Google has announced the next testing phase of new features for Google Workspace users.
Having commenced alpha testing, Google expanded the availability of eSignature to provide a more seamless signing experience for individual Google Workspace subscribers.
Google also invited additional Google Workspace users to apply for early access to eSignature in Google Docs and Drive and “Email Layouts v2” for Gmail.
Google Expands eSignature Availability
Positive feedback and constructive insights have prompted Google to expand eSignature, which should roll out to individual Google Workspace subscribers over the next two weeks.
eSignature is designed to assist small business owners and individuals who often struggle with managing contracts, customer agreements, and other legally binding documents.
Integrating with Google Docs and Google Drive will allow users to request and add signatures to official contracts directly within the platform.
Screenshot from Google, August 2023
It streamlines processes for requesting signatures, viewing the status of pending requests, and finding completed contracts.
For the recipient, signing a document within an official Google Drive eliminates the need to switch apps or tabs. A more straightforward process could decrease the time it takes to complete a contract.
Early Access Application For eSignature & Customizable “Email Layouts v2” In Gmail
Select Google Workspace business, education, enterprise, and non-profit customers can apply for early access to eSignature.
Also mentioned on the application is a test product for “Email Layouts v2” in Gmail that allows users to “…create, edit and customize email layouts in Gmail.”
Both features could improve contract management for Workspace users, from sending a contract by email with a customized layout to acquiring the signature from a client within Gmail.
Screenshot from Google, August 2023
Upcoming Plans For Workspace Test Products
Google has plans to enhance eSignature capabilities later in the year with features including a contract audit trail, the ability to request multiple signatures, support for signatures from non-Gmail users, and eSignature on PDF files stored in Drive.
For Workspace users with contracts and agreements, the new eSignature capabilities in Google Docs and Drive, plus customizable email layouts, could significantly simplify the process of acquiring signatures.
This post was sponsored by SE Ranking. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.
If you’re hoping to win over new clients in 2023, the key is to demonstrate your expertise and value, right out of the gate.
Pitching a comprehensive SEO audit of your prospective client’s website is a great way to get your best foot in the door.
Don’t worry about potentially wasted time if a client closes a deal.
With the right tools in place, creating a proactive, comprehensive SEO audit won’t add much more time to your team’s plate.
In fact, it can be done in just six steps. Let’s start with the basics first.
What Is A Comprehensive Website Audit?
A comprehensive website audit goes beyond surface-level analysis; it delves into various components that contribute to the website’s success.
These audits can provide an in-depth understanding of the website’s current state and offer valuable insights for future optimization.
By conducting a thorough analysis of your client’s website, you can proactively:
Uncover untapped potential that will enhance their website’s SEO performance.
Showcase your commitment to thorough analysis and improvement.
Persuade potential clients to choose your agency for their business needs.
However, conducting a comprehensive SEO audit can be a resource-consuming process for agencies. This is why some agencies opt for sending quick automatic website audit results instead of investing in holistic analyses.
How Can I Speed Up The SEO Auditing Process?
By implementing a well-defined workflow and utilizing appropriate tools, your SEO audit process can be streamlined, simplifying the lives of your teammates and increasing your chances of winning over prospective clients.
In this article, we’ll delve into why holistic SEO audits matter and then provide a step-by-step guide to ensure you are fully prepared.
Now, get ready to win over clients during your initial pitch. All it really takes to achieve this is a solid understanding of the significance of these audits.
Step 1: Gather Sources & Prepare For The SEO Audit
To prepare for an SEO audit, it’s essential to gather relevant information.
Tools that make this step faster:
Google Search Console and Google Analytics (though, your potential client probably won’t be able to grant you access at this point).
For example, in the case of an ecommerce client, understanding their audience’s purchasing behaviors and preferences can inform optimization strategies for product pages and conversion funnels.
By conducting thorough research, engaging in discussions with the client, and aligning objectives, you can piece together an effective SEO audit that uncovers the client’s specific challenges and paves the way for tangible results.
Step 2: Perform Competitive Research & Analyze Strategies
Thorough competitive research is a vital part of any SEO audit process.
Gain valuable insights about your potential client’s competitive landscape by evaluating the client’s primary competitors:
Visibility.
Traffic sources.
Keywords.
Backlink profiles.
This analysis gives you a better understanding of your client’s strengths and weaknesses.
It’s also great for uncovering successful keyword strategies, which are the key to developing a comprehensive strategy that sets your client apart in the market.
How To Speed Up Competitive Research
Dedicated SEO tools, such as SE Ranking’s Competitive Analysis tool, can streamline this process by providing comprehensive data and insights.
It offers information on:
It also helps in identifying the client’s closest competitors in organic search based on the keywords they rank for.
Image created by SE Ranking, July 2023
Competitive research equips you with actionable insights to position your client for success, leading to better rankings, increased organic traffic, and higher conversions.
Evaluating various technical aspects, such as the page experience, broken links and redirects, sitemap and robots.txt files, noindex and canonical tags, and overall website structure.
Analyzing the website’s Core Web Vitals to uncover potential issues that could impact user experience and search engine rankings.
Communicating the significance of each detected issue to your client, highlighting its impact on website performance and visibility in search results.
If your client targets an international audience, address localization issues as well, including incorrect language settings or regional targeting. Ensuring a consistent experience across different locations is key.
How To Speed Up Technical Website Audits
You can streamline the technical audit process by using website audit tools, which provide comprehensive insights into these technical elements and help uncover areas for improvement.
Image created by SE Ranking, July 2023
By presenting the findings from the technical audit, you can effectively demonstrate how your expertise can yield tangible results and contribute to the client’s overall success.
Step 4: Analyze Keyword Rankings
The next step in auditing your client’s SEO performance is analyzing keywords.
Start by analyzing the client’s current keyword positions and their dynamics over time.
Identify keywords that are approaching the top 10 positions and can serve as foundations for further optimization.
Next, perform keyword research to identify new target keywords that align with the client’s goals and industry trends.
Compare the client’s keyword rankings with those of their competitors. Detect keyword overlap and gaps to pinpoint areas where the client excels and areas that require improvement.
Image created by SE Ranking, July 2023
This approach helps you craft an effective strategy that bridges the gaps and outranks competitors in relevant keyword searches.
Consider different ways to achieve this, such as optimizing existing content, creating new targeted content, or refining on-page optimization techniques.
Step 5. Evaluate The Backlink Profile
Begin this stage with a thorough backlink profile analysis.
Examine the number and quality of backlinks, referring domains, commonly used anchor texts, and the ratio between dofollow and nofollow links.
Image created by SE Ranking, July 2023
Evaluate the quality and relevance of the backlinks by considering factors such as domain trust, anchor texts, and the diversity of linking domains.
Next, compare the client’s backlink profile with those of their competitors to identify any gaps and potential opportunities.
This analysis enables you to develop a targeted strategy for acquiring high-quality backlinks that will enhance the client’s website authority and visibility in search engine results. This could involve outreach campaigns, guest blogging, partnerships, or content promotion.
Step 6. Gather Results & Prepare For The Pitch
After you’ve gathered the data, conducted a comprehensive website audit, and completed competitive research, it’s time to assemble the results and prepare for the client pitch.
Start by creating an executive summary of the audit findings, highlighting the website’s strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. This summary should provide a concise overview of the key takeaways from the audit.
Next, pinpoint actionable recommendations and optimization strategies based on audit findings. These recommendations should address specific areas for improvement, including technical enhancements and SEO practices.
