Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing Agencies

Can you grow your agency during a recession? What should you do to make sure your agency survives a downturn in the economy? How can you flip current conditions to benefit your business? In this video, I'll talk about how you can grow your agency during a threatening economic market. I'm already hearing from agencies saying clients are backing down their spending, some are losing deals in the pipeline... it's partially a result of global panic over the coronavirus outbreak. Now, when I owned my agency for 12 years, we went through many economic threats during the Dot-Bomb Era, September 11, and the 2008 market crash... and we were able to survive, even grow at those times. So here we are again at the threshold of a downturn in the economy. How can your agency not only survive but grow in a recession? In my mastermind group, we did a lot of talking about this exact topic and what these 7-figure agency owners are doing about it. These successful agencies are finding opportunity in the face of challenge... For example, do your clients do a lot of trade shows or conferences? Those events are getting canceled, so show them how to spend more on digital marketing. Think outside the box! What you need to do is get more creative and opportunistic. Spend more when people pull back on spending because your cost per acquisition is going to go down. Don't be afraid to spend when everyone else is afraid because that's when you're going to get the biggest bang for your buck. Bottom line -- don't participate in the recession unless it's to take advantage of it! Where are your opportunities during this health threat and economic recession? Comment below and tell me how you can get creative. Also, if you want accurate and reliable information (without the hype of the new media :) check out: World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/ US Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/ SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello. JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn't; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have. SCHEDULE #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Monday & Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Do you struggle to get agency clients to see the value of your agency's work? Does your pricing structure feel like it's completely out of whack? Not sure if your agency is competitively priced? Pricing and process are two areas where clients and agencies often have trouble finding common ground, but it can make all the difference when it comes to your agency's success.

In today's episode we'll cover:

• Do you know your agency's value?
• How including the client in the process builds trust.
• #1 Reason you need to lead with strategy.

Today I had the opportunity to chat with Tammy Dahlin, owner of digital marketing agency Element 212, based out of Indiana. Though she has a degree in marketing, like so many of us, Tammy somewhat fell into starting her own agency. As such, she found herself undervaluing her agency's services and struggling to find a balance between the amount of work she puts in and client expectations. When she figured out she needed to implement a process and invite clients into the process, she discovered her place as a strategic agency. Find out what Tammy learned along the way.

Anyone who has been in the agency realm (or any business, for that matter), understands the complexities of pricing. You don't want to price yourself too high where you're not attracting any clients, but you don't want to go so low they don't take you seriously. When Tammy first started her agency, she quickly realized just how much she was undervaluing her work. She says she charged about $600 for her first project where other firms were charging upwards of $15,000. Between working too much and charging too little, Tammy and her team slowly became resentful of the process.

In the beginning, it's hard to accurately balance the client's perception of what they are getting with what they are willing to pay. So Tammy made a change. She upped her prices to be more in line with the work she was actually putting in. But she was still getting pushback. Now the clients thought her rates were too expensive.

Naturally, Tammy knew the value of the work her team was providing. Unfortunately, her clients weren't able to see all the research that was going into each project. But then it clicked. Tammy's team was already doing market research with the client and their customers, a process she calls "brand insight." She decided to bring the client into it that process and most importantly, charge for it.

This had a dramatic effect on Element 212's growth. Clients were now able to see what was going on behind the scenes and appreciate the process. By giving the clients an "inside look," Tammy and her team could establish trust and get their clients more involved.

Everyone can execute, it's the strategy that sets you apart. When you lead with strategy, your client will view you as the authority. When you don't lead with strategy, they will view you as a commodity.

Early on, Tammy decided to market her agency as a strategic agency. Now she has developed a system where she has biannual meetings with her team and her clients to talk strategy. If they want to implement the strategy — great. If not, she gives them tips to make sure they all stay on the same page.

Element 212 is an agency that focuses on strategy at its core. By being transparent about the process with her clients and bringing them into this process, Tammy has finally found a balance between customer expectations and the value of her agency's work.

Pricing and strategy are two of the most complex and difficult parts of running an agency. But it's so important to get a handle on these areas from the start. When you do, you'll find everything else comes so much easier.

Payroll and benefits are hard. Especially when you're a small business. Gusto is making payroll, benefits and HR easy for small businesses. You no longer have to be a big company to get great technology, great benefits and great service to take care of your team.

