New Business

1,247th Blog Post On Advertising Agency Social Media

Peter · February 13, 2013 · 5 Comments

There are over 177,000,000 results for the search phrase “advertising agency social media” on Google. There are now whole industries based on social media advice. So, in the interest of piling on… I’m about to add one more blog post on social media and advertising.

But, before I start, lets make sure we agree on what social media is. Here is a concise definition from Dictionary.com that includes the critical object of increasing sales.

Web sites and other online means of communication that are used by large groups of people to share information and to develop social and professional contacts: Many businesses are utilizing social media to generate sales.

Just in case you are still wavering about how much effort to put into social media…

Here are 17 reasons that ad agencies should use social media as a new business tool.

When managed systematically, the strategic use of social media will drive inbound attention for your agency.
Social media will support your agency positioning and drive awareness of your thought-leadership.
Social media is relatively easy to create and manage. If your mother can do it, you can do it too.
Social media is easier to update than your agency website.
There are lots of platforms to choose from: Twitter, blogs, Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn, G+, YouTube, Wikipedia and SlideShare. Each has unique strategic benefits and workload — choose carefully. More are coming.
You will have a corporate LinkedIn page as another agency marketing platform. All of your employees will link to it.
You will use social platforms for direct marketing. For example, you will use twitter’s “@” to directly contact client prospects.
All social platforms, like your blog and Twitter, will be seamlessly linked together for efficiency and traffic generation.
Social Media is integral to the agency SEO program. After only one month, my Pinterest advertising agency website directory is appearing on the first page of Google results.
You will learn to use social media analytics to continuously improve your programs.
You will stay up to date with the evolving state of mobile social media.
Your strategic use of social media will help you look like an expert to your clients. You will walk the talk.
Do social right and you will generate positive case histories based on your expertise. I’m building a case right now for my Pinterest strategy.
You will use social to do agency and client research. Twitter remains an untapped resource for following news on perspective clients.
You will use social media to better understand a potential client’s online audience and brand perception.
Your social media expertise will make you will look smarter in pitches.
You will undoubtedly use your social media expertise to create award-winning programs like Projector’s Facebook work for Intel.

All is not rosy. Here are 7 reasons not to use social media.

Agency senior management does not really get it – at all.
Your agency is not capable of making an adequate time and intellectual commitment to marketing via social media.
You don’t have one or more people dedicated to owning the social program and its on-going success.
You will be inconsistent. You really don’t want to be the agency with 4-month-old Tweets.
You won’t make the effort to integrate your social media program into you agency marketing plan.
You think that all you have to do is a little bit of social media and you’ll quickly get lots of incoming calls from prospective clients.
You don’t have a distinctive agency positioning, message or voice to promote. Me-too messaging won’t make a dent in this space.
You won’t stand out. Just take a look at how few advertising or digital agency blogs are on Ad Age’s Power 150 list of influential blogs.

So, what is my bottom line?

I’ve used social media since the 1990’s to grow companies (online newspapers) and website traffic (over 20 million users for my SmarterChild Instant Messaging bot.) However, like any effective new business tool, the use of social media must be strategic, linked to an expertise-based content strategy, be targeted and needs at least weekly oversight. Do this… and social media will work for you.

Give me a shout. I can help.

10 Reasons To Use Pinterest For Advertising Agency New Business

Peter · February 13, 2013 · Leave a Comment

It took me a while but I’ve discovered the value of using Pinterest as a new business “content marketing” platform. My move to Pinterest is a result of an accidental meeting on a flight between New York and Portland. My seat-mate was an executive at Edelman PR and she regaled me with multiple case histories on how the agency was using Pinterest for its clients to drive traffic and sales.

I went home and explored Pinterest and read some of the dozens of marketing articles on this high-growth social media tool. I was sold. Pinterest is now a primary element in my new business content marketing program and you can see it in action on my advertising agency directory right here. My plan is to pin and review every advertising agency website in the USA and some international markets. I now list over 1,000 agency websites. If you agency isn’t on the site or you’ve redesigned the site recently, let me know.

Back to your agency new business program and Pinterest. Have you looked hard at Pinterest? I think you should. Here’s a quick overview of why.

1. Pinterest is growing like crazy.

2. Pinterest has high link value and it drives more referral traffic than YouTube, Yahoo! and Google+ combined. Need more? Pinterest sends more referral traffic to websites than Twitter. To take advantage of its search engine magnetism, Pinterest should be optimized to increase traffic. Here’s a valuable infographic on Pinterest search engine optimization.

3. Pinterest is very social and drives reach. Its very community oriented and following others and re-pins drive traffic and awareness.

4. It easily integrates your pins with your website, blog, Twitter and Facebook.

5. It will drive your agency branding and traffic via branded boards and URL placement.

6. There is a growing list of third-party Pinterest management and analytical tools including influence tracking.

7. Pinterest is a significant ecommerce driver. Here are some stats.

8. Pinterest is a visual medium and let’s face it, as an agency you are by nature a visual marketer.

9. Because Pinterest is image driven it can be worked into a busy agency’s workflow. It’s much faster to update than your blog.

10. Get ahead of the wave. You still have time to look like a Pinterest marketing expert to your clients and prospects.

What About Me?

I want to own the idea of “advertising” on Pinterest. As I mentioned above, I plan to pin the home page of every advertising website, add mini-reviews based on my agency new business and website development experience and then link back to the long-form reviews on this blog and YouTube channel. Follow me. I’ll be adding to the boards every week.

I will be marketing the Pinterest resource but Pinterest-driven search engine optimization is already working. I’ve searched on various advertising related search terms and my Pinterest site has been graciously delivered high up on Goggle’s SERP. What subject would you like to own on Pinterest? It is still early.

Steve Jobs “Secret” Advertising Agency New Business Presentation Tips

Peter · February 13, 2013 · 1 Comment

OK, it isn’t remotely a secret that Steve Jobs was one of the best presenters of all time. In fact, he was the Muhammad Ali of the art of presentaion. Here is how Jobs kicked off the iPhone introduction:

This is a day I’ve been looking forward to for two-and-a-half years. Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything… Well, today, we’re introducing three revolutionary products of this class.

The first one: is a widescreen iPod with touch controls. The second: is a revolutionary mobile phone. And the third is a breakthrough Internet communications device. So, three things: a widescreen iPod with touch controls; a revolutionary mobile phone; and a breakthrough Internet communications device. An iPod, a phone, and an Internet communicator. An iPod, a phone… are you getting it? These are not three separate devices. This is one device. Ad we are calling it iPhone.

So, what can advertising agencies learn from Steve Jobs’s presentation techniques?

He is a story teller and clearly loves to puts on a show.
He is enthusiastic.
He sells the benefit.
He sets a theme: “There is something in the air today” set up his introduction of the MacBook Air.
His slides are simple and evocative.
He tracks you through the presentation.
He practices for days.

To help get into Job’s head, I’ve curated some of his best presentations and expert views of his style, delivery and skilled use of theater.

Two Highly Recommended Books For Advertising Agency Presenters:

“Resonate” by Nancy Duarte. This best of breed book on creating persuasive presentations is a must read for anyone trying to craft what Nancy calls, “visual stories that transform audiences.” The book includes multiple case histories including a case history and deep analysis of Job’s iPhone introduction. The case illustrates Job’s skills via a second by second sparkline timeline of his presentation.

“The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience” by Carmine Gallo. According to Carmine’s website, he is “The communications coach for the world’s most admired brands.” I can’t disagree. You might also want to read Carmine’s articles on presenting that run in Forbes.

Three Fabulous Steve Jobs Presentation Videos: IPhone and iPad introductions and his Stanford commencement address

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uW-E496FXg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU7BRvejni4

The Top 11 Elements of Advertising Agency Success

Peter · February 12, 2013 · 1 Comment

As an agency owner my biggest fear was that I might have more billings walking out the back door than walking in the front. This thought kept me up many nights and it forced me to really think through what it takes to be a successful agency. Here is a list of 11 elements that I think are essential for building a sustainable agency.

Note that this list does not include some of the advertising industries more critical decisions like how to design a cool office, figuring out where to place the creative awards, choosing between a ping pong or foosball table, or what kind of holiday card to send out.

Here are my 11 elements or goals for agency success… And a good night’s sleep.

The absolute bottom line for achieving all of your goals is that you view your agency as a business that is driven by the pursuit of profit. Yes, running an agency is fun. But, it is a business first. A failing business isn’t fun.
You should end the year with at least a 15% net profit and 4+ months of cash in the bank to cover any unforeseen problems – like losing a big account.
You will have a clear, competitive agency brand position and efficient marketing program designed to set you apart from your competition and generate incoming leads.
You will be known for delivering business building creative, strategic thinking, tech savvy and superior account service.
You will have an ongoing active new business plan to drive agency awareness and to get your sales proposition out 24/7.
You will get paid what you are worth and will not give away your brains for free. Nothing rankles me, and I suspect you, more than giving away valuable ideas to prove that you are brilliant. Yes, I know about procurement and bending over. But, lets try to get past that evil.
You will have the right staff, expertise and thought-leadership to stay ahead of the rapidly evolving market. You understand that you may have to cut some dead wood. I’ll admit that I was occasionally slow in building for the future by making necessary cuts.
Your management team and most important employees will be paid at or higher than industry averages. I continuously studied industry salary stats. I know that my employees did too.
The best people in the business will call up and ask to work with you.
Everyone at the agency will have fun and will love to come to work in the morning.
The desirable clients you want will call up and ask to work with you. These clients will deliver at least two of the following: they pay very well (this means very profitable); they understand and want great work; they are famous brands that beget other famous brands.

Just to pile on, allow me to end with a quote that has influenced my personal business decisions and need for speed.

“If everything seems under control you are just not going fast enough.” – Mario Andretti

–> There are more elements, lets discuss how to grow your agency.