Identify the low-hanging fruit, which refers to SEO tasks that have been overlooked or left untouched for quite some time. These tasks are often straightforward but can lead to a remarkable boost in organic traffic when done the right way.
Design a customized report and presentation that visually presents the data and effectively conveys your ideas and suggestions.
How To Speed Up SEO Client Pitch Creation
Utilize SEO reporting tools to create impactful reports, enhancing the client’s comprehension and engagement with the information.
Image created by SE Ranking, July 2023
Tailor the audit findings to the client’s specific needs and goals, aligning the recommendations with their requirements.
During the pitch, present the audit findings and key in on any actionable recommendations. Also, illustrate the potential impact and ROI of implementing these proposed improvements.
Emphasize how the recommended changes can enhance their website’s performance, user experience, search engine visibility, and ultimately drive business growth.
By showcasing the value and potential outcomes, you increase the likelihood of gaining the client’s trust and securing their partnership.
Now, It’s Your Time To Shine
Conducting a thorough SEO audit serves as a powerful tool for agencies to impress potential clients and secure new business opportunities.
By capitalizing on this valuable asset, agencies can demonstrate their expertise and win client pitches with flying colors.
Embrace the potential of website audits as a means to drive business growth and establish long-lasting partnerships with clients.
Image Credits
Featured Image: Image by SE Ranking. Used with permission.
This post was sponsored by Accelo. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.
Fear is a prevalent collective emotion these days. And it’s no wonder: The mainstream media feeds us alarmist content daily.
In business, you might feel a similar kind of dread when you compare your agency offerings to bigger, lower-cost agencies or powerful technology.
Many of the things that worry you also worry your clients; some issues are a big enough deal to make them end their contracts with your agency.
The SEO industry has already gone through plenty of changes in 2023.
You’ve faced a growing demand for data-driven strategies and consulting-like services and increased competition due to the move to virtual agency culture. So, the thought of higher client churn might be even scarier than it was in the past.
Now is not the time to put your head in the sand.
Instead, the best solution is to understand exactly why your clients don’t feel it’s worth working with your business anymore.
Why Do Agency Clients Leave?
The primary reason people are ending their relationships with agencies is because they’re concerned about spending money on a service that appears replaceable.
In other words, they aren’t convinced of the value your business offers over the alternative, which is accessible, SEO-focused tech.
Platforms that help to improve SEO are readily available, and your clients may think they can solve their problems in-house.
Instead of working with you, they may assume they can rely on a combination of Moz, Semrush, Similarweb, Ahrefs, Google Analytics, and other popular tools to generate the data and suggestions your team provides.
External economic pressures make these low- or no-cost options even more appealing.
Add in the intriguing capabilities of the growing field of AI, and you have a lot to prove.
Use the following five strategies to mitigate client churn despite these challenging trends.
1. Fight The Tide With Honesty
Remember – there’s an opportunity that lies beneath the discouraging news.
Consider what happened in 2020, when businesses had to act quickly and decisively in response to the pandemic or be left behind. Those that rose to the occasion with true compassion, supporting their customers’ emotional and physical health, won over their troubled base.
The result? Longer, deeper relationships and greater lifetime value.
The data reflects this truth: Salesforce’s 2020 State of the Connected Customer report revealed 90% of customers agree that how a company acts in a crisis shows how trustworthy it is.
If your clients are showing signs of being a churn risk, you must step up and clearly communicate the risks of leaving – and the benefits of staying. Consider bringing up the following with these at-risk clients.
Let your clients know that by using a disjointed SEO tech stack instead of our agency, they’ll risk:
Compromising your business’s privacy and data security.
Falling behind on SEO trends and watching your organic traffic suffer.
Making costly decisions based on bad data analysis.
Misinterpreting reports from multiple sources.
Spending more than you have to on gathering data — and it may not be valuable.
Access to niche expertise that they can’t afford to have in-house.
Accurate, thoughtful data analysis that platforms alone can’t provide.
Customized campaign monitoring that can save them money.
Revenue, thanks to the new customers that wouldn’t find your business otherwise.
The human creativity factor that can help them overcome unique challenges.
Again, clients leave agencies if they’re not satisfied with the value they can see. Addressing the proverbial elephant in the room can do wonders for their confidence.
2. Show Up With Data
Long before your clients appear ready to bolt, you should use hard data to demonstrate why they should stay.
Your clients desire – and deserve – regular and transparent reporting that clearly outlines the progress, achievements, and impact of your efforts. They need visibility into their ROI if you want them to be sources of recurring work.
A basic monthly summary won’t cut it.
Whether it’s a small jump in organic traffic, better rankings for target keywords, or increased conversions, highlight the most meaningful results.
Which numbers speak directly to the outcomes the client told you they wanted to achieve?
Try:
Including a written interpretation of each notable result.
Investing time in talking them through the data that stands out.
Showing up with solutions if things aren’t looking good.
Pro Tip: Use a client portal to offer on-demand access to status updates and reports.
Image created by Accelo, May 2023
3. Offer Acknowledgment
Along with clear value, clients want attention.
They’ll stick with the people who make them feel seen and appreciated. If you’ve been under similar pressure as your clients, chances are you’ve not prioritized building customer loyalty.
Sometimes, perks and discounts do the trick; other times, it’s more frequent check-ins. And not every client is the same.
A custom thank-you in the form of an additional service or report could be more necessary for a high-value client.
If your clients feel like you’re performing some sort of secret work behind closed doors, they’ll be less likely to believe you’re doing something they can’t do themselves.
Not only do you need to be transparent about how much and what kind of work you’re performing, but it can help to educate them about SEO and the various facets that apply to their businesses.
You might host a series of webinars, create an informative email campaign or offer an exclusive opportunity to ask questions of an industry expert. Offer these with an air of confident authority and generosity.
Pro Tip: Make renewals feel like less of a decision point. Use Accelo’s unique Retainers product to automate retainer billing and clearly show the value you provide in each billing cycle.
Image created by Accelo, May 2023
Fit Check!
Have you thought about whether you’re serving the people who are most well-matched to your services?
Churn rate is often higher if you’re fighting to hold on to bad-fit clients.
Even though your team has the skill to improve anyone’s organic traffic, you shouldn’t necessarily work with just anyone.
5. Demonstrate Your Worth With Less Effort
Slow the exodus from your agency with internal tech usage that supports your value-add. Your clients may be tempted to take matters into their own hands by piecing together a haphazard mix of tech, but they’re likely to be confused about which platforms are worth it.
This is an opportunity to reassure them that you’ll take that burden off their plates.
Your team will handle the decision of how to use tech in the ways that help them most.
An automated, end-to-end client work management platform allows you to offer the advantages of smart tech by proxy.
Every moment your team can save on mundane tasks is another moment they can apply to valuable client interactions that increase the perceived value of your business.
Pro Tip: The visibility offered by Accelo, especially the Activity Stream, makes you quick and accurate in all client communications.
Image created by Accelo, May 2023
Don’t let your clients feel overwhelmed by how to replicate your services. Take responsibility for the value you provide, and get unmatched, efficient support with Accelo.
Janya Anderson, Chief Improvement Officer at Pure SEO, says, “Accelo has changed what is possible for our business today and in the future.”
See why Janya and other SEO agency leaders love the platform: Start a free trial or sign up for a demo to learn how Accelo can contribute to decreased client churn and increased profits.
Your clients trust you to create real results and hit KPIs that drive their businesses forward.