For a limited time, Gusto is offering a deal to Smart Agency Masterclass listeners. Check out Gusto.com/agency for 3-months FREE once you run your first payroll with them.

Do you feel like no matter how smart you are about money, you just can't get a good handle on agency cash flow? Are you looking for a way to make sure your agency is prepared for times when there's a downturn in the economy? Cash flow can be a big problem, and it's one that few have a real grasp of. But when you understand the principles of a smart cash flow plan, you'll be ahead of the game.

In today's episode, we cover:

• 3 Ways to find success as an agency.
• What does good agency cash flow really look like?
• How to control your agency's cash flow.

Today I had the pleasure of talking with Steve Buck, co-founder, and president of Black Tie Digital Marketing. Steve's one of the rare ones who actually sought out a role in the agency space. After working for a big company in Rhode Island, Steve and his partner had a crazy idea — "Wouldn't it be fun to do this on our own?" In 2011, Steve and his partner started Black Tie and have learned a lot of lessons along the way. He's on the show to share insight on agency cash flow management.

There are so many things to learn when you first start an agency. How do you get clients? What do you charge? And most importantly, how do you make a mark? Steve says he's learned a lot along the way, but much of his success comes down to a few basic principles:

1. Balance. Balance can be hard to find, but it's one of the most important things as a business owner. Steve says he was lucky that he and his partner had personalities that balanced each other out. This helped them make smart decisions along the way.
2. Luck. Let's be honest — much of business comes down to pure luck. But…
3. Perseverance can make the difference. You're more likely to be in those lucky situations the more you persevere. If you put yourself in enough places, enough times, eventually you'll find yourself in the right place at the right time.

Ask anyone in the industry how much money you should have in reserves and you'll get a WIDE range of answers. Steve says he's always been told 12 months is a good mark to strive for. Personally, I feel the number is closer to three months. Anything more than that and you're not investing enough back into your agency.

Reserves are important and one of the basics in finding success as an agency. These reserves will make all the difference when the financial market undoubtedly goes south. Those that have reserves will survive (and thrive), while those that don't have cash reserves will make great employees when you're looking to hire.

Cash flow is so important. But why is it so hard? A lot of it comes down to basic management styles and human psychology. How can you avoid cash flow pitfalls?

1. Be aware of the "people pleaser" tendency. We all want to impress new clients and make them stick around long term. But this mentality often causes financial hardship. Why? Because when we try too hard to please new clients, we often give away too much for free. Over delivery is a common problem - remember balance. It's important.
2. Understand the scope of the project. Just because you think you understand what your client is asking for, it doesn't mean you actually do. Get a clear understanding of what the client wants and how much work it will take. Don't undersell yourself and don't over-deliver. Reduce or eliminate scope creep.
3. Track what you spend. Freebies and gimmes are okay, every once in a while. But it's important to track everything, even things you are giving away. Down the road when the client asks for another freebie, you'll have a record of how much you have already given them.
4. Pay yourself. You'll never have an accurate valuation of your agency if you are paying yourself less than what you would pay someone to do the work that you are doing.

Cash flow is one of the most important, if not THE most important part of running a successful agency. It doesn't matter how good you are at everything else if you can't manage your money. Be smart, think ahead, and make sure you have a plan for when things get hard.

Imagine a partner who helps you streamline Google Ads, Facebook, and Bing workflows, recommends genius optimizations across platforms, and then brags about the results to your clients for you. What if that partner could also help you grow your agency by making it easier to pitch and take on more clients? In a nutshell, that's what Wordstream will do for your agency.

And in support of the podcast, Wordstream is offering Smart Agency Masterclass listeners a FREE 14-day trial and complimentary sales-tool add-on. Just check out Wordstream.com/smartagency for more information.

Ever feel like you're not connecting with the right clients? Afraid your agency doesn't stand apart from the others? Times are changing in the agency space, and those who adapt will be the ones who succeed. But how do you develop a growth strategy to do it the right way? Look at things through the lens of your ideal clients.

In today's episode, we cover:

• How to set yourself apart from other agencies.
• 2 Things you can achieve when you lead with strategy.
• Why you always need to keep your ear to the ground.

