Start A Digital Marketing Agency

For many first time entrepreneurs, starting a business isn’t so much a question of when. It’s a question of how.

Many of the more popular training courses and seminars in other industries will teach you sales techniques and virtually nothing else. They don’t expect you to actually engage in their given niche. But digital marketing is a little different. Because it’s still a relatively young industry, clients actually expect you to prove to them its ultimate value. And if you’re not versed in its dynamics, you’re simply not going to negotiate a sale.

Which can be slightly intimidating—especially if you’re unfamiliar with the digital marketing world. That’s why Your Local Mark emphasizes accessibility to all, regardless of their experience. We don’t just give you the skills you need for digital marketing fluency, but we provide you with the tools and resources to become your very own agency.

But you can’t simply rely on skills and resources to become a digital marketer. You need the right mindset. You won’t get rich overnight, and that’s true for everyone who’s looking to become their own boss. You need persistence and dedication. Here’s a few tips on how to cultivate the right frame of mind before committing.

Build A Foundation, No Matter How Small

You may not land a six figure contract in your first few months. You may not even get your foot in the door at a large firm. You need time to develop a portfolio. And you need time to develop a reputation. Don’t get discouraged. You might consider starting with smaller companies—you may find they’re more apt to refer you to their colleagues. Continue honing your skills, and you’ll find that each client will grow larger and more profitable over time. Experience is exponential. Success isn’t a matter of luck. It’s a matter of development.

A Positive Outlook Brings Positive Results

Clients can sense discouragement. And if you don’t believe in your own service, they’re not likely to believe in it either. Every single business owner in the world has had doubts about their success at one point in their careers, and it can be a hard thing to overcome. But if you’ve already made up your mind to become your own boss, then that alone should tell you just what you’re capable of. Learn to believe 110 percent in the service you provide. Those clients who don’t will simply be left behind while their competitors prosper from your talent.

Define And Clarify Your Goals

Nowhere is this more critical than when first starting out in digital marketing. Not only will you need to qualify your services to a client, you need to quantify them through precise and verifiable metrics. And you need a clear and precise understanding of just what you want to achieve. Is it $500,000 within your first five years? A reputation as a digital marketing guru? Whatever your goal is, find a way to track and measure your progress. When in doubt, keep the S.M.A.R.T model in mind:

Specific
Measurable
Aspirational

Realistic
Time Bound

Even if you’re not entirely sure of what goals you want to achieve as an agency in a year, you’ll likely find that it will clarify itself eventually. Sometimes in the most unexpected ways.

Find Your Niche

There’s value in being a full scale digital marketing agency. If there wasn’t, we wouldn’t tailor our programs to be so comprehensive. But the downside of it can be spreading yourself too thin and not finding your own specialty; the one aspect of digital marketing you can truly excel in. Don’t be afraid to refine your services, but also don’t limit yourself. Find those facets of marketing you’re truly passionate about and emphasize them. You can continue to offer corporate branding; but if it’s less of a focus for you than PPC management, for example, don’t be afraid to emphasize the latter as your strong suit. Successful marketing is built on specifications, not generalizations.

Don’t Wait For Clients To Come To You

If you’re expecting clients to actively search for you, you won’t even be able to build a portfolio much less make a name for yourself. And while one of our specialties may be helping you tailor a sales funnel to target the right clients, you’re eventually going to have to learn how to approach them yourself. Networking can be an invaluable experience for first time marketers. Not only can you learn from diverse perspectives, but you’ll find that more experienced independent agencies are more than happy to send referrals your way—particularly if they have too many clients on their hands as is.

Think About Your Own Brand Identity Now, Not Later

Branding is as much about marketing yourself as it is finding your own niche. And no company will bother contracting with you if you can’t even figure out how to brand yourself. It’s not enough to merely find your specialty. There’s plenty of other marketers who can do the same. What would be the ideal industry you’d target? What does your voice reflect? Are you adventurous? Traditional? Confident? What would make your services unique? Don’t worry if you haven’t figured out your own identity as a marketer right away. Over time, it will come to you. But start thinking about distinguishing yourself now, not five years from now. You’ll find that branding can frequently be its own two way street.

Don’t Be Afraid To Step Out Of Line

It’s not just the push towards a more connected, digital-centric culture which is behind the decline of traditional advertising. It’s a fear of innovation. It’s a fear of taking risks. And it’s a fear of breaking with the past. In order for marketing to stay vital, fresh and connected with an ever-changing culture, risks need to be taken. Focus on your own original ideas—even at the risk of breaking with convention. That’s how you distinguish yourself. That’s how you develop your own unique voice. And that’s how you lead. Marketing doesn’t need more clones following tired and increasingly obsolete formulas. Innovate, don’t imitate.