Understanding the intricacies of how that works can be difficult, so it’s essential to demonstrate your progress and efforts.
SEO reporting software showcases important metrics in a digestible and visually represented way. They save guesswork and manual referencing, highlighting achievements over a specified time.
A great tool can also help you formulate action items, gauge the performance of campaigns, and see real results that can help you create new and innovative evaluations.
The latest and allegedly greatest tools hit the market all the time, promising to transform how you conduct reports.
Certainly, you have to weigh a few factors when deciding which software to implement. Price, features, and ease of use are the most important to consider.
A cost-effective tool with a steep learning curve might not be worth it for the features. Similarly, an expensive tool might be more appealing if it is user-friendly but could quickly run up costs.
Just like any transformational business decision, you’ll have to weigh the pros and cons carefully to determine the right one for you.
Key Takeaways
Cost, accessibility, and features are the common thread of comparison for SEO reporting tools.
To truly get the best use out of an SEO reporting tool for your agency, you’ll need to weigh several details, including scalability, customization, integrations, and access to support.
What might be considered a subpar tool could be a game-changer for an agency. Due diligence and research are the keys to knowing what will work for your team.
What To Look For In SEO Reporting Tools
It can be tough to make heads or tails of the available tools and choose which will benefit your agency the most.
Here are the 10 essential requirements of SEO reporting tools.
1. Accurate And Current Regional Data
SEO reporting is all about data. The software must have access to accurate and current data localized to your client’s targeted region.
Search data from the U.S. is meaningless if your client tries to rank for [London plumbing services], so localization matters.
The tool must update data regularly and with reliable accuracy so you can make informed decisions about where your client stands against the competition.
2. Integration With Third-Party Tools
Especially for full-scale digital marketing campaigns, the ability to report on all KPIs in one place is essential.
The more available integrations with third-party tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Google Business Profile, Majestic), the better.
Some tools even allow you to upload custom data sets.
3. Scalability
You don’t want to have to retrain or reinvest in new software every time your agency reaches a new tier.
The right SEO reporting tool should work well for your current business size and leave room for expansion as you onboard more clients.
4. Strong Suite Of Features
A great SEO reporting tool should include:
Position tracking.
Backlink monitoring.
Competitor data.
Analytics.
It is a bonus if the tool has reporting features for social media, email marketing, call tracking, and/or paid ads to make it a full-suite digital marketing software.
5. Continually Improving And Updating Features
SEO is constantly evolving, and so should SEO reporting tools.
As we continue the transition from website optimization to web presence optimization, a tool’s ability to integrate new features is essential.
6. Ability To Customize Reports
Each client will have different KPIs, objectives, and priorities.
Presenting the information that clients want to see is paramount to successful campaigns and retention.
Your reporting software of choice should be able to emphasize the correct data at the right times.
7. Client Integration
A good SEO reporting tool must have the client in mind.
It should have a simple bird’s eye overview of the basics but also be easy for clients to dig into the data at a deeper level.
This can mean automated summary reports or 24/7 client access to the dashboard.
8. Ability To White Label Reports
While white labeling is not essential (no client will sniff at receiving a report with a Google logo in the top corner), it helps keep branding consistent and gives a professional sheen to everything you send a client’s way.
9. Access To Support Resources
Quality support resources can help you find a detour when you encounter a roadblock.
Whether it’s detailed support documentation, a chat feature/support desk, or responsive customer support on social media, finding the help you need to solve the issue is important.
10. Cost-To-Value Ratio
With a proper process, time investment, and leveraging support resources, it is possible to get better results from a free reporting tool than one that breaks the bank.
This can mean automated summary reports or 24/7 client access to the dashboard.
Top 5 SEO Reporting Tools
In evaluating five of the most popular SEO reporting tools, based on the above criteria, here is how they stack up:
1. AgencyAnalytics
My Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Image credit: AgencyAnalytics, December 2022
AgencyAnalytics is a quality introductory/intermediate reporting tool for agencies.
Among the tools on this list, it is one of the easiest to use for small to mid-sized agencies.
It starts at $12 per month, per client, with unlimited staff and client logins, a white-label dashboard, and automated branded reports. The minimum purchase requirements mean the first two tiers work out to $60 per month and $180 per month, respectively. But your ability to change the payment based on the number of clients could help keep costs lean.
AgencyAnalytics comes with 70+ supported third-party data integrations.
However, this reliance on third-party data means you may have incomplete reports when there is an interruption in the transmission.
Though new integrations are always being added, they can be glitchy at first, making them unreliable to share with clients until stabilized.
With the ability for clients to log in and view daily data updates, it provides real-time transparency.
Automated reports can be customized, and the drag-and-drop customized dashboard makes it easy to emphasize priority KPIs.
2. SE Ranking
My Overall Rating: 4.5/5
SE Ranking has plans starting at $39.20 per month, although the $87.20 per month plan is necessary if you need historical data or more than 10 projects.
Setup is a breeze, as the on-screen tutorial guides you through the process.
SE Ranking features a strong collection of SEO-related tools, including current and historical position tracking, competitor SEO research, keyword suggestion, a backlink explorer, and more.
SE Ranking is hooked up with Zapier, which allows users to integrate thousands of apps and provide a high level of automation between apps like Klipfolio, Salesforce, HubSpot, and Google Apps.
SE Ranking is an effective SEO reporting tool at a beginner to intermediate level.
However, you may want to look in a different direction if your agency requires more technical implementations or advanced customization.
3. Semrush
My Overall Rating: 4.4/5
Semrush is one of the most SEO-focused reporting tools on the list, which is reflected in its features.
Starting at $229.95 per month for the agency package, it’s one of the more expensive tools on the list. But Semrush provides a full suite of tools that can be learned at an intermediate level.
A major downside of Semrush, especially for cost-conscious agencies, is that an account comes with only one user login.
Having to purchase individual licenses for each SEO analyst or account manager adds up quickly, and the users you can add are limited by the plan features. This makes scalability an issue.
Semrush has both branded and white-label reports, depending on your subscription level. It uses a proprietary data stream, tracking more than 800 million keywords.
The ever-expanding “projects” feature covers everything from position tracking to backlink monitoring and social media analysis.
Though it doesn’t fall specifically under the scope of SEO reporting, Semrush’s innovation makes it a one-stop shop for many agencies.
Project features include Ad Builder, which helps craft compelling ad text for Google Ads, and Social Media Poster, which allows agencies to schedule client social posts.
Combining such diverse features under the Semrush umbrella offsets its relatively high cost, especially if you can cancel other redundant software.
4. Looker Studio
My Overall Rating: 3.6/5
Screenshot from Looker Studio, December 2022
Formerly known as Google Data Studio, Looker Studio is a Google service that has grown considerably since its initial launch.
Though it is much more technical and requires more time investment to set up than most other tools on this list, it should be intuitive for staff familiar with Google Analytics.
If you’re on the fence, Looker Studio is completely free.
A major upside to this software is superior integration with other Google properties like Analytics, Search Console, Ads, and YouTube.
Like other reporting tools, it also allows third-party data integration, but the ability to query data from databases, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Google’s Cloud SQL, sets it apart.
You can customize reports with important KPIs with proper setup, pulling from lead and customer information. For eCommerce clients, you can even integrate sales data.
Though the initial setup will be much more technical, the ability to import templates saves time and effort.
You can also create your own templates that better reflect your processes and can be shared across clients. Google also has introductory video walk-throughs to help you get started.
