8 Reasons Why This Is Such An Exciting Time for the Smaller Ad Agencies

October 5, 2011

Big Fuel

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

These are certainly unconventional times that we live in. A recent IBM study states that we will see more change in the next 5 years than in the previous fifty.

We are still in the midst of the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression. The recession that began in 2008 still isn’t over and economists are forewarning the possibility that this could be a double-dip recession.

The rise of social media as another communication’s channel, has impacted our society and the way we do business. Social media marketing best practices are quickly evolving. But as soon as you start to get comfortable using Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, a new social media platform is introduced, such as Google Plus, and it’s back to school all over again.

Smart phones and tablets further impact our culture and how we communicate.

New business professionals for ad agencies and PR firms, who were once good at what they did are now struggling.  The way new business is acquired is changing rapidly. The interruption type tactics, which were successful in the past, are becoming less and less effective.

With all of the upheaval and uncertainty for our industry, this is certainly an exciting, revolutionary time to be in advertising. Particularly for the small-to-midsize advertising or public relations agency.

8 reasons why this is such an exciting time to be in advertising, particularly for the smaller agencies:

  1. They have the opportunity to build awareness well beyond their local markets.
  2. A real opportunity exists to work with bigger clients and nationally known brands.
  3. Agencies can generate more appeal by creating a narrower niche. They can hyper-focus on a specific target audience, category or discipline or a combination of these.
  4. Increased revenue by being better positioned for their advertising and marketing expertise through category or target audience experience or through a particular discipline.
  5. Network and referral business becomes more efficient.
  6. Inbound lead generation is proving to be less expensive than traditional outbound leads.
  7. Allows agencies to work with the clients that match up well with its core strengths.
  8. More new client accounts can be won without pitching.

9 Comments | Fuel for Thought, New Business Tips, New Business Trends | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

10 Prime Time Benefits of Blogging for New Business

September 22, 2011

Prime Time for New Business

Photo Credit zoutedrop

The majority of ad agencies have yet to comprehend what huge benefits a blog can make and why it deserves to be “prime time” for new business.

With help from American Business Media and the Business Marketing Association, Junta42 and MarketingProfs surveyed over 1,100 North American B2B marketers from diverse industries and a wide range of company sizes. The survey revealed that content marketing, including blogs, is a key lead generation source for 63% of the respondents.

  • Brand Awareness – 78%
  • Customer Attention/Loyalty – 69%
  • Lead Generation – 63%
  • Website Traffic – 55%
  • Though Leadership – 52%
  • Sales – 51%
  • Lead Nurturing – 37%

Here’s the story of how my blog helped launch my business

I started my consulting business just prior to The Great Recession. We had three kids in college at the time. I didn’t have a lot of funds to promote my services nor the time to play around with social media. But, I sensed the potential of social media for building awareness quickly and creating new business opportunities. So I jumped in, immersing myself in it as if I were back in grad school. From early mornings until late at night and even weekends, I spent time trying to get my head around this new communication channel but always from a new business perspective.

From the start I was compelled to monetize social media, forced to press the envelope beyond the way the early adopters of social media had intended for it to be used. Within a short three months I was already securing new clients as well as an income that matched my previous salary.

From the beginning, the centerpiece of my social media strategy was my blog

My blog, Fuel Lines, literally launched my consultancy. If I had promoted my business using traditional methods, there is no doubt in my mind that I would have spent a substantial amount of money and it would have taken much longer for my consultancy business to be where it is today.

Once I created my blog it became a never-ending cycle of content development and learning curves based on the fast progression of social media. It has been a process of “learn as you go”. I came upon an old adage in the early days of my writing, “you don’t know what you know until you write it down”. This is so true. My blog has served as a key tool for my personal continuing education program. It brought focus to my reading and writing along with the discovery enriching online resources that fuel both content created from other sources and original content.

Content marketing, through my blog, quickly became one of my most effective marketing tools. Instead of the typical “once and done” traffic of a website, my blog has provided a much better platform for repeat traffic and search visibility.

Here are the benefits that I hope will give you reason to devote Prime Time to your agency’s blog: 

1. Generate more online traffic

“Businesses (agencies) that blog, get 55% more website traffic than those that don’t,” According to a social media study by King Fish Media, HubSpot and Junta42

Your blog has the potential to create more web traffic than your agency’s website ever could. Your blog can attract a high volume of quality traffic from the pool of prospective clients you are trying to reach.

Blogs develop more visitors by:

  • Search visibility – blogs are organized to be search engine friendly. Plus the more content you have (well-linked), the more chances there are of attracting search traffic.
  • Click-through traffic - by posting interesting articles, a blog gives a reason for other people to link to you.
  • Repeat traffic – regularly updated content and comments bring visitors back … and back … and back. Most agency websites are not conducive to repeat traffic, particularly if your website hasn’t been updated in 5 years.
  • Personality - Put a face with your agency. Create a blog around a person(s) and let your personality shine through. People will be attracted to you. People like to associate and work with people they know, trust and like. It’s hard to make friends with a business, but easy to warm to an individual with a welcoming personality.
  • Viral effects – you create something cool and visitors share it with their friends, who share with their friends … and so on.

2.  A blog is a great place for your best prospects to easily find you

MarketingSherpa reported that a CMO Study, 80 percent of decision makers said they FOUND their vendors (not the other way around).

New business for ad agencies has been going through a paradigm shift; instead of chasing after prospective clients, it’s now more important for your prospective clients to find you. Blogs allows you to take full advantage of this paradigm shift for new business, shifting a good portion of your time and energy from outbound lead generation to implementing an inbound lead generation strategy.

A content marketing strategy is a major feature for inbound lead generation and a blog is a central component.

3. A positioning tool

Most ad agencies struggle with narrowing their target audience and thus have great difficulty in positioning and differentiating themselves. A blog is a tool that allows agencies to more easily define and adopt a differentiating new business strategy. Agencies are more comfortable with a narrower niche through a blog than they ever would be with their website.

Here are some examples of agency blogs with a strong target focus and differentiated positioning:

4. Your own focus group for new business

I have been enriched by having this online, ongoing, personal “focus group” that has provided real-time feedback and insights. My blog readers provide me with an ongoing education. They help me to help them. They let me know whether or not I’m clearly communicating with them.  They help me to take my experience and expertise with agency new business and social media and become better at meeting their specific needs.

