I NTRO DU C TI ON

FORGET THE EXCUSES

When it comes to marketing your agency, the time for hesitation and excuses is
over.
Its time to ask yourself the same questions you ask your clients.
1. Do you want more qualified leads?
2. Do you need to create a sustainable way to attract new clients?
3. Do you struggle with being seen as a credible, authoritative source on industry
trends and tactics?
4. Do you spend time on new business tactics that yield few results?
5. Are you struggling to attract clients outside of your city or region?
When you ask your clients these questions, you lament on their need to
differentiate themselves, create remarkable content for their target customers, and
discover the pain points, wants, and needs of their audience.
But when it comes to you the expert at marketing you often fail at marketing
yourself.
There are a host of reasons why, but the main issue is that an agency cant market
itself if it isnt focused it has to establish what it does, how it does it, and whom it
does it for.
Your agency cant be all things to all prospective clients.
In this ebook, well cover how agencies can define their purpose and positioning
and then how to use these to guide three valuable marketing activities.
It will be hard work, requiring time, resources, and an unwavering commitment.
Its time to use your expertise to grow your agency, not just your clients businesses.
It will be the one thing that differentiates and defines your future.

C HAP TE R O NE

PURPOSE

There is nobility in creating great advertising that drives business results. Theres
no denying that.
But is creating great advertising enough?
It might be, but it is also worth considering how the industrys problems of
retaining and attracting talent, developing long-term relationships with clients, and
sustaining profitability are affected by the industrys image of being everything for
everyone.
By nature, advertising is agnostic, said Dave Schiff, founder and chief creative
office of Made Movement. You are supposed to stand for whomever pays you, and
then figure out an awesome way to stand for that.
Founded in 2012 in Boulder, Colorado, the two-year-old agency has worked with
brands like Seventh Generation, Walmart, and Vegas.com and has grown to employ
more than 35 people.
Launched during a time when words like bailout, deficit, and austerity were gracing
the front page of newspapers, the founders felt the pressure of doing something
that would matter in the economic market. Thats when they decided that while
they didnt know anything about manufacturing, they did understand advertising.
And they wanted to be the ones to help those that make things in the U.S.
Ive always felt like people in advertising arent cynical, Schiff said. Theyre just a
bunch of crestfallen idealists.

Why Purpose Matters for

Advertising Agencies
Purpose defines why you do what you do why you exist.
Roy J. Spence. Jr., founder of Austin-based agency GSD&M, defined purpose in his
book Its Not What You Sell, Its What You Stand For:
Purpose is a definitive statement about the difference you are trying to make in the
world.
It gives your organization an end point not in terms of revenue or even a list of
clients you want to work with. Rather, it provides you and your team with a view
of how your agency will make a difference, setting everyone on the same path and
giving everyone the chance to aspire to be better, create better work, and form
better relationships.
This shouldnt be confused with your mission, which is the guide for whom you
serve, what you do, and how you do it. Your purpose is about one single word: why.
It answers the questions: Why does your company exist? Why do you go to work
every day? Why do your
Purpose is a definitive statement about the
employees continue to come
to work? Why do clients want
difference you are trying to make in the world.
to work with you?
Purpose gives your agency and your staff a reason for existing a purpose for
making a profit.
Thats not to say that you need a reason to make money. People need money to
live their suburban- or city-dwelling lives. But we know that if money was the only
reason for working, many of us would not be in advertising. There are far more
lucrative jobs that require fewer late nights at the office.
Anyone who has ever been in business knows that if all you are chasing is dollars,
then you will never really get rich, said Eric Kiker, the chief strategy officer of LRXD.

Kiker understands the attraction for agencies to be everything to everyone.

Agencies go through this when they are young, he said. In the beginning we had
to take what came through the door because we had mouths to feed.
But eventually, the agency leadership realized that the types of clients they liked
working with, the projects they felt most invigorated by, were ones with a purpose
to help people live happier and healthier lives.
A few years ago, it formally went through its own Two Weeks to Truth workshop
and asked: If we do our jobs well, we will be able to do what?
The team decided that they wanted to be able to hire their clients the clients they
wanted to work with.
To meet this goal, they needed a bigger purpose one that would energize and
focus their team.
The result was: We work with brands that help people get healthy and celebrate
feeling good.
LRXD now boasts a client list that includes Curves, Jenny Craig, Kampgrounds of
America (KOA), and Red Robin.

