Marketing

How To Build An Active Website Contact Page

Peter · August 29, 2024 · 8 Comments

How Powerful Is Your Website’s Contact Page?

I’m updating a 2023 blog post about the good, bad and ugly of advertising agency Contact pages. I’m into this today because I am helping a California agency build a kick-ass (action-oriented) website that sells.

In my journey, I came across the contact page for the “cool” agency Animal. YIKES! They have a contact page without any way to make a fast contact. WHA! Take a look. Their Contact page is the same as their home page sans any contact method other than giving you links to their social media. Two steps are one too many.

OK, To You

You’ve built your advertising or marketing or digital agency. You work on your client’s business. You want more clients. You have a website you hope your lead generation programs drive people to.

Then people go to the website and you hope they get so interested (and in some cases excited) that they go to your contact page and… you sound so lame and passive. Like you say virtually nothing that would make them really want to make contact. Harsh? Yup. True for the majority of advertising / digital agency websites (and, hey, the marketing world in general).

Here are some examples of what NYC and Cleveland agencies say on their Contact page. Would these “words” make you want to make contact?

To send our team a message, please use the form below.
Contact us using the form below and one of our team members will reach out as soon as possible.
Get in touch.
We’d love to hear from you and show you more of our work!
Just fill out the form and one of us will get back to you as soon as possible.
If you want to reach out to us, feel free to do so by email:

These Contact Page “Words” Are So Freakin Passive… Being Passive Sucks

Driving contact from the website visitor is where the rubber meets the road – isn’t this the reason y’all have a website?

My tour of agency websites shows a wide range of contact pages. Most are too weak. Some (most) just provide an email contact. Some contact pages go for it by providing reasons to make contact. These contact pages are much more assertive than just having a passive contact email form.

I am a strong believer that the contact section should be warm and welcoming. Businesslike but friendly. Contact should be an invitation and a metaphorical fist bump.

Bland does not work for me. I need some online hospitality. This is a place to show some personality. Even humor. Even empathy. Try to get past the passive voice. Ask for the order. Gently. Not too Glengarry Glenn Ross.

A quick idea (if you don’t want to read more)… Instead of bland text, why not deliver a 20-second video on why the visitor should talk with you?

An Active Contact Page Drives Action

Given people’s general inertia, go ahead and tell the visitor to make contact. Consider how to give them a good reason to act. Maybe make an offer to capture attention and a reaction. This isn’t a brand-new idea—SaaS companies do this all the time because it works.

Here is what I say on my Contact page:

Three reasons to contact me. I deliver the most creative approach to an advertising agency’s positioning and lead generation.I am the most experienced agency business development coach. Read the “My Story” page. I stole the idea from Austin Kleon. My goal is to make your advertising agency unignorable. Unignorable drives awareness and action. Think of the alternative.

++ I deliver an offer…

Take me up on my free Corleone Godfather offer. This is an offer you can’t—or rather, shouldn’t—refuse. Let’s talk for thirty minutes—just 0.50 on the timesheet—to discuss your agency’s issues and opportunities and how I will help you build a more powerful advertising agency business development plan.

Does my Godfather offer work? Yes.

Does my Gandhi testimonial video at the bottom of the contact page help? Yup, I got Gandhi to give me that fist bump.

Chicago’s Orbit Media website development firm goes a bit further than most agencies. They address the fact that the client might not be immediately ready for them. They have this interactive dialogue-building offer on the Contact page – it keeps the “conversation” going:

Work with Orbit Ready to start a project? Fill out the form and Chris or Stephanie, our Web Strategists, will be in touch with you as soon as possible.Have a project but not quite ready to contact us? See if Orbit is a fit for you.

Last BIG Point.

Do not ask for too much personal information. You do not need the prospect’s date of birth.

The Big Advertising Agency Resource List

Peter · June 6, 2024 · 16 Comments

Advertising Agency Resource List – Updated Often

The advertising agency resource was recently updated with three new AI information tools. I use them.

My Advertising Agency Resource List is often curated to help advertising, digital, design, and PR agencies easily find the inspiration and industry resources to help you build killer agencies and careers.

FYI: According to Google, people spend mucho minutes perusing this long list.

If I were you, I’d grab a glass of Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (LOL only $150 or a nice craft beer – a bit less expensive) and check out all of these links. I guarantee that at least one of these websites and/or tools will help you or your team grow your agency.

