies for inbound lead generation.
Inbound lead gen means the leads are more qualified, and you can attract these leads through lead magnets. A lead magnet is something of value, like an industry report or eBook, that lives on a landing page on your website and is gated with a lead capture form to capture information. You then strategically nurture these leads to convert them into customers for your agency. This strategy not only ensures a higher quality of leads but also boosts your agency's credibility.
The most successful lead magnets that I create for agencies are in the form of industry reports. This entails me surveying 300 members of a strategic audience to gather data on the agency’s behalf. I use that data to create a comprehensive industry report, I create a landing page to house the report with a lead capture form, and I use that landing page as my “hub” for 3 months of lead gen. My theory as to why these perform so well is that people love new data, and the agency that puts out this data gains instant credibility. You can view some of my examples of this approach here and here.
Put Social Proof on Steroids
Social proof is a buzzword for the third-party endorsement of your agency’s services that your target audience craves. People are turned off by self-promotion. However, if your agency leverages social proof, the positive endorsements you’ve gotten pertaining to your services are great assets when landing new clients.
Social proof can take the form of case studies, social media shout-outs, testimonials, reviews, and video endorsements. Once it’s out there, you need to sprinkle it into your marketing and business development efforts so that this valuable content gets seen.
Utilize the social proof you earn on your home page, in a dedicated testimonials section on your website, on social media, in sales decks, in your email marketing, and in marketing materials.
In order to leverage social proof, you need to earn it. Sometimes it happens organically; just be sure to implement a social listening strategy to find it. Other times, your clients need a slight nudge to give you social proof. I recommend a $20 gift card for short forms of social proof, like a social media shout-out or testimonial. I give $50 gift cards for case studies and long-form reviews.
Implement an Actual Referral Program
Many of my agency clients gain the most business through referrals. However, many agencies rely on these referrals to happen on their own and don’t have a program to scale referrals.
A referral program is super easy. Start by identifying your happy clients, either current or former. Put them in their own list in your marketing automation platform. Then, drip them emails that clearly explain that your goal is to get referrals and that you’re offering a $50 gift card for each call booked and $200 for each client landed.
You’ll be amazed at how much a few emails can increase profitability via referrals.
Enhance Your Thought Leadership Efforts
With brands willing to pay more for agencies that specialize in their particular industry, it’s more clear than ever that agencies need to embrace a niche and tailor their thought leadership efforts around that industry or those industries. I don’t recommend embracing more than three industries.
Once your industry or industries are honed in, there are many ways to demonstrate thought leadership to establish trust and credibility. Let’s look at the most impactful ways:
Publish content that showcases your expertise and clients you’ve worked with in high-profile publications. Content should be thought leadership and stay away from salesy. If you have an asset with a lead capture form, this makes a perfect page to link to in these articles, as you’ll be able to capture information from readers. One of my most popular services is featuring agencies in high-profile publications, and you can view my list of publications and fees here. If you want to discuss me helping you with this, simply contact me here.
Join Connectively (formerly HARO) to respond to journalist’s queries for quotes on articles they are writing. The platform requires that the outlets have a minimum domain authority so you know that when you weigh in with your quote, if chosen, it will be published in a reputable publication. Be sure to include your full name, name of agency with link, and title to the tips you submit.
Run a blog for your agency in which you publish a lot of thought leadership content about the industries and services that your agency is strongest at. 1-2 per posts per week with promotion is a good place to start. Be sure to email your blog posts and share them on social media for the most visibility.
Maintain an active social media presence. For agencies, the ideal channels are Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Share content you publish, videos you create, social proof, and timely industry data.
Embrace email marketing strategically. Instead of sales pitches and promotions emails, try sticking to thought leadership in your emails and drip contacts 2 emails per week. Segment contacts by industry or goals so that you can tailor your messaging. This will keep your agency top-of-mind when your contacts decide they want to work with an agency.
You’ve embraced your niche and have a lot to say, so run a webinar or two to demonstrate thought leadership. You just need a basic idea of what topic will resonate with your audience, build a landing page, choose a webinar hosting platform, promote your webinar, and knock it out of the park on the date it goes live.
Identify podcast that your target brands listen to. Reach out to the host and ask if they need any upcoming guests or experts for an episode. It never hurts to ask and you may be surprised at how many podcasts will want to interview you. The key is to emphasize you want to provide thought leadership, not promote your agency.
Final Thoughts: I Love These Strategies But I Don’t Think I Have Time to Execute Them!
To have the best Q2 ever, your agency needs to be featured in high-profile publications, publish new data in the form of a lead magnet, join Connectively, earn and leverage social proof, and amplify thought leadership.
However, if you’re like many agency owners, you spend a lot of time doing awesome client work and often don’t have time to grow or optimize your agency for an increase in profitability. And that’s where The Campfire Circle comes in. We have been growing and optimizing agencies for over 12 years.
Since these strategies were pulled from my experience and my wins, I know that the items discussed in this post will transform your agency. These strategies are also ones that I’m executing for agencies on a daily basis. So if any of these tactics to optimize your agency for Q2 sound intriguing but you don’t have time to implement them, get in touch with me here and keep in mind I keep my rates affordable because I like working with small or up-and-coming agencies.
Which of the strategies that I listed are the most appealing to you? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below!