Ive always felt like people in advertising arent cynical.

Theyre just a bunch of crestfallen idealists.

Define Your Purpose to

Differentiate Your Agency
You might think that defining a purpose is a waste of time. Youve got clients to take
care of. Its 4 p.m., and you havent even eaten lunch yet. Why do you need to think
about your agencys why?
There are four main benefits for defining your purpose:

1. Attracting and keeping the best talent.

Working towards the same goal not only brings a team together, but it attracts those
who want to be a part of what you are building. Employees are able to talk about
their shared passions, and a purpose allows you to more easily understand who is
a good cultural fit for the organization. At LRXD, company events include mud runs
and visits to ranches. Most likely, anyone who doesnt enjoy these type of events will
quickly look elsewhere.

2. Finding your focus and staying steadfast in your mission.

By defining your purpose, you are giving everyone direction. Staff is able to look at
their roles at the agency, the clients they work with, and the creative they produce
through a lens of purpose. It provides a tightrope and a focal point so that while
they may not be able to avoid the frenzied life of advertising, they can find some
order in the chaos.
It also helps agencies to focus their business goals and models. Market conditions
change for better or worse but when the agency makes decisions based on its
purpose, it doesnt have to simply react to industry trends or new competition. It
can define its own path.

3. Attracting new business.

Purpose is a differentiator.
It shouldnt be the reason for having a purpose, but it does play a role in setting an
agency apart from the multitude of service providers.

Max Lenderman founded his agency

School in 2012. Located in Boulder,
Colorado, the agency employs eight
full-time staff members and relies on a
group of freelancers.

When creating a campaign, most

agencies ask: Is this on brand?

School is a purposeful advertising

agency that helps make the world a
better place.

It is solving the same problems any

other agency is asked to solve. Its
just doing it through a different
perspective.

We dont want to be a specialized

agency, Lenderman said. We want
to put out work that is great, but
the way to get to that work is how
we differentiate ourselves. The way
we talk about ourselves is how we
differentiate ourselves. The way we
position what advertising should be is
different.
School was founded on the idea that
purpose has power both for brands
and agencies.
Research shows that when a brand
has a purpose and its authentic, and
consumers believe that is it real not
good washing there is a definite
business case to make, he said. Your
business will grow.
Havas Media completed a Meaningful
Brands study in 2013, and it echoes
Lendermans sentiment. It found
that brands that are meaningful
outperform the stock market by 120%.

Schools team asks: Is this good for

the brand? Is this good for the world?

4. Building a culture of
meaning.
A culture isnt formed around beer
kegs and ping-pong tables. But many
agencies try to use these physical
aspects to encourage an emotional tie
between people.
Having a defined purpose a reason
for people to get up everyday, grind
their teeth through a commute, and
put in at least eight hours every day
is what actually creates the type
of culture that makes people want to
stay and create great work.
And you cant fake it.
The first people that will recognize
that your purpose is bullshit are your
employees, your own people, Schiff
said.

Agency leaders have to be critical and examine every decision they make in relation
to what their purpose is. An empty purpose will be the fastest way to drive away
both clients and staff.
When LRXD was trying to live its health and happiness credo, the leadership
presented the idea of getting rid of soda in the break room. While there were some
side glances and hesitations, the entire staff ended up agreeing that nixing the
sugary drinks was a good idea.

5. Crafting more impactful and insightful advertising.

By understanding purpose and why it is important, agencies can also create more
effective advertising advertising that isnt based on a campaign cycle and easily
forgotten. A purpose holds together a brands narrative, its journey, and it helps
consumers better understand how they fit into the brands story regardless of
the product.
GSD&M, founded in 1971, is based in Austin, Texas, and has another location
in Chicago, Illinois. It employs more than 450 people. The agency focuses on
marketing that leverages its clients core purpose and has defined its own purpose
as creating ideas that make a difference.
Take for example GSD&Ms client Southwest Airlines: Founded in 1967, Herb
Kelleher didnt want to compete with other legacy airlines. So he created a
new business model. Kelleher was in the freedom business the business of
democratizing the skies. This idea is at the heart of most campaigns and messaging
created for the airline.

