The Innovative Agency

Having the hard conversation between agency and client around what they collectively want success to look like isn't the simplest task — and it's exactly why the conversation isn't had more often. Sometimes what the client wants just isn't realistic. In this episode, I speak with Gogi Gupta, Founder at Gupta Media, about these hard conversations and why avoidance is setting unrealistic expectations on both sides. We discuss: - Why siloing causes disconnect between agency & client - Why hard conversations aren't occurring - Guiding the client journey w/ education - Advice for agencies looking to start these hard conversations To hear more from Innovative Agency owners, listen to The Innovative Agency podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on our website. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for The Innovative Agency in your favorite podcast player.

Every once in a while, you need to take up a broom and sweep out the corners. All those assets you've been creating that you thought were customer-specific or agency-specific? You can turn those into products to help others solve the same problems. In this episode, I speak with John Readman, Founder and CEO at Modo25, Founder and Product Owner at Ask BOSCO, a SaaS product he created to actually avoid having a massive agency and to have a reliable revenue stream instead. We discuss: - Creating recurring revenue and sharing expertise - Tapping into your team's creative product ideas - How productizing your skills raises the value of your agency - Why the ideal software is just like Mailchimp - Overcoming your fears about software developers To hear more from Innovative Agency owners, listen to The Innovative Agency podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on our website. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for The Innovative Agency in your favorite podcast player.

We're at the cusp of working with some of the most amazing innovations that humanity has ever seen. If you haven't yet entered the dynamic conversation about the intersection between humans and technology, you are missing opportunities to innovate. Donna Loughlin, PR & Corporate Communications at LMGPR and host of Before It Happened, joins the show to trace the human thread that runs through the stories that we agencies tell for our brands and clients. Join us as we discuss: - Working with emerging market innovators and futurists - Differentiating the human story in technological advancements - Asking what you do and how you do it better - Why the human touch will define the next generation of messaging in tech To hear more from Innovative Agency owners, listen to The Innovative Agency podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on our website. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for The Innovative Agency in your favorite podcast player.

New business gets a lot of attention. In most agencies, the champagne starts flowing when you close a new deal. But in the process of focusing your resources on new clients, are you overlooking big opportunities for growth that are right in your backyard? Stacey Singer, Client Retention and Growth Specialist at Stacey Singer Consulting, joins the show to discuss organic growth, an easier and more profitable way to expand your revenue. We discuss: - What's standing in the way of organic growth - Creating a culture that prioritizes the client experience - The top things agencies do that clients hate - Building an internal growth plan for each existing client To hear more from Innovative Agency owners, listen to The Innovative Agency podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on our website. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for The Innovative Agency in your favorite podcast player.

Could your next client be another agency? In this episode, Tyler Horsley, Founder and CEO at Nuclear Networking, joins the show to break down the topic of partnerships and strategic alliances with other marketing service providers. Plus, he shares his perspective on the dynamic M&A market within the agency world. We discuss: - The pros and cons of onboarding services vs outsourcing - How to manage the relationship with strategic partners - Navigating the handoff process to a strategic partner - What's going on with mergers and acquisitions in the agency world Email Tyler if you're looking for an SEO or digital advertising partner. To hear more from Innovative Agency owners, listen to The Innovative Agency podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on our website. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for The Innovative Agency in your favorite podcast player.

What does your client want? It's the question at the crux of what marketing and advertising is all about. In past episodes, we've answered that question from the perspective of marketing agencies and their advisors, but in this episode, we're going to hear the perspective of an actual client. RJon Robins, CEO & Founder at How to Manage a Small Law Firm, joins me to share insights into the client-marketing agency relationship and what he thinks agencies should do to gain more business and retain more clients. We discuss: - How the initial client-marketer discussion can go wrong - Why marketing agencies need to have a fully developed business plan - Why leading with fear will torpedo your agency - How to communicate with clients To hear more from Innovative Agency owners, listen to The Innovative Agency podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on our website. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for The Innovative Agency in your favorite podcast player.

Successful marketing hinges on the principle of asking enough questions and asking the right questions. Think about it. We can all remember marketing campaigns that went sideways because the wrong questions were asked, and as a result, not enough relevant information was available to get it right Matt Seltzer, Market Researcher and Founder of S2 Research, is an expert at asking the right questions, and in this episode, he offers his insights on the topic. We discuss: - The importance of research in marketing - How to move past roadblocks - How agencies and clients evaluate ROI - How agencies can level up their research game Resources mentioned during the podcast: - The Creative Catalyst: How to Create Better Marketing By Asking (And Answering) Better Marketing Questions - Reach out to Matt at Matt@s2research.com To hear more from Innovative Agency owners, listen to The Innovative Agency podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on our website. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for The Innovative Agency in your favorite podcast player.

Do you remember when running an agency was fun? The emergence of digital tools has led to a focus on measurement and metrics, but it has come at the expense of process innovation and creativity—and that, ultimately, has led to a lot of uninspired work. It's time to rediscover the fun of the creative process. Paul Charney, Founder and CEO at Funworks, joins the show to talk about using fun to help you achieve your agency's goals—both creative and financial—and spark new ways of achieving business results for your clients. We discuss: - How the dawn of digital stripped the fun out of the advertising process - How improv comedy fundamentals can shake up the creative process - Why focusing on the voice of the customer means you no longer have to guess what's inside your client's head - How to bring joy back into the creative process Reach out to Paul: paul@howfunworks.com To hear more from Innovative Agency owners, listen to The Innovative Agency podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on our website. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for The Innovative Agency in your favorite podcast player.

All executives have an online presence, and that presence matters. It matters to the individual, but it also matters with respect to the reputation of the business—because in a digital world, every individual who works for a company represents that brand. Bant Breen, Founder & Chairman at Qnary, explains how agencies can empower their clients to embrace reputation management as an important pillar of overall brand strategy. We also discuss: - Why reputation management is often not given a seat at the table - How agencies should advise their clients on executive reputation management - When to focus on reputation management vs brand management - The evolution of LinkedIn as a reputation management tool To hear more from Innovative Agency owners, listen to The Innovative Agency podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on our website. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for The Innovative Agency in your favorite podcast player.

Content marketing has been around since the original Michelin Guide was created by a tire company over a century ago to get more people to drive to restaurants. The concept behind content marketing has not changed. What has changed is it has gotten harder and harder to do it well and to break through the noise. Brad Smith, Founder & CEO of Codeless Interactive and CEO at Wordable, joins the show to explain what's going on in the world of content marketing and what your marketing agency needs to know to do it well. We discuss: - The larger content marketing trends taking place - The stair step approach to content marketing - How to decide on the right mix of content - The best way to use content platforms - How to prepare clients for 2022 and beyond To hear more from Innovative Agency owners, listen to The Innovative Agency podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on our website. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for The Innovative Agency in your favorite podcast player.