Today I had the chance to talk to Damien Cabral, co-founder of Tribal Vision. Damien started his agency about 9 years ago when he became frustrated with the current agency model and thought he could find a new approach. Damien and his partner flipped the switch and looked at an agency's job through the client's eyes. Find out what they learned and how this strategy has helped them find success.

It's a great time to be in marketing! The market is hot, clients are hungry, and the value of agency services cannot be understated. The industry is flooded with "me too," agencies who want to be full-service and do everything for everyone. Those agencies are looking to get a piece of the pie, with nothing that really makes them stand out from the crowd.

If you're a new agency owner or even one who has been around for a while, the battle to stand out from the crowd is stronger than ever. So what's the secret? For Damien, it was all about looking at things from the client's point of view. Damien's agency focuses solely on marketing. Everything else, they outsource to freelancers. What this means is there is no incentive to try to upsell a bigger website or get them to sign a deal that is not in the client's best interest — it's all about the client. Damien says by recognizing potential clients' pain points, Tribal Vision is able to be flexible with what the client needs.

When it comes down to running an agency, those who find success have a solid strategy. Anyone can execute any day of the week, it's how you get there that makes you valuable. Damien says there are two reasons he leads with strategy:

1. Clear communication with the client: You want to be upfront with your client. Strategy allows you to tell your client what you're going to do, what they need to do, and what it's going to cost.
2. Better understanding of the client's business: How much do you really know about your client's business? How much do you know about their customers? When you develop a strategy before you get started, it allows you to analyze the competition, understand the most effective channels, and set appropriate goals.

As an agency owner, you should always be listening — keep your ear to the ground. Talk to your clients, talk to their customers, talk to your employees. And always pay attention to the market. You need to adapt. Take feedback. Be proactive.

Listen to what the market is telling you. Sure, your idea may be great, but if the market doesn't support it, you're destined to fail. Don't fall too in love with your own ideas.

Check-in with your employees. Talk to the people who are actually working with the clients. Do performance reviews, have regular check-ins and provide or be a mentor. Despite what you're led to believe — your team is not simply here to make money, they want to contribute.

When you take the time to show people they matter, you value their opinions, and you care, you automatically stand out from the rest. In the words of Gary Vaynerchuck, "As we go more Jetsons, the people that act like the Flintstones are going to win."

Does your agency struggle with an identity crisis? Do you find it challenging to stay up-to-date with current trends? We're in a space that is constantly changing and agencies who adapt and use the tools around them are the ones who survive.

In today's episode, we discuss:

• #1 Benefit of adapting to the market.
• How your agency can stay up-to-date with market trends.
• Finding the right tools to help your agency be more efficient.

Today I sat down with John Wolffe, owner of Jennco, a digital ad agency out of Pennsylvania. John has worn a lot of hats throughout his career, and like many of us fell into agency ownership. Though he initially started out as a consultant, he somehow found himself doing work in a field he knew nothing about — pay per click. John leveraged this new skill and launched a successful digital agency. Take a listen to find out what John learned and how he was able to find success by learning to adapt.

We all start our agency with a certain vision in mind — where we see ourselves in the future. This is important and what I like to refer to as your True North — what guides you. But while it's important to have a direction, it's also important to be flexible. Adapting to the market will allow your agency to grow and help you find new opportunities.

The agency space is constantly changing. John recalled a story where he was at a conference and a speaker referred to a technology "Way back in 2017." Even now, 2017 doesn't seem too far away, but in the agency space, it can make all the difference. It's important to keep up with technology, pay attention to trends, and reinvent yourself if the circumstances call for it. For John, this took him into a realm he never thought he'd end up — PPC.

It's easy to say you need to be able to adapt and stay current with market trends, but how do you actually do it? John says a few things have helped him along the way:

• Laser focus. You have to stay focused. Keep your ear to the ground. Pay attention and learn. If you're not paying attention, you're going to get left behind.
• Go to conferences. How many conference invitations do you get every year? How many times do you actually go? Conferences are not only a great networking opportunity, but they are also a great way to stay up-to-date with what is going on in marketing trends, software, and technology.

