If you’re an advertising agency owner, or you’re considering starting one, this article is for you.
With over $73.3 billion in expected revenue for 2023 in the U.S. alone, the advertising industry’s future looks bright.
Many businesses like yours are after a slice of that big pie, so you need to learn how to grow an advertising agency business the right way.
Here’s an undeniable truth: Running and growing an advertising agency is no walk in the park.
It’s already a challenge to find and retain the clients that are the perfect fit for your business to drive results.
Add in the ever-changing marketing landscape and fluctuating quarterly budgets, and you have a recipe for a demanding business.
But, with determination and a winning strategy, the creative and financial rewards are limitless.
In this article, you’ll learn how to grow an advertising agency organically. We’ll also share the industry secrets to achieving exponential ad agency growth.
How To Grow an Advertising Agency
Figuring out how to grow a small advertising agency can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Consider the following tried-and-tested strategies to grow your advertising agency:
Structured Data
Well-organized data is essential for automating and executing digital advertising effectively.
89% of marketers consider data quality crucial for a successful campaign.
Centralize the data into a database so that it is easy to find, it’s organized in one place, and the whole team can efficiently access it.
Unfortunately, some digital marketing agencies miss valuable insights due to disorganized and dormant data. To fully maximize your data’s potential and grow your advertising agency, it’s crucial to put in the time to organize your client and industry data.
A structured approach to data management begins with tracking the results of each campaign or project.
Note impressions, click-through rates, and other similar metrics to gauge the effectiveness of your efforts. This will help you adjust your strategy as needed to reach target audiences more effectively.
It’s also vital to track client data. Know who is interested in your services and when they last contacted you to stay ahead of customer needs and build stronger relationships.
Keep detailed records of all conversations and meetings, as this will help you better understand your client’s needs.
Look for trends and correlations between different campaigns and performance metrics in your data analysis. This will help you create more effective strategies for the future.
Plus, use predictive analytics to uncover insights and make more informed decisions.
Follow a structured approach to data management to gain valuable insights into your business, manage resources efficiently, and grow your advertising agency.
Invest in the right data tools and stay organized to optimize your operations.
Import & Export of Data
To grow your marketing agency efficiently, having a centralized system for data is crucial. The data should flow seamlessly through connections to other systems, such as a data warehouse, ERP, CRM, and other tools.
A lack of connection between these systems can limit the growth of your ad agency, as tasks become overly dependent on manual, time-consuming processes.
With a well-connected system in place, you’ll be able to grow your advertising agency efficiently.
Defined Client Segment & A Clear Value Proposition
Specializing in a particular industry vertical or offering a specific value proposition can help grow your advertising agency faster.
Focusing on a specific niche or market segment can make you the go-to expert.
You want that! The gold is for people to hear “B2B client acquisition” and instantly think of “Scaling With Systems” as the authority in the industry.
Trying to be everything to everyone can dilute your expertise and make it harder for your agency to differentiate itself from competitors.
By becoming a dual expert in digital advertising, you can better serve your clients and set your agency apart in the marketplace.
Become A Thought Leader
To be a trusted expert in the advertising industry, you must have a well-defined strategy that you can offer to your clients.
Your clients are hiring you because they are not experts in this field, so it’s important to have informative and active conversations with them to really
By perfecting your strategy, refining it, and selling it with the utmost care, you’ll gain the trust of your clients and become a true leader in the advertising industry.
Systematic Repetitive Process
To grow your advertising agency, you need to be efficient and well-organized with your processes. It allows the agency to provide consistent and high-quality services to its clients.
A systematic and repetitive process that is teachable and replicable will help you grow your marketing agency. As a result, it will increase profitability by reducing churn and improving operational excellence.
It’s also important to continuously keep refining and perfecting the process to meet the changing needs of the business and clients.
Leverage Adtech Tools
The right tools and technology can help streamline your business processes, automate manual tasks, and provide valuable data and insights. That can then help build your strategies and grow your marketing agency.
When selecting Adtech tools, thinking beyond just filling a gap or solving a problem is essential. Look for tools that integrate with your existing systems, provide a complete solution, and can grow your advertising agency as your needs change.
Stay on top of the latest Adtech developments, be open to change and continuously evaluate your technology stack to ensure you are maximizing efficiency and performance.
Here are a few of the best AdTech tools you need to be using to grow your advertising agency:
Adopt Industry Changes Fastly
A vital step to help you grow your advertising agency is to have a growth mindset and adapt to industry changes.
Companies that are agile and willing to adapt to changes in the market are more likely to succeed.