5. Authority Labs
My Overall Rating: 3.2/5
Image credit: Authority Labs, December 2022
Authority Labs does the job if you’re looking for a straightforward position-tracking tool.
Authority Labs is $49 per month for unlimited users, though you will need to upgrade to the $99 per month plan for white-label reporting.
You can track regional ranking data, get insights into “(not provided)” keywords, track competitor keywords, and schedule automated reporting.
However, lacking other essential features like backlink monitoring or analytic data means you will have to supplement this tool to provide a full SEO reporting picture for clients.
Conclusion
There are many quality SEO reporting tools on the market. What makes them valuable depends on their ability to work for your clients’ needs.
SE Ranking has a fantastic cost-to-value ratio, while Looker Studio has advanced reporting capabilities if you can withstand a higher barrier to entry.
Agency Analytics prioritizes client access, which is a big deal if transparency is a core value for your agency.
Authority Labs keeps it lean and clean, while Semrush always adds innovative features.
These five are simply a snapshot of what is available. There are new and emerging tools that might have some features more appealing to your current clients or fill gaps that other software creates despite being a great solution.
Ultimately, you need to consider what matters most to your agency. Is it:
Feature depth?
Scalability?
Cost-to-value ratio?
Once you weigh the factors that matter most for your agency, you can find the right SEO reporting tool. In the meantime, don’t shy away from testing out a few for a trial period.
If you don’t want to sign up for a full month’s usage, you can also explore walkthrough videos and reviews from current users. The most informed decision requires an understanding of the intricate details.
Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal
With so many new changes in the digital landscape, it’s essential to keep up with the latest trends and stay equipped with the latest tools for maximum efficiency.
Give your agency a competitive advantage next year by putting more emphasis on the technology your team uses.
For a complete breakdown of how digital marketing agencies are prioritizing for next year, read the full report.
2. Get Continued Agency Growth In 2023 By Refreshing Your Digital Marketing Service Offerings
According to CallRail’s survey, 98% of agencies agree that new offerings will be essential to growth next year. The report outlines the current state of agency offerings, as well as new services they plan to offer in 2023.
The most common services provided by today’s agencies include:
Full-Service Digital.
Branding Services.
Sales Training.
Creative Services.
Email Marketing.
Website Design And Development.
This is a major shift from 2021, in which agencies put the most emphasis on social media marketing.
There was also a significant focus on marketing automation last year, compared to 2022.
“While 90% of agencies said they are happy with their position in the market, that isn’t stopping them from adding new offerings. To help spur greater growth, 91% of agencies have added services in the past 12 months – most of them digital.”
The top new agency service offerings include:
Website Design And Development.
Paid Social.
Full-Service Digital.
SEM/Paid Search Advertising.
Creative Services.
If you’re looking to take your agency to the next level in 2023, now’s the time to start thinking about how you can expand your offerings and satisfy even more of your clients’ needs.
Want to learn more about how agencies are improving their service offerings next year? Download the full report for more detailed statistics and data.
3. Try These 5 Keys For Successful Client Acquisition & Customer Retention
According to CallRail’s report, 95% of agencies say that they met their growth goals for the year.
However, most agencies are only holding steady as it concerns client acquisition and retention – not getting ahead.
In 2022, agencies reported a 44% client retention rate on average, which is a decline from 2021’s rate of 53%.
Furthermore, 79% of agency marketers said that they think client acquisition will be more challenging in 2023 than it was this year, with 81% predicting the same for client retention.
So, how can marketers overcome these challenges for a fruitful 2023?
The report shows that agency-client relationships will be key for successful retention next year.
When it comes to retaining clients, agencies used numerous methods over the past year. The top methods used during the economic downturn were:
Increased communication/transparency with existing clients.
Added new service offerings.
Increased touchpoints with clients.
Increased reporting efforts.
Added flexible payment options.
If your goal is to increase your client retention rate moving forward, it’s crucial that your agency prioritizes client experience. The better your clients feel about working with you, the more likely they are to stick around.
Regarding client acquisition, the top sources where marketing agencies are finding clients are social media and tech partnerships, followed by conferences/industry events, referrals, and directories.
For more comprehensive data on how agencies are finding and keeping clients, get your copy of the report.
4. Report & Measure Marketing ROI To Prove Your Worth
Despite the many factors impacting marketing agencies over the past few years, such as pandemic conditions, economic stressors, and shifting technology trends, most agencies reported a strong 2022 and look to 2023 with optimism.
“However, to maintain this optimism and meet the goals they’ve set for themselves, agencies will need to keep up with new marketing trends and evolving channels while tackling challenges like client acquisition and retention, continued economic uncertainty, and proving ROI to their clients.”
Part of ensuring client satisfaction for higher retention is demonstrating your agency’s value and effectiveness – measuring the return on investment (ROI) for your marketing efforts is one of the best ways to do this.
Keeping track of success metrics and measuring campaign results are essential to maintaining transparency with your clients.
How else could you show your clients the extent of your agency’s impact?
Even when you’ve delivered the desired results, if you don’t provide the data to back it up, your clients may reconsider the value your agency generates.
According to CallRail, 80% of marketing agencies agree that reporting is essential to their client services, and 85% believe proving ROI to clients will be the key to growth in 2023.
The data also shows that 51% of agencies say they plan to adopt new tools and technologies to help prove campaign ROI next year.
Although 78% of marketers claim they’re satisfied with their agency’s tech stack, many agency professionals still see room for improvement and reasons to invest.
Technology clearly plays a central role in today’s agency marketing.
Not only is it essential to agency survival, but marketers also value technology to help support decision-making.
Not to mention, clients are more drawn to agencies that offer a comprehensive martech stack and competitive marketing analytics tools.
82% of agencies said they adopted new marketing tech in 2022 to track campaign ROI, as well as other metrics.
ROI isn’t the only important metric. Marketing analytics are also key to determining the success of a trend or tactic, according to 79% of agency marketers.
Download the full report to learn more about the benefits of reporting and measuring ROI for your clients.
5. Agency Predictions: What To Focus On Next Year
“Since much of their reputation is tied to keeping up with marketing trends, agencies put a lot of effort into learning about them.”
It’s important to track and learn from the latest trends to help plan your 2023 marketing strategy.
CallRail’s report shows that some of the most common ways agencies stay on top of trends include joining marketing associations, keeping up with competitor offerings, and attending industry events.
Many agencies also reported listening to marketing podcasts, reading industry blogs/newsletters/articles, and taking online courses to keep up with trends.
While some trends are considered fads by agency marketers, like AI, zero-click searches, localized SEO, and automation, there are certain trends that agencies think will be long-lasting, such as:
Metaverse Marketing.
Personalization.
Customer Communities.
Voice Search.
Visual Search.
Gamification.
Short-Form Video Content.
OTT (Over-The-Top/Streaming) Advertising.
According to the report, agencies are also planning to implement new marketing strategies in 2023, including:
Visual Search.
Customer Communities.
Metaverse Marketing.
Personalization.
Short-Form Video Content.
Having an awareness of what other agencies will be focusing on helps you stay competitive within the industry. Check out CallRail’s complete guide for an exclusive peek at what your peers are planning for next year.
Start Refining Your 2023 Strategy With These Marketing Insights
CallRail’s report has all the industry insights you need to inform your 2023 strategy. Find out what digital marketing agencies have in store for the coming year and get on the right track for success.
“As agencies predict big changes for marketing in the future, they’re also taking steps to adapt by investing in tools, technology, and marketing analytics.
