Best Practices « FUEL LINES Fueling Ad Agency New Business Through Social Media

The Top 10 Articles of 2011 for Ad Agency New Business

December 29, 2011

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How new business is being acquired for ad agencies is currently undergoing a paradigm shift; instead of pursuing clients, it’s now more important for your prospective clients to find your agency.

I’m sure that you are well aware of the changing marketing landscape and the need to make fundamental changes to the traditional methods for business development.

Data Explosion - 90% of the world’s data was created in just the past two years. Content marketing has become a key element in building awareness for agencies.
Social Media Eruption - social media is now mainstream and is as a key engagement channel for prospects.
Channel and Device Boom - The growing number of new marketing channels and devices, such as smart phones and tablets, are quickly becoming a priority for reaching prospective clients.
Expanding Markets - Small to midsize agencies have a new window of opportunity to reach a larger market than ever before through new media. There are even international opportunities for agencies.
New business Professionals Struggle - Those who were once good at acquiring new business are finding it to be more complex and changing rapidly. Many are struggling. The interruption type tactics, which were successful in the past, are becoming less and less effective.

Unconventional times call for unconventional methods for ad agency new business.

For those charged with developing a new business program for a small to midsize ad agency, PR firm or digital shop, the following resources are for you. I’ve pulled together a list of the “best of” FUEL LINES agency new business articles based upon analytics of site visitors and their comments. These articles include some of the latest trends, tactics and tips for business development as well as articles that hopefully will give you inspiration.

The Top 10 New Business Articles of 2011:

#1 Steve Jobs: 10 Presentation Tactics for Ad Agency New Business

#2 Steve Jobs’s 10 Best Quotes for Advertising Agencies

#3 Forbes: 20 Best-Ever Social Media Campaigns

#4 Top 10 Benefits of Social Media for Ad Agency New Business

#5 The Top 14 List of Advertising Agency Networks for New Business

#6 New Roper Study: 9 in 10 CMOs See Value in Content Marketing

#7 2011 Forecast: 100 Global Trends That Will Drive Consumer Behavior

#8 28 Stimulating Digital and Social Media Marketing Quotes

#9 16 of the Top Quotes from Fast Company’s The Future of Advertising

#10 The 10-20-30 Rule for Keynote Presentations for Ad Agency New Business

Here are some additional new business resources by category:

Leave a Comment » | Best Practices, Compensation, New Business Tactics, New Business Talents, New Business Tips, New Business Tools, New Business Trends | Tagged: Ad Agencies, ad agency new business, business development, content marketing, Digital Agencies, Michael Gass, pr firms, Social Media | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Ad Agency New Business 101: Conduct a SWOT Analysis

October 20, 2011

Photo Credit Pshegubj

A SWOT analysis is a good starting point for someone who is charged with creating new business opportunities for a small to midsize advertising agency, PR firm or digital shop.

Part of Steve Jobs’ 12 Rules of Success: Perform SWOT analysis. As soon as you join/start a company, make a list of strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your company on a piece of paper.

This strategic planning method, when used properly, can be a valuable tool for making decisions, setting strategy, and evaluating courses of action. You should use it as an initial step for defining your agency’s new business objectives. It is a helpful tool for reviewing your agency’s current focus and positioning.

SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors. Opportunities and threats are external factors. Internal factors are ones that you have control over. External factors are ones you don’t have much control over.

Strengths: internal characteristics of the agency that gives it an advantage over the competition. What does your agency do well? What resources are available? List your agency’s attributes: people, expertise, credentials, etc.
Weaknesses: internal limitations that are a liability and create a disadvantage relative to the competitor. They are things that detract an agency from its ability to obtain new business. It could be a lack of expertise or resources, location, positioning, training, etc.
Opportunities: the external competitive advantages that are helpful to you achieving your new business objectives.
Threats: external factors that are potential threats to your agency’s new business. These are challenges that are created by an unfavorable trend or development that may lead to deteriorating revenues or profits. Proactively plan for and respond to them.

Ask yourself the following questions from a new business perspective:

How can we leverage our strengths?
How can we improve upon our weaknesses?
How we can capitalize on our opportunities?
How can we minimize our threats?

The true value of the SWOT analysis is in bringing this information together, to assess the most promising opportunities, and the most crucial issues.

Before you begin, review the following 3 steps and keep them in mind to avoid the danger of it becoming a meaningless exercise.

Step 1 – Collect the Information

Conducting a SWOT exercise for your agency is a straight forward exercise. Begin the SWOT analysis by conducting an inventory of internal strengths and weaknesses within your agency. This shouldn’t be only one person’s perspective. You will need to include others in this process. Plan to interview your agency’s key executives and possibly your entire staff. Use open-ended questions built around these four areas. Keep your SWOT short and simple with a bullet point list. The analysis should become an executive summary.

Step 2 – Prepare a Plan of Action

Unbelievably, 62% of agencies don’t have a planned new business effort.

You should review your SWOT summary with a view of creating a plan that addresses each of the four areas. It serves as a basis for the development of a new business plan that will be your guide for implementing a successful new business program.

The SWOT analysis will act as a filter for lots of information and will allow you to better interpret and identify the primary keys for your new business plan.

Follow the KISS (keep-it-simple-stupid) method. Keep everything as simple as possible including the plan. A one page plan will easily suffice.

Step 3 – Benchmarks for Measurement

Set goals that are realistically achievable within the culture and resources of the agency.

There is a lot of truth to the old cliché, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” Conducting a SWOT analysis will allow you to know what agency data needs to be collected to use as a benchmark for key objectives for the future.

The SWOT exercise will provide a clearer direction for new business and will allow you to easily set new business goals that stretch your agency while being realistically attainable.

For instance, a lot of agencies will say, “we want to double the size of our agency over the next year.” Your SWOT analysis provides the kind of information that helps determine if that goal is attainable. It may be more realistic to state the objective as: “We want to increase the agency’s new business by 25% over the next three years.”

You want to set goals that are realistic given the agency’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Additional articles that may be of interest:

6 Comments | Best Practices, New Business Plans, New Business Tactics, New Business Tips | Tagged: ad agency, business development, Michael Gass, new business, SWOT Analysis | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

4A’s New Business | Social Media Workshop

September 22, 2011

A Formula for Fueling Ad Agency New Business Through Social Media

Nov. 3 , New York, NY

This is a rare, one-day workshop sponsored by the 4A’s. I usually conduct these workshops on-site, at individual agencies, and only do one or two of these open full-day workshop all year.

Registration is open to both 4A’s members and non 4A’s members.

CMO Study: 80% of decision makers said they found their vendors not the other way around.

Social media has already impacted advertising as we know it. It also impacts new business development. It’s more important to strategically place your agency in front of your best prospects online than to continually chase new business by interruption tactics such as cold calling.

This practical seminar is designed to “focus and kick-start” your agency’s understanding, participation, credibility and leadership in social media with less expense, time and frustration. Simultaneously, you will create a new business pipeline and lead generation network that can be maintained when your agency is at its busiest.

You will learn:

What a major shift in the advertising business means for agency new business practices
How to make sense of social media from a new business perspective
New methods for inbound lead generation
How to greatly accelerate your personal networks and referrals for new business beyond your local market
How to create online content that generates online traffic
How to use social media to get your agency out of a “perpetual state” of rebranding itself and provide an appealing and differentiating position for your new business

Who Should Attend
This agency seminar is created for “C” level and senior executives charged with the responsibility of new business development.

