Uncontrolled growth isn’t sustainable.
Sure, you can land a few new clients with a ton of outreach.
But you’ll quickly find yourself on a fast track to burnout and lost clients if you don’t scale your agency the right way.
There are three key elements:
- You need to make sure your agency is built to handle more work without making things too complicated or expensive.
- You need a repeatable way to win more clients.
- You need to keep your current clients happy.
In this guide, we’re going to reveal tips on how to succeed in these three areas. You’ll learn how to scale your agency the right way.
Create SOPs For Repetitive Tasks
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are detailed instructions that explain how to perform specific tasks. They make sure that your in-house team and any external partners know how to do tasks the same way every time.
That’s crucial for efficiency and quality control. You can deliver consistent deliverables for every client.
You don’t have an agency if you don’t have:
• SOPs
• A team
• SystemsYou’re a freelancer
The goal is to build a business that:
• Runs without you
• You can exit for 6-7 figures
• Can pass on— Sean (@sean0to10k) September 26, 2021
Start by making a list of tasks that your team does regularly. That could include SEO audits, creating marketing reports, outreach, or any other repeatable task.
Next, get the go-to expert on your team to create detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to complete it.
Make sure the instructions are clear and easy to follow. You should include tools to use, any templates needed, and any other requirements that should be met.
To speed up the process, you can use Loom or another screen capture tool to demonstrate the process and get your VA to create the written instructions.
Before finalizing the SOP, test it. Ask someone on your team unfamiliar with the task to follow the SOP and complete the task. This is a good way to pick up on any confusing steps that need to be made clearer.
Check out our guide on creating SOPs for a more detailed breakdown of how to create repeatable systems and processes for your agency.
Optimize The Onboarding Process
The client onboarding process sets the stage for your working relationship. It’s when you establish clear expectations and create a positive first impression.
Agency owners,
If you fail at the onboarding process with the client, it’ll be hard to recover from there.
Make it butter and highly results-oriented.
— Max London (@mvxlondon) January 19, 2023
The first thing you need to do is make a checklist of all the steps involved when you onboard a new client.
This includes contract signing, client account access, and kick-off meetings. You’ll also need to establish communication channels and access to project management tools.
Once you’ve outlined the process, look for opportunities to automate. For example, you could set up welcome email templates and online forms to collect client information.
Setting up these processes can make scaling and taking on new clients easier.
If you need help with this task, check out our guide on onboarding new agency clients. You’ll learn the key steps and what to include in your client onboarding questionnaire.
Expand Your Service Offerings
Adding new offerings to your service list can be an effective way to sell more to your existing clients and generate more revenue.
It’s about meeting the changing digital marketing needs of businesses.
You can see what your current clients are asking for, but you are unable to provide. And you can also look at the services in demand in the market.
In a recent survey of agency executives, short-form video was ranked as the most impactful current trend for digital marketing agencies and their clients:
Adding video to your service list can be a great way to boost your revenue and scale your agency.
Developing video production capabilities in-house isn’t easy. But you can use a video outsourcing service like FATJOE to create top-notch video content.
You can bundle video with your existing content marketing packages. This can provide more value to your clients and make your packages more appealing.
Outsource The Right Tasks
Time is your biggest asset as an agency owner. You need to maximize the value you can create with your time.
One of the best ways to do that is by outsourcing.
But, you need to be selective about the tasks you outsource to freelancers and outside partners.
If you’re providing SEO services, use your in-house team to work on your core activities like strategy.
The smaller deliverables are the things you should look to outsource. For SEO, content creation and link building are good options.
The highest leverage an SEO agency has is Strategy.
Insource it. Get a handful of the best SEO strategists on salary.
The lowest leverage point is Links & Content.
Outsource it. Give it to the specialists who have the biggest network, scale and skills. Pay per unit of work.
— Joe Davies (@fatjoedavies) October 19, 2023
Outsourcing these tasks to specialists can help you save time and money without sacrificing quality.
The key thing is to set clear expectations. Be clear about what you expect in terms of quality of work and deadlines.
For some tasks, it also helps to have clear SOPs for your partners to follow.
Check out our guide on outsourcing content writing for pro tips on how to work with freelancers and specialists.
Get Your Pricing Model Right
Cost is the primary factor influencing brands when choosing a marketing agency. That’s what a recent Marketing Insider survey found:
So, it’s super important that you get your pricing right.
First, look at what other agencies are charging. This will give you an understanding of what clients are willing to pay and help you keep your prices competitive.
It’s not just about being the cheapest option. You also want to attract the right types of clients. The lowest-paying SEO clients are often the worst clients to have.
Rather than charging based on time, consider pricing based on the value you bring to your clients. If you can help a client significantly increase their revenue, they may be willing to pay more.
You can also create service packages at different price points. This allows clients with different budgets to work with you.
Don’t Neglect Your Agency Branding And Marketing
A recent survey found that client acquisition is the biggest challenge that creative agencies face:
Client acquisition is also one of the key areas you need to focus on to scale your digital agency.
