You own or work at an agency. Chances are you are moving at the speed of light in a million different directions every second of the day. It’s hard. So how can you reel it in and bring some order to the chaos? We have spoken with hundreds of agencies around the world and have learned from their perspective on what it takes to be successful. Here is our list of 7 ways to transform your agency.

1. Hire The Right People

Easier said than done. Everyone knows that the turnover rate at agencies is extraordinarily high. Because it’s so difficult to find people (anyone) to fill a roll, it may be tempting to hire the first person that sends you their resume (which could take weeks). But don’t do it. You will regret it in the long run and it will cost your business both time and money. Take time to make sure the person you’re hiring fits with your company culture and has a complete understanding of their day-to-day responsibilities. This will help minimize employee churn and make you more successful.

2. Focus On Your Core Competencies

Is your agency outstanding at producing content, SEO, digital ads, WordPress sites, print, video, social, branding, strategy, PR, email marketing, broadcast, design, and mobile apps? Probably not, but you may be really good at several of these. If you don’t feel that you’re the best at any of the standard full service agency offerings, then you may want to consider partnering with an agency that specializes in that area. Ultimately, your clients will be happier and more likely to stay with you if every aspect of their work is the absolute best it can be.

3. Embrace Agile Marketing

Marketing is changing at such a fast pace now due to technology that new paradigms are needed to keep up with the competition. The old techniques of creating well planned out campaigns are being replaced by more nimble, iterative approaches, generally referred to as Agile. This popular methodology has its roots in software development, but has recently started to see adoption among marketing teams. But Agile Marketing is subtly different from the flavor used by software teams, so it’s advised that agencies hire the right consultant to ensure they are properly trained. According to AgileSherpas 2018 State of Agile Marketing Report, “37% of marketers report using some form of Agile to manage their work.” As the speed of change continues to increase it is expected that more agencies will embrace Agile.

4. Service A Niche

If your agency is struggling to find clients, then it may make sense to specialize in a particular vertical. Marketing yourself as the “we do everything” agency for “any type of business” is probably too broad. Consider narrowing your focus. For example, you could market yourself as the go-to agency for higher education, car dealerships, healthcare, etc. Unless your agency has 150+ employees you probably can’t realistically claim to be suitable for all verticals anyway.

5. Produce More Content

Many agencies are so busy creating content for their clients that they often fail to allocate enough time to generate their own content. Not only will generating more content increase your visibility, it will also further solidify your positioning as a thought leader. But you already knew that because this is what you do for your clients. Practice what you preach!

6. Build A Culture Of Accountability

Everyone in your organization must be held accountable for the work they do. Develop trackable metrics and KPI’s so you can measure how everyone is performing. It’s also important to set clear goals so everyone fully understands their expectations. Regularly analyze these metrics so you can see what’s working, and if you have underperforming employees. Do more of what’s working, and less of what’s not.

7. Consolidate Your Tools

Using work management software like Ravetree can help unify your agency in one place. One common reality for agencies is having too many different tools. A fragmented collection of siloed applications will destroy your teams productivity. And, it will cause fatigue among your employees as they constantly have to figure out where to go to get the data they need. So, get rid of the stand-alone time tracking, task management, expense tracking, CRM, DAM, and resource planning apps and bring everyone together on one platform. You’ll be glad you did!

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