Event Location
Draftfcb New York, 100 West 33rd Street, New York, (212) 885-3000

Schedule
8:30 AM     Registration and Continental Breakfast (included in registration fee)
9:00 AM     Workshop begins
12-1 PM     Lunch (included in registration fee)
4:30 PM     Workshop adjourns

Registration Fees
$295 per person, 4A’s members
$395 per person, non 4A’s members

Click on the following link to download more information/program agenda

Logistics/Registration: Contact Cecilia Graham at 212-850-0756 or cecilia@aaaa.org
Programming: Contact Bob Linden at 212-850-0750 or bobl@aaaa.org

About the 4A’s
The 4A’s (American Association of Advertising Agencies) is the national trade association of the advertising agency business and provides leadership, advocacy and guidance to the industry. The management-oriented association founded in 1917 helps its members build their businesses, and acts as the industry’s spokesperson with government, media, and the public sector. Its membership comprises virtually all of the large, multinational agencies and hundreds of small and mid-sized agencies across the country. More than 1,200 member agency offices served by the 4A’s employ 65,000 people, offer a wide range of marketing communications services, and place 80 percent of all national advertising. For more information, visit the 4A’s Web site at

Leave a Comment » | Agency Leadership, Best Practices | Tagged: 4A's, advertising agencies, Draftfcb, Michael Gass, new business, New York, Social Media | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Ten Toughest Content Marketing Challenges for Ad Agency New Business

August 28, 2011

Original content is by far the most difficult and important tactic to fuel ad agency new business through social media.

Speakers for Content Marketing World 2011, recently shared some of their biggest content marketing challenges in a pre conference Q&A orchestrated by Content Development Director of the Content Marketing Institute. I’ve pulled some of the best challenges and insights from among these speakers.

Here are the top 10 to help with your content marketing challenges:

1. Quality Content

‘The very act of staying focused on quality is one of the most important things you can do if you’re serious about your craft.” Susan Blue, @susangrayblue.

Lots of agencies soon become lazy in content creation. If you can’t see the value and won’t commit the time you won’t have success with content marketing for new business.

2. Understanding Your Audience

Understanding your customers well enough to develop content that is useful and relevant for them. Allison Bolen, @alisonbolen.

One of the first things you MUST do is to identify who your audience is. Most agencies are generalists. They want to appeal to EVERYBODY. If you try appealing to everyone you won’t appeal to anyone. No appeal, no online traffic = no new business leads.

3. Keeping Your Objective Top of Mind

It is critical to always keep your business objectives top of mind and use them to guide your content strategy. Cam Brown, @CamBrown1.

If you want to greatly boost agency network and referral business, social media is key and the cornerstone for your social media initiatives should be in content development. If not, social media can be a great waste of time.

4. Empowering the Time and Resources

Being allowed by their superiors to take the time, energy, and resources to do it right. CC Chapman, @cc_chapman.

Agency principals must first be convinced of the value of content creation for agency new business, then be willing to commit the right person(s), time and resources toward it.

5. Resources and Focus

Unless a marketing organization has the resources and focus to get content created, it will always be difficult to accomplish content marketing goals. Pawan Deshpande, @TweetsFromPawan.

The tighter your niche, the easier content creation will become. Less time, a better focus and a greater return on the time invested.

6. Creating an Internal Process

With content, and the evolving forms of content for customer engagement, it’s critical that there’s a process internally that enables successful creation and delivery. Barbara Gago, @BarbraGago.

Content creation will require a system for your agency to have success. Create and implement a plan of action: One person who is responsible, realistic goals and objectives set, resources gathered and organized, plan your work and work your plan.

7. Having an Initial Base of Content

It’s incredibly difficult to develop interesting and relevant campaigns if you’ve not built a library of content that you can pull from throughout the fiscal year. Nate Riggs, @nateriggs.

When I consult with agencies, creating a new business program fueled through social media, the first thing I have them do is create 60 blog posts in 60 days. It then gives us our library of content that we can repurpose through many other channels and have a base that fresh content is consistently being added. Also, when you create this initial library of content within a short time frame, helps to work out the bugs of your internal processes.

8. Writing Content that Will Relate

Learning to write and communicate in a way that is completely and utterly on the level of their audience, not the level of the industry professional.Marcus Sheridan, @TheSalesLion.

Agency’s are bad about using agency speak, when talking and presenting to prospects. Agency speak doesn’t resonate with prospects and isn’t very appealing. They tend to carry over this habit when creating online content. They will need to learn to write in a manner that is reflective of the audience you are trying to reach.

9. Just Doing It

Most people seem to know what they should be doing; the trouble is actually getting it done. Consistency counts for everything.Todd Wheatland, @ToddWheatland.

If you can’t be consistent, your efforts are going to be in vain. As you create a program for content creation you should think in terms of “what is sustainable when our agency is at its busiest”. So begin this process with an action plan, using the K.I.S.S. principle. A plan is just a plan until its executed, so set dates and get started.

Consistency is much more important than perfection. It will be much easier to make changes if you get the process moving.

10. Presenting the Right Content, to the Right Audience in the Right Ways

Consistently coming up with new, timely, interesting ways to present the right content to the right audiences. Arnie Kuenn, @ArnieK

Currently an agency blog is one of the best platforms for delivering content to your prospective client audience. This will evolve and change over time. Other ways that you can disseminate content landing pages, email newsletters, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google +, etc.

For additional information and helps, click on the following link to read Michele Linn’s article, Content Marketers Reveal Their Toughest Challenges, written for the Content Marketing Institute. I would also encourage you to explore the Content Marketing, a great resource for how-to of content marketing.

Additional articles to help with your agency’s content creation:

Image credit: Hubspot

8 Comments | Best Practices, Content Marketing, SEO, Social Media | Tagged: ad agency, Content Marketing Institute, Content Marketing World, Michael Gass, Michele Linn, new business | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Ad Agencies Should KISS for New Business

August 18, 2011

Photo Credit Walt Stoneburner

The K.I.S.S. principle, “keep it simple stupid” is a great maxim to remember when developing a new business program for small to mid-size ad agencies, digital shops and PR firms.

This principle has been a key to success in my years working with new business within an agency environment.

When it comes to new business, consistency trumps perfection. Ad Agencies, the cobbler’s children who have no shoes, are very inconsistent, primarily because they tend to over-think and over-create anything associated with the agency’s brand.

Ad agencies often make things harder than normal. Certainly harder than performing some of the same tasks for clients. They are their own worse client.

That’s why most are so inconsistent with their new business efforts. It’s makes for an unnecessarily painful experience with new business tasks such as updating or redesigning the website; creating a newsletter or eNewsletter; creating direct mail or collateral pieces and even creating and implementing platforms for social media. One agency took over 3 months just to design their blog header.

The person charged with new business for the agency should be on point to simplify anything that relates to new business. Be proactive in keeping all of the processes as simple as possible.

RFPs and agency pitches can also be needlessly taxing upon the time, energy and talent of the agency making new business harder.