If your agency is looking ahead, consider a platform like CallRail that will unify marketing efforts to make it easier to help your clients and show your agency’s value.”
Want to learn more about the direction in which agencies are headed next year? Download the ebook and get started making your business goals a reality.
Mr. Schulman made that statement last year; however, it is no novel concept.
Nearly 20 years prior, Anne Mulcahy, former CEO of Xerox, said (from LifeCare® Inc.’s Life Event Management Conference, 2003),
“Employees are a company’s greatest asset – they’re your competitive advantage.”
Strong teams result in strong businesses, so knowing how to acquire and retain great talent is paramount to a company’s survival and prosperity.
The tips below will help you foster a culture that will transform your employees into your company’s greatest asset.
1. Staff Proper Talent
Making sure you have the right players on your team is the foundation of a strong workforce. The following philosophical concepts about staffing will help arm you with the right people.
You Are What You Hire
Ten years ago, my wife and I declared the grocery budget off limits for budget cuts because few things impact a family’s health more than what they eat.
Just like food is not a great place to save money in a family, staffing is not a great place to save money in an organization. Within reason, prohibit cost from impacting your hiring decisions.
Think of payroll like an investor. Higher salaries will result in more significant gains in productivity and retention.
Hire people because they are great at what they do and will complement your culture, not because the price is right.
Correct Bad Hiring Decisions Quickly
Allowing the wrong people to remain on staff is unfair to all the right people, as they inevitably find themselves compensating for the inadequacies of the wrong people.
From Jim Collins’s book, Good to Great (2001):
It is also unfair to that wrong person for every minute you allow him to continue when you know he will not make it in the end; you’re stealing a portion of his life, time that he could spend finding a better place to flourish.
Making a poor hiring choice is inevitable. The key is to rectify the situation promptly.
You will have the essential ingredients for a strong workforce if you have the right people on your team.
2. Avoid Subordinate Language
Making sure your great talent never has a reason to leave begins with how you view them.
If you utilize a ranking system, confirm that hierarchy is limited to how you organize your team vs. treat them.
How you speak about and address your coworkers will influence how you think about and treat them.
People who work at oxbird are my employees; however, that is not how I refer to our team. I have staff who work with me who I refer to as colleagues, not employees.
“Boss” is not a part of my vernacular either.
To be clear, I am not referring strictly to workplace vernacular. I am referring to a philosophy that influences how you think of and refer to your staff in any context, e.g., staff meetings, a friend’s birthday party, etc.
Production should be driven by individuals motivated to perform for their team, not imposed by organizational structure.
The more authoritative you are, the less influence you’ll have, whereas the more influence you have, the less authoritative you need to be.
I can’t stress this point enough in an age of dispersed teams.
My favorite time of the business year is our company summit. Zoom calls are great, but the most advanced video technology can hold no candle to being in the presence of teammates.
Just writing about our times together excites me as I recall greeting colleagues in person for the first time in a while. I often meet new employees in person for the first time as well.
Priceless camaraderie isn’t the only significant benefit to these times together.
A business summit can be a legitimate perk for staff if you choose an impressive estate and some fine dining. Our team lives like royalty for a couple of days, enjoying accommodations some might otherwise never experience.
Meeting in person at least once a year can cement relationships and spoil your team.
4. Offer Compelling Benefits
Businesses must get creative to offer compelling perks, especially when not providing health-related benefits, which is the leading benefits category.
Enter unlimited PTO. Imagine the freedom of capless time off. Ponder the level of trust between employee and employer required to pull this off effectively.
Consider how good it feels to say, “as much as I want,” when asked, “how much vacation time do you get?”
Is there a better fit for your organization than unlimited PTO? Do you already offer some form of health care?
My aim isn’t to advocate for a particular benefit; instead, the main takeaway is to ensure your team enjoys some juicy perks, which may require creativity.
5. Increase Pay Proactively
Insofar as it is possible with you, never lose a great employee to a company willing to pay them more.
Why does the military offer lucrative bonuses to soldiers who remain enlisted? Because it is a lot more expensive to recruit and train new employees than to increase the pay of existing staff.
More importantly, proactive raises are a powerful way to communicate that you prize your staff. While there are many other ways to communicate value, none are more convincing than this.
At one point, our white-label PPC (pay-per-click) agency proactively raised salaries annually; however, we now do so semi-annually.
Semi-annual, proactive pay increases help teammates avoid long periods of questioning their value.
To insure against an entitlement culture, be careful not to formalize pay increases into policies. Ideally, these increases are organic (vs. formal) and correspond to performance highlights and gratitude.
Pay increases are where it’s at if you want to “boost morale, incentivize employees, and ensure that staff feels rewarded and appreciated.”
6. Implement Feedback
Notice I did not say solicit feedback. Solicited feedback is impotent without implementation. Not all feedback can be implemented, but some can and should be.
Few disciplines communicate care better than listening, and few practices demonstrate listening better than implementation.
Don’t forget to celebrate implementation moments to ensure your team connects the dots between input and change.
Implementing feedback declares, “We are listening!”
7. Care
Everything up to this point could easily be placed under the idea of care. Below are additional, practical ways to be thoughtful toward your teammates.
Make sure staff is taking time off.
Call people when there is a family emergency.
Explicitly provide the benefit of the doubt during performance concerns.
Provide dismissed employees with an opportunity to resign vs. termination.
Recognize important days like work anniversaries and birthdays.
Take time to highlight exemplary conduct.
Provide bonus pay during heavy workloads.
Prioritize unhostile work environments over revenue by firing unpleasant clients.
If your teammates are well-provisioned and know that you care about them, why would they leave?
Conclusion
If you are looking for a path to bolster your competitive advantage, look no further than your workforce.
Both business leaders mentioned above (Dan Schulman and Anne Mulcahy) have more in common than their view of employees as competitive advantage: They both spearheaded historic turnarounds and profitability for their organizations.
Xerox went from near-bankruptcy to a renowned American tech giant, and PayPal transformed from a Silicon Valley dinosaur to one of the world’s leading tech companies.
Strengthen your workforce by consistently reinforcing the value of your team members, and you will strengthen your brand.
Client relationship building is a large part of your long-term business growth.
Your partnerships reflect your brand and your services, which is why you need to do your part in respecting your clients.
If your customers do not return the favor, you have the authority to take action.
This article explains why you should end a client relationship, how to amend it, and how to terminate the partnership.
8 Reasons Why It Might Be Time To End A Client Relationship
An essential part of the business is your ability to read clients, their motivations, and how they treat people respectfully.
Below are several situations you should reevaluate your relationship with the client and initiate a change.
1. The Client Requires More Time Than They Are Worth
You are an expert in your industry, so you understand how much your time is worth. If the time spent with the client is wasted and unproductive, it might be time to move on.
There is also an opportunity cost involved in working with a bad client. Investing extra time into a client that drains your energy will degrade your quality in other parts of the business.
Each client is critical and should be valued. However, you have a solid idea of how much each client is worth.
Here are some examples of how a lousy client might waste your time:
Showing up unprepared for meetings.
Unwillingness to commit to a plan, delaying the workflow process.
Shooting down all your ideas.
Taking a long time to reply to emails, questions, or deliverables.
2. The Client Continuously Shoots Down Your Recommendations
The client hired you for a reason: to guide them to success. Although the client knows their business, they signed a contract with you to provide actionable insights for their organization.