5. The recycling of older content for a greater ROI

You will 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.

Here are some ways to repurpose your blog 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. The odds 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. These are not with the same frequency of posting as you would with Twitter.

6. A pipeline for consistent lead generation

You can keep your prospective pipeline full even when your agency is busy with client work or you are away.

At the beginning of the summer, while my wife and I were vacationing in Key West, I wrote a post and published it along with a photo while on the beach. I wrote,“Vacationing with Social Media and Still Generating Ad Agency New Business,” to illustrate how content marketing through a blog can keep your new business pipeline full even when you are away.

7.  Leading with client benefits instead of agency capabilities

Blogging keeps your agency focused on what is important to your prospective clients. It’s not about YOU it’s all about THEM. It forces you speak to their benefit instead of talking about your agency.

If you don’t have a passion to help your audience succeed, you wont success with blogging. As soon as you start to “sell” your agency or brag about your credentials and awards, you will lose your credibility along with your audience. Instead, provide content that helps your prospects with their marketing challenges and build trust. Then new business will come.

8. A professional enrichment tool

Blogging will enrich your professional life, keep you up to date with the freshest thinking and help you to be acquainted with the newest and best trends. Writing to a specific audience to help them with their needs will focus your reading and your writing. You have direction to begin each day and that makes blogging easier.

9. Enhances Network and Referrals

A survey of advertising agencies conducted by Fuel Lines, reveals that 50% of the 430 responding agencies generated new business from two primary sources last year: referrals and networking.

Agencies have long understood the importance of individual connections to generate new business. It has always been the lifeblood of small to midsize agencies. Thankfully, albeit slowly, agencies are starting to understand the potential of social media to enhance networks and referral opportunities.

A blog, as the centerpiece of your social media strategy, will greatly enhance your capabilities of networking within your local market plus far beyond it.

Over the summer, I wrote a post from my hotel room in London, England. I was reflecting on how far I’ve come since I created my blog. I have worked with new clients all across the United States from Costa Mesa, CA to Port Clyde, Maine and this year had my first overseas client in the UK. I’ve recently been invited to speak to agencies across South Africa in the cities of Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

I’ve generated these personal networks and referrals by blogging from my home office which is located above my garage in Alabaster, Alabama. It’s absolutely amazing.

10. A Call-to-Action converting blog visitors into new business opportunities

A strong call to action is a clear, simple and compelling offer that persuades your readers to take the action you want. Just having a “Contact Us” form on your blog site is not very appealing to your blog’s visitors. It doesn’t count as your call to action.

I would suggest creating an offer for a particular service, usually a first-step that you normally conduct with every new client, like a brand or marketing audit. Price it in lower than normal, a clear value to the prospect. This will do 3 things:

  1. Render a quicker decision from your prospects. They are not having to make a major financial commitment at this point. They’re just committing to take a small initial step.
  2. Identify the true prospect from those that just want to pick your brain for free and will never pay for your services.
  3. Pay you, at least for a portion of your time, for important face time with your prospective clients.

3 Comments | Agency Blogs, Fuel for Thought, New Business Trends, Social Media | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

A Tribute to Trey Pennington Through His Own Words

September 8, 2011

I was moved watching this video created by Ben Cope, founder and president of Epic Web Strategies, a full-service web design firm and wanted to share it with the readers of Fuel Lines.

Trey left an indelible impression upon my life and the lives of thousands of others. I know he will continue to be an inspiration beyond his untimely death.

“Why I do what I do (and why I need to do a whole lot MORE of what I do!).” Trey Pennington

Here are some of Trey’s quotes that are included in this video:

“”What I admire most about my 6 children – every one of them looks out for the rest. They are immensely sweet people.”

“What drives me is a philosophical world view:

  1. Everyone wants to be heard
  2. Everyone wants to be understood
  3. Everyone wants his or her life to count”

“It’s fun to encourage others and help inspire them to boldly make a difference with their treasure.”

“We cannot solve our problems or seize  upon our opportunities with the same way of being we enjoyed last year”

“Just like most of an iceberg is hidden, so a human being’s backstory is out-of sight.”

“There is a certain level of grieving when we know that our expression of ‘I love you’ falls on deaf ears. That hurts at the soul level.”

“Storytelling captures the essence of what it means to be human”

“One day, it was probably around 11 o’clock at night, I was sitting at my computer and my 13-year-old daughter came in and she said, ‘How are you doing daddy?’

I said, ‘Well, okay,’ and I was looking at my to-do list and I said to her, ‘I wish I had a couple of more hours on this thing.’ And she, with great enthusiasm and zest said, ‘Yep, that’s why God gives us a whole new day tomorrow.’

“These are still scary times. You’ve been through them before. Opportunities are ahead. Focus on that one thing in the present and take action on that today. You’ll make it through.”

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Additional Tributes to Trey:

2 Comments | Agency Leadership, Fuel for Thought, Social Media | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Is Advertising a Respected Profession?

August 31, 2011

A lack of respect is bad for ad agency new business. You might not be able to change the perception of our industry but you can control the perception of your agency.

Over the last decade, the advertising industry has become one of the least liked by Americans. In a recent Gallup Poll Advertising and Public Relations ranked 10th on a list of the least respected industries in the nation.

Author Tim Williams is an author and consultant, closely associated with the advertising industry. In a recent article, that is generating some buzz, he raises the question: “Is Advertising a Profession?

Tim writes, “By referring to advertising people as “professionals” and advertising agencies as “professional knowledge firms,” I’m stating my belief that advertising and marketing is – or at least should be – a “profession” in the same league with law, accounting, or architectural firms.”

He goes on to state that the true definition of a profession presents a much more rigorous standard than just being good at your job. Standards such as:

  1. Professionals are accredited
  2. Professions require continuing education
  3. Professions are based on the study and application of science
  4. Professions adhere to “higher aims” than self-interest or economic benefit

Given the above standards, is advertising a profession?

Tim’s opinion is that the advertising industry isn’t there yet but it should be.

“To be respected as a profession, the advertising and marketing business must take a much more evidence-based approach.” 