To support this growth, having the right team and technology in place is also important. Growing portfolios by even 200%+ per year can be a realistic goal if suitable systems and processes are in place.
Automated Reporting
Leveraging automated reporting will have the following roles to play in growing your digital advertising agency:
- Track and monitor your campaigns’ performance
- Identify trends in the marketplace:
- Measure your strategies’ effectiveness
- Identify areas where you may be overspending or underperforming
Here are a few tools you can use to automate reporting in your advertising agency:
Marketing Plan To Grow Your Advertising Business
The key to growth is to have a marketing plan that focuses on increasing visibility and getting your message across to your prospects. Here are some tips on how to grow your advertising agency:
Create A Solid Website
An advertising agency’s website must have an attractive modern design showcasing its skills and expertise.
The website should also have clear and concise information about the services offered, as well as testimonials and professional headshots of the in-house team.
Plus, having a lead magnet and robust content marketing can help attract potential clients and grow your advertising agency.
A blog on your agency website is a great way to showcase your expertise and thought leadership in the industry.
By regularly sharing insights and opinions on relevant topics in digital marketing, you can establish yourself as a credible source of information. As a result, you can attract potential clients interested in your services.
The blog can also serve as a platform to engage with your audience, build relationships and drive traffic to your website.
Social Media Presence
A strong presence on social media can grow your advertising agency in various ways.
Social media can help you attract new clients, establish a brand image, increase interactions with followers, and improve your online reputation.
90% of marketers believe that social media has increased business exposure, and 78% reported increased website traffic.
It is a cost-effective way to reach a wider audience and keep track of consumer needs. Mastering social media is vital for an advertising agency and can help you compete with more prominent players in the industry.
Facebook Page
With 2.96 billion monthly active users, Facebook is still the king of social media platforms, especially for an advertising business.
Create a Facebook page to reach your potential clients and generate more leads.
Maximize the potential of your Facebook page for your advertising agency with these tips:
- Create a lasting impact with your content: Impress your audience with captivating visuals such as images, videos, and engaging stories. Not only will this grab their attention, but it will also establish a connection that can lead to new customers.
- Leverage paid Facebook advertising: Take advantage of Facebook’s advanced targeting options and results tracking to reach your desired audience, increase leads, and grow your agency.
- Build industry connections: Participate in relevant Facebook groups and engage in conversations about advertising. Collaborate with other businesses on projects to expand your network and open up new doors for your agency.
Instagram Marketing
Your growth potential is virtually limitless on this social media platform, with more than 1.3 billion active users worldwide.
If you want to read a detailed guide, here’s a great article that explains how to grow your business on Instagram.
Leverage the following strategies to grow your advertising agency rapidly:
- Establish a strong presence: Create an Instagram profile for your agency, and post engaging and high-quality content regularly. Use Instagram Stories to showcase your work and expertise, highlight past successes, and provide valuable industry insights.
- Utilize Instagram ads: Take advantage of Instagram’s advertising platform to reach a larger audience, increase visibility, and target specific demographics like age and location.
- Boost visibility with hashtags: Use Instagram’s features, such as hashtags, to increase your reach.
Create a branded hashtag unique to your agency and use it consistently across all your posts to build an engaged community and cultivate a positive online image.
- Partner with influencers: Collaborate with influencers to reach a wider audience and benefit from their existing following. By partnering with the right influencer, you can expand your agency’s reach and tap into new markets.
LinkedIn Lead Generation
LinkedIn Lead Generation is one of the best ways for those who need to learn how to grow an advertising agency business. LinkedIn has a large and engaged user base. Over 875 million active users make it an ideal place for businesses to connect with potential customers.
LinkedIn is a platform designed specifically for business professionals which can offer a highly-targeted audience for your agency.
The platform provides a range of features to help you reach your target audience, including professional targeting filters, in-depth analytics, and more.
These things make LinkedIn a valuable platform for B2B marketers looking to generate leads and connect with the right audience.
Email Marketing
An effective email marketing strategy can help increase leads, build relationships with potential clients, and convert them into paying customers.
Email marketing allows for direct and personalized communication and provides the opportunity to establish an owned audience.
A clear and continuously optimized strategy will help you approach success with email marketing.
Learn more about effective emailing marketing in this article next.
Subscribe Trade Publications, Blogs, And Podcasts
Keeping up to date with industry news and trends is important for staying competitive in the advertising agency field. The sources listed below are well-respected and provide valuable insights and information for ad agencies to be more competitive.
