Best Practices for Promoting Your Advertising or Marketing Agency

For many agencies, delivering exceptional client work comes naturally. Marketing the agency itself, however, is often inconsistent, under-resourced, or pushed aside in favor of billable work. Yet in today’s competitive landscape, agencies that invest in clear positioning, strong thought leadership, and consistent visibility are the ones that attract better clients, command higher fees, and build long-term growth.

On May 5, NextNW will host industry veteran Doug Zanger for a practical webinar focused on how agencies can more effectively market themselves without dramatically increasing time or budget. Doug will share proven approaches to agency positioning, content strategy, relationship building, and reputation development that help agencies stand out in crowded markets.

To preview the conversation, we’ve asked Doug to weigh in on common questions from NextNW members.

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What are the most common mistakes agencies make when marketing themselves, and how can they correct them quickly?

Doug: Agencies talk WAY too much about themselves, as opposed to the solutions they provide. This is particularly tough in biz dev. A marketer or client is moving so incredibly fast now—and that first impression matters more than ever. What sucks is that being an agency is really hard, and they should be proud of the work. But a CMO shopping around just wants to know how you’ll help them. 

Now, on the talent side of the equation, talking about yourself is exactly what you should do. It’s very competitive in getting talent. Showing them the agency’s work and culture is important. 

Overall, most agencies have this inverted. It should lead with solutions and then use the rest as context. 

Think of it as a mullet. A little business up front and a party in the back. 

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How can agencies define a clear and compelling market position that differentiates them from competitors?

Doug: Be ridiculously clear on your value prop. “Full-service” is a trap. No agency can do everything all the time, all at once. Pick three things you’re genuinely great at and start there. If you’re a specialist agency, even better. And don’t try to be cute with straplines and positioning. No one has time to try to figure you out. 

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What are the most effective low-cost marketing tactics agencies can implement to drive consistent visibility and inbound opportunities?

Doug: I’m not sure there are any low-cost tactics anymore. Sure, there are free and earned platforms, like press coverage, but the time investment needs to be considered. Before you even get to tactics, it’s critical to think of strategy. You wouldn’t go right to tactics for a client—so you shouldn’t do that here, either. 

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How should agency leaders balance thought leadership, networking, and content marketing to maximize growth?

Doug: First, you have to ask yourself, as a leader, whether or not you can dedicate the requisite amount of time to this. If not, pick one lane and STICK WITH IT. If you have a huge gap in thought leadership (e.g., one post every 6 months), you won't have much credibility. Also, people can tell when you’re not writing content. That hurts, too. 

You’ll never be able to balance all of these. Pick the one that you’re strongest at and work from there. If you do go the thought leadership/content route, again, you have to stick with it and not expect a bunch of inbounds from the jump. 

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What practical steps can agencies take in the next 90 days to strengthen their brand presence and pipeline?

Doug: Ask if a marketer or search consultant will stay more than 30 seconds on your site. Be critical. Also, look at how you present your agency. If all you’re doing is talking about yourself, reorient that language to solutions and results. 

And if everything is too abstract, figure out how to simplify and clarify. Now, if that’s your jam, it’s working, and you’re getting traction and inbounds, then this becomes moot. 

To learn more tips and tricks for marketing your independent agency, join us online at noon on May 5. See you then.

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