Smart Agency Masterclass With Jason Swenk: Podcast For Digital Marketing Agencies

Are you losing too many leads at the top of your funnel? Do you spend too much time qualifying prospects? Do you not qualify clients? While agency owners often focus on servicing the clients they land, it's important to invest in how you bring these clients in.  In today's episode, we discuss: How to wow potential clients, starting with the first call. #1 Way to qualify leads faster. How to nail the follow-up and land more clients. In this episode, I interviewed Terry Jessup, President of Box CMO, a subsidiary of Black Bear Design. Prior to his role as president, Terry was the lead in business development. Over his 15 years in biz dev, he created processes that reduce variation, implemented processes to be more effective, and closed the communication gap between the agency side and the client side to ensure a positive experience. He's on the show to share how he hooks prospects from the very beginning and make sure those clients don't lose interest along the way.  How to Wow Potential Clients, Starting with

How can agencies help clients who are shut down right now during coronavirus? How can agencies pivot to thrive during this downturn economy? This episode is a spotlight on Alyssa Ege, Sail Away Marketing - helping dental practices during the current shutdown. Takeaways on what Alyssa and other thriving agencies are doing right: 1. Use digital to help prospects and clients make a quick pivot. 2. Help prospects and clients find creative ways to stay in business even when their physical doors are closed. How can digital agencies help clients who are shit down eight now during the coronavirus epidemic? 3. Educate prospects and clients on the possibilities. Many of them aren't tech-savvy or understand digital marketing enough to even know what's possible. Help them get educated. Follow the lead by Alyssa at Sail Away Media who'd been doing an amazing job!

Does your agency business model lack predictability? Are you questioning what the future has in store for your agency 10, 15 years down the road? When you set a path for your agency and plan for more consistency, you're more likely to see your agency grow. In today's episode, we'll cover: 3 Tips to allow your vision to grow with your agency. #1 Way to build predictable and stable growth at your agency. When should an agency owner consider their exit plan? Today I sat down with Greg Henry, president and CEO of Push10, a branding and web design agency. Like many of us, Greg fell into the agency world and has worked his way to success. But believe it or not, Greg is already thinking about his exit plan. Find out how Greg has been able to build an agency that works with a predictable business model and how that strategy has allowed him the comfort to look ahead. 3Tips to Allow Your Vision to Grow With Your Agency Take a minute to think about when you first started your agency. Did you think you would be where y

Does your agency serve an industry that has been shut down? Are your clients directly impacted by the economic downturn? Of course, many, many industries are feeling it but none more than travel and hospitality. Should you choose a new niche? Make a quick pivot? Weather the storm? In this episode, we’ll cover: Should agencies choose a new niche due to the economic recession? How can you still serve clients impacted by shutdowns? How to manage your agency team during challenging times. On today’s special episode, I’m chatting with Ryan Clarke, Partner and VP Business Development at Wallop, a digital agency in Canada serving luxury hotel and travel brands since 2004. Ryan started his career as a management consultant but didn’t like what he was selling so moved onto something more creative at Wallop. Here’s here to share ways agencies and clients can move forward during the challenging times we’re in. Should Agencies Choose a New Niche Due to Economic Recession? Ryan says while many industries are feeling the

Have you considered making a move to a fully remote agency? Do you think your agency team could benefit from more creative freedom? As agency owners, we're always looking for ways to grow a successful team and build a successful brand. What if you found out you can do both, just by providing a rockstar culture? In today's episode, we'll cover: How freedom and flexibility increase team productivity.  Why agency culture is so important.  How your agency can survive the battle of the bands. Today I had the opportunity to sit down with Angel Gonzales, CMO, and co-founder of Snappy Kraken, an automated marketing platform exclusively for financial advisors. Angel's agency consists solely of remote team members and they've created a business model where they don't just survive, they thrive. Angel is on the show to share how and why his agency's virtual office is the key to their success.   How Freedom and Flexibility Increases Team Productivity Who doesn't want the option to work from home in their pajamas? Okay,

Have you found your agency in a place where all you do is execute? Are you looking to change the way you do things and provide more value to your clients? With so many agencies out there, almost anyone can execute. When you put your agency in a position where clients come to you to create a strategy, you're more likely to see more stable growth. In today's episode, we'll cover: How to go from just execution to paid strategy. 2 Ways to choose the right clients to work with. Why you don't always have to declare a niche. Today, I sat down with Kevin Kelly, president and founder of Big Buzz Marketing Group, a full-service, integrative digital agency based out of New York City. Kevin comes to us with a ton of marketing experience (his agency started before Google). Today he talks about how you can position your agency so clients come to you to create their strategy and when it's okay to be a full-service agency.  How to Go From Just Execution to Paid Strategy When it comes to digital agencies, there are a millio

