Recently when I google search for how to grow my digital marketing agency? Most of the expert blog posts that showed up in the search were long lists of tactics to do. Some tactics were creating a lead magnet, developing your team culture, establishing a social media presence, and sending cold outreach emails.
While most of the advice wasn’t horrible, most experts shared 20 key things to do, and each list was different. But growing your digital marketing agency doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
This article outline 3 keys to simplify digital marketing agency growth, which will help you confidently enter 2023 with a clear goal and a simple action plan to grow your digital marketing agency in less time.
Table of Contents
Key #1 Destination First
The first key to simplifying digital marketing agency growth is deciding on your destination. What do you want your digital marketing agency to look like five years from now? What kind of profit do you want it to generate? What will your role evolve into over time? And when you achieve this, what will it give you?
Why is nailing down your destination first so important? I remembered that 20 years ago, my pastor and mentor told me something that has stuck with me ever since, “If you aim at nothing… you’ll surely hit it!”
Think about it…if Google Maps doesn’t work without entering a destination, how can you expect your digital marketing agency to?
Key #2 Put It In Reverse
The second key to simplifying digital marketing agency growth is to take your destination and “put it in reverse.” “Put it in reverse” means reverse engineering the route from where you are now to your destination.
This process was how you planned a road trip (before Google) and exactly what Google Maps does today. When you “put it in reverse,” you not only have a clear route to take, but if you get sidetracked or delayed, you can quickly re-route.
Re-routing is essential because you are not a robot who plugs in the destination, and your digital marketing agency magically drives itself (like a Tesla does). You and I are human beings in a world full of distractions, shiny objects, disappointments, significant platform changes, and emotions that go up and down daily.
We all need to re-route along the way in our digital marketing agency journey. And it’s much easier to re-route if you have a clear destination.
Key #3 Think Deeply Once, Set The Route, Then Do
The third key to simplifying digital marketing agency growth is to think deeply once, set the route, then do. One of the things I love most about coaching digital marketing agency owners is that most are quick learners and fast action-takers. They don’t wait for the perfect moment; they take action immediately. They subscribe to the “ready, fire, aim” approach.
This approach is helpful when learning Facebook Ads or Search Engine Optimization (SEO), but it can be detrimental to strategically growing a digital marketing agency.
If you avoid thinking deeply first (aka, getting clear on the destination and setting the route), it can lead to chasing shiny objects, fall starts, and unnecessary pivots. All three limit growth and waste a ton of time.
It’s much more efficient and effective to think deeply once, set the route, and then do.