” … after over a hundred years’ experience with modern marketing, advertising agencies should be a lot more conversant and knowledgeable about what works, what doesn’t work, and why. we should be a lot less focused on deliverables and a lot more focused on outcomes.”

Jason Falls, educator, speaker and author of the book “No Bullshit Social Media”, in the world of digital marketing and social media, was blunt in his response to Tim’s article that I posted on my Facebook page:

“ Uh … Thousands have made a living for their whole lives doing nothing but. That guy’s full of it and just looking piss people off.”

Douglas Burdett, president of Artillery, a full service advertising agency in Norfolk, VA, had just the opposite reaction:

“Great post – have shared it w/my local AAF chapter!”

Do you agree or disagree?  

Click on the following link to read Tim’s complete article, “Is Advertising a Profession?” and share your opinion by taking this  twt Poll: Is advertising a profession?  or weigh in with your opinion in the comment section below.

11 Comments | Agency Leadership, Agency Networks, Fuel for Thought, Positioning | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Steve Jobs’s 10 Best Quotes for Advertising Agencies

August 27, 2011

Photo Credit Annie Bannanie 06

Steve Job’s serves as an example of doing agency new business the right way.

Steve Jobs has stepped down as CEO of Apple.  When it comes to presenting and salesmanship, there’s no one better.

His tenure as CEO should serve as inspiration for advertising agencies that seem to still be in a state of flux in this technology driven communication’s revolution.

Below are some of the best Steve Jobs’s quotes to inspire us to think differently and  up our game through innovation, collaboration: 

 

  1. “The cure for Apple is not cost-cutting. The cure for Apple is to innovate its way out of its current predicament.” Apple Confidential: The Real Story of Apple Computer
  2. “For something this complicated, it’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” Bloomberg Businessweek
  3. Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people. Wired
  4. “That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” BusinessWeek
  5. “Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.” CNNMoney
  6. “When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop there. But if you keep going, and live with the problem and peel more layers of the onion off, you can often times arrive at some very elegant and simple solutions.” Newsweek
  7. “We made the buttons on the screen look so good you’ll want to lick them.” Fortune
  8. “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” Wall Street Journal
  9. “You’re missing it. This is not a one-man show. What’s reinvigorating this company is two things: One, there’s a lot of really talented people in this company who listened to the world tell them they were losers for a couple of years, and some of them were on the verge of starting to believe it themselves. But they’re not losers. What they didn’t have was a good set of coaches, a good plan. A good senior management team. But they have that now.” Businessweek
  10. The system is that there is no system. That doesn’t mean we don’t have process. Apple is a very disciplined company, and we have great processes. But that’s not what it’s about. Process makes you more efficient … But innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling each other at 10:30 at night with a new idea, or because they realized something that shoots holes in how we’ve been thinking about a problem. It’s ad hoc meetings of six people called by someone who thinks he has figured out the coolest new thing ever and who wants to know what other people think of his idea.”  Businessweek  

Additional Steve Job articles that may be of interest:

23 Comments | Agency Leadership, Fuel for Thought | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

7 Tips for Emailing Busy Prospects for Ad Agency New Business

July 28, 2011

E-mail is still relevant as a tool for ad agency new business but use it wisely because prospects are extremely busy just like you. 

With the popularity of my blog, I receive a large number of emails daily. I’ve learned to better filter all of the invitations to review, speak, advise and consult as well as the emails that pitch products, services and other opportunities. It isn’t unusual to receive well over a hundred of these type of emails daily.

What I’ve learned from my own experience, the type of email pitches that enlist my response, have helped me to be more effective in using emails for ad agency new business.

Below is an example of a great emailed invitation/pitch. One of the few that I personally responded to almost immediately. 

Dear Michael

I run a small events company in Johannesburg South Africa and we have had it on our radar to run an Advertising Innovation Day for some time, we have had good success with events dealing with Social Media and we have had surprisingly a number of delegates from advertising agencies attend a few of them. Please see our website www.classicevents.co.za to give you an idea of what we have run before, please excuse our site – it is due for an upgrade which I am busy attending to now.

I believe there would be a market for talks in Johannesburg and Cape Town and possibly Durban as well, these are the tree main centres where there are a number of agencies, the bulk of the agencies are Johannesburg and Cape Town based but Durban does have some smaller agencies and offices of the larger agencies. I could do some research for you and share lists of agencies here and possibly conduct a test to see if agencies are keen to attend.

Do you have standard speaker fees or would you entertain a profit share or delegate rate share. Please could you also give me an idea of when you could come across for a week or so, I’m guessing you’d surely want a couple of days to relax and see some of the country whilst here.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards

NIGEL BROWN

Here are the reasons why this is such a good email that hopefully will provide some helpful tips as you reach out to your prospective clients using email. 

  1. Use a person’s first name. Personal is always better than formal when you are reaching out through email. Formal seems cold and indifferent, often appears spammy. Nigel starts off his email pitch to me simply with “Dear Michael.”
  2. Create a pitch letter that is concise and brief. My heart always sinks we I get a long email from someone. Even though it is much easier to bang out a lengthy email but it is also discourteous. Being short and concise take effort on the part of the sender but it is always appreciated and leaves a positive impression upon the person you are trying to reach out to. Nigel condensed his email down to 3 short paragraphs – perfect!
  3. The request is very clear as well as the invitation on how he would like me to respond.
  4. I can’t tell you the number of times that I receive requests like this and have to search for the contact info info. That is discourteous and leaves a negative impression. But it occurs more often than not. Nigel made it easy for me to follow-up by including all of the various channels that I can make contact with him. Though I didn’t list them here for obvious reasons, Nigel provided me with his email address, cell phone and direct dial office numbers, fax and Skype numbers and an active link to his company’s website.
  5. Don’t over pitch in the subject line. Nigel’s subject line was very effective in getting my attention: Query to explore you coming to South Africa for a series of talks. Who wouldn’t want an opportunity to visit South Africa. But also, Nigel’s invitation wasn’t salesy. It was a simple invitation to explore the possibility, a gauge of my interest. He left the response totally in my court. He didn’t use it as a precursor for a “warm call” that he would initiate.
  6. Nigel was proactive in providing information about his company. In the email he provided me with a hyper link to his company’s website knowing that I would want to investigate credentials.
  7. Don’t overuse flattery. The owner of the first ad agency that I ever worked for, used a lot of flattery in conversation’s with prospects.  It always came off as insincere, almost sleazy. Most of the time flattery can be implied without even stating anything and is more effectual.