Are you ready to scale up your agency, but don't know where to start? Are you face-to-face with that metaphorical brick wall, trying to figure out where you will get the funds to allow your agency to continue to grow? As owners, often, our goal is to grow our agency as big as we can. But how do you make sure you scale your agency in a way where you don't fall flat on your face? In today's episode, we'll cover: Why you should always embrace your strengths.   #1 Reason agencies need to ask more questions.  Are you standing in your agency's way?  Today I had the opportunity to sit down with Nathan McKelvey, founder of Army8, a digital growth consulting firm. Nathan is a former pilot and self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur. After growing and selling a few agencies, Nathan now helps other agencies discover the tools they need to effectively scale their agency. Nathan is here to talk about what he has learned along the way.  Why You Should Always Embrace Your Strengths Nathan's story is different than many of our

Have current events left you in a panic, uncertain where your agency will end up? Are you looking for a way to make sure your agency stands out from the crowd? It's hard to plan for the next economic recession. At times where things seem like they're all up in the air, it's important to know what to do to make sure you survive. In today's episode, we'll cover: 2 Tips to help your agency survive during uncertain times. How can your agency grow despite an economic downturn? 2 Ways to position your agency as an authority. Today I had an awesome chat with Mike Gadsby, co-founder and chief innovation officer at O3 World, a digital product agency. With over 15 years of experience at O3 World, Mike and his teammates have survived a few economic recessions. Now, with the state of affairs as it is, Mike talks about how you can make sure your agency survives a turbulent economy, and perhaps, even thrives. 2 Tips To Help Your Agency Survive Uncertain Times. As an agency owner, Mike has been through several changes in

How can your agency stop charging for hours and switch to value-based pricing? Have you ever thought about naming your services or productizing? Branding is important and it can be what sets you apart in a world full of "me too" agencies. In today's episode, we'll cover: Why naming is so important to your agency's brand. How to match your agency's name with your agency's brand. How to get agency clients more involved. Today I sat down with Jeremy Miller, founder of Sticky Branding. Jeremy describes himself as an author, a speaker, and of course, an agency owner. While he never intended to enter the agency space, after completing a few branding projects for the family business, he quickly discovered he had found his niche. Jeremy talks about why names are so important to branding and how you can make your agency stand apart from the rest. Why Naming is So Important to Your Agency's Brand If you're like most agency owners, this one probably seems like a no-brainer. I can hear the chorus now, "Of course I know

Is your agency wasting time and money on making mistakes? Are you trying to make sense of why your profit margins are so low? If so, it's time to take a hard look at how much money actually goes to covering the cost of internal errors.  Because for many agencies, this number is just too high. In today's episode, we'll cover: Is your agency losing money on these common errors? What are tiny mistakes actually costing your agency? 3 reasons why it might be time to embrace AI. Today, I sat down with Eric Vardon, CEO of Morphio. This is Eric's second time on the podcast, and this time he's talking about how artificial intelligence (AI) can reduce the number of costly mistakes your agency makes. Recently, Eric's agency conducted a survey to find out just how much agencies are, quite frankly, throwing away. Eric is here to discuss the results and talk about how Morphio can help. Is Your Agency Losing Money on These Common Errors? We've all been there — that bulk email with a glaring typo we notice moments after we

We are in uncertain times right now and so many agencies are facing challenges as a result of the global coronavirus crisis. Agencies are struggling with everything from cash flow and clients canceling to laying off employees. The silver lining is that no matter where your geographic location, we're all in this together. We are all up against the same issues. That's why I brought on a panel agency owners just like you to ask their questions and get real-time answers. In this episode, we'll cover: How can you serve agency clients whose businesses are on temporary shut down due to the stay-at-home order? How can you find short term opportunities while also focusing on longterm growth for your agency? What to do if clients ask to cancel or pause their contract. Is it OK to go after outbound sales during this time? What are ways to provide goodwill right now without devaluing your agency's services when things turnaround? How to find opportunities while so many businesses are cutting back and experiencing hardsh