For instance, with regards to RFPs. Don’t reinvent the wheel each time a response is created. Covers for RFPs could be designed by well in advance, when there is a lull period and designed for particular industries.

One agency that I previously worked for, we created RFP covers that were specific to Academic Medical Centers. The creative team came up with a great design that was used for every medical center RFP we participated in.

Our creative department was able to put lots of thought into the design because it was not a busy time for the agency. The covers could easily be resized and printed to each RFP, each usually had some variations in their specification, such as size. These covers added a lot to our RFP response and looked custom for each particular academic hospital.

Something as simple as a “leave-behind” collateral piece, following an initial prospective client presentation, can be created and placed on the shelf ready for the next presentation, months in advance.

I know of one agency that had over 50 initial prospective client presentations within 1 year (these weren’t formal pitches) and created a single leave behind piece that worked for each opportunity.

If your new business responsibilities require you to serve as the agency’s pitch team leader create a simple, repeatable pitch process to save time and energy. Evaluate and sharpen your process after every pitch and find ways to simplify it.

Here are just a few of the benefit for using K.I.S.S. for new business:

Much easier to stay consistent and consistency is one of the main keys to success for new business
Solve problems faster and meetings can be kept to a minimum
Expend less energy from your staff, especially the creative department
A huge benefit for your personal time management allowing you to keep your focus on the most important tasks at hand
Staff participation in RFPs, pitch opportunities, agency newsletters, collateral, etc will be a much more positive experience that will provide you with their best work and effort
You’ll garner lots of appreciation from your time-strapped staff as you constantly look for and implement ways to save time for new business tasks

If you have any examples or ideas for invoking the K.I.S.S. principal for agency new business, please share them in the comment section below.

Additional articles that may be of interest:

2 Comments | Agency Leadership, Best Practices, New Business Talents, New Business Tips, Pitches | Tagged: ad agency new business, advertising agencies, digital shops, K.I.S.S. principal, Michael Gass, pr firms | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

The Challenges of Jumping from a Creative Shop to a Digital One

August 16, 2011

What are you doing to prepare your agency for the digital revolution?

Digital training is critical for the traditional small-to midsize advertising agencies. The strategic partnerships with digital shops have all gone by the wayside, mainly because digital agencies don’t need them any longer.

To quote Aaron Reitkopf, North American CEO of digital agency Profero, “There’s never been a better time to be in advertising, and there’s never been a worse time.”

Advertising agencies aren’t changing of their own accord, they are being changed. Rising to meet the escalating demands for digital, a lot of agencies are now requiring that almost all of their employees develop digital skills.

Kristina Slade, made the radical decision to leave her job as associate creative director at Omnicom Group’s TBWA \/Chiat\/Day, Los Angeles, to become creative director at San Francisco-based digital agency AKQA. In a recent Ad Age interview, Slade shared her challenges. Here are some of the highlights and challenges she expressed in that interview:

“… there are better [online] opportunities for brands and consumers.”
“Jumping in and absorbing all that tech info was the first hurdle.”
“Digital is a self-curated experience, so if someone didn’t engage with you, it just didn’t happen. It’s about what can a brand give someone.”
“It was just getting behind the scenes of technology so we could make smarter choices and creative work that was better by leveraging all the potential of different platforms.”
“… we actually have metrics and can prove what we can get for every dollar spent in digital.”
“The traditional shop is getting smaller. It’ll look like a hybrid shop.”a

Click on the following link to read Alexandra Bruell’s article, “Creatives out of Their Comfort Zone: Kristina Slade”

Additional articles that may be of interest:

For daily industry news check out Gass Online.

Leave a Comment » | Agency Leadership, Best Practices, Digital | Tagged: Aaron Reitkopf, AdAge, advertising agencies, AKQA, Alexandra Bruell, business development, Digital Agencies, Kristina Slade, Michael Gass, Omnicom Group's TBWA \/Chiat\/Day | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

9 Ways to Stay Focused on Ad Agency New Business

August 12, 2011

Photo credit toolstop

It is hard to stay focused and productive with so many workplace distractions such as laptops, smartphones, tablets and social media.

The new business director has to be like the rudder of a ship when it comes to new business and keep it consistently focused on new business.

I have been working in ad agency new business almost my entire advertising career. I’m organized and disciplined but I’m still constantly learning new techniques that lessen distractions and increase my productivity.

Here are 9 ways that I’ve found helpful to stay focused on new business:

Create an game plan every day. You can use a To Do’s app for your laptop, Smartphone or iPad/Tablet to schedule daily reminders that need to be accomplished as a way to stay focused throughout the day.
Dedicate blocks of time to your most important tasks. Make a specific effort to not allow the distractions or disruptions of others break your focus. After that block of time is up, take a brief break, then begin to focus on the next block of time.
Set times for checking email. A study showed that people distracted by incoming email and phone calls saw a 10-point fall in their IQs, the equivalent of losing a nights sleep. I would suggest avoiding checking your email as soon as you get into the office. One of the first tasks should be to create your action plan and get a good productive start on your work day. At pre-set times, check and respond to your emails.
Use noise canceling headphones. I don’t only use my headphones when I travel, I’ve found they help me quickly get into a ‘focused zone’ for completing task. I’m actually wearing them as I write this article.
Take planned breaks. It is important to take a breather and it usually enhances productivity, especially if these breaks are pre-scheduled in between your major tasks for the day. This allows for a natural transition and a time to refocus from one task to another.
At work focus on business and at home focus on your personal life. Its important to keep your personal and business life as separate as possible. You’ll stay more refreshed, focused and productive.
Be comfortable. I enjoy my work environment. My desk, my chair and computer screen are at the right height. I have adjustable lighting for my workspace. The temps just right. My office is organized. Everything is conducive to keeping my mind focused.
Discipline your time online. To avoid distractions my browser’s homepage is set to Google Reader. Having my online content in one location is extremely helpful to avowing distractions online.
Respect the time of others. Instead of calling for a 1 hour meeting, try cutting the time in half. Don’t send lengthy emails, do the extra work to create emails that are concise and to the point. Remember that everyone is busy and keep the time of your calls to a minimum. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Respect to time of others and they will learn to respect yours.

Additional articles that may be of interest:

2 Comments | Best Practices, Time Management | Tagged: ad agency new business, advertising agencies, focus, Michael Gass, Time Management | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

When it comes to new business Ad Agencies are ADHD

August 2, 2011

Photo Credit ADHD CENTER

ADHD is a problem with inattentiveness, over-activity, impulsivity, or a combination – It also is descriptive of most advertising agencies, especially when it comes to new business.

For a large number of ad agencies, the atmosphere is chaotic. It is an environment that is in a perpetual state of distraction. Working in this kind of climate is stressful. You’re constantly shifting from one task to the next. There are numerous interruptions and urgent requests throughout each day.

The digital revolution has created additional challenges – how do we stay focused and productive with so many intriguing distractions only a click away. That’s exacerbated with laptops, smartphones, tablets and the popularity of social media.

New business directors must continually refocus their attention, creating fatigue and decreased productivity. That’s bad for agency new business.

