Guide to marketing the agency brand

Many of the tried and true business development methods have lost their effectiveness. Here’s what works today.

Following is a description of the activities necessary to effectively market the agency brand in a Web 2.0 world. Unlike the “push” strategy of the past, this is a “pull” strategy based on the notion that if your marketing effort is strong enough, you don’t need as much of a sales effort.

  1. Building and maintaining a permission-based list of prospects and influencers and sending appropriate periodic e-mailings and mailings.
  2. Insuring that the agency web site is constantly refreshed and updated with information, examples, case studies, biographies, etc.
  3. Constantly updating and maintaining both offline and online directory listings, including agency-specific directories, business directories, paid listing services, and those hosted by agency search consultancies.
  4. Actively sharing appropriate news and information about the agency on Twitter (and soon Google Wave).
  5. Regularly reading and posting to appropriate blogs and publications. Fostering relationships with relevant bloggers and online publishers.
  6. Identifying, buying and managing URLs for landing pages that can be used by the agency.
  7. Developing and maintaining agency profile pages on social networks like Facebook, Linked In, Adweek Media Connect, Agency Scoop, and other appropriate social networks.
  8. Making sure the agency, it’s people an relevant intellectual property are featured on Wikipedia.
  9. Overseeing an online search marketing program for the agency, including the identification and purchase of keywords and phrases.
  10. Identifying and coordinating online advertising opportunities on appropriate websites, blogs, etc.
  11. Maximizing the agency’s online presence by proactively posting agency materials, videos, photos, podcasts, etc. on sites such as YouTube, iTunes, Flickr, SlideShare, Scribd, Screencast, etc.
  12. Where possible, creating agency channels on these sites, as is possible on YouTube and Screencast.
  13. Actively identifying opportunities to publicize the agency’s intellectual capital by monitoring reporter queries using services like HARO.
  14. Creating a positive presence for the agency on websites and blogs that are influential in attracting and recruiting top talent, such as Talent Zoo.
  15. Measuring and refining the agency’s online presence using analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Alexa, Technolorati, etc. and monitoring the success of the agency’s social media program through the use of third-party applications such as BuzzMetrics, BuzzLogic, etc.

Today, the most critical aspect of an agency marketing function is to earn a prominent place for your agency brand in the online conversation about marketing, advertising, branding, and business in general. It’s one thing to have an effective website; it’s quite another to have an effective web presence. Research shows that less than 50% of your organic ranking on search engines comes from what you do on your website. Most of your ranking is determined by the other things you do (or don’t do) online. 

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