When you run an agency, the best way to grow is finding ways to be efficient. The key is to find the right tools that work for you. John says the one tool that has worked really well for him is WordStream. There are two key functions John has really gotten a lot out of:

• The 20-minute work week. The 20-minute work week is a function within WordStream which analyzes all the big tasks at your agency and hones in on the areas you need to focus on. Rather than spending hours mulling over data and strategies, WordStream does the majority of the work and sends you a report with actionable items you can easily digest in 20 minutes.
• Keywords: Keywords are everything. But do you know which keywords are most effective? You can spend all day (or all month) tinkering with keywords and then leave out the most important one. WordStream scours through the data and makes sure you're covered on all bases.

It's important to leverage the technology that exists around you. John found that with WordStream, he could scale his agency and drive growth for his clients. A win-win!

The agency space is one of those worlds where if you're not always on your feet, you will get left behind. But when you focus in, stay up-to-day, and use the tools around you, you're only setting yourself up for success.

Would you like your agency to be more profitable? Are you setting goals you just can't seem to achieve? Goal setting is an important part of becoming a successful agency. But if you are not creating the right goals and don't have the right tools, you're never going to get there.

In today's episode, we discuss:

• How to set achievable goals for your agency.
• 3 Ways to build a team to help achieve your goals.
• Why solid leadership is critical to your agency's success.

Today I got to chat with Monica Louie, a Facebook and Instagram strategist who left the corporate world to have more flexibility and spend more time with her family. Since leaving her 9 to 5 job, Monica has blasted through some of the goals she set when she first began and developed a successful three-part business. Find out how Monica paid off over $120,000 of debt in just two years using clear goals and a lot of creativity.

We've talked about it several times, just how important it is to have a goal. Without a goal, it's hard to find your north star. But the type of goal you set is important. As are the tools you use to achieve it. So how can you make sure you don't fall short?

• Be specific about your goal. For Monica, her goal was to pay off all of her debt, including her mortgage, in 8 years. You need to have a specific goal and you need to have a timeline. If Monica had just said "I want to pay off my debt soon," she probably wouldn't have met that goal because there was no specific timeline to hold her accountable.
• Create a strategy. How are you going to get there? Monica and her husband had a garage sale and worked a lot of overtime to achieve paying off their debt. When you make a goal at your agency, it's important to have a strategy in mind to help you get there. It's okay to improvise and change things along the way, but you need to give yourself a plan and tools to make it to your goal.
• What are you willing to sacrifice? In Monica's situation, they sold her husband's car and motorcycle and did a lot of scrimping. For you, sacrifice might mean cutting a service that's putting a financial strain on your budget or finding extra funds. If you have a goal and the motivation to achieve it, you will find the means.

It's futile to set a goal if you don't have a team that shares your vision. Your team will be one of the biggest components of your success. But the hiring process isn't always fun, nor is it easy. And job boards don't usually pan out. So what do you do?

• Connect with like-minded people: A lot of Monica's first team members came from the personal finance world, a world she was comfortable with and had experience with. Look to people in your field who might be good for your team.
• Reach out to your connections: There's a good chance you already know someone who would make a good team member, or you know someone who knows someone. Reach out to your connections and tell them you're hiring. For Monica, this meant telling her email list she had a few positions to fill.
• Know your focus. Again it's all about your vision. If you don't have a clear vision, your team won't either. Communicate your vision and find people who have the same values you do in order to help you reach that vision.

Great teams come from great leadership. We've all had that one boss that made going to work a miserable experience. Great leaders have teams who support them and want to work for them. What does this look like?

• Invest in personal leadership skills. Some people are born a leader. Some are not. Take the time to invest in your leadership skills. Take classes, get feedback, and work on being a better leader.
• Listen. Listen. Listen. The number one thing your team wants you to do is to listen to them. Listen to what they want, what they need, and give them the tools to do their job well. When you provide the resources and support they need, they're less likely to go somewhere else.

They say anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Make a goal, build a team, and take action to get where you want to go.

Payroll and benefits are hard. Especially when you're a small business. Gusto is making payroll, benefits and HR easy for small businesses. You no longer have to be a big company to get great technology, great benefits and great service to take care of your team.

For a limited time, Gusto is offering a deal to Smart Agency Master Class listeners. Check out Gusto.com/agency for 3-months FREE once you run your first payroll with them.