A kudo from David Ogilvy: “I wish I had this advertising resource list when I was in the ad biz. All I had was my brain.”

OK, one more. Go here: Corleone offer.

New Resources.

AI Related… Websites + A Podcast Just For Marketers + YouTube

Marketing Intelligence Institute: From Paul Roetzer (super smart marketer for eons) on how to use AI in marketing and advertising. Read it, attend their seminars, and listen to their “Artificial Intelligence Show” podcast. Do it!

Decode: A daily news and info resource. Decode “unlocks exclusive access to Decode’s ultimate AI tool book, with 500+ verified, vetted, and powerful tools across 40+ categories.” Includes AI tutorials, lists of what’s new, etc. A smart one.

Superhuman: Yes, more info and news. Their words — “Learn how to leverage AI to boost your productivity and accelerate your career. Join the world’s biggest AI newsletter with 650,000+ readers from companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and more.”

AI Tool Report: Yes…. More… “Learn AI in 5 minutes a day. We’ll teach you how to save time and earn more with AI. Join 500,000+ free daily readers from Tesla, Apple, A16z, Meta, & more.”

Matt Wolfe: A rather beyond-decent YouTube channel dedicated to AI.

A Short But Sweet List of The Best AI Directories For Marketers

We are all a bit (understatement) overwhelmed with the barrage of new AI tools. To help sort this overload, here is a list of what I think are today’s easiest-to-use AI directories for marketers. Note, this is a short list.

Futurepedia – From Google Bard: “This directory is one of the largest and most comprehensive, with over 3,000 AI tools and resources listed. It’s a great place to find AI tools for a variety of tasks, including machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision.” Just today… 18 new tools. Yikes.

Zain Kahn’s Superhuman – The world’s biggest AI newsletter with 350k+ readers.

Marketing AI Show – THE best AI podcast for marketers.

iLib – AI websites listed by popularity.

Product Hunt – As they say: “Product Hunt surfaces the best new products, every day. It’s a place for product-loving enthusiasts to share and geek out about the latest mobile apps, websites, hardware projects, and tech creations.”

Crunchbase – A comprehensive list of AI startups. Wowzer, this is a hot venture universe. Go find your new marketing agency client here.

GPTE – Just in case you need MORE!

Advertising Agency Target Market Persona

Peter · June 6, 2024 · Leave a Comment

My Advertising Agency Target Market

Thanks to Andy Crestodina (I interviewed him in my book “How To Build A Kick-Ass Advertising Agency” and read him religiously on LinkedIn), I built this target persona prompt for my advertising agency consultation target market.

Adjust this prompt to build a persona for your advertising agency’s target market.

My ChatGPT Persona Prompt…

Build me a persona of an advertising agency owner with leadership role at marketing agency]. This person is looking for help with business development and is considering hiring a consultant List their hopes/dreams, fears/concerns, emotional triggers and decision criteria for hiring/contacting a advertising agency management consultant.

Sure, let’s build a persona for an advertising agency owner with a leadership role at a marketing agency who is considering hiring a consultant for business development.

Here You Go — My Advertising Agency Target Market

Persona: Jane Doe, Advertising Agency Owner

Background

Name: Jane Doe
Age:45

Role: Owner and CEO of a mid-sized advertising agency
Experience: 20 years in the marketing and advertising industry
Location: Major metropolitan city

Goals and Aspirations – Hopes/Dreams:

– To expand the agency’s client base and increase revenue
– To become a leader in innovative advertising solutions
– To improve operational efficiency and productivity
– To establish the agency as a thought leader in the industry
– To build a strong, cohesive team that delivers outstanding results

Fears and Concerns

– Losing market share to competitors
– Struggling to keep up with rapidly changing industry trends and technologies
– The risk of making poor business decisions that could harm the agency
– High turnover rates among key employees
– Maintaining a consistent and strong brand reputation

Emotional Triggers

– Passion for creativity and innovation in advertising
– Commitment to client satisfaction and long-term relationships
– Desire for recognition and prestige within the industry
– Frustration with operational inefficiencies and missed opportunities
– Concern over financial stability and sustainable growth

