Mistakes are hard to dodge. Even the top-scaling companies in the world have had their fair share of slip-ups every now and then. If it makes you feel any better, here’s a rundown of Apple’s screw-ups to prove that even the best fall down sometimes. Even more of a challenge, it looks like you, dear reader, are thinking of venturing into one of the most fast-paced industries in the game. It’s common knowledge that marketing agencies need to deal with a fast-paced environment, and in that environment looms a lot of opportunities to commit mistakes.
Lucky for you, many have gone through the same feats before – although none unscathed. And because it’s much wiser to learn from other’s mistakes than going through the troubles yourself, here’s a list of four marketing agency mistakes you should avoid:
Having No Balance Between Creatives and Operations
While content is king, and pitches are often won by fancy presentations, having no systems in place could often crumble the structure. Sadly, so many marketing startups have bitten the dust of treating their concept as the be-all, end-all of their strategies that an operational plan in place is often set aside.
A classic example is Hawthorne Strategies, a promising Atlanta-based consulting agency that niches on liaising NFL Players to philanthropic foundations. Working on such an interesting cause, its CEO admits to losing sight of the ideal structure that comes along with building it. It was only when demands started piling up that the management realized they hardly had any resources to address those. In hindsight, it would have worked to have a forecasting measure in place and a management team capable of handling the stream of demands.
All in all, it pays to have an efficient system in place as an agency tries to scale on its product offerings. This should be approached evenly as, at the end of the day, creativity is still the bread and butter of most marketing agencies.
Having No Project Management Tools in Place
It’s no surprise, with most of us having the privilege to survive the pandemic surge, that most marketing start-ups opt to go fully remote. An integral – but sadly often overlooked – part of most work-from-home agencies is having an efficient project management tool in place, especially a digitally available one.
Venturing into a marketing business without a project management tool in place is like starting a pilgrimage without a map. Directing your people without visible progress is indeed rough.
Project management tools allow employees to not only check on their individual projects but also to give an idea of another’s workload for easy coordination. These would also aid in giving the management more data to predict bandwidths, minimizing the risk of over-promising. Some project management tools also integrate chat functions allowing for seamless project-related conversations. A birds-eye view approach to its reports would allow the management more foundations for goal-setting. The list definitely goes on, and it’s a big mistake to miss out on investing in proper tools this 2022.
Setting Company Culture Aside
Studies show time and time again that company culture plays a big role in keeping employees satisfied. The data speaks for itself in saying that company culture is not something to overlook. We’re pretty sure you would not want to end up in a one-man team, won’t you? Especially not in this industry!
That being said, it’s time to take accountability for your employee’s workplace culture. Keep an eye out on how your team interacts with each other, and how collaboration is at play. Actively listening to your employees’ sentiments – and working on said sentiments, of course – would not only secure high employee morale, but also productivity according to a University of Warwick study. And we all know it’s hard to argue with science!
Having Bad Customer Service
We’ve been an end user one way or another, so we’re placing our bets that you’ve been a frustrated customer at some point in your life. Whatever you do, don’t let that happen to your clients.
A common cause of frustration – apart from failed project executions, of course – is failing to establish an efficient communication line between you and your clients. It’s as if you’re leaving your clients in the dark as the project progresses, especially now that automation is commonplace. All things considered, highly consider investing in tools like SMS Customer Service Software before beginning your venture. One crowd favorite is the SaaS platform Ringbot.ai, a marketing-charged innovation that would not let leads go to waste. The tool takes care of all client communication by making sure all their concerns are addressed by it through automation or customization. Beats most email and SMS marketing software to the punch!
Never Let a Good Lead Go to Waste Again
We’ve handed you the tricks off our sleeves. Now, it’s time to venture out into the world of marketing start-ups scratch-free. Just don’t forget to hit up Ringbot.ai, and never miss a lead for a good head start!