Have you thought about offering content creation as a service but not sure where to start or how to charge? Content is a huge part of almost everything we do for our clients, but often times its the client themselves that hold up projects by not providing good (or timely) content. When you take control of content creation, your agency can help you be more successful in achieving the clients' goals. It may seem daunting to add content creation as a service, but it can also be very rewarding in the long run.

In today's episode, we discuss:

• #1 benefit of offering content creation as a service.
• How to charge for content.
• What type of content are agencies creating?

Today I had the opportunity to sit down with my good friends at Verblio, Steve Pockross, CEO, and Paul Zalewski, Vice President of Marketing. Paul and Steve know a lot about content. After all, they run a content agency sourced with over 3,000 copywriters. Recently, Verblio sent out a survey to thousands of agencies to get a better idea of what agencies think about content creation, how they use it, and best practices surrounding content creation. Their findings may come as a surprise, but learning from them can help grow your agency and get better results for your clients.

Steve and Paul say that as agencies, we should not expect clients to have the ability to create their own content. Yes, they might be the expert in their industry but they are not always successful at writing about it. According to Verblio's survey, of the agencies who felt their content was successful less than 20% of them curated content from the client. What does that mean? Well, it means that although the client is the industry expert they suck at writing about it! :) Let's be honest, clients are busy and writing is hard. So even though they mean well, they put writing on the backburner because it's a difficult, time-consuming task.

The solution is for you, as an agency, is to take control over the content creation. By either writing in-house or outsourcing it, you can speed up your project cycle by half. For example, in most cases, a website build that would normally take 6 months, can be completed in 3-4 months when the agency is not waiting on the client to write and handover content.

Okay. You've decided you're going to start offering content — good! But how much do you charge? Well, according to to Verblio's survey 87% of agencies who felt they have a solid content creation service include the cost for it in their monthly retainer. And the vast majority of those agencies felt as though content was a major profit center for them. This is a key point because, as an agency, it might be easy to think content creation is an area where you can be competitive and price yourself lower than the competition. But when you spend the time and dollars it takes to do a great job you can make money on it. So, why race to the bottom?

Verblio's survey indicated that the average agency is marking up content 200%. Why walk away from that kind of margin but undercutting yourself on pricing?

There are 3 general options when it comes to charging for content:

1. Build it into your retainer. I find this approach usually works the best. Figure out how much you are going to charge for content and make it part of your retainer agreement.
2. Charge content as a separate line item. Here, you make content a monthly charge but are transparent about the fee.
3. Charge a la carte. Charge on a per-piece basis. The downside is, this has a tendency of making content look like an extra instead of a necessity.

Typically, when you make content a part of your service offering and show the benefits of incorporating it, your client will be will see the value.

When you offer content creation, you give your clients an unfair advantage by using content to set them apart. It gets you a seat at the table with clients you wouldn't otherwise be seated at the table with. If you use a resource like Verblio it allows you to white label a service to scale your agency because you are relieving a pain point for your clients (and yourself). Consistency is key - stick with it and give it time.

What type of content should you offer? The overwhelming majority of those surveyed said blog posts. So get over the idea that blogging is "So 2006." Blogging helps drive SEO and it still the #1 thing agencies are recommending in content strategies.

Out of blog ideas? Do an audit of existing blog posts. Look for opportunities for a mashup or a refresh of older, outdated posts. Your clients have great ideas for content -- sit down with the Head of Products or the Head of Customer Service. Those are the people with content ideas -- they know the FAQ's.

Want to provide input about what works and what doesn't? Got a minute to take Verblio's survey? Want to try Verblio for yourself?

Are you looking for a new, creative way to generate leads? Have you thought about offering a course, but don't know where to start? An online course is a great way to attract new clients and create some extra revenue.

In today's episode, we cover:

• How an online course can help your agency grow.
• 3 Ways to keep your course from becoming a distraction.
• How to create a unique course different from everything else.

Today I had the opportunity to talk to Chase Chappell, the owner of Chase Chappell Marketing. He began his career developing his own Facebook influencer page and quickly discovered he could do social media for other agencies. After going door-to-door to find leads, he leveraged the power of social media. After finding success Chase realized he could help more people by teaching his own processes in an online course. Find out how developing a course can attract more clients and help grow your agency.

Creating an online course is a lot of work. So why spend your time developing a new course when you can put your time and focus on other projects? What will you really get out of it? For Chase, the benefits were bigger than he initially realized.