Decision Criteria for Hiring a Consultant

– Proven Track Record:** Evidence of successful business development strategies implemented for similar agencies
– Industry Expertise:** In-depth knowledge of the advertising and marketing landscape
– Cost-Effectiveness:** Reasonable fees and clear ROI projections
– Client Testimonials and Case Studies: Positive feedback from previous clients
– Customized Solutions: Tailored strategies that address specific challenges and goals of the agency
– Communication Skills: Clear and transparent communication throughout the consultancy process
– Flexibility and Adaptability: Ability to adapt strategies based on the agency’s evolving needs
– Compatibility: A good cultural fit with the agency’s values and work style

Additional Insights

– Preferred Channels for Contacting Consultants:
– Recommendations from industry peers and professional networks
– Research through industry conferences and events
– Online reviews and consultant websites
– Direct outreach from consultants with a personalized pitch

Evaluation Process:

– Initial meeting to discuss needs and potential solutions
– Review of proposals and assessment of their feasibility
– Checking references and past performance
– Trial projects or short-term engagements to assess compatibility and effectiveness

This persona provides a comprehensive understanding of the advertising agency owner’s motivations, concerns, and criteria for hiring a business development consultant.

Yes, some of this might be obvious. But, hey, why not go for confirmation to define your Advertising Agency Target Market?

A Zoom Cartoon Just For You

Peter · May 23, 2024 · Leave a Comment

A Zoom Cartoon About A Zoom Pitch Problem

To help illustrate the “mistakes” that often accompany the act of an advertising agency’s new business pitch, I included 12 pitch mistake cartoons in my book “The Levitan Pitch. Buy This Book. Win More Pitches.”

I love the fact that cartoons are a fast way to reach overloaded brains and evoke emotion. A cartoon can be remembered well past fleeting podcast interviews and blog posts like this.

Possibly the most memorable Internet meme is the 1993 (!) cartoon “On the Internet, nobody knows you are a dog,” by Peter Steiner in the New Yorker. To help my GenX readers, it’s at the bottom.

My Zoom Pitch Cartoon Just For You

Here is a Zoom cartoon I commissioned from master cartoonist and brilliant Creative Director Steve Klinetobe. Steve was a CD at my Portland agency Citrus.

Steve’s nostril cartoon illustrates one of the worst uses of Zoom. It’s about where people put their camera in relation to their face. In this case, it is the camera that sits below a face and looks into your buddy’s (or future agency client’s nose. YUCK!

When Zooming, pay attention to camera placement + lighting + sound quality + your background. You know this right?

That said, I too often look up way too many nostrils.

Here is the most famous Internet cartoon. No Nostrils.

Which Social Media Strategy Is Best For Advertising Agency New Business?

Peter · May 13, 2024 · 6 Comments

Your Advertising Agency and Social Media. Oh, And Your Business Development Program.

I am updating this older relatively well-read blog post about the how-to make it happen for an advertising agency social media program. Updating is a good blog strategy to help Google love you.

Does Advertising Agency Social Media Work Anymore (As In Drive Incoming Leads)?

Start here: “Which Social Media Strategy Is Best For Advertising Agency New Business?” I am not going to bullshit you. There is no perfect social media platform for advertising agency new business. Why? Cause ya know… the devil is in the details, and your details might just be different than the agency down the road.

2024.

I originally wrote this very viewed advertising agency social media blog post back in 2014. Yikes. Time for an update, right? Like I said… Updating old blog posts that once had decent activity is critical to bumping them back up on Google searches. There is an art to this.

When I wrote this back in the good old days, blog posts by ad agencies had not yet exploded, Twitter posts had not yet exploded, Instagram was not yet a smash, TikTok had not been invented, and on. Here are some of those “we are now bombarded” stats.

Depending on who you listen to, you’ve got like 4,000 competitive agencies and freelancers.
How many blog posts are there today? Here is just one directional figure: there are “like” over 2 million blog posts daily – out of 1.7 billion websites. You think your ad agency can stand out?
From Claude: Assuming 85% of the 229 million daily active users on X, that’s around 195 million real users tweeting daily.
It’s estimated that around 200 million businesses across the world use Instagram each month. Around 90% of Instagram’s users follow at least one business account on the platform.
There seem to a billion LinkedIn posts a day.
I have over 6,000 “advertising people” connections, yet when I post on LinkedIn, I get maybe 80 individual post views. Pay per play, baby. It’s not so organic these days.

Do you get the idea here? You are kinda fucked if you think that your blogs, tweets, etc are gonna get noticed. You are competing with other, probably really good at SEO agencies.

The best I can do is share my personal experiences. First, here are my social media objectives.