Photo credit: Frank Gruber

2 Comments | Digital, Fuel for Thought, New Business Tips | Tagged: , , , , , | 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: , , , , , , , , | 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:

  1. Embrace single tasking. Acknowledge the problem, “Hi, my name is Michael and I’m a multi-tasker.” 
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Turn off the cell phone and disable email alerts. Have set time to check voice mail and your inbox.
  5. Distractions on the internet are abundant. To bring strategy and focus to your online reading, use an RSS Reader such as Google Reader.
  6. Force yourself to disconnect. Take a break from social media and the internet.
  7. 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.
  8. Begin at in the mornings to complete your most important tasks.
  9. Amazing at how deadlines can keep things moving.  Give yourself less time helps hyper-focus your attention on the project at thand.
  10. 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: , , , , , , , , , | 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: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Cause Branding: It is Now B-2-WE for Ad Agency New Business

June 8, 2011

WE -habilitating Capitalism – How valuable your agency will Be to ME no longer depends on b2c or b2b but on b2we

Simon Mainwaring is founder of We First, a social branding consulting firm that helps companies use social media to build communities, profits and positive social impact. A highly recognized creative director, he has worked at many of the world’s top creative advertising agencies in Asia, Europe and the U.S. including Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, on Nike and as Worldwide Creative Director for Motorola at Ogilvy, Los Angeles.

Simon’s first book, entitled We First, presents a new vision for business. An answer to Bill Gate’s “Creative Capitalism” challenge,  a practical and actionable plan for how brands and consumers use social media to create a partnership that provides sustained prosperity for business and our world.

Ad agencies could learn much from Simon’s approach where clients are expecting their agency partners … to contribute to the social good, where the future of profit is purpose and agencies that thrive … will be will be those that put the well-being of their brand community and the world at large first.

Enjoy the We First video, how brands and consumers use social media to build communities, profits and positive impact. WE-defining Me written and performed by Sekou Andrews (sekouworld.com). Design and animation by Troika (troika.tv). Original music and sound design by Machine Head (machinehead.com).

Edelman Goodpurpose Survey measures consumer attitudes about corporate responsibility. The survey was conducted in 13 countries among more than 7,000 adults. It is the only global study of its kind. Here are some highlights from that report:

  • 71% believe “brands and consumers could do more to support good causes by working together”
  • 65% say they “have more trust in a brand that is ethically and socially responsible.”
  • 73% agree government and business need to work together more closely to ensure the environment is protected
  • 62% would “help a brand to promote their products or services if there is a good cause behind them. (compared to 53% in 2008 and 59% in 2009)
  • 62% of global consumers “would switch brands if a different brand of similar quality supported a good cause”
  • 64% believe it is no longer enough for corporations to give money; they must integrate good causes into their everyday business

3 Comments | Agency Branding, Agency Leadership, Fuel for Thought, New Business Trends, Positioning, Social Media | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Why Ad Agencies Should Stop Obsessing Over Their Competitors

April 11, 2011


“You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to step away from the shore” – Nobel Prize-winning author André Gide.

I recently read an insightful article on why the focus of a company’s (agency’s) business strategy should not be upon its competitors. The article was written by Gabor George Burt, internationally recognized expert on innovation, creativity and strategy development and the author of  the book, Slingshot.

Burt states, “In today’s marketplace, I would argue that doing something unprecedented is not just adventurous but imperative … eliminating competition by trying to beat it is dangerously shortsighted.”

Small to midsize ad agencies, for the most part, have been asleep at the wheel while our industry has been totally reshaped by The Great Recession, the transition from traditional marketing to digital and the rapid emergence of social media.

Burt provides a similar example of what happened to Kodak in 2003, when it was caught sleeping as the world transitioned from film to digital photography.

“The company severely misjudged the speed and impact of this transition and its lifestyle implications. As a result, Kodak’s core business, in which it was clearly dominating its competitors, was on a fast track to obsolescence.”

What were the consequences?

  • After 74 years, Kodak was delisted from the Dow Jones Industrial 30 Index of leading American companies in 2004. Kodak then embarked on a radical and painful restructuring to reestablish its relevance.
  • It had to cut 25,000 jobs.
  • It posted 8 consecutive quarters of losses through the end of 2006, with a single quarterly loss of as much as $1 billion in 2005.
  • Even though Kodak quickly became a leader in digital photography, it was not a sustainably profitable business.

Burt writes, “In simplified terms, the company’s core business shifted from being a monopoly to being a commodity in the blink of an eye, and it had to scramble to reinvent itself.”

Advice to Ad Agencies:

“…instead of trying to figure out how to beat competitors, smart strategy looks to change the rules of competition altogether.”

Difficult times can be a great time to separate your agency from the rest of the pack. In an economy where there are too many agencies that look, act and talk just the same now is the time to rethink long-held strategic assumptions inside your agency and challenge decades of conventional wisdom in our industry, and push to learn, grow, and innovate.

Here are some tips, to stimulate your thinking, on how to change the rules and break out of the pack:

  • Change breeds opportunity. Don’t play by the rules, unlevel the playing field and redefine the rules of the competition. Be the first to find new opportunities. “With the unveiling of the iPad,” Burt writes, “the company symbolically stepped away from the familiar confines of the PC era, leaving behind its own initial core business along with the competition.”
  • Don’t wait for other agencies to lead the way, be innovative. French novelist Marcel Proust said, “The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes.”
  • Break out of your comfort zone. Agencies have been comfortable in the middle of the road. But today, as William C. Taylor says, “the middle of the road is the road to ruin. The only thing in the middle of the road are yellow lines and dead armadillos.”
  • Remember that training is critical to success. The larger agencies are now rising to meet the escalating demands for digital, most of them are now requiring that almost all of their employees develop digital skills.
  • Stimulate creativity for ad agency new business. A lot of small to midsize ad agencies have chosen to take shelter during the recession, but that strategy doesn’t provide any creative stimulation for ad agency new business. Perhaps the better strategy would be to dramatically shift your agency’s thinking, spur innovation and enthusiasm by setting some challenging new business goals.

