Peter Levitan & Co.

The New Business of Advertising

Marketing

29 Social Media Marketing Tools + Infographic

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Take a look at this great, as in comprehensive, if a bit daunting, infographic and list of 29 powerful social media marketing and management tools from Ian Cleary’s Razor Social website. Make sure to check out his website for even more sleep-loss aids.

I will soon be parsing and rating these specifically for advertising agency new business, cause your agency ain’t gonna be able to use all of these unless you’ve managed to lose most of your clients. However, not using a smart selection of some of these to help manage your agency’s social new business programs is also madness.

Marketing Tools: 29 Powerful Tools for a Social Media Marketer

Marketing-Tools

 

 

 

There are a few more marketing infographics listed in my advertising agency directory right here at Peter Levitan’s Pinterest agency directory…

Maybe Skype Should Work On Its UI First – Pre Doing Commercials

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I use Skype everyday for business. I have clients on four continents. Skype works. However, the UI sucks.

But, in the meantime, while I hope they fix the UI… here is their marketing in action.

Is it great? Sweet and a bit obvious. And… Not as great as this… (But, remember Skype is a Microsoft company.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1atWyPqXY18

 

Advertising Does Not Work On The Internet

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new-jersey-gamblingI built my first commercial website in 1995. New Jersey Online (NJ.com – it was cool when I ran it! Today, Meh.) It was one of the first online newspapers; was tied to the three leading New Jersey newspapers; was extremely well-funded by Advance Publications,;I had brilliant partners like the prescient Jeff Jarvis; had numerous industry firsts (like the first real-time global newsfeed) and was designed to make money.

I ran it for five years, it won awards, was considered a leader in the category. It didn’t make enough money. I don’t even think that today, almost 20 years later, it (or its cousins like OregonLive) even come close to replacing the money loosing Newhouse newspapers (just Google The Times Picayune and its death). Why didn’t NJ.com make cash? [Read more…] about Advertising Does Not Work On The Internet

Advertising Agency Business Development Seminar @ Portland Ad Fed

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Agencies love their friends, their Rolodex’s (yes, we still use this word) and claim that they win more business from referrals than any other new business method. 3 reasons why:

  1. Friends are friends and friends have friends.
  2. Friends should recommend you.
  3. Current and past clients should recommend you. See “The One Number You Should Grow” from the Harvard Business Review.

But, there is a point when you run out of friends with friends and then its time to actually do some real business development. That’s why Rebecca Armstrong, Principal and Managing Director at NORTH; Ryan Buchannan, CEO eRoi and Peter Levitan, CEO Peter Levitan & Co. — oh, that’s me are speaking on how to grow your friends, contacts and prospect lists.

It is: An Advertising Agency Business Development Seminar – “New Business Is More Than A Big Rolodex”

Date: November 21.

Place: Portland, Oregon

Info from The Portland Advertising Federation (yes, new website coming soon….)

Need some language:

The more prospective clients you get to know, the more new business you will win. It’s that simple. Or, is it? New business is a presentation and hands-on workshop designed to help advertising agency management and employees create enlightened new business programs that will get more meetings and build relationships with the right prospects.

We will work together to examine and discuss a range of business development techniques used by successful agencies. We’ll explore list building and how to create and deliver compelling client insights that will grab the attention of the client-side decision makers you want to meet with – well before they put out that RFP. This seminar is for all agency employees because new business should be an agency-wide goal.

New Improved Advertising Agency Search Process: ANA / 4A’s

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Advertising Agency Pitching. Oh, The Uncertainty. 

Unfortunately, most client agency reviews come with a great deal of uncertainty. They shouldn’t, but that’s the way it is — or should it be?

The 4A’s and the ANA understand this issue and recently published a new set of guidelines for the advertising agency search process in their report “Agency Selection Briefing Guidance.”  From the ANA/4A’s:

The 4A’s and ANA believe there is an opportunity to further improve the agency search process by developing best practice guidance tools around the subject of briefings throughout the agency selection process.

And…

The ANA/4A’s task force believes that every phase of a review, or agency search, requires a thoughtful briefing that
provides specific direction to the agency. The review process should provide escalating information to the agencies as
the review progresses from the initial phases (e.g., RFI, RFP, credentials) to the later phases (including any strategic
and/or speculative work and finals presentations).

The report divides the search process into three phases.

  1. Initial list / RFI Phase
  2. Semi-Finalist RFP Phase
  3. Finalist Phase

This is an important tool that both agencies and clients should read and use for guidance. I think that when you are asked to pitch a new client that you share this document. While it might seem forward and somewhat pedantic of you, I’ll suggest that making the prospect aware of this ANA perspective will be proof of your professionalism and might even help the client tailor their process for success. And, hopefully, yours.