Or consider another purposeful client of the agencys John Deere. They actually
believe theyre not in the manufacturing business but rather the service business,
Raftus said. Their purpose is to serve those who move and shape the Earth we all
live and rely on.

Purpose isnt just a marketing idea. Its a philosophy or a way of doing business.
And that engenders marketing that is inherently not only about selling, but about
the customers relationship with the brand.
The companies with a defined purpose are not just beloved by consumers,
but theyre the best performing companies, Raftus said. Dont think of this as
a marketing thing. Think of this as the way to serve every stakeholder in your
organization and improve business performance.

The first people that will recognize that your

purpose is bullshit are your employees, your own
people.

Finding Your Purpose

Agencies should approach defining their own place in the market, image, and
mission in the same way brands do. And this means they also need a purpose
especially if they want to outlast the next digital trend or social media fad.
So how can you find your agencys purpose? Find is the important word in that
sentence.
As Raftus put it: Purpose is discovered. And then its articulated. Its not created.
Start by understanding what you are passionate about and what you can be the best
at. Figure out why your clients specifically chose your agency, and what sets you
apart from their previous partners.
And finally, ask yourself: Why do
People will patronize those brands they
we exist? And what would people
feel are doing good for the world. Its how
miss if we didnt exist tomorrow?
you ask them to do that. Its how you tell

the stories that are different.

Once youve uncovered and

solidified your purpose, you have to commit. You need to write it in stone
figuratively or literally as GSD&M has done (Its values are engraved in stone in the
agencys lobby.).
Finding your purpose shouldnt just be an exercise in how you brand your
agency or differentiate yourself. Its not as simple as putting up a new slogan
and description on your websites about page. Discovering your purpose, and
ultimately understanding the business you are in, should change the way you look
at the overall purpose of advertising how you communicate for brands and with
consumers.
We dont believe an advertising agency should just put out ads, Lenderman said.
We have a responsibility to culture. And that responsibility to culture was for a
long time totally ignored. We influence a lot of people with messaging. And its
about time that we influence people with messaging that matters messaging that
inspires rather than messaging that just gets people to buy more stuff.
The buying more stuff will get there, he said. People will patronize those brands
they feel are doing good for the world. Its how you ask them to do that. Its how
you tell the stories that are different.

C HAP TE R TWO

POSITIONING

Positioning has become an industry buzzword.

But that doesnt mean it is without merit.
There are thousands of agencies many of which offer the same services, promise
similar results, and are generally positioned the same.
So, why would a brand choose to work with one agency over another?
Why take a left, rather than the easier right-turn, if both lead you to the same type
of business that sells the same thing?
Heres just one list of an actual agencys service offerings:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

SEO/SEM/affiliate marketing
Digital content strategy
Media planning
Website analytics
Social media planning
Campaign development &
executions
7. Social media management
8. Search engine optimization
9. PPC and SEM management
10. Mobile marketing and
development
11. Web and application development
12. Email marketing
13. Ecommerce

14. Campaign development &

execution
15. Design
16. Brand identity and development
17. New product launch
18. Rebranding
19. Tours and vehicle creation
20. Event marketing
21. Interactive event marketing
22. In-store marketing
23. Sampling
24. Retail marketing
25. On-premise marketing
26. Quarterly programs

Another agency capabilities listing I reviewed totaled at 128. Its employee count
clocks in at around 240.
Focus is the issue, and positioning is often the way to find both focus and success.
In Tim Williams Positioning for Professionals, he writes, Nobody buys a product or
service because it can do everything, but rather because it can do something.

What Is Positioning?
Positioning is finding a space in the market for a company that is intrinsic to the
way it does business, said Clayton Reid, president and CEO of MMGY Global, a travel,
hospitality, and entertainment marketing communications agency.
In Williams Propulsion blog, he writes: A positioning strategy is really a business
strategy, not just a communications strategy. It is an articulation of what services
you offer (the answer cant be everything) and which markets or customer
segments you serve (the answer can be everybody).
Positioning should not be confused with branding or design. It is as much an
internal rallying cry and mantra as it is an external marketing function, Reid said.
And it is about more than simply adding a specialty or category page on your
agencys website. With positioning comes a need to live and breathe that expertise,
from creating content, conducting research, and yes, branding your agency to appeal
to your defined target buyer brands in that market, with that audience, or with
that specific need.