Click on the following link to read Burt’s article,  Why You Should Stop Obsessing Over Your Competitors.

Additional articles that may be of interest:

1 Comment | Agency Leadership, Fuel for Thought, New Business Trends, Positioning | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

28 Stimulating Digital and Social Media Marketing Quotes

February 23, 2011

Write something memorable, that stands out and provides inspiration to others.

I’m reading constantly and often find and keep the most memorable quotes from my daily reading. Here’s a collection that I thought would be of interest as they relate specifically to digital and social media marketing. I hope you find inspiration, a spark for your creativity and to take the time to write something memorable.

Here are my favorite digital and social media marketing quotes:

  1. “There’s never been a better time to be in advertising, and there’s never been a worse time.” – Aaron Reitkopf, North American CEO of digital agency Profero
  2. “We have technology, finally, that for the first time in human history allows people to really maintain rich connections with much larger numbers of people.” –  Pierre Omidyar, founder, eBay
  3. “The Internet has been the most fundamental change during my lifetime and for hundreds of years.” – Rupert Murdoch, media mogul
  4. “Online advertising doesn’t have to be a “wild west.” – Benjamin Edelman, Harvard Business School
  5. “Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge.” -  Jimmy Wales, founder, Wikipedia
  6. “Social media is a savior not a nemesis, an asset not a liability, a time saver not a time killer for ad agency new business” – Michael Gass, new business consultant for advertising agencies
  7. “In the 21st century, the database is the marketplace.” - Stan Rapp, MRM Partners Worldwide
  8. “Content Doesn’t Win. Optimized Content Wins” – Li Evans, search marketing guru
  9. “Finding new ways, more clever ways to interrupt people doesn’t work.” – Seth Godin, best selling marketing author
  10. Content marketing is a commitment, not a campaign. – Jon Buscall
  11. The rule of 5 is that each and every content development undertaking should produce content assets that can be used at least 5 different ways. – Ardath Albee
  12. “Think like a publisher, not a marketer.” – David Meerman Scott, marketing and leadership speaker
  13. “What happens when you combine blogs, Google and millions of dissatisfied customers? An e-mob.” –  Bob Garfield, advertising author
  14. “The web attacks traditional ways of doing things and elites, and this is very uncomfortable for traditional businesses to deal with.”– Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP Group
  15. “SEO is a marketing function for sure, but it needs to be baked into a product, not slapped on like icing after the cake is baked.” - Duane Forrester, author and conference speaker
  16. “You can buy attention (advertising). You can beg for attention from the media (PR). You can bug people one at a time to get attention (sales). Or you can earn attention by creating something interesting and valuable and then publishing it online for free.” – David Meerman Scott, marketing speaker
  17. “Blog policy at Microsoft is just two words: Blog Smart.” – Lawrence Liu, senior technical product manager, Microsoft
  18. “Don’t measure what you can. Measure what you should.” – Philip Sheldrake, blogger, marketer, web analytics specialist
  19. “People influence people. Nothing influences people more than a recommendation from a trusted friend. A trusted referral influences people more than the best broadcast message. A trusted referral is the Holy Grail of advertising.” - Mark Zuckerber, Facebook
  20. “In our business, whenever there’s a disruption, our clients need guidance.” – Michael Roth, CEO, Interpublic Group
  21. “Almost overnight, the Internet’s gone from a technical wonder to a business must.” –  Bill Schrader, businessman
  22. “Clients don’t care about the labor pains; they want to see the baby.” –  Tim Williams, founder of consultancy Ignition
  23. “It’s hard to find things that won’t sell online.” – Jeff Bezos, founder, Amazon
  24. “An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field” Niels Bohr, Danish physicist
  25. “Facebook Fan Pages are email newsletters with smaller pictures.” – Jay Baer, author, social media strategist
  26. “Our power has been matched and, in some categories, rivaled by user influence,” Nick Brien, CEO of Interpublic Group’s McCann
  27. “It’s been said that advertising agencies aren’t changing, they are being changed.” – Unkown
  28. And my favorite: “It is the people who figure out how to work simply in the present, rather than the people who mastered the complexities of the past, who get to say what happens in the future.” Clay Shirky, author, professor
Additional articles that may be of interest, “16 of the Top Quotes from Fast Company’s The Future of Advertising” and “50 of the Best Insights from Ad Age’s First Ever Small Agency Conference”

7 Comments | Digital, Fuel for Thought, Social Media | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

2011 Trends: Content Marketing Is Critical to Ad Agency New Business

January 14, 2011

Content is the most important asset in using social media for ad agency new business.

In the 2011 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report, 77% of Agency Principals indicate that they plan on getting more aggressive on the agency new business front in 2011. ”Networking” and “Social Media” are the top two ways agency principals state they’re going to “get aggressive.”

It’s great to know that agencies are planning to be more aggressive with their social media efforts. But please note that even more than technology, original content is the key to success.

According to a social media study by King Fish Media, HubSpot and Junta42, original content, both branded and expert, is by far the most employed tactic for social media.

“Next year [2011], marketers will need to rethink their approach to advertising and marketing and intensify their focus on creating magnetic content that will naturally attract consumers, rather than relying solely on the interruption model of advertising, which consumers are responding to less and less. Think pull vs. push.”  Geoff Ramsey, CEO, Co-Founder of eMarketer

Here are 10 Content Marketing resources that will provide you with some best content creation practices along with unique insights, practical advice and tips:

  1. Copyblogger: Content Marketing for Ad Agency New Business
  2. 10 Ways to Create An Ad Agency Blog That is Reader-Centric
  3. Using the Inverted Pyramid Style of Writing for Ad Agency New Business
  4. Use Brevity for Ad Agency New Business
  5. 6 Writing Tips to Make Your Ad Agency’s Blog Effective for New Business
  6. How to Write Your Ad Agency’s Blog
  7. 21 Blog Post Writing Tips for Ad Agency New Business
  8. 6 Simple Steps for Using Content Marketing to Attract Ad Agency New Business
  9. Let Hemingway improve your writing for ad agency new business
  10. The Four Great Laws of Copywriting for Ad Agency New Business

Some additional content resources that you might find helpful: Ad Agencies: 97 Articles on How To Write Effectively for the Social Web

Click on the following link for a downloadable copy of  the 2011 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report! or the study by King Fish Media, HubSpot and Junta42, 2010 Social Media Usage, Attitudes and Measurability: What Do Marketers Think?