You invest your time to help the client reach goals. However, the client could delay the process by continuously rejecting your ideas, recommendations, and deliverables.
Yes, disagreement is common between a client and a company. However, there should be a mutual agreement that both parties will work it out and align on the overarching goal.
Sometimes the client may not see this and let other factors get in the way.
3. There Is Little Respect Between You And The Client
Respect is the foundation of any business relationship. When there is trust between the client and the company, you can create innovative ideas and achieve great things.
However, the relationship can sour when respect breaks with one of the parties. No respect means no trust, and no trust means it will be challenging to attain your goals.
If the client does not respect you, they will not trust your work. Therefore, it could be the right time to move on.
Always show respect, but you should reevaluate the relationship if the client does not return the favor.
4. There Is Minimal Communication Between You And The Client
When you and the client begin your relationship, you should agree on a primary communication channel. Will you communicate with the client best via phone, text, email, or online messaging?
You should also set parameters on an acceptable timeframe to respond to a message. Emergencies might arise, but both parties should agree on a good time window.
If either party cannot follow through with their commitment to communication, there should be a check-in discussion. If things still do not improve, it is time for both parties to go their separate ways.
5. The Relationship Is Not Progressing
A solid business relationship will continue to strengthen as both parties learn more about each other. If there is a culture or value fit, the relationship should blossom. Trust should build between the parties, and better ideas should flow.
If you engage with the client for several months and do not see an improvement in communication, it might be time to move in a different direction.
As the relationship endures, try to identify the best communication channels for you and the client.
Determine how and when they communicate the best and tailor your messages toward that channel. If you still do not see better workflows, you should speak with the client.
6. The Client Has A Pessimistic Attitude
You become what you think about. If the client constantly projects a negative vibe toward your working relationship, it will be challenging to achieve your goals. Your client relationships reflect your brand.
Yes, it is standard to become stressed, but these pressures should never impact your relationships negatively.
You can do your part to spread positivity. However, if the client shoots down your words of encouragement, it can demoralize your work. You may not feel motivated to produce your best quality work for the client.
7. You Are Losing Money On The Client
Although you run a “relationship business,” it comes to dollars and cents. If the time spent with the client does not produce profitable results, it might be time to go your separate ways.
Whether it is wasted time or minimal profit results, evaluate why you are losing money.
Approach the client about ways to improve the relationship and achieve these goals. If you continue to see no results, it is time to terminate the relationship.
8. The Client Is Verbally Abusive Or Makes Demands You Cannot Meet
If a client is verbally abusive, calls you names, or degrades you in any way, it’s time to let them go. It would be best if you did this sooner rather than later to avoid setting a precedent. There is no reason for you to tolerate abuse in any form.
Similarly, if a client makes unreasonable demands that you cannot meet or gaslights you for being unable to accommodate them, it’s time to move on.
There are some people you will never be able to make happy, and the sooner you end that relationship, the better off everyone will be.
How To Amend The Relationship
Now that we listed red flags to look for in bad clients, here are some strategies to fix, improve, or amend a relationship.
Evaluate Your Perspective
You might step back, take a deep breath, and realize that it is not all the client’s fault. When your stress is high while running a business, it can impact your view of your actions and emotions.
Self-reflection never hurts, so take a minute to reflect on your relationship with the client.
Assess if there is anything you can do on your end. Then, map out a conversation you can have with the client to amend the situation.
Explore Other Communication Methods
If things are not working out with the client, a different communication channel or style might make a difference.
Would it be beneficial to establish a weekly or bi-weekly check-in meeting? Should you communicate via text instead of email?
Exploring other ways to engage with the client might make your information transfer clearer and more efficient.
Start A Fresh Agreement
If your contract with the client is ending and they are considering renewing, you could consider drawing up a new agreement. Start fresh and set new boundaries with the client to establish an efficient working relationship.
Maybe a different game plan could unlock new opportunities and ideas within the scope of your relationship.
How To End The Relationship With The Client
If you have tried to fix the relationship and nothing works, here is how to professionally terminate the relationship with the client.
Step 1: Evaluate The Contract
Before you terminate the relationship with the client, check to ensure you can legally fire them.
However, it is better to discontinue a relationship at the end of a contract instead of cutting ties in the middle of it.
Step 2: Wrap Up The Current Projects You Owe The Client
Another way to show professionalism is to round out all your pending projects with the client.
Confirm which deliverables the client still needs and which ones they want you to finish. Continue to work efficiently with the client on completing these projects.
Do not let your ending relationship impact the quality of your work. Although your relationship is ending, you do not want the client to talk badly about your business to others.
Step 3: Plan Out Your Conversation
When you approach the client, spell out why the relationship ends. Cite the verbiage in the contract that governs your decision, and proceed professionally.
Here are some other tips when planning out the conversation:
Write out your talking points.
Practice the conversation.
Visualize the conversation.
Be tactful, but direct with the client.
Have a clear and thoughtful reason for ending the relationship.
Step 4: Tell The Client
There are a couple of ways to break the news to the client. You can email them professionally and spell out the reasons for the termination.
Or you could set up a meeting with the client to tell them over the phone. Either way, stick with your plan and show the client the respect they deserve.
Step 5: Do Not Leave The Client Hanging
It is bad business to leave the client in the dark after terminating the relationship.
Outline a clear exit or transition plan, identify the pending projects to complete, and carry out your commitment.
Final Wrap Up
Because you operate a business, you call the shots. This decision-making applies to the clients you work with. If one of the parties does not hold up their end of the deal, it is time to evaluate other options.
Always show the client respect and fulfill your end of the deal. You should also seek to understand the client before communicating with them. Apply these principles when dealing with a problematic client and continue producing meaningful work.
Framework 1: Gain Control By Supporting Centralization & Consistency Across Every Brand/Market Mix
You need to have control over all levels:
Brand level: Plan to highlight all common opportunities across markets to inform central brand strategies and prioritization.
Market level: Aim to show specific category performance and understand where to maximize performance by minimizing cannibalization between audiences.
Full central view across brand/market combinations: Coordinate to show macro-level insights that will aid in driving overall client direction and support decision-making on budgeting and prioritization.
These levels need to reflect in reporting, as they are critical to developing any global SEO operational framework.
“In our setup phase, we’ve created monthly dashboards automated with performance data from Google Search Console and SEOmonitor, which get delivered to central clients and local markets as emails with insights. SEOmonitor facilitates free, unlimited API access integration as well as Data Studio connectors for all the critical data of your SEO campaigns. As 80% of our report’s outputs are Data Studio based, this integration was crucial from the start.
These reports include keyword checks across defenses and conquests, highlighting key changes in performance and where additional optimization or review should be considered or actioned.”
Image by SEOmonitor, November 2022
“You should also think about leveraging automation to scale highly labor-intensive work more effectively.
For keyword segmentation and clustering, we’ve made full use of SEOmonitor’s smart grouping functionality, which allows you to automatically organize keyword lists based on a variety of metric combinations and filters. These smart groups constantly refresh and update based on those filters, so you’re always up to date with targeted changes and insights.”
Framework 2: Maintain SEO Campaign Flexibility So You Cater To Local Market Nuances Where Audiences Behave Differently
It’s true that a standardized approach to SEO helps you act on common issues and opportunities while scaling the bulk of your technical SEO work.
But there is no denying that some markets will show a very different picture from others in terms of current visibility, site content, and brand awareness.
You need to leverage those differences through local search data and intent signals integrated into your content workflow and overall SEO strategy.