Nobody buys a product or service because it

can do everything, but rather because it can
do something.

Look at a few of the recipients of Advertising Ages 2014 Small Agency Awards.
Tiny Rebellion works with organizations that want to put something useful and
powerful into the world.
Odysseus Arms runs a lean model where it outsources production and only works
on a project basis.
The Brooklyn Brothers has focused on developing its own intellectual property.
And positioning is as much about what you have laid claim to what you decide to
focus on as it is on what you decide not to do.

How Positioning Benefits Your

Agency
Why do you choose one brand over another? Your agency cant run a Pepsi
Challenge to figure out whether or not people can even tell the difference between
your agency and another. Youre in the service industry, which means you can only
differentiate your agency by a few different factors:
What services or tactics you specialize in.
The audience or market you understand.
How you approach your work through your methods, business structure, or
pricing.
Why you do what you do your purpose.
This doesnt mean that defining a position limits you. Its actually the opposite.
Positioning provides your agency with:

1. Direction
You and your staff are able to move forward boldly marketing your agency,
deciding who to work with, and how you will execute on strategies and tactics.
There is no question about what you do, whom you do it for, and how you do it.

2. Borderless Market
Regional agencies struggle to attract talent and clients outside of their area. By
determining a focus and building this up as a core part of your service, clients will
want to work with you and people will want to work for you regardless of your
location or size.
Agencies think that by niching, you miss out on opportunities, said Matt
Sonnhalter, president of Sonnhalter, an agency founded by his father in 1976. The
reality is that different types of opportunities appear that are more in line with the
type of work you want to do.
Sonnhalter focuses on marketing to professional tradesmen in the construction,
industrial, and MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) markets, aptly named
Business-To-Tradesman (B2T) marketing.
Around half of the agencys revenues come from work with brands located outside
of Ohio.

3. Target Audience
Does your agency have buyer personas? Do you currently have a list of prospects
that you know would be interested in your services? Strong positioning helps you
understand the unique pain points of your target audience, what they need and
want, and how they buy. By identifying shared goals, challenges, and identifiers of
your target audience, you can create a more efficient and targeted new business
and sales process.

4. Premium Pricing
Deep expertise demands premium pricing. Brands want insights, not more
generic information on how to market their products or services. With specialized
knowledge of an industry (such as distribution methods or trade channels), an
audience (their behaviors, needs, and wants), or a service offering (mobile, social,
demand generation), you can promote how your agency isnt focused on learning
an industry, rather its consumed with developing creative ideas that work.

5. Differentiation
When entering a competitive pitch or even attempting to woo a client away from
its current agency, how you do say you are different? Is it through your full service,
integrated, strategic, media-agnostic capabilities? Or can you discuss how you have
helped a client reach Millennials and have grown the brand by 120% in the past
three years?

6. Influence
How often is your agency quoted in The
New York Times, Luxury Daily, Travel
Pulse, or Franchise Magazine? Deep
expertise draws people conference
organizers, reporters, and even brands.
This isnt the time where having a
company name that starts with the
letter A will be to your advantage.
People are savvy searchers who believe
that those with the most credible and
expansive amount of knowledge on a
subject are also the most qualified.
Consider Barkleys journey to
becoming known as the expert on
Millennial marketing. Located in
Kansas City, Missouri, the agency
employs around 300 people. In 2009,
Jeff Fromm joined the agency as the
head of sales. His point of view was
that the future of marketing would be
found in content excellence, meaning
people would use Google to find
expertise and information on a specific
subject. Sounds familiar, right?
He asked: What subject would be
relevant and valuable for our clients
and prospects?
He used Google in the opposite
way. He looked for the absence of
information, trying to discover subjects
where very little expertise existed.

