3 Tips to Avoid Failing with Your SMMA/Digital Marketing Agency Journey
August 10, 2017
Digital Marketing is such an exciting industry to be a part of, but there are several things that a lot of business owners forget when trying to create a successful agency. After teaching thousands of viewers and listening to their struggles and feedback I’ve made a list of the TOP 3 tips that you’ll need to consider if you want that $100,000+ lifestyle.
Tip 1 – Understanding ALL Aspects of Digital Marketing
- The biggest mistake that I see newcomers make when entering the Digital Marketing industry is that they try to get out there and sell services WAYYY too quickly. The amount of knowledge that I gained took almost 8 years to develop. Though it is an easy concept to grasp, getting real results with Digital Marketing can be difficult IF AND ONLY IF you don’t understand how the 5 major parts of Digital Marketing work together.
- Before you EVER try to sell a service you should have an intermediate level of knowledge in ALL 5 areas of Digital Marketing…AKA…SWEPS.
- Social Media Marketing
- Web Marketing & Design
- Email Marketing
- PPC Marketing (Pay-per-click)
- SEO Marketing (Search Engine Optimization)
- Having this understanding will not only help you manage campaigns more effectively, but it will also help you feel more comfortable when presenting marketing proposals to your potential clients.
Tip 2 – Focus On Acquiring Customers FIRST
- Most people that I have seen enter this industry start their business off with the wrong goals in mind…
- Your website, social media pages, pamphlets, etc. should be the last of your worries.
- After you have learned enough info about Digital Marketing (Tip 1) you should begin to make lists of potential businesses that you could work with…
- Trust me when I tell you that they USUALLY won’t even check out your website or social media channels.
- IF they do and ask why you don’t have any, the simplest reply is just to tell them that you’re a new business and you’re more focused on acquiring customers and providing them with results.
- I see so many people that spend time making posts for Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, etc. that still don’t have a customer. These are the same people that quit before the miracle happens because they never see their first sale…
- DON’T be afraid to get out there and shake some hands and meet new faces…if you’re nervous then practice. BUT I can tell you that if you never get out there you’ll never make a sale.
- Trust me when I tell you that they USUALLY won’t even check out your website or social media channels.
- Most people that I have seen enter this industry start their business off with the wrong goals in mind…
Tip 3 – Avoid Under-Pricing Services
- Under-pricing your services can be the worst thing that you can do when starting off…
- A $1,000 a month starter package is NOTHING compared to what a lot of the BIG corporate marketing agencies charge.
- Here are some quick tips to keep in mind when determining your pricing for customers…
- PPC is usually super expensive…I usually don’t add PPC to a customer’s campaign if they aren’t spending AT LEAST $2,500 to $3,000 a month in total. (This would be the management fee AND PPC ad budget) Example: At $2,500 your package could look like the following…
- Social Media
- Youtube
- Email Consulting
- Web Management: Basic
- PPC Spend: $750-$1000
- Social Media
- PPC is usually super expensive…I usually don’t add PPC to a customer’s campaign if they aren’t spending AT LEAST $2,500 to $3,000 a month in total. (This would be the management fee AND PPC ad budget) Example: At $2,500 your package could look like the following…
- In this example the cost breakdown looks like this…
- $1,000 PPC
- $1,000 Social Media Management
- $500 Email Consulting & Web Management
- If you are really struggling to determine a fair price then shop your local competitors
- Give them a call and pretend to have a business that you are trying to run a marketing campaign for
- Your base $1,000 package WON’T cover every service.
- As the budget scales the amount of work performed in each category should increase as well.
As always I hope this has been helpful for you guys! Stay grinding…Cereal Entrepreneur out.