Agency Business #46: Why confidence is a KPI for independent agencies, with Indie Agency News founder Doug Zanger
Nov 10, 2025
Doug Zanger, founder of Indie Agency News, shares his journey from radio producer to agency advocate. He emphasizes that confidence should be a key performance indicator for agencies. They explore the importance of visibility, innovative tools like First Pass for optimizing press, and how agencies can better communicate their value. Doug also discusses the rise of partnerships among indie agencies, the role of AI in enhancing collaboration, and why storytelling is crucial for growth.
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From Radio To Indie Agency News
- Doug described his path from radio production to trade journalism and agency work, which shaped his focus on indies.
- Those roles led him to start Indie Agency News to serve independent agencies' visibility needs.
Visibility Is A Product Not Just PR
- Independent agencies lack visibility and need channels beyond traditional trade press to tell their story.
- Indie Agency News builds tools (press/award/panel/messaging help) to make visibility practical and repeatable.
Optimize Assets Before Seeking Coverage
- Optimize pitches, awards, op-eds and websites before chasing coverage to increase conversion.
- Use messaging that frames services as solutions to marketer problems, not a catalog of offerings.