Ad Agency New Business: It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
When budgets are forming, reviews are forthcoming and meetings are here...it’s the most wonderful time of the year! Just as the happy parents pictured in the Staples campaign celebrate sending their kids back to school, your agency should be celebrating and capitalizing upon the new business opportunities that September through early December often present.
While a comprehensive business development program will yield many opportunities throughout the year, the next 100 days are when much of your hard work will pay off. Many prospects are solidifying plans, formulating budgets and reviewing existing relationships in preparation for the year ahead.
Hopefully, you have been preparing for this time by positioning your agency as an expert in key markets, developing content that resonates with your target audiences and personally connecting with decision makers to ascertain the likelihood and timing of their consideration.
If not, you can mount a smaller scope effort designed to harvest some of the low hanging fruit by following these quick fix steps.
Identify your strongest industry (where you truly have an expert reputation).
Handpick 50-100 organizations that fit your geographic, revenue and service requirements. Build numbers as your program evolves.
CAREFULLY research and qualify the contact information for all of the decision makers within each.
Create 2-3 pieces of in-depth content offering a constructive POV.
Use variations of this content to create a promotional email campaign and fill relevant inbound voids.
Follow each promotional email sent with a personal phone call, follow-up email and handwritten note from a senior-level staffer who can skillfully deliver your message.
Continue outreach and connect via appropriate social channels.
Don’t miss another selling season by ignoring an opportunity to jumpstart your new business program. You can fill in the components of a more comprehensive effort including: database development, regular content creation, social media activity and structured personal outreach when activity begins to slow in January.
Your prospects are awakening from their summer slumber. They are sending signals that they are evaluating and solidifying future plans. There is no time like the present to make this your most wonderful time of the year.