11 Comments | Best Practices, Content Marketing, Fuel for Thought, New Business Trends | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

An Ad Agency’s ‘Buy Local Campaign’ Generates New Business

January 3, 2011

Park Howell, president of Park&Co, a full service agency that specializes in environmental marketing, provides a successful promotional campaign example for how he built awareness for his agency … by promoting its competition.

Arizona is trying to heal the P.R. black eye and business boycott created by its strict illegal immigration bill SB1070. Among other issues, the state is also battling a historic state deficit, lack of investment in education and nearly 10 percent unemployment. As one solution, Park and his agency launched a ‘Buy Local Advertising Campaign.’

“I was honored earlier this year by being named Ad Person of the Year, by the American Advertising Federation of Metro Phoenix. I thought with the recognition came some modicum of accountability for our industry.

So as we close 2010, our agency wanted to take one last stand for the local advertising industry and encourage all of you Arizona companies that are spending your dollars in other markets with other agencies and production companies, to at least consider including local creative companies on your bid list for 2011. And seriously consider the impact your spending can have on your neighbors right here at home, versus spreading your important dollars abroad.” Park Howell

With the philosophy that “a rising tide lifts all boats”, Park&Co is encouraging AZ companies in need of an advertising agency, to give a first look to Arizona ad agencies and also reminding them that for every $100 spend for goods and services at a locally owned business, $73 remained in the AZ economy.

From Park & Co’s Extra Cut Blog:

You buy your lettuce locally. Why not your marketing?

“You buy local produce, seek out locally owned stores, and drink local wines. So why go to other markets like L.A. for your advertising? Phoenix agencies offer a wealth of talent, from brand strategy and development to internationally award-winning creative, as well as innovative interactive campaigns and Hollywood-caliber film and video production. And you don’t have to look far …

… So, if you want to buy your maple syrup out of state, that’s fine by us. But if its business-building brand strategy and creative you’re looking for, we encourage you to shop locally by visiting parkandco.com/azagencies. And no worries if you pick another local firm over us. Just tell them Park&Co sent you.”

Park&Co have enlisted support and generated buzz for the campaign through its blog, social media network, email and with print. Check out their campaign through the following links:

Results thus far: Park shared with me that the response to their campaign was 95% positive and within the first couple of weeks of the campaign’s launch his agency had received an opportunity to pitch for new business, a direct result of the Buy Local campaign. By the 4th week of the campaign they had secured 5 new business calls, 3 of them in one day.

3 Comments | Best Practices, Fuel for Thought, New Business Tactics, New Business Tips, Promotion | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

4 Presentation Tips from Lee Iacocca for Ad Agency New Business

December 20, 2010

The former Chrysler CEO’s speech writing team provides some useful information for how ad agency executives can inspire their staffs, clients and prospective clients by the spoken word.

“Lee” Iacocca is an American businessman and pitchman, known for his revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s. He served as President and CEO from 1978 and additionally as chairman from 1979, until his retirement at the end of 1992. He is one of the most famous business people in the world

Iacocca’s business success—saving Chrysler and reinvigorating the American automobile industry in the 1980s—has also become a staple of B-school “case studies.” And most analysts agree a key ingredient—what Iacocca himself called “my most important management tool” —was the spoken word. “I used that tool every day,” Iacocca wrote.

Speechwriter, Jeff Porro, wrote a recent article regarding how Iacocca’s used speaking ability to bring success to Chrysler. He interviewed two members of Iococca’s speech writing team. The following  4 presentation tips are just a small portion of the rich takeaway’s you glean from reading Jeff’s entire article:

 

 

  1. Motive: “In every speech I give, the object is to motivate. You can deliver information in a letter or tack it on a bulletin board.” He wanted to know what we wanted to accomplish with each particular audience: the point he wanted to make, the behavior he wanted to influence, the actions he wanted them to take.
  2. Rehearse: Iacocca understood how overwhelmingly important it was to persuade and put a huge amount of effort into each speech. He put in the hours to rehearse and revise each speech, his delivery was so smooth, natural and relaxed, it could sound ad-libbed.
  3. Tell a Story: A good speech is a story.” Iacocca knew that everything having to do with communication was a story. “Iacocca was a great at telling stories with a beginning, a strong middle, and an end.”
  4. Keep it Simple: He stayed far away from corporate-speak. Says Tsigdinos: “Simple but effective. That’s what we strove for. No convoluted language. He was great at making direct statements that people could remember.”

 

Speechwriter Jeff Porro (www.porrollc.com) helps executives prepare effective speeches and presentations. Click on the following link to read the full version of Jeff’s article, “For today’s CEOs, lessons from master speaker Lee Iacocca”

Additional articles that may be of interest:

4 Comments | Agency Leadership, Best Practices, Fuel for Thought, Pitches, Speaking | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

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

December 13, 2010

 

Highlighting an article that helps you gain a better perspective to the changes and challenges impacting the advertising industry as well as your agency’s ability to attract future new business.

As author Clay Shirky has said, “It is the people who figure out how to work simply in the present, rather than the people who mastered the complexities of the past, who get to say what happens in the future.”

One of the richest and most important articles on advertising I’ve read this year was Fast Company’s,“The Future of Advertising.” I highly recommend it. I must have re-read it at least 5 times already and I glean something new from it each time.

Knowing the tendency of the majority of online readers to scan, I want to provide an incentive for you to read word-for-word, this excellent, but lengthy, 5,700+ word article. As I was trying to put together a “Readers Digest” version I was impressed by the insights just from the quotes within the article.