Eventually he landed on Gen Y (also

known as Millennial) consumer
trends and realized there was
very little information for such an
important topic. He partnered with
The Boston Consulting Group and
Service Management Group (SMG)
to produce a report American
Millennials: Deciphering the Enigma
Generation. He has since written a
book on marketing to Millennials, is
in the final stages of his second book,
has produced additional research
reports, and has spoken at hundreds
of conferences on the topic. Recently,
he launched FutureCast, a millennial
trends consulting company.
Fromm emphasized that positioning
your agency as an expert is one thing
proving that expertise is another.
You have to have a point of view,
Fromm said. You cant walk in and
say you are an expert in this and
have no proof.
Fromm is frequently called on to
comment on Millennial trends for The
New York Times, The Washington Post,
and NPR.
If you want to win the positioning
battle for your agency, be wildly
unique and wildly relevant to your
intended target, Fromm said. Its
what you would do for your client.

Discover Your Agencys

Positioning
To determine your agencys unique position in the market or to determine a new
direction for your agency, start by asking these questions:
1. What are our strengths?
2. Why do we come to work each day? What drives our passion as an organization?
3. What tactics or channels do we have the most experience with or understanding
of?
4. What types of clients do we like working with? What values do we share with
these clients?
5. What audiences, groups, or types of customers do we understand?
6. How do we approach working with each client? What is different about our
method?
7. How do we price our services?
8. What are the biggest problems facing our agency?
9. Why do we lose talent? What problems do we have in attracting talent? What
type of people do we want to work for our agency?
10. What is the story of our agency, and how can we frame this in a way that sets us
apart?
This is not a definitive list, but it will get you and your agency leadership to
consider who your agency is and what you want it to become.

Positioning your agency

Agencies think that by niching, you miss out
is no easy feat. It takes
on opportunities. The reality is that different
time, dedication, and
types of opportunities appear that are more in
the courage to say no
line with the type of work you want to do.
to some things. But it is
necessary, especially if you
are struggling to create consistent revenue streams, bring in new clients, and retain
your current clients.
It is a way to attract prospects, talent, and influencers to your agency, and thats
something you definitely have time for.

C HAP TE R THR EE

CONVERSION-FOCUSED
WEBSITE
Theres no question that your agency can create a beautiful website.
Your designers understand how to balance great visuals with a simple, yet effective,
layout. You understand the principles that make a web experience impactful and
memorable.
You do this for your clients all the time.
The problem is that most agency sites dont work for them they are simply
beautiful displays of design prowess and past work.
And your website is one of the most important ways you differentiate your agency
and drive new business. You cant rely on fancy visuals and quirky copy to convince
prospects that you are the right agency, and your website shouldnt be a virtual
business card.
It needs to be an evolving, integrated hub that connects all your other marketing
activities, creating an interesting and credible experience for potential and current
clients.
Here are the four core elements of a conversion-focused website:

1. Homepage
Your homepage is the most important page on your site if you use it that way.
People will not always enter your website through your homepage, especially if you
have a blog that drives high amounts of organic traffic, but it deserves attention.
The homepage should be a succinct and compelling snapshot of who your agency is,
what it does, and how it does it.
It should include:

Unique Value Proposition or Positioning: What do you do, whom you do it for,
and how you do it? What differentiates your agency from the thousands of other
agencies out there?

Links to Past Work and Case Studies: Potential clients want to know if you can
do what you say you can do. This is ultimately about building credibility. Dont just
throw up a bunch of logos. This does nothing to answer the question, How can you
help grow my business? Provide links to in-depth case studies that showcase how
your agencys processes and expertise helped a current or previous client meet his
goals.

Testimonials: Approach your site like you would if you were creating a home
page for a software company. Prove that your clients are happy with your work
and passionate about spreading the word about your agency. It will help visitors
to connect with your current clients people who have similar challenges and
objectives and it is an additional point of credibility for your agency.

2. Calls-to-Action
Whats the action you want prospects to take after viewing your site? Do you even
know?
You need to create conversion paths that lead visitors to perform a desired
action on your site download a guide, sign up for email updates, or complete a
marketing audit. Each path should move the person towards directly contacting you
or providing you with information so your new business team can identify if this
person would be a good fit for your services and how to contact him.
CTAs should be clear, direct (include a verb to entice the viewer to take an action),
and noticeable. They should showcase what the unique value of the offer is.