Are you struggling to get your foot in the door with the right clients? Do you have plenty of leads, but just can't convert? Web audits can help you close more new business deals faster and convert prospects easier than ever. In today's episode, we'll cover: Why you should always lead with value. How web audits can help your agency increase conversion rates. What your agency can do to improve on converting leads. Today I sat down with Clifford Almeida, owner of Hire a Wiz, the digital agency he started 8 years ago. After years of perfecting web audits as their foot-in-the-door strategy, Cliff soon developed a Saas tool for agencies called My Web Audit. Clifford has found a wait to optimize this process to help agency owners grow their agency and convert more leads. In this episode, Clifford shares how audits helped his agency increase its closing rate nearly 40%. Why You Should Always Lead with Value If you have listened to the podcast, you've heard me say it before — the number one way to close more deals

Do you have the right systems but still struggle to grow? Do you look at the big agencies and wonder how they got to 7- or 8-figures? It's all about having the ability to work with the right clients who can afford to pay what you're worth. In today's episode, we'll cover: How to turn more prospects into clients. 2 Key factors to establish effective pricing. How to get to the point where your agency can pick and choose. Today I sat down with Eric Vardon, co-founder, and president of Arcane, a Canadian-based digital marketing agency. Eric started his agency in 2011 with a keen focus on analytics and a clear understanding of his business. He's on the show today to talk about how you can get your agency to a point where you're able to pick and choose which clients you want to work with.   How to Turn More Prospects Into Clients As a digital marketing agency, it's your job to get clients to see the value of your services. Clients aren't eager to hand over money for a strategy that might work. This is why so many

Are you struggling with spending too much time working in your agency, instead of on your agency? Do you spend a whole lot of time dealing with the stuff you hate and not enough time on the things you love? Agency owners have a tendency to dive right in and engross themselves completely in their work. But when you create a more autonomous agency you will find more freedom in your role. In today's episode, we discuss: How to move past the desperation stage. #1 Way to separate your agency from everyone else. How your agency can benefit from leading with strategy. What happens when you dominate your niche. Today I sat down for a fun episode with Max Borges, owner of Max Borges Agency. Over 18 years, Max found the more he worked, the busier he got. He quickly realized his current agency model wasn't sustainable and he had to make a change. He's on the show to share the four phases of creating an autonomous agency. How to Move Past the Desperation Stage Phase 1 - Anything for Money We've all experienced what Max

Are you struggling to get your team more engaged with their work? Do you find yourself doing work your employees should feel empowered to do? Employee engagement is an often misunderstood and undervalued part of running an agency. But it can make all the difference in your agency's success. In today's episode, we'll cover: Why agency employee engagement is so important. 3 Things to do to raise agency employee engagement. Why and how you can implement servant leadership. Today I had the chance to chat with Christopher Creel, author of the new book, Adaptive. The book looks at the traditional workplace hierarchy, and questions, "What would happen if we flipped it all on its head?" Christopher uses chatbots for much of his processes, but many of the strategies we discuss can be implemented into everything you do. Read on to find out what Christopher says is the key to increasing employee engagement. Why Agency Employee Engagement Is So Important Employee engagement is something many leaders take for granted.

Are you struggling to let go of some of the control and bring on new team members? Or, when you bring in new talent do you discover they have no idea what to do? A lot of your agency and team's success comes down to process. If you don't have an established process or documented SOPs, your team doesn't have a map to follow. In today's episode, we'll cover: Does your agency have long-term sustainability? Why and how to document processes for agency team success. 2 secrets to finding great agency talent. Today I sat down with Damon Burton, founder of SEO National. Damon started his agency 12 years ago when SEO was just becoming a thing. Now, Damon says he has retained many of his original clients and has learned how to build a team he trusts. Damon is on the show to share tips on how you can do the same. Does Your Agency Have Long-Term Sustainability? We're in the midst of the, "I want it now" era. People are easily distracted, quickly moving from one thing to another. With social media, it's swipe left, swip

Have you considered creating a podcast, but don't know where to start? Are you looking for a new way to get clients engaged without coming off "salesy"? Podcasts are a great way to connect with more prospective clients. As an added bonus, they are one of the easiest ways you can generate leads for your agency.  In today's episode, we discuss: 3 Reasons why podcasts work to connect you with more clients.  Why your agency should consider a podcast. 3 Ways to make your voice shine through.  Today, I sat down with Mark Lipsky, founder of The Radio Agency. The Radio Agency is a radio-only digital marketing agency. They focus on radio — nothing more, nothing less. Over the past 26 years, Mark has discovered what makes radio great and what makes it stand out from the rest. Mark shares with us what he learned and why you should consider incorporating podcasts into your marketing approach.  3 Reasons Why Podcasts Work You may think, "I don't need to start a podcast, my blog is doing just fine." And that may be the c

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 e

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 d

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 c