Marketing isn’t just for your clients. It’s vital to attracting and retaining your agency clients.
You need to clearly define your agency’s values, voice, and visual style. Your brand identity should be reflected in all your communications and marketing efforts.
You also need to build out your bottom-of-the-funnel (BoFu) content.
Informational pieces are great for demonstrating your expertise. But BoFu content like case studies and customer success stories will win you new clients.
Show off your successful projects and client testimonials on your website and social channels. You can repurpose a single case study into multiple social media posts.
Use The Right Tools
The right tools can help you deliver better client results and make your workflows more efficient.
The first thing to look at is a project management tool. A single tool with a unified dashboard can help you organize tasks, track progress, and improve team communication.
Here are some of the best options to test out:
It’s also worth investing in the right analytics tools. These tools can help you prove your worth by providing insights into campaign effectiveness.
There are analytics tools for SEO, social media marketing, email, and other marketing activities.
Ahrefs and Semrush are the two big players when it comes to SEO. But you can get specialized tools for everything from competitor analysis and link building to technical SEO and on-page optimization.
Check out our list of the best SEO tools for a full breakdown.
We’re in a golden age of tech and AI, so make sure you regularly review your tech stack. Keep an eye out for new tools that could improve your campaigns and make your work more efficient.
Reduce Client Churn
Scaling your agency isn’t just about customer acquisition and expanding your marketing services. It’s also about doing everything you can to keep existing clients.
Reducing client churn is crucial for steady growth.
In a recent survey, agency owners ranked client retention as the second most likely way to increase profitability:
The key thing here is providing consistent quality. You need to consistently deliver high-quality work and be a partner that your clients can rely on.
That starts with understanding your client’s goals and challenges. This can help adapt your services to better meet their needs. For example, an SEO strategy for a national client will be very different from a strategy for a local store.
Communication is also key.
Keep clients updated on the progress of their projects. Good communication can prevent misunderstandings and help to build trust.
And when you achieve a milestone, congratulate your client and show that you appreciate their business.
Prove Your Worth With Small Wins
SEO is a long-term strategy. It can take time to achieve the desired results.
That can be an issue, as many clients want to see a quick return on their investment.
In a databox survey, achieving goals in less time was ranked as the third most important reason to hire a marketing agency:
You can boost client satisfaction and reduce churn by showing your clients quick wins that demonstrate the value of your services.
Focus on high-impact tasks that can be achieved relatively quickly. These tasks should align with the client’s overall objectives.
For example, you might want to focus your keyword strategy on low-hanging fruit keywords that can immediately impact traffic. You could also optimize title tags and meta descriptions to boost the clickthrough rates of content ranking on the first page of the search results.
Check out our guide on SEO quick wins for more tips on achieving fast results for your clients.
Once you’ve accomplished these tasks, keep the client updated with easy-to-understand reports that show the results of your work. Highlight your successes and how they impact the client’s business.
Set Clear Goals
Scaling your agency is much easier when you have goals. Clear objectives give you a target to work towards and keep you and your team motivated.
A study by the University of Texas found that entrepreneurs with clear objectives were more likely to remain persistent with their business efforts and challenge themselves to achieve their goals.
Scaling your agency for the first time is all about taking care of things that you don’t take care of now:
1⃣ Where do you lose clients?
2⃣ Network and partnerships
3⃣ Hire additional team members
4⃣ Create a strong brand
5⃣ Set clear goals and measure the progress— Nikola Glogovac 🎾 (@NikolaGlogovac) December 22, 2022
Be specific about what you want to achieve with your agency. It could be an increase in revenue or gaining a set number of new clients.
Once you have a specific goal, make it measurable. For example, instead of just aiming to ‘increase revenue,’ you could set a target to increase revenue by 15% over the next 6 months.
Break down your larger goals into more manageable smaller tasks. This will make it easier to track progress.
If you hit your goals, celebrate the achievement with your team. And if you fail to meet a goal, learn from the setback. Analyze why it happened and what you can take away from it.
This will help you set more achievable goals in the future and provide insights into how you can improve and grow your agency.
Use Your Existing Clients To Get Referrals
Getting referrals from existing clients is one of the fastest ways to grow your client base.
In a WordStream survey, 55% of agency owners ranked client referrals as the primary source of new clients for their agency:
Satisfied clients are more likely to recommend your agency to others. So you need to make sure you’re delivering an excellent service.
You also need to be proactive with problem-solving. When an issue arises, do everything you can to solve it quickly.
Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals directly. The best time to ask is after completing a project, achieving a milestone, or receiving positive feedback.
If your client does refer someone, make sure you thank them.
Scale Your Agency In 2024
Scaling an agency doesn’t happen without planning. It involves a series of deliberate and strategic actions.
By following the tips above, you can set your agency on a path to sustainable growth. You can achieve long-term success rather than experiencing an influx of new clients and getting overwhelmed.
Remember the three key elements. It’s all about building an agency that can handle more work, attracting new clients, and maximizing the value of your existing client base.
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