Office and internet distractions lessen productivity:

Every time we become distracted, it takes an average of 15 minutes to regain complete focus.
Gloria Mark, a UC-Irvine professor has found that the average employee switches tasks every three minutes, is interrupted every two minutes and has a maximum focus stretch of 12 minutes.
A study showed that people distracted by incoming email and phone calls saw a 10-point fall in their IQs, the equivalent of losing a nights sleep.
An American study reported in the Journal Of Experimental Psychology found our productivity goes down by as much as 40% when we attempt to do several things at once.
Studies by Gloria Mark, an ‘interruption scientist’ at the University of California, show that when people are frequently diverted from one task to another, they work faster, produce less, report significantly higher stress levels, frustration, workload, effort and pressure.

I have been working in ad agency new business almost my entire advertising career and have completed two post-graduate degrees. I’m organized and focused but far from perfect. I’m constantly learning new techniques that lessen distraction and increase my productivity.

One solution that has been the most helpful for me is to dedicate blocks of time to similar tasks. The result – it increases your productivity, creativity, and mental sharpness, while decreasing fatigue, procrastination, and stress. You simply group similar tasks that require similar resources in order to streamline their completion.

Set aside a specific amount of time for specific tasks and make a specific effort to not allow the distractions or disruptions of others break your focus. After that block of time is up, take a brief break, then begin to focus on the next block of time.

Here are some tips to help get you started:

Write it down. Write down 4 to 5 of the most important tasks that need to be accomplished as you begin your day.
Keep time. Use a wristwatch, timer, alarm, PDA or computer—anything that keeps accurate time and is within your sight at all times. When you start a task, say the time out loud or write it down. Allot yourself limited amounts of time for each task.
Check off. After completing a task, manually mark it off your list.
Take a break. A 5 minute break after the completion of each task.
Begin again. Refocus, reset the timer and begin working on the next task.
Take an extended break. After completing your top 4 to 5 task for the day, take a 20 minute break.

I’m a fan of a technique invented in the late 1980s by Francesco Cirillo, a professional in the fields of productivity and process improvement, called The Pomodoro Technique. This easy to use, simple system, used by professional teams and individuals in a range of fields has become a popular tool. It is easy to use and, most of all, it works.

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management system that can help prioritize and accomplish important agency new business tasks.

Here are some Pomodoro resources to help get you started:

Download the Pomodoro Technique® book for free or order it on the Internet or from your bookshop.
Cheat Sheet. Download a one-page overview of the Pomodoro Technique® .
The Pomodoro Technique To-Do Checklist
The Pomodoro Pro app is a timer tailored for people using the Pomodoro Technique and designed specifically for the iPhone or iPad.

Whatever plan you use, be committed to improve your focus and time management. Practice makes perfect.

12 Comments | Agency Leadership, Best Practices, New Business Tips, Time Management | Tagged: ad agency new business, ADHD, advertising agencies, business development, Michael Gass, multitasking | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

The Reader’s Digest Version of the Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

July 25, 2011

Steve Jobs is a master presenter and he provides some important lessons that are helpful to any ad agency pitch opportunity.

Carmine Gallo’s book, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs is a must read. There’s much to learn from Jobs presentation tactics and style since delivering. Applying his simple formula can greatly improve any agency’s pitch and help them to stand out from the rest.

“You’re time is limited so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. Stay hungry, stay foolish.”
– Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs is not a natural presenter, he has to work at it. Carmine shares that, “for two full days before a presentation, Jobs will practice the entire presentation, asking for feedback from product managers in the room. For 48 hours, all of his energy is directed at making the presentation the perfect embodiment of Apple’s messages.”

Nancy Duarte recommends that a presenter spend 90 hours creating an hour-long presentation with 30 slides. But only one-third of that time is spent building slides. Another third is rehearsing, but the first third is spent collecting ideas, organizing ideas, and sketching the story.

Thinking
Sketching
Building
Slides
Scripting
Rehearsing
90 hours | 30 slides

Here’s the Reader’s Digest version from a live presentation delivered by Carmine and recreated through by Peter Walker in this Slideshare format.

4 Comments | Best Practices, Fuel for Thought, Pitches, Speaking | Tagged: advertising agencies, Carmine Gallo, Michael Gass, Nancy Duarte, new business, Peter Walker, Pitches, presentations, Steve Jobs | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Multitasking Kills Productivity and That’s Bad for New Business

July 22, 2011

Photo Credit Daquella Manera

Research shows that the more you multitask, the worse you are at it and that can be bad for ad agency new business.

In some situations multitasking is deadly. I recently read of a well-known plastic surgeon who was killed when he accidentally drove his car over a cliff while sending a Twitter message about his dog. Most of us understand the dangers of multitasking while driving but many don’t realize that multitasking can be killing productivity.

The term “multitasking originated in the computer engineering industry, referring to the ability of a microprocessor to process several task at the simultaneously. Our ability to multitask is not as efficient as we might think.

On the surface multitasking sounds like it would boost productivity but studies show just the opposite happens:

Professor Earl Miller, a neuroscientist at the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a leader in multi-tasking research, says, ‘People can’t do it very well, and when they say they can, they’re deluding themselves,’ he says. ‘The brain is very good at deluding itself.’

Psychiatrist Edward M. Hallowell has gone so far as to describe multitasking as a “mythical activity in which people believe they can perform two or more tasks simultaneously as effectively as one.”

A study at the University of California found that multitasking impedes the brain’s ability to absorb information

Author of the book Distraction, Damon Young, says, “When we move from our job to an e-mail, it takes about a minute to recover our train of thought and then we get another e-mail, or an SMS, so our concentration is fractured. The result? We’re not really multi-tasking. We’re switching between tasks in an unfocused or clumsy way.”

Studies here in the US have shown that students who do homework while watching television get consistently lower grades.

“There is a cost to the way that our society is changing. Humans are not built to work this way, we’re really built to focus.” Russell Poldrack,UCLA psychology professor

Persons charged with business development for most small to mid-size ad agencies often wear multiple hats. That increases the likelihood that they do a lot of multi-tasking and are less efficient than they could be.

We are not made for multitasking and it actually hinders our productivity:

The time it takes to complete jobs increases significantly. People actually lose time rather than gain it. The brain has to restart and refocus. Switching attention is from one task to another, work may be faster but studies show that productivity is less.
Multi-taskers are prone to errors.
Multi-taskers are more easily distracted. The more they multitask the worse they are at it and the less they can focus on one thing.
Multitasking hurts relationships. Even though it isn’t intended, it makes clients, coworkers, friends and most importantly family feel unimportant.
Multitasking comes at a high price. It greatly increases stress, even rage in adults and learning problems for children. You need to ask yourself, ‘is this the way I want to feel? Is this the way I really want to live my life?”

If you want to be productive it’s best not to multi-task at all. There is no downside to it. Here are 10 tips to overcoming multitasking:

Embrace single tasking. Acknowledge the problem, “Hi, my name is Michael and I’m a multi-tasker.”
Manage your time better, do one thing at a time if at all possible.Schedule time to switch your attention from one task to another.
Look for ways to create silence. I turn off any distractions and even use a set of noise canceling headphones to help me get into a focused state of mind.
Turn off the cell phone and disable email alerts. Have set time to check voice mail and your inbox.
Distractions on the internet are abundant. To bring strategy and focus to your online reading, use an RSS Reader such as Google Reader.
Force yourself to disconnect. Take a break from social media and the internet.
Create a To Do List for the day. Plan your day in blocks. Set just a few primary objectives that you want to complete by end of day.
Begin at in the mornings to complete your most important tasks.
Amazing at how deadlines can keep things moving. Give yourself less time helps hyper-focus your attention on the project at thand.
Schedule in some periodic breaks during the day, such as going for a brief walk.