3. Landing Pages
Your CTA should lead to an optimized landing page with a form that details the
benefits of downloading, subscribing, or providing personal information.
Remember these best practices:
Eliminate distractions and focus on the goal of the page getting visitors to
fill out a form. Remove any navigation elements or copy that doesnt align with
the offer.
Use clear copy that elicits action. Dont worry about being clever. Communicate
the benefits and value of downloading the offer or providing information.
Include an image of the ebook, poster, newsletter, or whatever it is that you are
offering.
Use a form that aligns with the value of the offer. If a visitor is signing up for
your newsletter, you dont need to know where he went to high school or his
brands revenue. For a consultation though, you will need detailed information
on the clients goals, challenges, or the type of services he is interested in.

4. Blog
Your blog is an important part of your marketing strategy. By creating a blog that
aligns with your positioning and value proposition for clients, you will establish
your company and executives as authorities and attract potential clients. A blog
also drives traffic and provides content for your social media and email marketing
efforts.

A conversion-focused website is about providing visitors your potential clients

with the right information in the right way. You can either let these future clients
find their own path to your agency or you can determine it for them. But the later
will lead to a more profitable, lasting relationship.

C HAP TE R FOU R

BLOGGING

How do you drive traffic to your website?

Or do even consider this?
Maybe you dont necessarily think traffic and the leads it brings is important.
Youve got your email list of hundreds or thousands of CMOs and brands you cold
call on a regular basis. Maybe you are even trying to think of an amazing direct mail
campaign that will get a decision-makers attention.
You are shouting, not attracting.
You understand how maintaining a quality and informative blog helps your client,
but have you considered how it could help your agency? And by a blog, I dont mean
a glorified news section that lists your recent account wins and awards and details
your many company events.
Impact, an agency located in Connecticut, made a commitment to blogging in early
2012. Its goals are to produce instructional content for marketers quality is
never sacrificed because of an editorial calendar and to capture email addresses.
It now publishes between eight and 14 blog posts per week.
And this strategy has paid off. Since 2012, Impacts lead generation has grown
by 500%, its revenue has tripled, and it has grown from a seven-person shop to a
35-person agency.
Dont believe me?

Impact shared its lead generation and traffic reports from the past two years.

Organic traffic growth

Lead generation growth

It is all attributed to the commitment we made to blogging, said John Bonini, the
marketing director at Impact. If we were going to sell this stuff, we had to do it
better than anyone else. We had to be our own case study.
Now the agency hears from prospects who open admit that they love the agencys
content and email marketing campaigns.
We dont have to convince them of our strategy because thats how they found us in
the first place, Bonini said. They basically tell us to shut up and do what you do for
yourself.

A frequently updated blog that contains quality content that addresses the needs
and interests of your target audience will:
Drive traffic to your website. It creates indexed pages that notify search engines
that your website is frequently updated and your content should be surfaced, which
drives organic traffic. Remember: Content is the food that fuels Google.
Provide fodder for social media. Creating blog posts gives your social media
team the content it needs to create an engaged and active social media presence
whether thats on Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Facebook.
Generate leads. Content that appeals to the core interests and needs of your target
audience and that is paired with a compelling call-to-action helps convert visitors
into leads. You dont need to buy lists and troll LinkedIn for contact information.
Your target buyer will come to you and give you his information.
Establish authority. How many times have your presented a proposal or entered
a competitive pitch situation feeling like you need to prove your expertise and
establish your credibility? By publishing articles that answer common questions
about your target buyers industry, youll establish trust. And if this key element to
any successful agency-client relationship is already established, you can focus on
the important things during a pitch, such as how your agency can help the potential
client grow his business.

It is all attributed to the commitment we made to blogging. If we

were going to sell this stuff, we had to do it better than anyone else.
We had to be our own case study.

Anatomy of a Perfect Blog

Post
There is an art to building a thriving and business-results oriented blog, but too
often, people get excited about the overarching strategy and ideas for article, and
they forget that a strong foundation is key to building a blog that drive lasting
business results.
Dont forget these key elements when writing, publishing, and promoting your blog
posts.

Optimized URL: This is what search engines crawl, so it needs to include

relevant keywords and be friendly to both Google and readers. Remove extraneous
words (and, that, for, etc.), and use dashes between words.