• Referrals. When Chase started his online course, he immediately discovered the course was generating a lot of referrals. When you provide value and have a genuine interest in helping others, they're likely to refer your agency to others.
• Conversions. Chase started his course to teach agencies his process. But the agencies that took his course came back to him just a few months later asking him to do the work instead.
• Authenticity. Ads will only get you so far. When a client sees your ads and sees you have a course to back up what you are doing, you're more likely to develop trust.

Not every agency has what it takes to support a course. If that was the case everyone would create a course to attract new clients. When you choose to develop a course you want to make sure you have the resources to support it. The last thing you want to do is put all your focus on the course and neglect the agency.

1. Evaluate your team. When Chase developed his course, he already had an outside agency onboard to manage client relations. Because he knew he had a team that could focus on the agency work, he was able to devote some of his focus to the course.
2. Watch your client load. If you're going to focus your attention on developing a course, it's probably not a good idea to bring on a bunch of new clients at the same time. Make sure you don't overextend your agency — work on growing one piece of business at a time.
3. Have a process in place. Chase's course focuses on processes his agency uses every day as part of the agency's training program. When you develop a course around existing processes and procedures, it will be easier to put together and less likely to distract you from your agency work.

If you're on Facebook, you know how saturated the digital course market is. It seems like everybody wants to teach you something about something. In many cases, these courses are simply marketing ploys or click-bait to get a prospect to sign-on with an agency. Online courses are a dime a dozen and most quickly fade into obscurity. So can you make sure your course stands out and continues to attract new clients?

• Know your target audience. The reason so many courses (and agencies) fail is because they don't know their target audience. If you create a course for everyone, you're going to have a hard time attracting the right clients. Know your audience and market your course directly to them.
• Provide value: The number one way to stand out is finding a gap or need in the market. Be unique. If you just regurgitate what everyone else is saying, potential clients have no incentive to stick around. Chase's course shares the same strategies his agency uses on a day to day basis. This proprietary process has proven success stories to back it up.

An online course is a great way to attract new clients and increase authority. But it's not for everyone. Do your research, evaluate your resources, and make sure you're prepared before you take the jump.

Payroll and benefits are hard. Especially when you're a small business. Gusto is making payroll, benefits and HR easy for small businesses. You no longer have to be a big company to get great technology, great benefits and great service to take care of your team.

For a limited time, Gusto is offering a deal to Smart Agency Master Class listeners. Check out Gusto.com/agency for 3-months FREE once you run your first payroll with them.

Are you often doing the same tasks over and over? Are you looking for a way to work smarter and be more efficient? Are you using automation to retain agency clients? Automation can eliminate some of the tedious tasks and help you focus on the things that really matter — your clients.

In today's episode, we'll cover:

• 3 Reasons why you need to start automating now.
• 3 Areas where it just makes sense to automate.
• How your agency can get the most out of automation.

Today I talked to Joe Shelerud, the co-founder and CEO of Ad Advance. Joe's agency works primarily with medium to large size Amazon shops, helping them use PPC to grow their sales and build a long term profitable business. After starting his agency, Joe quickly realized just how much automation could save time and eliminate some of the grunt work. Find out what areas Joe's team automates and how doing so has changed their agency for the better.

Have you automated the simple processes in your agency yet? If the answer is no, why not? Joe says automation has changed the way his agency does business and has led to greater client satisfaction. He says if there are tasks you are doing over and over again, every single day, you need to automate them. What can automation do for your agency?

1. Save time. Think about how much time you spend on the little stuff. Stuff like paperwork and scheduling. How much time could you save if these processes were automated?
2. Eliminate human error. How many times have you forgotten to send a follow-up email? Who hasn't attached the wrong document or misspelled a client name? Errors happen, but they can be costly. By automating the simple things, you streamline the process and reduce the chance of error in other areas.
3. Increase client interaction. Every minute you spend on the little things is one less minute you have to focus on the things your agency does well. Why would you want to do the small stuff when you can be making your client happy?

You don't want to automate everything. Not only does it put you out of a job, but it takes out the human element. That personal touch is often what sets your agency apart. But there are many areas most agencies can automate right now.

