As a digital agency, you are always looking for new clients, especially if you are new to the business. You may be wondering how to get your first digital agency clients. How do you get digital agency clients? What are the best ways to attract them and win them over? There are a few key things you can do to attract and win over new clients. In this article we will discuss some of the different ways you can get clients.
How do you get your first digital marketing agency clients?
It’s tricky, especially at first. You are unproven, at least on your own, and you probably don’t have much money to spend on marketing. So, it is crucial that you find some clever ways to get your first few clients.
I’ve been in this situation and I know what it takes to get those first few clients. I ended up building my agency to make six-figures.
Networking
You need to look around you and see who you know that might be able to use your help. I recommend posting about your business on your personal Facebook page as well as on LinkedIn. This could open the door for business with a friend or acquaintance on Facebook that wouldn’t otherwise know you were in that line of work.
Other methods of networking with people include:
- Church and other local social gatherings
- Attend other local events
Be sure to introduce yourself to people when possible and ask them what they do. This will allow them the chance to talk about their work and you might be able to find a segway to talk about digital marketing.
I started out working with a couple of my brothers as well as a friend/associate of theirs and mine. If you can get even just one client from talking to people you know, that is a great way to get started. Here’s what it does for you:
- Gets some money, even if it is just a little bit, rolling in.
- Helps you to learn and build confidence in yourself as you find success.
- If you are successful, it gives you your first testimonial and opportunity for a referral source.
Start a blog
This is an absolute must for a digital marketing agency. You need to blog about digital marketing topics, SEO, social media, etc.
Blogging is great for so many reasons, and one of the reasons is that you need to learn or be exceptionally knowledgeable to blog well. You don’t have to know it all right now, just be willing to learn it as you go.
Not only does this help you to attract clients that may be searching for someone with your skillset, but it also helps to build credibility and establish yourself as an expert in the field.
Blogging will also help you work your way higher in the search engines if you stay consistent and do it well for long enough.
The major downside to a blog is that it takes a long time to get it to work. However, if you are still working a day job and have started your digital agency on the side, it is still a good idea to work on your blog if you have the time and drive to keep it going.
Join a Facebook or LinkedIn group in the niche you service
It is very important that, if you do this, you do not start out trying to sell people first thing.
Selling big ticket items is like getting married. You don’t just walk up to a person and ask them to marry you. That’s creepy and most people are going to turn around and run when you do that.
Instead, you start out by building the relationship slowly and over time. Build trust by being helpful and demonstrating your knowledge to people in the group. Not just once, but over and over again. If you do this well, people will be likely to trust you and ask you for help. This is a great way for you to get your first digital agency clients.
Build an email list
Facebook makes this really easy to do right now. Though, it can be a process.
Here’s how to do it:
- Create a Facebook group for people in your niche
- Provide a freebie for people joining if they give you their email
- Proceed to share helpful information with the group and on email
Because you are creating a list, you will want to nurture it and engage with them. At the same time, you don’t want to spam them. This is a delicate balance.
Partner with a related company that doesn’t compete with you
This was one of the best things I did for my business earlier on. While it didn’t give me an endless stream of clients in and of itself, I did gain several.
Even better was that in the end, I got many referrals from these clients – and that was what helped me build my business and take it to a new level.
Summary
So there you have it. Several tips on how to get your first digital agency clients.
You need can do any combination of the following to get started:
- Network and speak to friends, family, and acquaintances. Then build your network and expand.
- Blog and learn more about how to be the best you can be at your craft.
- Join a FB or LinkedIn group in your niche and provide helpful information
- Build an email list, start your own FB group, and nurture
- Partnership with a related company in your niche that doesn’t compete with you
Here’s the last bit of advice for you to consider. Always provide value. In fact, you should be willing to share almost every secret you have, at no cost.
Why? It’s simple. People want help, and even if they might be willing to do it themselves, most people don’t want to be bothered to. They want someone who will take away their problems.
When you provide value and knowledge to people, they will see you as an expert and they will want to work with you. It’s usually easier for many businessmen to pay someone to make their troubles go away.
Some digital agency owners are hesitant to share secrets or valuable tips. Don’t be, it only hurts yourself. If you are helpful and provide value, people will want to work with you.
Best of luck to you in your journey!