Descriptive, yet enticing, headline: Based on your keyword research, you

should understand both the short- and long-tail keywords you would like to rank
for. Your blog posts at least in the initial phases should be centered on these
topics. In the end, dont be too cute or quirky, and dont use click-bait to lure readers
to posts that dont deliver. Remember: You are building an audience of your future
clients. Use the vocabulary of your prospects, be descriptive of the content, and
then give them a useful and informative article.

Section headers: People scan online thats just how we read as we are
jumping from Twitter to Medium to The New York Times to our favorite blog. Break
up sections, and include compelling subheadings that lead readers through the
article.

Short paragraphs: Break long pieces of text into short, easy-to-read

paragraphs. It makes your copy more approachable and your points more
memorable.

Internal links: Providing relevant links to additional content on your site gives
readers the opportunity to dive deeper into a subject, and it provides you with an
opportunity to further engage your readership.

Responsive: Blogs are inherently social. If you a potential prospect arrives at

your site and has to pinch, zoom, or perform other finger contortions, he is going
to question your agencys understanding of channel marketing and optimization.
Thats not the lasting impression you want.

Need Inspiration? Check Out

These 4 Ad Agency Blogs
Getting started isnt easy, and it should be approached with an eye on sustainability
and effort. It takes time and resources to maintain and grow a blog. But its a longterm investment and well worth the effort.
If you need some ideas and inspiration for launching your agencys blog, then check
out these four companies that understand the value of content for new business:

Velocity Partners
Velocity Partners Doug Kessler is best known for creating some of the best
SlideShare presentations you can find on the interwebs. But his agencys blog also
publishes articles that are informative and inspiring.
Check out these posts:
Gating Assets: The Unconsidered Alternative
Why Your Content Marketing Must Get More Granular
Hundreds Trapped in MOFU Hell

Franklin Street
The agencys blog, The Next Idea, publishes between eight and 10 posts per month
and focuses on the challenges and issues facing healthcare marketing professionals.
Check out these posts:
Why Health Care Must Stop Designing for Women
5 Tips for Writing a Health Care TV Spot
The Socially Conscious Health System

Orbit Media Studios

Orbit is a web design and development firm based in Chicago. Its blog is updated
around 10 times per month, and the posts are focused on analytics, digital, social
media, and content marketing. The articles are in-depth and applicable, making it a
great resource for both marketers and agency professionals.
Check out these posts:
Copy, Paste, Publish. 5 Ways to Use Email Interviews for Better Web Content
3 Alternative Metrics For Marketers
The Ideal Length for Blog Posts, Tweets, and Everything Else in Your Marketing

She-conomy
Run by Stephanie Holland, the president and executive creative director of
Holland+Holland Advertising, She-conomy is promoted as the guys guide to
marketing to women. Recent reports have stated that as little as 8% of CMOs are
women, while women make 85% of brand choices. Holland educates the men
and women who are in charge of marketing their brand.
Check out these posts:
When Marketing to the Female, Dont Dumb it Down for Women, Man Up For Men
Are Aunts the New Mom?
Men & Women Solve Problems Differently. Therefore, They Shop & Buy Differently

Is the Clock the Issue?

The biggest excuse agencies use for not creating content is time. They cant focus
on marketing their agency because they need to focus on their clients. But business
development professionals, owners, and executives need to consider what they are
spending their time doing.
A lot of what they (agencies) are doing doesnt align with how people are
behaving, Bonini said. You need to understand and identify the behavior of your
audience. If you dont have information readily available for the people who are
asking for it, they are going to get it somewhere else.

A lot of what they (agencies) are doing doesnt align with how
people are behaving. You need to understand and identify the
behavior of your audience. If you dont have information readily
available for the people who are asking for it, they are going to
get it somewhere else.

C HAP TE R F I V E

SOCIAL MEDIA

Do you think social media is a waste of your time?

Is this something you relegate to the interns and entry-level employees?
Heres the problem: Do you think social media is considered a waste of time for
Unilevers CMO, GEs CMO, or the CMO of General Mills?
Weber Shandwicks The Social CEO report included this quote from Peter Aceto,
the CEO of ING DIRECT Canada:
Successful leaders will no longer be measured just by stock price. Managing and
communicating with shareholders, employees, government, community, customers
will be table stakes in the future. They are talking about your business anyway. Why
not be included in the conversation?
Brand managers are increasingly measured on their ability to become a leading
voice in their community and their aptitude at creating connections and building
credibility with reporters, editors, and influencers. They uphold the reputation
of the companys online presence and also serve as a point of inspiration to internal
staff.
The role of the CMO is more public than ever, and if your agency wants to be able
to empathize and understand the challenges and concerns of these executives on
the other side of the table, then your agency leadership team needs first-hand
experience of what it means to be a social executive.
Being silent or non-existent will do nothing to increase your credibility with the
people you most want to connect and build a relationship with it will only make
you irrelevant in the conversation.