Here’s my list of the top 16 quotes from The Future of Advertising:

  1. “Digital will fuck you up and the way your agencies are built to make money, staff things, price things. You guys have to change your DNA, and you’re going to have tough decisions.” Instructor form Hyper Island, a school based in Sweden that has gained recognition for producing some of the greatest digital talent in the ad industry
  2. “Here we go again, first the news business, then the music business, then advertising. Is there any industry I get involved in that doesn’t get destroyed by digital technology?” Andy Nibley, former CEO of: ad agency Marsteller  and the digital arms of both Reuters and Universal Music
  3. “Creating more work for less money is the big paradox,” says Matt Howell, president of the Boston agency Modernista
  4. “Our power has been matched and, in some categories, rivaled by user influence,” Nick Brien, CEO of Interpublic Group’s McCann
  5. “The irony is that while there have never been more ways to reach consumers, it’s never been harder to connect with consumers,” explains Jakeman, now chief creative officer at Activision, the gaming company
  6. “Marketing in the future is like sex. Only the losers will have to pay for it.” Jon Bond, cofounder of Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners
  7. “With infinite ad inventory on the Internet, you just can’t have people do [media planning] anymore, it’s now being done by a piece of software.” Dan Salmon, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets
  8. “Many agencies are hanging on to this idea that creativity is theirs to own and sell.” Harley CMO Mark-Hans Richer
  9. “[Victors & Spoils] offered a great place to start versus sitting across from a creative who spent weeks crafting the perfect idea and gets upset if you want to change a word. I think the new model is scary because all of us in the ad industry want to feel, at least from a creative point of view, that we have something no one else has. So if you’re really good at it, you had to go to Creative Circus or Portfolio Center; you had to pay for it. Then you had to toil to get into a good shop. Then you had to get lucky to get on the good briefs. For someone to come out and say, ‘We think a lot of people can offer great ideas’ means, ‘What, I’m not special?’ “ Victors & Spoils chief creative officer Evan Fry
  10. Referring to the possibilities of digital, “There’s never been a better time to be in advertising, and there’s never been a worse time.” Aaron Reitkopf, North American CEO of digital agency Profero
  11. ” There’s only one thing everyone agrees on, and that’s that there is too much excess: too many people, too many of the wrong kinds of people, too much bloat, too much inefficiency. And this in an industry that has laid off more than 160,000 people in the past two years. Ohhhh,the carnage is going to be awesome.” Aaron Reitkopf, North American CEO of digital agency Profero
  12. “In our business, whenever there’s a disruption, our clients need guidance.” CEO Michael Roth, Interpublic Group
  13. “In the early days, digital was always an afterthought, so we didn’t acknowledge the true cost. We sold wrong, we neglected to put digital-savvy people in our new business roles. Instead of building digital things that had utility, we approached it from a messaging mind-set and put messaging into the space. It took us a while to realize that project management in the digital space is completely different.”Edward Boches, Mullen’s chief innovative officer
  14. “We still don’t know how to monetize what we do. We don’t monetize ourselves properly, so we don’t hit our margins.” Peter McGuinness, CEO of Gotham
  15. “In a world where media spend is in inexorable decline, and where advertising per se is an endangered species, [agencies] don’t know where to turn,” he says. “The realization of the nightmare is under way. And that nightmare is the utter collapse of the business model.” Bob Garfield, advertising-industry pundit and author of The Chaos Scenario
  16. “When media and communications planning have become more important than ever, why are our media agencies further (physically and philosophically) from the people who create advertising?” Brian Perkins, Vice President of Corporate Affairs of Johnson & Johnson

I would encourage you to take the time to read Danielle Sack’s article in its entirety, “The Future of Advertising,” to learn how Mullen, which laid off 100 workers during the recession has hired twice that number and landed such progressive brand accounts as Zappos and JetBlue.

Danielle invites you to Tweet your answer to the question, “What is the Future of Advertising?” by using the hashtag #adfuture.

14 Comments | Agency Leadership, Digital, Fuel for Thought, New Business Trends | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

The Last Advertising Agency On Earth

November 22, 2010

Your agency needs to be prepared for the magnitude of digital growth. Are you ready?

What will the future of advertising look like? The Last Advertising Agency on earth is a short film about what the future of advertising might look like if they don’t embrace the power of digital. Produced by Saatchi & Saatchi Canada, Tool, Pirate, Rooster and Lunch.

 

We are likely to see more change to our industry within the next 5 years than has been seen in the previous 50.

Additional ad agency/digital articles that may be of help:

8 Comments | Agency Leadership, Digital, Fuel for Thought, New Business Trends | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

5 Ways Social Media Can Make Ad Agency New Business Easier Not Harder

November 9, 2010

You need to look at social media as a savior not a nemesis, an asset rather than a liability and time saver rather than time killer for ad agency new business.

Agencies were reluctant to participate as social media was becoming mainstream because they saw it as a major commitment of their time without much value to show in return. A lot of negative perceptions of social media has been changed. But I don’t believe the majority of agencies have yet to appreciate the huge benefit that social media can actually make new business easier.

Here are my 5 ways social media makes agency new business easier:

1. Social media allows agencies to define and adopt a more differentiating new business strategy than they were ever comfortable doing before.

“Just thought I would let you know. We are participating in a pitch tomorrow for another national account. This opportunity is 100% related to our agency’s new positioning through our blog, She-conomy: A guy’s guide to marketing to women” – Stephanie Holland, president, Holland + Holland Advertising

Holland + Holland advertising, through their blog She-conomy, has now been invited to 3 national pitches as a result of their differentiating positioning. Nothing like this has ever happened before in their 25 year history. They even had trouble with local press coverage of their anniversary but through social media they have been recognized by Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and NPR radio.

Stephanie had never been comfortable stepping out with this positioning prior to social media. She was like other agency principals who felt that she would be missing opportunities.

2. Social media provides a systematic way to create intellectual capital and share your area of expertise. It is the best customized continuing education program for your professional enrichment, keeping you ahead of the learning curve and positioning as a thought leader. Plus, it pays for you to go back to school. It pays in new business while you focus on being better.

“We just landed a significant project with Coca-Cola purely through our sustainable marketing niche. The best compliment we could receive was when they said our price was waaaay more than the next bid, but given our background in green marketing and sustainability, that it was worth the extra investment. Finally, a value over price purchase. Love it” – Park Howell, president of Park & CO

Specialists are respected and they tend to make a lot more money.

3. Social media eliminates the need for cold calling. I’m a cold caller from way back. I’ve had excellent success. But times are changing rapidly. Cold calling isn’t what it use to be and not a very efficient or effective method for your agency’s new business. You make dozens of calls to find the right prospect and the right time but you still have to go through the dating process.

