Ad Agency New Business-Your Phone Will Not Ring

In our recently released survey report, 2014 RSW/US Ad Agency New Business New Year Outlook Report, 76% of Agency principals said their Agency blogs with a reasonable amount of frequency.

While our experience working with agencies would dictate that number to be closer to 20%, I’ll put aside any doubts and first say this is extremely positive.

Blogging overall, but particularly in the agency world, is tough to do on a consistent basis, but you already know that.

The far more interesting stat, pointed out in a comprehensive but quick read from Marketing Profs this week (How Effective Are Marketing Agency Blogs?): only 42% of Agencies surveyed said blogging is an effective marketing strategy for their Agency.

Huh?

So . . .76% of agencies blog but only 42% said it’s effective.

Well, to the 34%, let me lay something down for you.

Just because you blog does not mean your phone will ring.

Just because you mail something to prospects does not mean your phone will ring.

Just because you PR your latest award does not mean your phone will ring.

Now I don’t know this, but I suspect the 34% of agencies in our survey who blog but feel it’s not effective are falling prey to what countless other agencies also fall prey to.

They blog, or send a direct mail piece out, don’t follow up in any way, and then conclude that blogging or direct mail obviously doesn’t work.

That is a mistake and a rather big one.

Blogging does work for new business and 49% of marketers in our survey reported they do read agency blogs.

The other 51% aren’t reading your agency blog because they don’t know it exists. (That’s one potential reason.)

Ad agency new business is a process and won’t work without consistent follow up,

No follow up=no new clients (barring referrals or word of mouth, to give two examples.)

You may have seen the stats below before, but take another look if so.

 

 The stats say it all.

Don’t operate in an agency new business vacuum.