10 Comments | Agency Leadership, Best Practices, Fuel for Thought, New Business Tips, Time Management | Tagged: Ad Agencies, business development, Damon Young, Edward M. Hallowell, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michael Gass, multitasking, productivity, Professor Earl Miller, University of California | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Vacationing for Ad Agency New Business

July 18, 2011

Hopefully my personal experience can provide you with some ideas for you can keep your social media | new business program churning even while on vacation.

As I was preparing to write this post, I noticed that Edward Boches, Mullen’s Chief Creative Office, had disconnected for a short period from his social media activity and described his experience in this blog article, “Random Thoughts from a Summer Vacation.”

Edward writes, “Ironically while social media connects us to strangers it isolates us from the people we’re closest to. I got a taste of my own medicine last week as I watched my daughter disappear into her Facebook and YouTube communities, half unaware of my presence. Now I know what my family feels like when I’m saying “uh huh,” but staring at one of my screens.”

New business is tough, especially in this economy plus the acceleration of communication’s technology, just keeping up can be exhausting. Life in the trenches for your agency’s new business is nonstop, hard work. For your family and your personal well-being, it is important to take some personal time off from the rigors of new business as well as a refreshing break from social media.

Recharging your batteries with personal time away is always good and often needed to avoid burn-out. But just because you are taking some much needed time off doesn’t mean your agency’s new business has to suffer. Utilizing social media, with a few select tools and tactics can keep your new business pipeline full even when you are away.

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve cut back on my social media engagement, unplugged myself for a period to reflect, rewind and redirect my energies. I’ve spent less time online over the past couple of weeks than anytime over the past 4 years. But, even while I’m off unwinding and off the grid my social media program continues to churn out new business opportunities.

Here’s are a few tactics that I employ to keep my social media | new business program working for me while I’m away:

My blog continues to generate traffic throughout my off period because it is highly optimized for search. I was also able to repurpose my blog’s content through multiple tools through other social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook.
Schedule Guest Post for content creation for your blog while you are away. John Sharpe, CMO of the BOHAN agency, created this post that was used for FUEL LINES while I was on sabbatical: How did YOU get into ad agency business development?
I created my email newsletter in advance and preset it to publish during my break time.
I use a variety of social media apps to add some personal touches to my social media stream using my iPhone and iPad. It only a few minutes of my time per day while vacationing. Most of my followers wouldn’t even know that I’m mostly off the grid during this time.

Additional articles that may be of interest:

Leave a Comment » | Best Practices, Fuel for Thought, New Business Tips, Social Media, Time Management | Tagged: ad agency new business, business development, Edward Boches, Michael Gass, Mullen, Social Media | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

3 Quick Tips for Developing a Consistent Program for Ad Agency New Business

June 21, 2011

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The key for consistently generating new business opportunities is to develop a new business program that your agency can consistently execute and sustain.

As you create a new business program for your agency you should think in terms of “what is sustainable when our agency is at its busiest”.

Here are 3 things your program must have to be consistent:

1. Be realistically achievable within the culture and resources of the agency

Set realistic goals. There are a lot of agencies, when asked what are their new business goals will say, ”we want to double in size” or ”we want to take our agency to the next level”. This aren’t realistic goals unless you have an actionable plan that provides for the resources, personnel and budget to be fully implemented.

2. Have a manager who is empowered and held accountable for its execution

If everyone is responsible for your agency’s new business then no one is responsible.

Someone must be accountable, have the authority and ability to drive it. There’s a lot of pushing, prodding and poking that must be done to keep the new business program working. Someone must be responsible for keeping it focused and on track.

3. Top management must be intimately involved in the process

No one in the agency feels the pressure to succeed more than the agency principals. Like it or not, they are the face of the small-to-midsize agency. Their involvement is important for new business and they shouldn’t shy away from this responsibility. To maintain consistency, new business, must be a priority in their daily responsibilities.

Mandate that your agency has an integrated new business plan. Unbelievably, 62% of agencies don’t have a planned new business effort.
Define your agency’s positioning. This is the starting point for any ad agency new business program. It is a fundamental prerequisite for small and midsize agencies. But it is also the place where most agencies where most fail. Positioning is everything.
Choose a target audience. This will not deter your agency from still obtaining “other” type of clients through your personal networks and referrals within your local market, but it will go a very long way to creating awareness, appeal, differentiation and focus for your agency’s new business program. It makes new business so much easier when you do.
Resolve to stay the course. New business efforts are relational and take time to come to fruition.

11 Comments | Best Practices, New Business Tips | Tagged: ad agency new business, business development, Michael Gass | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Executing Your Agency’s New Business Strategy Requires a System

May 26, 2011

A plan is just a plan, wishful thinking, until it is executed.

How many annual planning meetings has your agency gone through the motions of creating a strategic new business plan only to have it fail in its implementation? Maybe next year, instead of focusing so much attention on the plan, use annual planning to create dynamic processes for execution.

“Execution, more so than planning, is the battleground that determines success and failure.”

Experience has taught me that successfully executing a new business strategy requires a system, not a series of diverse projects performed by different parts of the agency. Here are some practical tips for creating a system for new business for your agency:

One person responsible: You will not only need the right person in place to oversee the process, someone who has focus, determination and consistency, the qualities are required for success.
Convert your strategic plan into a game plan that includes Milestone Dates, To Do List, Resources, Assignments, etc.
Set goals that stretch your agency but that are reasonably attainable and measurable.
Determine what is needed to achieve your priorities: People, funding, equipment, space, training/development, etc.
Get organized: Use a program such as Basecamp, an excellent, inexpensive online project management tool to help in the implementation process.
Just start: A lot of time can be wasted if you don’t start somewhere. Identify and focus on the first step. Once you get going, it’s much easier to keep going. Also remember, don’t over think things, keep it simple.
Based on your tasks create a “must work week” schedule. Arrange your work week priorities ahead of time. “If you don’t know and control your schedule, someone else will.”
Be prepared to make changes. This is not an exercise in perfection – Plans give you a road map to our goals, but you have to be ready to make adjustments, based on your experience in execution. Every plan I have ever seen has obstacles. Don’t abandon your strategy at the first obstacle, create “work-arounds”, solutions, even temporary ones that will allow you to keep the process moving. Don’t let anything stop implementation.
Make assignments: clear communications with those who must help with implementation of the various projects is a must. Who is doing what and when. Make sure they know their assignment, due dates and be prepared to prod, poke and push for completion.
Close out completed projects.
Monitor and report progress: Unless there is an ongoing process for evaluating execution, making decisions about it, and closing the loop with the original strategy, the effort fails. Note: I’ve worked with agencies that are bombarded with internal meetings, communications and reports. Keep this part simple, a monthly one-page executive summary of progress and a brief monthly meeting with only the persons that are necessary to review and make changes, will usually suffice.
Periodically highlight successes and celebrate new business acquisitions: This will reward participants and create excitement within the agency.
Incorporate “lessons learned” from accessing your accomplishments into the next year plan.