Social media allows for you to build prospective client relationships faster than cold calling. People have a natural tendency to want to work with other people that they know, trust and like.

In my 4 years as a consultant I’ve yet to make the first cold call for any business. My clients all made contact with me when they were ready for business and our initial conversation was much advanced than an initial cold call. They talk to me as if they know me because they do. The “dating process” that is associated with cold calling is totally eliminated.

Social media provides a greater return on your time investment.

4. Your agency’s market can greatly increase through social media. Small to midsize ad agencies can affordably build a national awareness.

Prior to using social media for new business, The Russo Group, Lafayette, LA, 94% of their new business came from within their market. Since implementing social media, 94% of their new business has been generated outside their market and extended new business opportunities from coast to coast.

Why would a prospective client, outside of your market, want to work with your agency? Give them a reason.

“Kudos to all! Our social program is generating leads and business from around the world. Earlier this year got a client out of Australia and currently talking to a company in Japan that follows me on twitter” – John Sonnhalter, CEO, SONNHALTER

5. Utilizing social media can help you to be more consistent for new business. You can keep your prospective pipeline full even when your agency is busy with client work or you are away.

At the beginning of the summer, while my wife and I were vacationing in Key West, I wrote a post and published it along with a photo while on the beach. I wrote, “Vacationing with Social Media and Still Generating Ad Agency New Business,” to illustrate how social media can keep your new business pipeline full even when are away.

Social media is like networking on steroids and just takes a little effort to keep it working on your behalf.

  • My blog provides content that is optimized for search to a very specific target audience. I easily dominate certain search words. Over 600 older post continue to generate traffic long after they have been written.
  • I utilize blog posts for my email newsletter that takes literally 15 minutes to produce and send. I also repurpose content using some third-party Twitter tools that automate the process.
  • Through Facebook, family, friends and followers stay connected no matter where I am. It takes only minutes to update my status, connect with others, share location, photos, etc..

With very little effort I can create, maintain and grow touch points through social media networks and all I’ve had to do is read and write.

3 Comments | Agency Blogs, Agency Leadership, Best Practices, Fuel for Thought, New Business Trends, Social Media | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

The 8-Word Mission Statement for Ad Agency New Business

October 29, 2010

Your agency’s mission statement can have new business value and measurable results.

Most ad agencies have a mission statement. Most are filled with wordy jargon that is often forgotten, misremembered or flatly ignored by staff and is meaningless to prospective clients. Your mission statement should foster clarity.

Kevin Starr, executive director of the Mulago Foundation, has created a compelling approach to developing a focused and useful mission statement that warrants your attention.  Starr insists that companies he funds, express their mission statement in under eight words.

The Starr Method: Clients must follow this format: “Verb, target, outcome.”

This concise method is a fresh approach to developing a useable mission statement that will clarifying thinking and keep the agency focused on a single issue.

How long is your agency’s current mission statement? Do you think you could get it down to under 8 words using the “verb, target, outcome” format?

Try this exercise and share it through the comments’ section below.

My mission statement in 8 words is: “Fueling ad agency new business through social media.”

6 Comments | Agency Leadership, Best Practices, Fuel for Thought | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

5 Tips for Handling Social Media Negativity for Ad Agency New Business

October 1, 2010

You can’t let a few negative people dictate how you use social media for ad agency new business.

Unless you are Rush Limbaugh, most of us don’t enjoy having others say negative things about us. We have a desire to be liked. But please know that if  you participate in social media you are guaranteed to get some negative comments. The larger your followers, the more negative comments you can expect.

Some of this negativity can be very rude and nasty. But you can’t let a few negative people dissuade you for using social media for agency new business.

At times early adopters of social media or those that are using it strictly for personal pleasure can act as though they have been sworn-in as a special social media detective ready  and willing to point out when people are using it incorrectly from their point-of-view. But if you can’t build relationships, generate leads and build your business through social media, you are wasting valuable time.

Here are of my 5 tips for handling negativity:

1. Consider the source.

When I receive a negative comment to a blog post or through Twitter, the very first thing I do is a little background check of that person.  I can soon ascertain if  they are normally negative and love to play the devils advocate with others or if they are a respected social media participant and/or a member of my online community. I consider the source before I choose to even respond.

For instance, if someone pops off with a negative response to me through Twitter, they are not in the advertising industry and have less than a 100 Twitter followers, why would I even respond to their negative comment and then expose it to my 25,000 + followers?  I would probably choose to “unfollow” them and even “block” them from following my Twitter account.

2. Know upfront, everyone isn’t going to like you.

I like it when people like me and no matter the source, it often bothers me if someone doesn’t. But, that is life. You are going to have an appeal to a certain audience and to others you will have little or no appeal. To have success in social media, you cannot be all things to all people. If you try to appeal to everyone, you will appeal to no one.

3. Be thick-skinned but not hard-headed.

When you get through some of the negativity as a participant in social media, you can develop a thick skin and not let negative comments affect you, or not take it so personal if someone unfollows you in Twitter. But when you are generating lots of negative comments or unfollows it pays to take note and reevaluate your social media tactics. Do pay attention to those that you are trying to reach. They will help you to hone your appeal.

4. Learn from your mistakes then let it go.

I once had an intern that I was paying to do research. The person came up with a great list of companies who were using social media and how they were participating. I wrote an article and published the list on my blog.

A week later, while I was on vacation, I received a very angry voice mail from a highly respected, early adopter of social media who wanted to know why I had stolen his list. I was mortified, did some quick research and discovered my list was exactly the same as his, even the fonts. What I felt was beyond embarrassment, but I made a quick call to apologize and immediately took down the article. I now always double-check my sources.

Take your lumps when you’ve made a mistake, learn from it and then let it go.

5.  Follow the Golden Rule.

Be nice. Simply follow the Golden Rule and “do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” There’s a huge difference between helpful criticism and being a jerk.

I speak from experience when I tell you that the positives far outweigh the negatives for your participation in social media. It provides a multiplicity of benefits. The greatest being your personal and professional enrichment. That it can generate agency new business is like icing on the cake.

 

3 Comments | Best Practices, Fuel for Thought, Social Media, Twitter | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

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