“This allows us to centralize SEO actions at scale whilst we tailor outputs to local nuances, market conditions, and available opportunities,” Raluca explains.
With this approach, you get to have a deeper understanding of the opportunity available in all markets in relation to the demand and the competition. Thus, you’ll be able to prioritize markets and focus work at a regional level to ensure that these markets receive the right amount of support while designing the overall strategy toward cumulative growth.
“Delivering an SEO program across so many brands and markets within one client means working with huge sets of search data which need to be managed in the most effective way. That means saving time and ensuring we follow a standardized approach to our work.
SEOmonitor’s keyword grouping system is both flexible and easy to use when setting up campaigns across multi-market clients. Also, with the multilocation feature, the tool allows tracking keywords for different locations within the same client campaign.”
It’s important to have the right technical infrastructure to support that level of complexity.
Image by SEOmonitor, November 2022
Framework 3: Better Integrate Media Efforts To Adopt A Unified Approach To Global Search
“In the current context where consumers don’t see a distinction between paid and organic search, we are looking to evolve SEO and PPC across all media channels, extending the experience to support ongoing activities and campaigns and drive additional leads and sales,” Raluca highlights.
A One Search, unified framework allows you to assess:
Which terms you don’t need to bid on because you rank well organically.
The savings and incremental reach opportunity from paid search.
The ability to re-invest historically ‘wasted’ PPC budget on longer tail keywords for incremental volume, powered by Search Ads 360.
Here’s what Raluca and her team did to make the most of the one-search framework:
“Our initial One Search tests relied on pausing PPC spend across keywords with a consistent position 1 visibility and minimal/no PPC competition.
The results have been phenomenal: we have been able to drive 2x improvement in CTR with a minimal increase in CPC. This unified search approach allows us to then further maximize results with better efficiency in terms of resources. Plus, we can become more competitive within the SEO and paid search space leading to an increase in visits and conversions across all sites and demonstrating the value of an integrated approach to search when both channels are managed by the same agency.”
Framework 4: Grow & Benchmark All Target Markets Toward A Common Objective By Developing Search Maturity Roadmaps
Search maturity roadmaps across markets allow you to evaluate:
How performance differs from one target market to another.
The current maturity level of each market when it comes to critical aspects of SEO performance such as content, technical, reporting, paid integration, and automation.
That’s where a reliable visibility metric helps you create a realistic benchmark and assess the online “real estate” across markets:
“SEOmonitor’s visibility metric helped us set up a robust measurement framework in place, which has informed the maturity roadmaps. The visibility metric is particularly useful in understanding the client’s website’s current organic visibility across all brands and markets so you can benchmark it against set objectives and KPIs across both mobile and desktop. This, in turn, enables us to develop a deep understanding of the opportunity available in each market. With this in-depth analysis, we can prioritize markets and focus on a regional level with the right amount of effort and resources.”
Image by SEOmonitor, November 2022
Easily Implement These 4 Global SEO Frameworks With SEOmonitor
When you manage SEO for multi-brand, multi-market clients, it’s critical to design effective frameworks that leverage both your strategic insights and the tech infrastructure at hand:
You need full visibility at both the market level and across markets (macro level).
You need to have an in-depth understanding of each market, each audience, and how SEO efforts look overall.
You must leverage SEO tools and automation, plus create the most impact while being resource-efficient.
You need to have standardized benchmarks, processes, and practices across the board while keeping differences in check.
As Tudose and her team at Performics have shown, you must design clear objectives and working frameworks from the start, while being flexible enough to account for variations.
There are many things that can go wrong, from cannibalization issues to contrary user patterns, so you must be in control at all times.
We’ve designed SEOmonitor so you can manage SEO campaigns at scale while having fresh data at your disposal — with daily ranks for mobile and desktop as standard. We believe it’s important to have the right level of data granularity so you can make decisions faster.
Plus, with SEOmonitor you own all your campaign data. That’s why you get unlimited access to API, exports, and integrations with Google Sheets and Data Studio.
We know it’s just as important to keep track of all changes, especially with large datasets, and that clients want compelling monthly reports with specific tracked KPIs.
Join us and hundreds of digital marketing agencies in our quest to create more transparency and accountability in the SEO industry. And scale efficiently.
In the United States, search interest in the “Super Bowl” spikes every January, so Americans can be forgiven for mistakenly thinking that it represents the biggest sporting event for “football fans.”
But, worldwide, “football fans” are what Americans might call “soccer fans,” and search interest in the “World Cup” is seven to eight times greater than the “Super Bowl.”
Normally, search interest in the “World Cup” peaks in June every four years.
But, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar kicks off on November 20, 2022, and will be played until December 18.
This unusual shift from its normal slot is captured in the YouTube video, “2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup: Jon Hamm as Santa Claus gets his holiday cut short | FOX SOCCER.”
So, with the biggest global sporting event just around the corner, digital marketers in the U.S. may need to juggle their holiday plans to take advantage of the biggest marketing opportunity for global brands.
And the demographic that many marketers are struggling to reach continues to be Gen Z.
According to a recent survey conducted by Emory University, only 23% of Gen Z claim to be passionate sports fans.
Brands like Coca-Cola, Adidas, and U.S. Soccer are all ramping up their promotional efforts targeted toward the youthful audience.
So, as the World Cup inches nearer, how should other global brands use digital marketing to engage Gen Z during the holiday shopping season this year?
To answer this question, I interviewed Kevin Kim, the CEO and co-founder of Stadium Live Studios, and an expert in gaming and sports marketing strategy. He’s worked closely on products geared toward the way Gen Z consumes media.
And Stadium Live, a digital playground that has gamified sports fandom, recently received investments from NBA star Kevin Durant, French soccer player Blaise Matuidi, and Dapper Labs Ventures.
Below are my questions about advertising trends and brand strategies behind targeting Gen Z, and Kim’s answers, which provide real-world insights from conversations he’s having with his team around this exact topic.
Greg Jarboe: “Brands have been struggling to reach younger audiences – is sports marketing not the way to go anymore?”
Kevin Kim: “A big part of reaching younger audiences is making sure you’re on the platforms where they are hanging out. Traditional sports marketing focuses on showcasing brands on-screen during the game, but what we’re seeing is that younger audiences, Gen Z in particular, are spending less time actually watching the games and are instead moving towards consuming sports through short-form media like TikTok and Instagram.
That’s not to say that traditional sports marketing isn’t still a viable way of hitting Gen Z audiences, because many still do watch games. but unless your brand is visible on the platforms where sports clips and content is being shared, you’re not going to get the same amount of eyes on it, and your brand isn’t going to have the same awareness as others who are on those platforms.
Modern sports marketing is not just hitting Gen Z on screen, but also on social media and other sports platforms. Marketing as a whole is shifting towards social, but the experiences brands are crafting need to be authentic and relevant to Gen Z; otherwise, a lot of it is lost. Gen Z is really good at sniffing out the fake brands who are doing it for their image versus those who are genuinely looking to connect with their audiences.
At Stadium Live, we’re building the sports and culture platform where brands can engage with Gen Z sports fans in a truly authentic way by incorporating their brands into branded and gamified experiences within the product.
Brands that are pursuing sponsorships in sports need to look at where their audience is really spending their time and allocate resources there. Placing ads in sports matches on screen isn’t a full funnel anymore.”
GJ: “Why are Gen Z sports fans hungry for immersive experiences?”