Please feel free to share additional tips and ideas for creating a system for agency new business in the comment section below

Additional articles that may be of interest:

1 Comment | Agency Leadership, Best Practices, New Business Tactics, New Business Tips | Tagged: ad agency new business, advertising agencies, business development, Michael Gass, processes, system | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

10 Tips For Creating a Game Plan For Ad Agency New Business

May 18, 2011

It is absolutely essential that every ad agency have a plan for their new business development initiatives.

I recently spoke to a group of ad agency owners. I was amazed to learn that none of them had a written new business plan. That’s inconceivable to me. If you have no plan you can’t measure what you’re doing, there’s no real strategy behind your new business activities, no focus or direction.

“He who fails to plan, is planning to fail” - Winston Churchill

If you want to build a consistent pipeline for lead generation and new business opportunities for your agency you must have a game plan in place.

Here are my 10 tips for creating a game plan for your agency’s new business:

It might be a helpful exercise to create a SWOT analysis of your agency: it’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Set realistic new business goals. I can’t tell you how often I hear “our goal is to take the agency to the next level,” but they have no clue what that level is or what it looks like. In my opinion new business goals should be obtainable.
If your goal is to double your RFP responses or double your pitches, you also must have the processes in place to handle the additional workload if those things are to come to fruition.
Identify your top category and audience you are going to target. You must have an identifiable target.
Know who is your primary competition and create a strong point of differentiation from them.
Follow the KISS method. Keep everything simple as possible including the plan. A one page plan can easily suffice.
Outline the new business plan through specific strategies: Public Relations, Social Media, Direct Mail, Digital, etc.
Establish benchmarks for the things you can measure. Have a review, update, make changes and refocus your efforts once a month.
Use a program such as Basecamp, an excellent, inexpensive online tool to help implement your plan. Set milestone dates, create an actionable To-Do List for keeping track of who is doing, what, when, etc.
The person charged with new business should be empowered to implement the plan as if this was one of your agency’s client accounts. The new business person must be like a rudder of a ship to keep the process moving in the same direction, no matter how the wind is blowing.

Additional agency new business articles that may be of interest:

14 Comments | Best Practices, New Business Tips, New Business Tools, Promotion | Tagged: Ad Agencies, business development, Michael Gass, new business, new business plan | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

7 Ways to Stay Connected for Ad Agency New Business

May 16, 2011

Some simple tips to stay connected and be available for prospects while you are traveling.

Many agency CEOs and those charged with agency new business are traveling a lot these days. I just returned from an overseas trip and it was important for me to stay connected to my own social media new business network.

My on-the-road my basic equipment consists of:

A MacBook 13″, easier to use at airports and lunch counters. I prefer using my Mac when I write even when traveling.
I have an iPad and iPhone (my iPhone is jailbroken which helps with overseas travels and allows me to use T-Mobile’s data and cell phone plan).
I own a T-Mobile aircard/laptop stick but I prefer the Verizon version, that seems to have a much better coverage area. Sometimes it has been helpful that your laptop stick be a different service than your cell phone, when one has weak coverage in a particular area the other may be stronger signal.

Here’s some connection tips that I thought would be helpful to share.

I never know what kind of internet service I’m going to get from one airport, hotel or conference facility. I always carry my T-Mobile air card. I wouldn’t leave home without it.
As a backup for my presentations and other travel information I use Dropbox. It is a free service and I’ve found it to be extremely useful to me when I travel. I can also post large files for others to easily review.
I absolutely love Tripit. I still use its free version which does all that I need it to do. You can easily organize trip details into one master online itinerary. It also will post trip updates through your social networks. When I arrive at an airport, one of the first things that I do is open up Tripit, touch the number for my ground transportation connection and it will automatically make the call. To many other great benefits to list here. But to say the least Tripit is one of my most essential travel tools.
I often have sought out tips from others who are traveling to some of the same parts of the U.S. or abroad for their suggestions. I reached out to Trey Pennington for example. Trey travels often to the UK and provided some great advice. Particularly helpful was his recommendation to add the iPad 3g International plan. I purchased the 50 MB global plan for a recent overseas trip. I only used a small portion of the plan and could have gotten by easily with the 20 MB plan. You can preset the travel dates in advance and have your iPad connection ready to go as soon as you land.
I often use Skype while traveling for video and conference calls. It is free to start using Skype – to speak, see and instant message other people on Skype for example. For very little costs subscribe or pay-as-you go for additional features like call phones, access WiFi or send texts.
I use the Tru global phone service and app to make calls from my iPad to land line phones and to persons who don’t have Skype. Call recipients tell me that the call clarity is great. This tool was great when I made calls from the UK to the US.
I use Foursquare often. It lets others who follow me know when I’m in or near where they are located. For example, I was in Nashville, TN recently, checked into a location with Foursquare which led to an invitation for coffee, a lunch meeting and an offer to drop by one of the agencies for an impromptu meet-and-greet.

I now have This is nowhere near an exhaustive list of tools and tactics to stay connected while traveling. I’m sure others have some additional tools and tips to add to this list. Please feel free to do so in the comment section below.

Update: Shortly after writing this post, I now have the Personal Hotspot for iPhone 4. I dropped my T-Mobile air card service. I upgraded my Verizon cell plan to include the Hotspot service for $20. I’m also able to connect my iPad through Personal Hotspot which allowed me to also cancel my AT&T iPad data plan.

3 Comments | Best Practices, New Business Tips, Special Events, Time Management | Tagged: ad agency new business, Michael Gass, prospective clients, tips, traveling, Trey Pennington | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

10 Advantages When Ad Agencies Focus New Business Efforts on Their “Sweet Spot”

May 5, 2011

New business targeting is about finding an agency’s sweet spot. Deciding on the most fruitful audience that match your agency’s core competencies and wastes the least amount of your agency’s energy and resources to win.

The sweet spot is that part of the club, bat, tennis racket, etc. that wastes the least amount of energy when it collides with the ball.

Too many agencies fall into the trap of pursuing any prospective client with a budget. Most are not a good fit for the agency. I think that is the primary reason why 53% of advertisers are dissatisfied with their agencies and the average agency-client relationship is now two years.

If your agency will go after anything and everything you are playing a numbers game. You might get lucky and win a few but you wont be building your brand. Also, when it’s not a good match, you, your staff and most likely your new client are going to end up miserable.

