Drew McLellan’s Post

Hey agency owners -- are you wondering how AMI can help your agency? Join us live to learn more about how we come alongside agencies just like yours. Friday, April 19th at 1 pm mountain. https://lnkd.in/gvpWTB3g

Online communities are quickly becoming one of the most powerful biz dev tools out there, but there’s etiquette to starting and maintaining one. It’s not for everyone, but for those who are ready, an online community could be your ticket to selling without ever having to actually sell. This week, we’re continuing the conversation about online communities vs. online audiences, and the vast benefits they can offer to agency owners. Now that we’ve established the differences between an audience and a community, it’s time to ask ourselves deeper questions about why and how we should start one. The main purpose of starting an online community shouldn’t be selling or profiting from its members. But if you’re in it to genuinely help others and create an avenue for collective thought leadership and connection, increased sales are just part of the benefits. If you think starting an online community could be the right move for your agency, tune in to this week’s episode of Build a Better Agency. https://bit.ly/4cW63zq [Sponsored by White Label IQ: https://bit.ly/3abMMrU]

Hey small to midsized agency oners! We're down to 75 tickets left for the BABA Summit. Do you have yours? I believe this will be the best yet and as you can see in this video, that's saying something! And remember -- with any AMI event, if you don't think you got your money's worth -- we'll give it back. No questions asked. https://lnkd.in/gCK-2_Pt

Everybody has a story they’re trying to tell, and brands play a massive role in people’s stories, whether they realize it or not. Most of the time, the stories consumers associate with a brand aren’t what we think they are. This is where behavioral economics becomes vital to creating an effective marketing strategy. Behavioral economics is a study that attempts to make sense of people’s behavior around spending. We don’t always make spending decisions in our best interest and often base purchasing decisions on our emotions. In fact, people usually connect and interact with brands the same way they connect with people. This leaves brands with a lot of pressure on their backs. If you ignore your loyal customers’ needs and wants, they will feel deeply betrayed. But if you listen to their stories and get to the core of what they’re looking for, you’ll build a trust that feels like a close friendship. The psychology behind consumer behavior is complicated but fascinating. Join us this week to discover how brands can use behavioral economics to build an effective marketing strategy that fosters deep trust from your customers. https://bit.ly/4cQ0Zwo [Sponsored by White Label IQ: https://bit.ly/3abMMrU]

In-person networking is still a big deal. After a brief Covid hiatus, trade shows, conferences, and workshops are back and bigger than ever. So, if you or your team plan on attending any of these events soon, it’s important to get up to date on the do’s and don’ts of networking at these events. Instead of being stuck with a stack of business cards and struggling to recall conversations with specific individuals from an event, seasoned keynote speaker Dave Delaney shares how to manage and nurture your client and prospect interactions effectively. Not sure how to strike up a conversation with a prospect or keynote speaker? Or what about when you get home from the event and still want to close a potential sale without sounding too spammy? Dave shares insights on approaching these topics and more during this episode. https://bit.ly/3TXA62h [Sponsored by White Label IQ: https://bit.ly/3abMMrU]

TODAY at 10 am mountain Don’t miss our next How Agencies Are Leveraging AI webinar — this Tuesday, April 2nd at noon Eastern. Rice University professor Kathleen Perley is going to talk about how agencies can/should/are using AI internally. We will cover pivotal areas such as: • Identifying AI Opportunities: Learning how to uncover impactful applications of AI within your agency's ecosystem. • AI Tools for Enhanced Processes: Discovering the latest advancements in AI technologies to automate and refine your agency's operations. • Strategizing AI Integration: Understanding the methodology behind weaving AI into your existing processes for heightened efficiency and innovation. • Innovating Onboarding with AI: Exploring state-of-the-art approaches to employing AI for a seamless integration of clients and employees. • Cultivating Engagement Through AI: Delving into the use of AI not just for operational efficiency, but also as a means to foster a vibrant and development-focused agency culture. Join us here: https://lnkd.in/gzdcBSWJ

Agency owners and leaders — don’t miss our next How Agencies Are Leveraging AI webinar — this Tuesday, April 2nd at noon Eastern. Rice University professor Kathleen Perley is going to talk about how agencies can/should/are using AI internally. We will cover pivotal areas such as: • Identifying AI Opportunities: Learning how to uncover impactful applications of AI within your agency's ecosystem. • AI Tools for Enhanced Processes: Discovering the latest advancements in AI technologies to automate and refine your agency's operations. • Strategizing AI Integration: Understanding the methodology behind weaving AI into your existing processes for heightened efficiency and innovation. • Innovating Onboarding with AI: Exploring state-of-the-art approaches to employing AI for seamless integration of clients and employees. • Cultivating Engagement Through AI: Delving into the use of AI not just for operational efficiency, but also as a means to foster a vibrant and development-focused agency culture. The zoom link is here: https://lnkd.in/gzdcBSWJ

After a tough sales year in 2023, many of you have been looking for the next thing to consistently fill your sales pipeline with new prospects. With sales cycles taking longer than before, it’s essential always to have warm prospects teed up and ready to go. But how? The answer is in thought leadership combined with lead gen and lead magnets. Positioning yourself and your agency as an authority in your niche (and giving some of it away for free) generates trust in your agency’s expertise before they’ve officially met you. When done right, lead gen can be mostly automated. And having great lead magnets like a podcast or YouTube channel, or offering a free mini-service to prospects to get them interested in your services will build trust and establish your agency as a thought leader in your niche. This week, Jay Feldman shares his tips and tricks for how his agencies used automated lead gen and lead magnets to still be profitable in a challenging sales year. This episode is packed with actionable insights that you’ll want to take notes on, so make sure you have a pen and paper ready to go, and check out the links in the show notes for all of the programs and tools he mentions during the interview. https://bit.ly/492EctW [Sponsored by White Label IQ: https://bit.ly/3abMMrU]

Thrilled to share insights from my appearance on Craig Cody's podcast, "Growing Your Existing Clients for Sustained Growth." We explored the essence of agency resilience in 2023, highlighting strategies for client retention and growth based on the Agency Edge Research study. An essential listen for those in the advertising industry seeking to refine their approach to business success. #PodcastGuest #AgencySuccess #BusinessGrowthStrategies

We’ve all been here before — your agency grows, and your day-to-day is getting a little too chaotic for comfort. Each team member has their own way of doing things, and no one is on the same page about the best approach to doing recurring tasks. As the agency owner, you’re getting pulled into things that you shouldn’t, becoming the organization's bottleneck. If that’s you, it’s time to break that cycle with some project management software. With a million choices and a few that have become the industry standard, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly which is right for your agency. Often, agencies will pick one based on how popular or how pretty it is, and forget about its functionality specific to your agency’s day-to-day needs. This week, Alane Boyd is clearing the fog around project management software to help us decide if we need one — and if so, what tools and functionality we should be looking out for that will get our productivity back on track. Don’t be afraid to take the time to really learn what tools are right for your team, and be generous with how long it takes for the new systems and processes to become sticky. Once you find one that works, your agency productivity will be back and better than ever. https://bit.ly/3vibt6O [Sponsored by White Label IQ: https://bit.ly/3abMMrU]