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Why Businesses Leave Their Digital Marketing Agencies
Why Businesses Leave Their Digital Marketing Agencies: The Crucial Role of Trust
I’ve been giving this topic a LOT of thought lately, and as a Fractional CMO, I thought I’d take a minute to share my perspective in the hopes that it inspires more business owners, CEOs, and COO's to invest in having an experienced CMO on their side. Over the past 25 years I have managed almost every aspect of marketing one can think of for a variety of businesses throughout numerous different industries. From global aluminum wheel manufacturers, wholesaler distributors, and national retailers, to law firms, SaaS companies, and providers of almost every type of home service you can think of, I have seen just about everything. And over the course of my career, there is one thing I see time and time again that absolutely infuriates me- vendors focusing more on the revenue their clients bring to their bottom line than providing a service of value to those clients.
More specifically, I’m talking about providers of digital marketing services. Why am I focusing squarely on this? Whether you realize it or not, today’s world lives online. Whether we’re straining our necks and ruining our backs from interacting with a desktop computer all day or we have our faces buried in our phones, there’s no escaping that success (or failure) for almost every business is tied to how strong their online presence is. So when it comes to building a strong digital foundation that includes a solid website and at the very least, the ability to show up in search results as a potential customer searches for their products and services, the relationship between businesses and their digital agencies is crucial.
Simply put, digital marketing agencies are expected to drive new leads and elevate brand presence. Amazingly, the single most important factor influencing the longevity of these partnerships (trust) is often overlooked. It’s this erosion of trust, often caused and exacerbated by treating clients as mere numbers, that leads businesses to part ways with their digital marketing agencies.
Understanding Trust in Business Relationships
Regardless of whether your connection to someone is personal or business-related, trust is the foundation of any successful relationship. In the context of digital marketing, it goes beyond mere financial transactions. Trust involves confidence in the agency's ability to deliver on promises, transparency in communication, and a genuine understanding of the client's goals and challenges. When businesses entrust agencies with their marketing needs, they expect a partnership characterized by reliability, respect, and a genuine value of time.
The Impact of Lack of Trust
A lack of trust can manifest in various ways, from missed deadlines and unfulfilled promises to poor communication and vague reporting. I’ve seen it a million times and it almost always starts with something like “I just don’t feel like the current strategy is working…”. When clients sense that their agency is not fully invested in their success, they begin to question the value of the partnership. For instance, a client might notice a decline in the quality of work or feel that their specific needs are being overlooked in favor of a one-size-fits-all approach. Or maybe the agency took on a new client that is a direct competitor of yours without any concern for how increasing their revenue might hurt your business. This growing mistrust can WILL eventually lead businesses to seek an alternate solution that they believe will offer a more personalized and attentive service.
Client Experience and Treatment
One of the primary reasons clients feel disillusioned with their current agency is the perception of being treated like a number rather than an individual. This occurs in several ways:
Lack of Personalized Communication: Automation can be a fantastic tool when used to enhance the client or customer experience. At the same time, agencies that rely on automated emails and generic updates can make clients feel like they're just another account in the system. This is especially true when a client’s ‘Account Manager’ only reaches out once per month or quarter because they’re responsible for also managing 150+ other accounts. Personalized communication, on the other hand, demonstrates a genuine interest in the client's unique needs and challenges.
One-Size-Fits-All Solutions: When agencies apply the same strategies to every client without considering their specific context, it can lead to suboptimal results and frustration. Custom solutions that address individual business goals are crucial for building trust.
Inadequate Responsiveness: Slow or insufficient responses to client inquiries and concerns can exacerbate feelings of neglect. Clients need to feel that their issues are being addressed promptly and thoughtfully. If your agency tells you that it will be 5-7 business days before a requested change or update can be completed, it’s time to reevaluate whether they are the right agency for your business.
Refusal to Give Clients Ownership of Their Data: Setting up the requisite analytics accounts is a necessary part of building a solid online footprint, and many agencies create accounts and properties for their clients within a “master” account owned by the agency. While this is convenient for the agency, it robs the business owner of their ability to own their own data. Worse yet is when an agency refuses to transfer an analytics account to a business owner because they think it will force a client into staying with them vs risk losing their historical data. Nothing says “I don’t respect you as a person or a business” more than refusing to grant a business (or business owner) ownership of their own data.
These are simply a handful of the more common factors that contribute to a sense of being undervalued, which all do nothing more than erode trust and ultimately lead to the end of the agency-client relationship.
Building and Maintaining Trust
To avoid these issues, agencies SHOULD prioritize building and maintaining trust. A few examples of actions that foster a strong, trust-based relationship with clients are:
Personalized Service: Agencies should take the time to understand each client’s unique needs and goals. Tailoring strategies and communications to reflect this understanding can help clients feel valued and heard.
Establish Real Relationships: People don’t interact with “businesses”, they interact with other people. This is an easy one- when clients enjoy working with and genuinely trust specific people at an agency, they are much less likely to think about leaving.
Transparency and Accountability: Regular, transparent reporting and open communication about both successes and challenges build trust. Clients appreciate honesty about what is working and what needs improvement.
