2019 - Core Principles for Strong Client/Agency Partnerships

2019 has arrived. That means that organizations are focusing effort and energy into charting their course forward for the new year, and beyond. I am a firm believer in the power of vision. You don’t leave home without knowing your final destination. And, you should never run a business without a clear vision for the future. It is the focus on the end goal that enables one to deal with the day to day process. King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, said this:

George Washington Carver, another wise man, said it like this:

It's clear that vision is crucial. And, vision must be underpinned by guiding corporate principles. You would not (or, rather, you should not) support a vision that violates your personal principles. And, the guiding principle of business cannot be to just make a dollar. That mentality can lead to unethical business practices which will eventually cripple business relationships and destroy organizations.

Digital marketers and marketing agencies often get caught up in the day to day process and we forget, or simply, do not bother, to cast vision for the future. Additionally, because we tend to get caught up in day to day campaign management, digital marketers and marketing agencies often do not consider the guiding principles that are the heartbeat of their organization and the foundation of their corporate vision. So, let's discuss a few core principles that all digital marketers and agencies should embrace.

1. Know the Power of Partnership - We must understand that the client-agency relationship is a PARTNERSHIP in the ongoing success and growth of BOTH parties. Zig Ziglar said "you will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want." I will never forget working for a brand new law firm. The internet wasn't even functional on the day that we opened the doors. So, I was setting up and managing digital marketing campaigns while sitting in a local Krystal! And, I clearly understood that my personal success was tied to the success of the new law firm. If they failed, I failed. If they closed the doors, I would be unemployed. I watched that firm grow from two employees, the founder and myself, to a thriving firm that employed three additional attorneys and handled cases across the entire United States. My personal effort started with the understanding that we were in this together. That informed my work ethic and daily decisions. Our clients are our partners. If they fail, we fail. Treat their time like your own. Treat their money like your own.

2. Know Your Client - I cannot stress enough the importance of understanding what is important to your client. Their goal is not to simply spend the marketing budget. We, as digital marketers, need to understand their corporate vision, and partner with them in reaching their goals. What is their 5-year plan? What are their goals for 2019? What constitutes return on investment in their eyes? How do they want others to view their brand? On a more granular level, what is their product or service? What differentiates them from their competitors (i.e., their competitive advantage)? What is their sales process? Knowledge forms a basis for good decisions. Interest in your client forms the basis for a long, productive business partnership (there's that word, again).

3. Diversify - This is critical. Many of us are competent managing campaigns on a particular platform, i.e., Google Ads. However, Google Ads is not always the best choice. Expand your knowledge base and test other platforms. You owe it to your client (and yourself) to find other platforms that might drive leads, or return on investment, at a lower cost. Will every test of a new platform yield reduced costs and increased return on investment? No, absolutely not. But, eventually you will find platforms that tend to work better based on the product/service and campaign goals (lead generation, brand awareness, etc.). Every test WILL yield knowledge and knowledge is powerful. Put yourself in a position to spread your client's budget around based on performance and efficiency. Ask yourself this question. If Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Facebook disappeared tomorrow, could I still generate leads and provide value for my clients? Keep this in mind. Diversification across platforms can minimize the impact when a particular platform begins to struggle.

4. Know Your Platforms - There are two words that should inform our approach to our internal clients (i.e., our employees). Those words are continuing education. Digital marketers should push to learn as much as possible about all platforms. There are certain principles that apply across most platforms. But, each platform has it unique attributes. Understanding those attributes can help us to effectively use said platforms to drive return on investment for the client. Here is an example, let's say that you have partnered (there's that word again) with a carpet cleaning company and you notice that there are a lot of keyword searches with the phrase "before and after". Well, there are platforms that allow you to actually use images in your ad extensions. Bing, for example, allows you to upload one to six images for each Bing ad. So, it is possible that, every time a search query triggers an impression of your ad, the user could possibly see before and after images in your ad copy. I guarantee it would stand out in the search results and would, most likely, lead to increased ad engagement. As we said before, knowledge is power and knowledge leads to sound, informed decisions. Keep in mind that digital marketing platforms are not stagnant. They are constantly changing and increasing features and functionality. Stay on top of the changes and never stop learning.

5. Keep It Real - In other words, be honest. At the end of the day, we deal with numbers. And, we can make numbers say anything that we like. However, we must be honest with our clients and with ourselves. We must be dispassionate and check our egos at the door. Tell your clients the truth, period. That goes back to partnership. Integrity is a cornerstone of a healthy relationship. So, be honest. If something is broken, admit it. The client will respect you more if you are honest about it. And, you will really look like a rock star when you fix the problem.

So, there is some food for thought. I hope it helps. Now, go forward! Grow! Be great!