Think about these 10 advantages for focusing new business on your agency’s sweet spot:

Properly brand/position your agency for success with surprisingly little effort. Most agencies are in a perpetual state of re-branding their agency and redesigning their agency’s website. They can’t ever turn the corner to get them done. Focusing on your sweet spot simplifies the process.
You are able to clearly articulate how your agency is different from the rest. I recently asked agencies to share how they are different from the rest, from the 243 responses, I would say that this is a major problem for most agencies.
More easily build awareness among the best prospects for your agency. Your agency is just a tiny dot in the ocean when you have no target audience. You wont be on anyone’s radar.
With a narrower focus you have the ability to become a respected expert and thought leader in your field. There is no credibility when your agency claims expertise in dozens of industry verticals or disciplines.
Acquire new business with the least amount of wasted agency energy and resources.You know where your agency needs to have a presence. What trade shows, conferences to attend, sponsor or speak at. Your new business budget becomes more strategic and you can better harness the creative prowess of your agency when it is needed.
A much better defined set of criteria for identifying the right prospective clients. Creating a top 25 list of prospects is an easy thing to do and makes building relationships with those prospects easier.
Less strike-outs and a stronger win ratio for new business, because your agency is matched up with its core strengths.
A much broader geographical market area. Most small to midsize agencies have gained new business through referrals and personal networks. Focus on your agency’s sweet spot helps you to broaden your appeal. With the addition to social media, you can have a global reach. As an example, I am headed to London this week to meet with a new client that came about by way of my social media program.
Fewer competitors, because there will be fewer agencies who do what you do. You can also know who your chief competitors are and better maximize hone positioning and appeal against theirs.
As a specialist you can command premium pricing. The cost for seeing my family physician from the expense of my neurological specialist who performed a spinal fusion on my neck was a huge. Lewis Communication’s, here in Birmingham, AL, commands premium pricing for its services to academic medical centers.

Instead of having a lukewarm appeal to a broad group of prospects, focusing on your agency’s sweet spot can generate a feverish appeal among prospects that are the best match for what your agency does best.

Here are a few examples of small to midsize agencies with a focus:

The Dudnyk agency, Philadelphia, PA, biotech brand specialists.They’ve even employed Dr. Chris Tobias, who has a PhD in neuroscience and directs new business development for their agency.
The SONNHALTER agency, Cleveland, OH, is being sought out by manufacturers who want to reach professional tradesmen.
Kleber & Associates, Atlanta, GA, focuses on brands that build a better home.
Levelwing, Charleston, SC, that are experts in data-driven marketing solutions, particularly in auto aftermarket companies.

12 Comments | Agency Leadership, Best Practices, Positioning | Tagged: advertising agencies, Dr. Chris Tobias, Dudnyk, Kleber and Associates, Levelwing, Lewis Communications, Michael Gass, new business development, SONNHALTER | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

A Top 20 List of Ad Agency New Business Articles for 2011

April 29, 2011

Information regarding new business and social media continues to be the top interests of advertising agencies.

There were over 100,000+ page views for FUEL LINES in the first few months of the year. As signs of economic recovery are on the horizon small to midsize ad agencies, digital agencies and PR firms are even more focused on new business. Because many agencies were late to get on board the social media wagon, they are also searching for social media resources that will help them get up to speed quickly.

Agencies are also in a hiring mode and a lot more attention is being given to best practices in hiring, training and retention of their staff. Lots of questions and interaction regarding new skills needed, particularly when it comes to agency new business.

In the order of their rankings, here are the top 20 Fuel Line articles that generated the most traffic in the first few months of 2011:

3 Comments | Best Practices, New Business Talents, New Business Tips, New Business Trends, Social Media | Tagged: advertising agencies, Digital Agencies, FUEL LINES, Michael Gass, new business articles, pr firms, retention, Social Media, training | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

16 Signs That Social Media Isn’t Working for Ad Agency New Business

April 18, 2011

If your agency’s social media participation isn’t generating traffic and new business leads, it is important to know why.

How can an agency help a client monetize their social media when it doesn’t have a handle on how to use it for itself? As more-and-more agencies jump on the social media band-wagon, clients are beginning to ask them,“what has social media done for you?”

Gone are the days when an agency can get by “talking the talk but not walking the walk.” Clients will be able to discern between the agencies that truly get social media from the ones that don’t with just a few clicks of their mouse.

100% of our clients are online and all they have to do is take a quick look and they can easily tell that most agencies have no plan with regards to social media. Agencies may have a blog, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts, but those accounts often hide behind the agency name and tend to be blatantly self promotional with little value to an undefinable audience.

Used correctly, social media makes new business easier not harder. It is an incredible communication’s channel for easily generating new business leads and creating personal networks far beyond your local market.

No traffic + no leads = no new business. Here are 16 signs that most likely indicate your social media isn’t working for your agency:

No social media strategy, no plan. 60% of companies using social media have no plan. I would say from my own experience that is probably true of most agencies.
No clear objective for using social media. The first step in creating a social media strategy for your agency, you MUST have an objective. I suggest it should be for new business.
There is no focus on a particular target audience. The second step in creating in a social media strategy is to identify who you are trying to reach.
A lack of positioning for agencies. The FOUNDATION of an ad agency’s new business program is its positioning.
“The common failing among agencies seeking new business is the inability, or unwillingness, to name what they stand for,”Bob Lundin, Agency search consultancy Jones Lundin Beals. Social media provides a great opportunity to showcase how your agencies are different.
Agencies using social media for blatant self-promotion. Credentials and capabilities belong on an agencies website but shouldn’t be the driving force of their social media program. Social media should be centered around benefits.
No integration between blogging, Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. When the majority of agencies finally ‘jumped into’ social media, they just jumped in with a check list of channels. Yes we have a blog, Facebook Fan page, Twitter account and LinkedIn. But there was no convergence, bringing them together into a single social media strategy.
Agencies are waiting passively for prospective clients to them. If you build it, doesn’t guarantee that prospects are going to come.
Many agencies lack appreciation for those that are willing ambassadors for your agency. Zig Ziglar’s statement, “You can have everything in life that you want if you just give enough other people what they want.” His philosophy works well in the arena of social media.
A lot of social media efforts fail because of the lack of value/benefit for the intended audience. Your audience will be your judge and jury as to whether you have an appealing position, post titles that spur interest, content that is beneficial.
A lot of agencies obviously don’t care about anybody but themselves. To successfully build an online community, you must staf focused on the perspective and interests of your prospective clients. You have to genuinely care about their challenges and obstacles.
There’s no SEO strategy for your agency’s social media presence. According to Marketing Sherpa, 80-90% of business to business transactions begin with a search on the web. A CMO survey, 80% of decision makers say they found the vendor, not the other way around. “Content Doesn’t Win. Optimized Content Wins” – Li Evans, search marketing guru
Your agency’s social media ship has no rudder. Getting your staff on the same page and keeping them there is like herding cats. Empower the person charged with your agency’s new business to keep your social media efforts focused and directed.
Followers instead of leaders. Most agencies are still using social media the way the early adopters of social media intended. Instead of pressing the envelope for lead generation and networking for new business. This in no way means that you are SELLING.
A mindset of income first. Just like in our offline networks and referrals, it’s relationships first. People want to work with other people that they know, trust and like.
Attending offline events such as trade shows and conferences without inclusion in your agency’s social media efforts. Social media has transformed offline events and can maximize the personnel connections with prospective clients. Your involvement with blogging, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn can change your whole experience.
No social media training for their staffs. According to a recent 4A’s and Arnold Worldwide survey, 90% of agency staff say they have to figure things out on their own due to the lack of training.

Additional social media + ad agency new business articles that may be of interest:

6 Comments | Best Practices, New Business Tips, New Business Trends, Social Media | Tagged: Ad Agencies, Advertising, Jones Lundin Beals, Marketing Sherpa, Michael Gass, new business, Social Media, Zig Ziglar | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

The Future of Ad Agency Promotion at Events Through Social Media

April 1, 2011

Social media can enhance your special event experience and make networking for new business easier.

Without a doubt an industry trade show or conference has been a beneficial professional networking event for business opportunities. Social media has transformed these events and taken them to a new level.