Proactive Engagement: Instead of waiting for clients to reach out with issues, agencies should pay attention to their clients and proactively address potential concerns and offer solutions. Regular check-ins and meaningful updates can help keep the relationship strong.
How a Stealth CMO Can Maximize Your Digital Marketing Agency's Value
If you’ve made it this far, you know that ensuring your agency is delivering optimal results requires more than just choosing the right partner. Getting the right support from any digital marketing agency often requires having an experienced guide- someone who can bridge the gap between your business goals and your agency's execution. This is where a Stealth CMO comes in.
The Role of a Stealth CMO
A Stealth Fractional CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is an experienced professional who operates behind the scenes as a member of YOUR team to ensure that your digital marketing efforts are strategically aligned with your business objectives. With most of us (at Stealth Consulting) having a decade or more of experience in building one of the largest and most successful digital marketing agencies in Michigan, a Stealth CMO brings unparalleled insight and expertise to the table. More specifically, I’ve itemized the most important ways a Stealth CMO can enhance your relationship with your digital marketing agency to drive better outcomes:
Strategic Oversight and Alignment
Expert Guidance: Drawing from extensive experience, a Stealth CMO provides strategic oversight, ensuring that your digital marketing initiatives align with your broader business goals. This helps in setting clear, achievable objectives and avoids the pitfalls of generic, one-size-fits-all approaches.
Custom Strategy Development: We work to tailor marketing strategies that are specific to your business needs, ensuring that every campaign and tactic is designed to drive meaningful results.
Enhanced Communication and Coordination
Bridging the Gap: With our industry background, a Stealth CMO acts as a liaison between your internal team and your digital marketing agency, facilitating effective communication. We ensure that your expectations and objectives are clearly conveyed and understood.
Regular Updates and Feedback: We maintain a continuous feedback loop with your agency, providing insights and recommendations that help in refining strategies and improving campaign performance.
Accountability and Performance Monitoring
Objective Assessment: As a Stealth CMO, we leverage our expertise to objectively assess the performance of your digital marketing efforts. We scrutinize reports, analyze results, and identify areas for improvement, ensuring your agency remains accountable for delivering on promises.
Performance Metrics: We establish relevant performance metrics and KPIs to track progress and evaluate the success of various marketing initiatives.
Optimizing Agency Relations
Negotiation and Contract Management: A Stealth CMO often takes the lead in negotiating contracts and managing relationships with your digital marketing agency. Our experience helps secure favorable terms that ensure you receive the best overall value for your investment.
Problem Resolution: In cases where issues arise, a Stealth CMO is there to effectively mediate and resolve conflicts, ensuring that your agency stays focused on delivering high-quality results.
Leveraging Industry Expertise
Insights and Trends: With a background in managing a successful digital marketing agency, a Stealth CMO brings valuable industry insights and knowledge of the latest trends. This expertise helps in staying ahead of the curve and implementing innovative strategies that drive growth.
Best Practices: We apply proven best practices and methodologies to ALL of your marketing efforts, enhancing the effectiveness of your campaigns and maximizing ROI.
The Experience to Know When It’s Time to Switch Agencies
Recognizing Signs of Agency Underperformance: With our background in running a successful digital marketing agency, a Stealth CMO is adept at identifying signs that an agency may not be meeting its performance benchmarks. Whether it’s a decline in campaign effectiveness, persistent communication issues, or a lack of strategic innovation, a Stealth CMO can pinpoint these issues early.
Evaluating Alternatives: Should it become clear that a change is needed, a Stealth CMO can assist in evaluating alternative agencies. Our industry knowledge allows us to assess potential new partners with a critical eye, ensuring that the next agency choice aligns with your strategic goals and can offer the value you seek.
Facilitating a Smooth Transition: If a switch is necessary, a Stealth CMO can manage the transition process, minimizing disruption and ensuring continuity in your marketing efforts. We handle the logistics of moving from one agency to another, including transferring data and ongoing projects, and help to set up new partnerships for immediate success.
Learning from Experience: Every Stealth CMO leverages their experience to understand why an agency relationship may not have worked out and applies those lessons to future partnerships. This experience helps in avoiding past mistakes and ensures that your new agency relationship starts on a solid foundation.
Trust and Expertise: How a Stealth CMO Transforms Your Digital Marketing Partnership
At the end of the day, trust is the cornerstone of any successful agency-client relationship. Without it, even the most sophisticated strategies and cutting-edge technologies can fall short of their potential. A Stealth CMO plays a pivotal role in bridging the trust gap, offering not only strategic oversight and enhanced communication but also the experience to know when a change is necessary. By ensuring that your digital marketing agency delivers personalized, accountable, and high-quality service, we help you maximize the value of your investment.
Through our expertise, we transform the agency-client relationship from a transactional interaction into a strategic partnership, driving growth and ensuring that your marketing efforts align seamlessly with your business goals. With a Stealth CMO, you can navigate the complexities of digital marketing with confidence, knowing that your agency is working in your best interest and delivering results that propel your business forward.