Focus On Referral Marketing
Testimonials and referrals can help a business by acting as social proof. People, in general, look to the actions and opinions of others to determine their own behavior.
Say you are looking for a new restaurant to try and ask friends for recommendations. If multiple people recommend the same restaurant, you may be more likely to try it yourself, as the testimonials from others serve as social proof of the restaurant’s quality.
Similarly, if an advertising agency receives positive customer testimonials and referrals, potential clients are more likely to trust the company and consider its services.
Referral marketing can provide evidence of a company’s quality, reliability, and expertise, encouraging new customers to try the business’s products or services.
Develop a Referral System
Ensure that you make it as easy as possible for potential clients to refer your business.
Create a referral program and offer incentives (such as discounts, free services, etc.) for those who refer your business.
Include information about the referral program on your website or in any emails you send to customers or prospects.
Also, provide referral cards or flyers with details about the program so that clients can easily pass along the information when recommending your services.
Making it simple and rewarding for people to refer your agency allows you to generate more referrals over time and grow your advertising agency sustainably.
Always follow up with those who have referred your agency. Let them know the result of any referrals they made and thank them for their support.
This will help solidify a positive relationship between you and potential new customers and encourage repeat referrals.
Gather Testimonials
Testimonials are invaluable in understanding how to grow a small advertising agency.
They provide a third-party endorsement of the quality of your services and can help make potential clients more inclined to choose you over other agencies.
Reach out to current and past clients to get testimonials and ask them for their honest feedback about your services.
Once you have gathered enough positive feedback from these sources, post them prominently on your website or social media pages so that new visitors can read them. This can establish trust in your agency quickly and will likely lead to more referrals.
You’ll see the value that people are receiving from your business, and key areas to double-down on through testimonials as well. They provide insight into what is working well.
Also, thank those who wrote testimonials for you; this will encourage them to keep doing business with you in the future, leading even more referrals.
Benefits Of Starting An Advertising Agency
Learning how to grow an advertising agency business will have the following benefits for you:
- Low startup costs: Starting an advertising agency requires minimal investments, thanks to the remote nature of the business.
Instead of a physical office, your direct expenses would be acquiring the necessary technology – such as hardware and software, internet service, and completing any business registration formalities.
You can also initially run the operations on your own to keep overhead costs low, such as salaries and wages, before expanding your team as your agency grows.
Also, advertising agencies require only a small staff, which avoids the high cost of employing many people.
Advertising agencies hire only three employees on average in the U.S.
- Virtually Limitless Potential Client Base: The digital age allows advertising agencies to cater to clients globally.
Despite the competition in the marketing industry, there is still ample room for growth. One way to do this is by specializing in specific niches.
- Fewer Entry Barriers: The advertising industry is constantly evolving, so you only need a little prior experience to start an advertising agency.
A fundamental understanding of content marketing and social media, and a drive to learn new and emerging platforms, can help you establish yourself as a well-reputed advertiser.
- Growth & Scalability: As you have an edge in having a talented team of freelancers in your advertising agency, you can rapidly scale up and offer a whole marketing package. That package might include services like SEO, email marketing, copywriting, etc.
How To Grow An Advertising Agency Organically: FAQ
What is the difference between an advertising agency and a marketing company?
The main difference is that marketing agencies handle the planning and client collaboration during a campaign. In contrast, advertising agencies handle the paid aspect of the campaign through their established relationships with various media outlets.
What makes a successful advertising agency?
The success of a marketing agency relies on its talent’s abilities and performance. The staff needs to have a harmonious working relationship, be clear on their duties, and support each other to meet their responsibilities. The staff’s diverse range of skills and expertise is essential to fully meet the client’s requirements.
What are clients looking for in an agency?
Clients often seek three crucial qualities from their agency partners: insightful strategy, open and honest processes, and consistent communication. You can establish a loyal client base that values and trusts your partnership by delivering on these fundamentals.
Wrapping Up: How To Grow An Advertising Agency
As you start figuring out how to grow your advertising agency, remember that the power of your instincts is unparalleled.
This is your unique vision, passion, and chance to make a lasting impact.
The advice can only guide you so far. Only you know the right path for your business. There will be opportunities that challenge your plans and projections.
With strategic thinking, scalable systems, and a solid foundation, you will have the confidence to trust your gut and seize those opportunities with courage and conviction.
Unlock the limitless potential of your advertising agency with our expert support!
Our tried-and-tested client acquisition strategies streamline operations, attract high-value leads, and give you back your precious time.
Imagine a brighter future where your business grows effortlessly and leaves you satisfied. Book a free consultation call to learn more.