“I think social media is changing the nature of interaction surrounding conventions,” said Steven Paganelli, vice president of business development-DMOs/CVBs for the Washington, D.C.-based, TIG Global. “Certainly, the opportunity to connect on a higher, more meaningful level face-to-face has always been at the heart of meetings and conventions, but social media tools and new technologies are making it easier for delegates to move beyond their comfort zone to meet new contacts, share ideas and engage in these events in deeper ways.”

In an American Express OPEN Forum article, Scott Belsky, Founder and CEO of Behance, shares insights from his 4-day experience at this year’s South By Southwest Interactive Conference. I’ve taken Scott’s main take aways regarding the future of advertising and self promotion to highlight the future of ad agency promotion at events through social media for new business:

1. Curation is a great tool for agency self-promotion.

Scott identifies one company that stood out above all others at this year’s SXSW event by serving as a curator of of event information.

“AOL set up a booth where they sorted through the day’s news at the conference and streamed channels of information for particular interests. In effect, AOL was serving as a curator of the overwhelming amount of stuff, and people gravitated toward the booth.”

This is a great social media strategy for ad agency promotion. Become a curator of information by allowing your agency blog and website to be a repository of helpful information for your prospective clients. Scott says, “If people like your taste—or just the way you display information—they will tune into your message.”

I was able to interact with attendees of Ad Age’s first Small Agency Conference. From my social media interactions I was able to create this article: 50 of the Best Insights from Ad Age’s First Ever Small Agency Conference. The amazing thing – I wasn’t there!

I was able to create this list of the 50 Best Insights in an article for my blog and propagate it through my 50,000 + followers on Twitter before the conference was even over.

I also helped spread the word of the conference, create buzz and assisted in generating traffic for the conference sponsors: AdAge andAOL Advertising.

It put me on Ad Age’s radar: @adage And it’s not even over! RT @michaelgass 50 of the Best Insights from Ad Age’s First Small Agency Conf #smallagency http://bit.ly/bTZqhL

2. The Future of Advertising (networking) is Education.

I wasn’t able to attend this years SXSW event, but according to Scott, the future of advertising was one of the main topics of discussion.

“With brands in the hands of the people, a new genre of advertising will arise that is more authentic and borderline educational. Companies will tap their expertise as a way to win people over. For example, GE knows a lot about the future of energy and jet engines, Pepsi knows a lot about marketing and beverages, The New York Times knows a lot about journalism.

While you would likely skip over any commercials from these brands, you might be interested in their perspectives in areas where your interests intersect.”

Social media can play an important role in defining your agency’s brand. To be successful with social media you are compelled to lead prospective client engagement with benefits and value rather than agency capabilities and credentials. Check out these “Top 10 Benefits of Social Media for Ad Agency New Business.”

Education provides a great networking platform to build value for your prospects and positioning of leadership for you and your agency.

3. The value of attending conferences lies with personal connections, not panels.

Some people believe that we are so connected online that offline conferences, seminars and trade shows are losing their importance. Scott’s takeaway is just the opposite:

“In a world of increasing remoteness and virtual relationships, the benefits of physical engagement only increase. I would argue that conferences will become MORE essential as our lives become more digital.”

Social media has transformed offline events and can maximize the personnel connections with prospective clients. Your involvement with blogging, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn can change your whole experience. You can “get to know” many of the exhibitors, speakers and event attendees from your online interactions that will propagate and enhance meeting them in person.

I recently received this note from Tom Matter, CEO of MAX Advertising in Atlanta. Tom’s agency specializes in law firm marketing and had this to say after attending the Legal Marketing Association’s Conference in Orlando:

“I wanted to tell you how fast we have been noticed by the national legal marketing community. We are easily the most talked about new marketing strategy and creative shop in the business.

All the blogs we followed last year to get started are all now following me for content ideas! They told me this themselves. I

had women stop me and ask to get my picture taken with them because they love The Matte Pad!! No joke. So many people read it and follow it with their RSS reader.

It was great validation for all the hard work we are putting into it. MAX Advertising is a great social media success story. We will get so much work from the conference it’s not even funny.”

Tips for participating in special events using social media:

Include a banner for the event in your blog’s sidebar.
Information about the event in your email newsletter.
Invite one of the event organizers to write a guest post.
Write your own article prior to and/or after the event.
Find out if the event already has a Twitter #hashtag set up. If they don’t suggest one to the event organizers. Use the hashtag for Twitter posts about the event, before, during and after.
Use the time to network
Conduct interviews. Use your iPhone to video and edit podcasts that you can share on your blog.
Act an a reporter for the event with live updates via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Set-up “meet-ups” from your online networks of people

Click on the following link to read Scott’s article, “SXSW Interactive Takeaways: The Future Of Advertising & Self-Promotion.” If you are an event speaker, you might find the “7 Traits Event Organizers Need From Speakers” helpful.

9 Comments | Agency Networks, Best Practices, New Business Tactics, New Business Trends, Social Media, Speaking, Special Events | Tagged: Ad Age, Behance, CEO, curation, events, MAX Advertising, Michael Gass, networking, Scott Belsky, Social Media, Steven Paganelli, Tom Matte, trade shows | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

5 Ways to Recycle Older Content for Ad Agency New Business

March 31, 2011

Continue to generate a great return on your time investment, writing for your agency’s blog, by recycling older content.

As you write your posts, learn to write “ever-green” to give the content a long shelf life. I recently wrote a post, 50 of the Best Insights from Ad Age’s First Ever Small Agency Conference, the first ever small agency conference sponsored by Ad Age. Even though this was a one-day conference, I purposefully wrote the post in a way that would allow the content to be used for a much longer period of time.

My recycled posts continue to generate lots of blog traffic and fresh comments from readers who have just discovered them for the first time. The date of the material shouldn’t matter. What should matter is relevancy. Is the content still of value to your audience?

Here are 5 simple ways to repurpose older content:

Twitter: This isn’t like your email inbox. People are on and off Twitter rather quickly. Often they are scanning for helpful resources to their advertising/marketing challenges. That the majority of your followers would see a post that you published at 11 am on a Thursday is remote. It’s about reach and frequency. SocialOomph is a great program to assist with repurposing content through your Twitter account and allows you to control your publishing schedule knowing what post is being published when.
Email Newsletters: Posts from your archive will find new life by way of your newsletter. You can group older posts around a particular category or theme. Highlight the “best of” your online content. Here are a couple of examples: Fuel Lines, Convince and Convert’s Vault
Facebook and LinkedIn: Another way to repurpose content is through other social media platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Just not with the same frequency of posting as you would with Twitter.
Through other posts: Do the work on behalf of your readers and at the end of your new posts include links to additional content that is relevant. Check out my ‘Additional articles of interest’ at the end of this article. This makes it easier for your readers to find relevant, older content on your blog.
eBooklets and Whitepapers: After you have been writing awhile, you can easily pull together content to create eBooklets or whitepapers to share with your audience. I have also pulled older content together for SlideShare presentations. You can even recycle your blogs content into a book. An example is Bob Hoffman’s The Ad Contrarian.

I would also suggest revisiting older posts that may not have generated very much traffic. With the proper edits and revisions you can breath new life into them as well.

Additional articles that may be of interest: