15 years agency side… some things I have learnt.

 

It occurred to me the other day (whilst looking at my own LinkedIn profile… how vain!) that I have recently achieved a milestone. I have now worked in digital marketing agencies for more than 15 years. Apart from making me feel incredibly old, it made me feel a pang of pride too. Working agency side is both hard and rewarding in equal (well sometimes equal) measures. Putting aside the emotion of realising I’m now middle aged, it got me thinking… What have I learned in those 15 years? And how do I apply these learnings and experiences to ensure that my clients, staff, and partners get the very best experience when working with my agency? So, I jotted down some of my thoughts on the role I believe marketing agencies should have, things I have learnt along the way, and highlight some things that are increasingly frustrating… after all you don’t get older without getting grumpier!

 

Honestly, honesty is the only way

 

Where do I start with this one… I can’t express how much I believe in honesty and transparency as an agency. It’s so important for all stakeholders to understand where responsibilities start and finish. But it goes deeper than that; being able to be honest when discussing ideas, or results, is vital if the relationship is to be successful. No agency in the world has a 100% success rate; being able to have an honest and open dialogue with your clients means that time and money isn’t wasted on trying to hide uncomfortable truths.

 

Client comes first

 

This might seem obvious, but I’m amazed by the stories I’ve heard over the years. Marketing agencies are services, we are here to serve our clients. Relationships evolve over time and often so do the services required, but what doesn’t change is the importance of client services. Our client services team at Clicksmith (the best I’ve worked with by the way) are probably bored of my militant approach to client service, but it is the bedrock of any good agency. Clients should enjoy engaging with us, they should look forward to our meetings/reports, and most importantly they should trust that we have their backs if they ever need us.

 

Stick to what you can deliver

 

Frustration alert! More and more I see agencies offering EVERYTHING. Why do they do this you ask? Well, because they are terrified of losing out on business and they think they can make a quick buck. The problem with this is that it is rarely in the best interest of the clients.  They either can’t deliver the service, or they deliver it badly. It doesn’t matter once the client is tied up in a long-term contract, right? WRONG! A client /agency relationship only works when the agency serves in the best interest of the client’s objectives, any other way and it’s doomed to failure.

 

Be proactive, not reactive

 

One of the things agencies can be guilty of is thinking that a quiet client is a happy one.  We don’t take on clients for an easy life, we take them on because we genuinely believe we have the tools to help them meet their business objectives. It is important to engage with clients as best you can, sometimes that’s about finding way that works best for them. Maybe the client prefers working with one-line emails, or quarterly strategy meetings in person, or weekly catch ups via the phone. Regardless, ensuring that the client/agency relationship is fluid is essential. If an agency waits for the client to come to them then they are, a) not doing their job, and b) they are simply just running down the contract because they don’t deserve a long-term relationship.

 

Do the right thing not the thing that makes the most money

 

Frustration alert #2 (I have loads, but this article is already too long) is agencies pushing a service line that suits them and not their clients’ objectives. We see this a lot with the amalgamation of traditional and digital marketing. Agencies push their own agenda, often contrary to what is best for the clients and their own objectives. Normally, this is because they fear losing a client, or at least the total control of the relationship. But often they don’t see the commercial benefit of a specific strategy or channel and as such don’t encourage it.  Whilst I understand it, it is poor client services and doesn’t put clients’ needs and objectives first.

 

In truth, no agency is perfect. At Clicksmith we wouldn’t dream of claiming we get it right 100% of the time. However, if the last 15 years has taught me anything, it’s that it is important to stay true to what you believe is the right way of working. At the very least it means I can sleep at night knowing we are doing our best.

 

On to the next 15 years and all the lessons that it will bring…