1. Onboarding. The onboarding process can become pretty redundant. Inputting information, sending welcome emails, generating projects. These are all things a computer can take care of.
2. Emails. You can't automate all emails, but you can automate a lot. Do you email reminders to your clients? Do you have monthly newsletters or information that needs to be sent to everyone? There are many programs that can generate and schedule emails so you're not creating one from scratch every time.
3. Tracking requests. Joe says any time your client asks for something, your agency has failed. When you automate the request process, you can easily track requests and make the necessary changes so future clients won't have to make the same request.

When it comes down to it, you're not automating processes just to automate. Automation saves time. But this doesn't mean your team gets to go home early. This means you are able to spend more time on the areas that add value to your clients. Look at where you are wasting time and make a change. Then, use that time to really increase client satisfaction and focus on what sets your agency apart.

Automation can be a big time saver. When you have more time to focus on your clients, you have a better chance of pleasing and retaining those clients. Think of it this way, is it easier to find new clients or just keep the old ones happy?

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Trying to decide whether your agency really needs to declare a niche? Can a generalist approach equate to more clients? In the marketing agency space, it's all about standing out from the crowd. Whether you can find success as a generalist may depend more on your process than your expertise.

In this episode, we'll cover:

• #1 Thing to remember whether you're a generalist agency or declare a niche.
• 3 Ways to stand out as a generalist.
• 3 Reasons you're better off choosing a niche.

Today I had the opportunity to talk to Ted Birkhahn, president and part-owner of Hot Paper Lantern. Hot Paper Lantern is an integrative marketing communication agency that focuses on analytics, redefining how clients are targeting their audiences, and improve experiences. With over 19 years in the agency, Ted was able to take an existing customer base and turn it into a successful generalist agency. Find out whether it's really possible to find success as an agency without choosing a niche.

If you have been in the agency world for any period of time, you know there's one thing that holds true — nothing lasts forever. Ted says this is the number one thing he learned over the course of his career. As such, you always need to have a plan for when times get rough. What does this look like?

• Evaluate your client base. It's never a good idea to put all your focus in one area. As a generalist, don't invest too much in a specific industry. As a niche agency, never saturate too much of your interest in one client or one area.
• Grow in smart ways. As an agency owner, the goal is growth. But you have to do it right. If you grow too fast, you may have difficulty keeping up which can make you vulnerable in times of instability.

You've decided to be a generalist — great. The good news is, this means you have a wider reach, you can relate to a larger range of customers. The bad news is, there's nothing to separate you from all the other "me too" agencies who don't have a specific niche. So how do you stand out without having a niche?

1. Don't pretend to be all things to all people. Even as a generalist, there will be clients who just aren't the right fit. Clients who require a niche level of expertise or have specific needs may not be right for you.
2. Know what makes you different. For Hot Paper Lantern, they set themselves apart from the rest by bringing in specialists from different industries. By providing marketing and consulting services they provide value many similar agencies don't. Even if you don't have a specific area of expertise, you can still be unique.
3. Leverage your experience. One thing Ted has that many agency owners don't is experience. Ted has two decades in the agency world and has surrounded himself with a team of similar expertise. Experience is an asset. OWN IT.

It's important to find out what makes your agency stand out from the crowd. Some agencies are able to do this without choosing a niche. But for many agencies, defining a niche is how they stand out. So how do you know if you're better off choosing a niche?

1. You don't have an established client base. Ted was lucky. He started his agency with several established clients. This isn't the case for most agency owners. If you don't have an established customer base, you're going to have to find a way to bring in clients. As a generalist, it's going to be hard to stand out. When you niche down, you are able to dedicate your marketing toward a specific client base.
2. You don't have a lot of revenue. Even if you don't have an established customer base, you can still stand out by bringing in resources or hiring great talent. Without appropriate funds, this will be very hard to do.
3. You're just starting out. This one goes with the two points above. If you are just starting out, you likely don't have the client base or the revenue. Additionally, you haven't quite figured out what makes you unique. For smaller agencies, it's usually better to start out with a niche and expand later on if that's what you want.

It's hard to say you can't find success as a generalist because it has been done and it continues to be done. But it takes a certain level of experience and expertise. If you're going to be a generalist, it's important to understand the extra level of investment and risk it entails. By setting realistic expectations, you're more likely to make smart choices and find success.

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