10 Agency Growth Tactics

Let’s say you completed my CORE Identity Exploration process and have your manifesto, brand narrative, anthem, positioning, messaging, and sales copy in hand. Now, what do you do? Most agency consultants hand you the deck and say goodbye, leaving the rest up to you. Not me. I take the results and put them to good use in my top 10 agency growth tactics. I want to make sure your new business program is knocking down all ten pins and then optimize it for maximum success. 

A brand differentiation and positioning deck is the start of the new business equation. Attracting and winning new clients consistently is the cornerstone of sustainable agency growth. The business development executive and agency leader’s primary focus should be implementing a strategic, multifaceted approach that generates a steady pipeline of opportunities in the short term and nurtures lasting, profitable client relationships over time. That can be done internally, with outside help, or by combining both.

Ten Tactics

History proves there are many ways an agency can generate new clients. I’ve compiled 10 agency growth tactics that I deploy to elevate an agency’s business development game and ensure long-term success. You can implement these strategies or variations to create awareness, cut through the noise, differentiate your agency, and build trust with your ideal clients. 

I outline ten basic frameworks. You should experiment with variations and substitutions to optimize what works best for you and your agency. A long list of tactics can overwhelm an agency. Be prudent and practical by prioritizing what works and what is possible to execute. Enlist help around the agency. Seek outside help to jump-start the process and achieve results faster.

1. Broad Outreach

Statistics show that approximately 3% – 5% of your prospect universe actively seeks a new agency. The rest are head down, executing to support their business goals, and not likely to be open to the idea until sometime in the future. To connect with that active segment, you’ll need a campaign with messaging about services, cost, results, time to market, and similar tactical specialties. 

Tactics may include targeted digital advertising and search using industry-relevant keywords, job titles, and your target prospect profile interests. Create a series of attention-grabbing display, video, and social media ads highlighting your agency’s key services, cost-effective solutions, track record of results, and ability to deliver on tight timelines. In every case, clear calls to action, such as downloading a free resource or scheduling a free brand analysis, are essential to provoke a quick response.  

Another effective tactic is branded content syndication. Develop a series of informative, thought-leadership articles or video content that addresses prospects’ common challenges and needs in active search. Optimize the content for search engine visibility and social media engagement. Syndicate the content through a network of industry-leading publishers, influencers, and online communities. Ensure the content seamlessly integrates your agency’s branding, service offerings, and unique value proposition. Remember, clear calls to action and lead capture are needed to follow up quickly.

2. Proactive Prospecting

Relying solely on inbound leads is a recipe for stagnation. Adopt a proactive prospecting approach to identify and reach out to new prospects that fit your ideal client profile. Leverage data-driven research, market analysis, and targeted outreach to uncover opportunities and start meaningful conversations.

The most common tactics for cold prospecting include using data-driven research to identify high-potential target accounts and decision-makers. Craft personalized outreach campaigns to those targets that highlight the agency’s unique value and differentiation. Also, leverage LinkedIn, industry directories, and other online resources to find new prospects. 

3. Targeted Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

Successful business development starts with a laser-focused approach. Rather than casting a wide net, leverage account-based marketing (ABM) to deeply research and personalize your outreach to a select group of high-value, strategic target accounts. By understanding their unique pain points, decision-making process, and growth goals, you can craft tailored solutions demonstrating your agency’s value and relevance.

Tactics for ABM might include conducting in-depth research on target account decision-makers and decision influencers and their pain points. Create personalized, multi-channel outreach campaigns tailored to each account. You may also retain subject matter experts to create highly relevant, value-added content.

4. Referral Programs

Your existing clients and industry contacts are a goldmine of new business opportunities. Implement a structured referral program that encourages and rewards these valuable sources for introducing your agency to qualified leads. Offer incentives, such as discounts or bonuses, and allow referrers to share your capabilities and success stories easily.

Referral tactics typically incentivize (e.g., discounts, bonuses, gifts) existing and former clients, vendors, or employees to refer new business. 

The key is to make it easy for clients to share your agency’s capabilities and success stories. To encourage ongoing participation, recognize and publicly celebrate top referrers.

5. Thought Leadership Content

Positioning your agency as an industry thought leader is a powerful way to attract and engage prospective clients. Develop a content marketing strategy that showcases your team’s expertise through blog posts, whitepapers, webinars, and social media. Focus on providing genuinely useful, educational content that addresses your target audience’s most pressing challenges and pain points.

To get the most value from thought leadership tactics, develop a content calendar that addresses the target audience’s primary challenges. Push your content through owned, earned, and paid channels (e.g., blog posts, webinars, videos, whitepapers, podcasts, YouTube, LinkedIn).