How to Be a Social-Savvy
Executive
For those that havent yet joined the social media sphere or have created profiles
that have been abandoned, getting started can be intimidating.
Managing multiple or even one social media profile can be confusing. When
should I post? What should I share? What should I not say?
It can be a dizzying experience.
Being able to post and manage your social media presence from one tool that works
across various different devices is key.
Tools like HubSpot Social Inbox and Buffer help you set tweets in advance, monitor
analytics, and even see what customers or leads are following or interacting with
you.
Also, you need a mentor or a source of inspiration to show you the possibilities of
social media. Identify a group of peers that you respect and create a list of their
profiles. Study what types of content they share, the personality they exude online,
and how they join in conversations or respond to comments online.

Successful leaders will no longer be measured just by stock

price. Managing and communicating with shareholders,
employees, government, community, customers will be table
stakes in the future. They are talking about your business
anyway. Why not be included in the conversation?

Getting Started on LinkedIn

Dont skimp on setting up your profile. Fill out every section thoroughly, including
your Summary, Headline, Experience, and Education.
Here are four tips for creating a credible LinkedIn profile.

Claim your vanity URL. Make sharing your profile and finding your page
easier by customizing the link for your profile. Customize your URL by going here
and clicking Customize your public profile URL.

Use keywords. Include industry terms in your headline and summary.

Showcase your work. Highlight images, PDFs, and SlideShares on your profile.
You can also include links to published articles, whitepapers, and books you have
authored.

Recommendations & Endorsements. LinkedIn allows you to request

recommendations from previous clients and employers. Its a social version of the
testimonial. You can also be endorsed for skills listed in your Skills & Expertise
section of your profile. These act as verified thumbs-up from your colleagues,
friends, and clients. Its called social proof, and you need it.

Getting Started on Twitter

Ive worked with hundreds of agency executives to get their content polished and
published on The Agency Post. And quite often, I find that the executives Twitter
profile doesnt exist or isnt used to promote the content he or she wrote. While
producing leadership content is important, it is just one piece. Professionals need to
support, share, and create conversations around the content they produce.
There arent many options when setting up a Twitter profile, but there is still room
for mistakes. Make sure to:

Upload a professional avatar.

Include an interesting cover image.
Promote a link to your bio page a tracking link is even better!
Craft a description that explains who you are and why people should follow you.

Here are a few agency executives to help inspire your foray into social media:
Tham Khai Meng is the worldwide
chief creative officer of Ogilvy &
Mather. He does a great job mixing
personal information, fun updates, and
sharing news and press on the agency.
His profile is a great example of how to
create a memorable Twitter home.
Catherine Davis is the president of
Vizeum US and provides a great feed
with news on advertising, marketing,
tech, and branding.
PJ Pereira is the chief creative officer
and co-founder of Pereira & ODell.
He re-tweets updates from brand
executives, industry experts, and news
sources. He also comments on trends
in the advertising and publishing
industry.

Why It Matters
The BRANDfog 2014 Social CEO Survey found that:
People think that C-suite social media use creates better leaders.
Nearly three-quarters of U.S. survey respondents think that a CEOs social media
use leads to brand trust.
Social media is the modern version of PR, and its essential for dealing with a
brand crisis.
By becoming an agency leader who is also active on social media, you can increase
the credibility and trust of your agency and inspire your staff to become better
communicators online and with clients something every leader wants to see in
his staff.

C R E D I TS

CREATED BY

Jami Oetting
As a content strategist at HubSpot, Jami
creates content and resources to help
agency partners grow their businesses.
She is also the editor of The Agency Post, an
online publication where marketing agency
professionals can share their point of view
to provoke discussion and debate.
INTERACT WITH ME ON TWITTER
@JAMIOETTING

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