KK: “Gen Z sports fans aren’t just sports fans anymore. They see the athletes they’re following showcase their interest in other aspects of culture like art, music, and fashion, and it impacts their own tastes. Athletes are more than just athletes now; they’re celebrities and tastemakers.
Immersive experiences for Gen Z pull on more than just one heartstring (sports). Truly immersive experiences pull on a core interest like sports, but pepper in other interests such as gaming, fashion, etc., to create a package that Gen Z feels like they belong in. People love seeing themselves represented in your product, and it forms the basis for a really strong emotional connection between brand and customer.
Stadium Live is doing a lot of that right now and we believe it’s one of the core reasons why Gen Z has clung to the platform as much as they have. I can be a sports fan but also love anime; those two concepts aren’t mutually exclusive.
We cater to a fanbase that has seen many brands within the sports realm treat them like being a sports fan means … all you care about is sports. One of our core pillars as a company is ‘Be Who You Want To Be,’ meaning that anyone who comes into the platform should be able to wear what they want and express their interests however they want while still having it wrapped under the umbrella of sports.
I can showcase my love for [a musical artist] or love for high-end fashion right on the platform and that helps many Gen Z fans feel like they belong. We see a lot of people in the platform actually creating micro-communities with their niche interests and that keeps them coming back. Finding your individual community in Stadium Live is a core part of our success and we see it as something we’re going to keep building on.
GJ: “FIFA’s video game has become a core part of soccer culture and a huge draw for Gen Z. How can the adoption of gaming by marketers help to increase return on investment (ROI) associated with their ads?”
KK: “A large part of Gen Z’s affinity for video games stems from a need for connection and community associated with their interests. Fans are looking for an omnichannel experience with brands. Video games like FIFA, NBA 2K, Madden, etc., build on the experiences that fans have in real life by educating them and making them deeper fans.
The more football, basketball, etc., players I know, and the more stats I know about the sport, the more likely I am to commit to watching a game or engaging with a brand. Fortnite, in particular, has been great at showcasing this with branded skins and experiences within the game.
We think that video games to Gen Z play as big of a role as traditional marketing does, because as mentioned above, authentic and real experiences drive engagement and brand loyalty. And for a digitally-native generation like Gen Z, there’s no better way to create an immersive experience than in a place they’re already familiar with.
Creating an immersive experience for your brand within a video game can create a lasting impression and connection that would normally take dozens of individual touchpoints beforehand. If we think about the amount of time spent by Gen Z weekly in video games (over 7 hours per week), it makes perfect sense for your brand to be where your audience hangs out.
If they’re spending time on social media and video games, then you need to be marketing within social media and creating immersive experiences for your brand within video games.”
GJ: “While some might think World Cup ads are crucial for big brands to partake in, it might actually not be worth it – why?”
KK: “Like I mentioned above, a large trend we’re seeing with younger audiences is that they aren’t spending as much time watching sports in front of a screen as previous generations; they’re instead spending a lot more time on things like TikTok, Instagram and Reddit to get their fix of sports.
A large part of today’s modern sports fan base actually rarely watches games. So what we’re seeing is that, unless your brand is visible or being talked about outside of the match itself, you’re limited substantially in your overall reach compared to a multi-pronged approach of hitting Gen Z across a bunch of touchpoints in the places they hang out.
A brand that’s not running ads during the World Cup can actually have more success than other brands if they are hitting the right messaging at the right place, and to the right audience. If you’re going after Gen Z, associating yourself with the World Cup by building immersive experiences and giving fans the platform to create their own communities in a controlled environment is a much better way of developing real connections.
Younger fans are so bombarded with ads every single day that they’ve become numb to it. Brands that make an attempt to connect with their audience and experience sports with them, will see a lot more success and better customers in the long run than those who buy 30-second ad spots during prime time.”
GJ: “How can brands build interest amongst Gen Z ahead of the 2026 World Cup that is set to take place in North America?”
KK: “Build authentic relationships with Gen Z. Bring them along for the ride and get them to help guide your next move. Give them the platform and space to form their own unique connection with your brand by bringing them curated experiences.
Tie your brand in with personalities they care about and that reflect your brand pillars. We use a term called Phygital (Physical + Digital) here at Stadium Live, [which] is a cornerstone of how we’re building relationships with Gen Z. It means creating digital experiences with physical utility. As a sports brand, you know that most of your Gen Z audience is on digital platforms but you need to reward them with something tangible to pull them in.
We recently did a partnership with the Fan Controlled Football League that was a great example of this. We digitized the FCF’s team jerseys and made them digital collectibles to wear on avatars in Stadium Live.
Fans could go into a livestream where we had athletes doing Q&A’s and interacting with our users. Fans were rocking their merch and showcasing their fandoms in a digital world, but were also able to physically interact with them in a unique way that brought them closer to the Fan Controlled Football League.
Brands that want to earn true brand equity among Gen Z leading up to the World Cup need to bring experiences to their fans with real value. Brands that show they value their customers through their actions over words, always win.”
Demand and competition for digital marketing talent are steadily on the rise.
If you’re looking to expand your SEO and content marketing teams in 2023, you must be prepared to offer what top candidates are looking for.
Job candidates are currently in the driver’s seat, and employers, like you, have to compete to win over skilled marketers who are likely to receive multiple offers.
So, how can you attract, hire, and retain the most sought-after talent in today’s candidate-driven market?
What adjustments can you make to your recruiting strategy to make sure that you’re offering the benefits that top SEO and content marketers value most?
In our next webinar, How To Hire Top SEO & Content Marketing Talent In 2023, we’ll cover the latest in:
Salary compensation benchmarks.
Hiring trends.
Work environments.
Retention strategies.
The job landscape is evolving, and if you’re seeking skilled SEO and content marketing talent, you’ll want to know how surging demand will impact your candidate search.
What Do Candidates Really Want?
Benefits such as remote work and better work-life balance are still in high demand for talent, while others are beginning to level off.
Research also shows that marketers are increasingly seeking companies with unlimited PTO and a pet-friendly office, as well as telemedicine or telehealth benefits.
In order to make your offer packages more attractive, it’s critical to understand the benefits that digital marketing talent values most.
And since the pandemic, many of the recruitment and retention strategies embraced by companies have changed.
Join this webinar and discover what has changed to help advance your 2023 hiring strategy.
What Makes Top Talent Stick Around?
There are certain aspects of corporate culture that appeal most to potential hires.
According to Conductor search data, the top item noted by digital marketers is inclusive work culture, followed closely by a healthy work-life balance.
Company culture is usually the deciding factor when it comes to retaining talented digital marketers.
Join this webinar and discover all the new search trends to help advance your 2023 hiring strategy.
In this session, Shannon Vize, Content Strategy Lead at Conductor, and Tara Fitzgerald, Total Rewards Manager at Conductor, discuss how you can set your digital marketing team up for success next year.
You’ll Learn:
The national salary benchmarks for key SEO and content marketing roles.
The benefits SEO pros and content marketers value most from potential employers.
The impact of the work environment (on-site, hybrid, remote) on hiring difficulty.
Ready to step up your hiring practices and attract the best talent for your digital and organic marketing team? Join us on November 2 at 2 p.m. ET to start developing your winning recruitment and retention strategy.
You’ll have the opportunity to ask about your unique situation, too, in a live Q&A session.
Can’t make the webinar live? Sign up anyway, and we’ll send you the on-demand version after the event.
Screenshot from Google, August 2023
Screenshot from Google, August 2023
