Prospecting in Your Junk Folder

CONTENTS:   

1. Prospecting in Your Junk Folder
2. Will Yours Be the Last Digital Agency?
3. They’ve Re-invented the Light Bulb
4. What Did You Call Your Firm When You Enrolled (It Matters)
5. New Business is For Active Profiles; Is Yours?
6. Invitation and Fee-Paid Go Hand-In-Hand
7. Watch for Our Shiny New Faces

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PROSPECTING IN YOUR JUNK FOLDER

I don’t know about your agency, but here at AgencyFinder we want to see each and every new business inquiry that comes our way. We’re on the lookout for prospective client (advertiser) registrations and inquiries (the pre-cursor of an agency search) and the registration of each and every agency looking for new clients. For that reason, we keep a sharp lookout for scams and viruses – exposure is the price we pay to be certain we miss nothing!

Some of our and even YOUR best new business opportunities may be found in your junk folder. Even with our open and generous protocols, from time to time we find something precious trapped in there that didn’t make it to our Inbox. So each and every day at end-of-day, we carefully navigate from top to bottom, looking for gold. If you aren’t already in the habit of doing that, I suggest you start.

WILL YOURS BE THE LAST DIGITAL AGENCY?

Almost every one of our recent agency registrant claims to be a “digital agency.” If they literally mean they do nothing but digital media, to the exclusion of print (newspaper, magazine, etc.), out-of-home, radio, television, direct mail and then some, then what’s the established ad agency, integrated marketing communications firm, sales promotion firm to call itself even when they too have extensive capabilities in “digital?” I recall the subtle shift from calling oneself a marketing communications firm to the shortened “mar com.” Earlier than that, we saw the evolution from ad agency to integrated marketing communications firm. So what’s in a name? Before a sea change to something new, will yours be the last “digital agency?”

 THEY’VE RE-INVENTED THE LIGHT BULB

We’re pleasantly polite when we say we were the first on-line and off-line Internet consulting service to match advertisers searching for a marketing or advertising agency with an advertising agency seeking new clients, or our shorter version, we “invented” the Internet agency/client match-making service. ADWEEK made note of that in their August 4^th, 1997 piece entitled “Online Agency Search Tool Launched.” Our run-up to launch took most of a year and I recall my concern that someone would beat us to the punch. Since then, I’m flattered that we’ve seen our share of copycat “lights” but I’m annoyed and you should be too by Johnny-come-lately launches making statements like “We researched the marketplace and found nothing that gave clients a tool to find candidate marketers. Hence our cute new baby!” Say what?

We’re working on an AI-version of AgencyFinder, but until we launch, and even then, unless an “agency search service” incorporates human involvement by those with agency business development or client CMO experience, algorithms alone don’t cut it!

Update: Monday January 8^th this appeared in the 4A’s SmartBrief: Commentary: The danger of tech giants’ algorithms – Wavemaker’s Dan Plant writes about his experience this Christmas of being an online consumer and how algorithms used by Amazon, Google and Facebook may deliver relevant product recommendations, but also completely erase any sense of brand identity or quality. “The algorithm is essentially commoditizing every single product out there, ensuring that the only differentiator becomes price. Once that happens to your category, it becomes a race to the bottom,” he writes.

WHAT DID YOU CALL YOUR FIRM WHEN YOU ENROLLED? (WORTH REPEATING)

When you enrolled, you had to decide how to classify your firm, and we gave you these choices:

* Advertising Agency (SIC 7311)

* Direct Marketing Firm (SIC 7331)

* Integrated Marketing Communications Firm (Not yet classified)

* Media Buying Firm (SIC 7319-9902)

* Digital and Interactive Media Firm (Not yet classified)

* Public Relations Firm (SIC 8743)

* Sales Promotion Firm (SIC 8743-9904)

* and Minority owned and operated

Over the years and related to my “”Last Digital” piece above, we’ve learned something we can share. Truth is, when a client enrolls and builds their profile, they seldom come with any predisposition as to “type.” They don’t tend to linger; just a quick swipe at ad agency or “integrated.” If you selected anything else, come back and change your Primary business to one of those, then be more precise with your Secondary choice. It WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE in your traffic volume. Note: During our human management of the process, we look in all the Classification buckets to be sure you won’t be overlooked.

To capture those in pursuit of all things digital, in the Services Offered section, check off both Digital production & Social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.),

NEW BUSINESS IS FOR ACTIVE PROFILES; IS YOURS?

Some agencies quit our registration process prematurely and don’t realize they did so. When you begin, you are walked through 2 or 3 pages. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. A complete profile lets you describe your firm using more than 500 data fields; then 7 short essays you write, same for case histories and confidential client list. When that’s finished, you click at Item #13 – Set Your Record Active. When you log back in you’re greeted with “Welcome Back “Agency Name.” If you didn’t get that far and you still need to finish, you’re greeted with just “Welcome to AgencyFinder.com.” We assume you enrolled to get new clients. Please finish things up so we can do that for you!

INVITATIONS AND FEE-PAID GO HAND- IN-HAND

AgencyFinder is an annual membership opportunity. Pay in advance and you’re fee-paid for 12-months.  That means all the client invitations you can handle for no additional charge. In a way it’s the e-Harmony or Match.com of the advertising industry, at least from the standpoint that our fees, like theirs, pay for “opportunity introductions.” Our affordable $500 Manager Plan entitles you to be found in a review, invited and introduced to a client, then hold your “due-diligence” phone interview. All that for just $500! (Contender Fees extra)

Or select the EVP Annual Business Plan @ $2,995 and save $2,505 over the Director Plan and you’re fee-paid for 12-months. Upgrade or Enroll Now.

WATCH FOR OUR SHINY NEW FACES

Later this week we’re introducing our new faces. Please be on the lookout!

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