6. Networking and Relationship Building

Cultivating a robust professional network is essential for the agency’s new business development. Actively participate in industry events, conferences, and networking groups to connect with potential clients, industry influencers, and strategic partners. Prioritize building genuine, mutually beneficial relationships over immediate sales pitches.

Actively participate in industry events, conferences, and networking groups. Enlist the leadership to divide and conquer. Prioritize building genuine connections over immediate sales pitches. Follow up with new contacts and nurture relationships through regular check-ins.

7. Leveraging Partnerships

Collaborating with complementary service providers, vendors, or industry associations can open doors to new audiences and joint business development opportunities. Seek strategic partners whose offerings and target markets align with your agency’s capabilities and growth objectives.

Partnership tactics require identifying and prioritizing the impact of complementary service providers, vendors, social and charitable causes, or relevant industry associations. To reach new audiences, co-create joint content, webinars, or events. Consider establishing formal referral programs and revenue-sharing agreements with the highest potential partners.

8. Pitch and Proposal Optimization

The pitch and proposal process is critical in the new business journey. Invest time refining your agency’s approach, from streamlining the submission process to crafting compelling, value-focused narratives. Continuously gather feedback and test different strategies to improve your win rates.

Typical refinements include streamlining the pitch and proposal process to improve efficiency and responsiveness, crafting compelling narratives demonstrating the agency’s unique value proposition, and continuously gathering client feedback to refine your approach and increase win rates.

9. Innovative Pricing and Packaging

Flexibility and creativity in the agency’s pricing and service offerings can be a competitive advantage. Experiment with value-based pricing models, flexible retainers, and bundled service packages that better align with your client’s evolving needs and budgets.

Consider a performance-based equity model. Instead of a traditional fee structure, the agency could offer the client the option to pay a portion of the compensation in the form of equity in their company. This “sweat equity” arrangement would align the agency’s interests directly with the client’s long-term growth and valuation. 

Another idea is a subscription-based retainer model, where the client would pay a predictable monthly or annual fee for a comprehensive suite of marketing services. Unlike a traditional retainer, this “marketing-as-a-service” approach would allow clients to customize their service tiers and add-ons based on evolving needs and budgets. Tiered pricing options include priority access, dedicated account management, and even performance guarantees for higher-level subscriptions.

Try a shared revenue e-commerce partnership. Rather than an upfront agency fee, the agency would take a percentage of the incremental revenue generated through digital marketing efforts. This revenue-sharing model would demonstrate the agency’s confidence in its ability to drive measurable results while providing the client with complete transparency and real-time reporting on the campaign’s performance.

10. New Service Offerings

Expanding the agency’s capabilities and product mix is crucial for staying ahead of market trends and client demands. Carefully monitor the competitive landscape, gather feedback from existing clients, invest in developing new service lines that complement your core offerings, and position your agency as a comprehensive, forward-thinking partner.

New service offerings are newsworthy. Monitor market trends and gather client feedback to identify new services in demand and complementary to current services. Invest in developing those capabilities. Market new services through thought leadership content, targeted outreach, and the press.

Some, All, Not None

By implementing any, some, or all of these 10 agency growth tactics, you’ll be well on your way to building a robust, sustainable ad agency business development program. Remember, the key to success lies in blending these approaches, measuring their impact, and continuously refining your efforts to meet the ever-changing needs of your target market. Remember, trying to execute too many tactics can overwhelm the agency. Be prudent and prioritize what works and is possible, considering schedules and bandwidth. Get help around the agency. Go outside to jump-start the process and achieve results faster.

Of course, these 10 agency growth tactics will only be effective if the agency’s positioning and differentiation are tuned up first. That’s why I started this post referencing my CORE process. You may be familiar with a different method or another consultant offering something similar. However, you do it; don’t waste your time or money on agency growth until you have the right story to share, which is relevant and interesting to your target audiences. Otherwise, you’ll be ignored or forgotten.

Investing in a comprehensive multi-channel, multi-tactic integrated, data-driven marketing plan will increase awareness, shape perception, and position your agency as an indispensable partner. When done right, such a plan will attract a steady pipeline of high-quality opportunities, laying the foundation for long-term growth and profitability. I call that a perfect frame.

Happy Prospecting

Now that you know the top 10 agency growth tactics, let’s schedule a call to discuss the CORE Identity process or your new business program. I always enjoy talking about my favorite subject, agency growth. If you like this post, sign up for my new business newsletter. Why not connect on LinkedIn to network, share resources, explore new ideas, or discuss the latest business development news? #LetsGrow!