If you ask any business that has been using a marketing agency for their traditional or digital marketing efforts just how many companies they have used, you may get a surprising answer. The average length of a client agency relationship is now only a little more than three years, and that is a consistent decline in tenure over the last 20 years. Look deeper into the why and you will find answers like increased competition, cost of agency fees, desire for a new perspective and staff turnover as some of the top reasons why businesses decide to make the switch. But the truth of the matter is that relationship lies at the heart of a long-standing partnership and without a solid relationship built on communication, trust and collaboration, most businesses will continue to hop from agency to agency wanting success and gratification without understanding the time and work necessary to prove effectiveness and move the needle.
Overcoming Communication Barriers
At the heart of any good relationship lies communication and this is significant for the client agency relationship. Communicating around the expectations from the very beginning will help to get everyone aligned and on the same page and make sure each party knows what their role is within the relationship to avoid misalignment The strategy and vision need to be very clear for both parties.
Frequent communication is essential for marketing success. There are a number of ways that communication can be executed, whether that be through tools and platforms that allow both parties to provide feedback on work, weekly meetings, a shared drive or even client satisfaction surveys. Making sure that there is a clear process in place from the start allows for each party to deliver what is expected.
Essentially, the marketing agency must also remember that they are working for the greater good of the client. Over-communication grows trust with a client that there is no ball being dropped and that the agency hired is on top of the work they promised to deliver. In addition, frequent updates on performance solidifies the effort and makes the client feel comfortable with their agency. Constantly providing results and metrics as well as soliciting feedback can help to refine strategies and meet client expectations in a timely and efficient manner.
Building Trust With Clients for Long-Term Success
Warren Buffet said “trust is like the air we breathe – when its present, nobody really notices; when it’s absent, everybody notices”. This is especially true in a business partnership. Once trust is lost, it damages the relationship and makes the client feel as though their best interests are not being protected.
Trust is difficult when it comes to agency work. Many clients have been “burned” by agencies that say they will do something and then do not deliver, miss deadlines, do not share transparent data or just don’t show any real progress or performance on the expected goals or deliverables.
On the flip side, if the client has little trust and has constant questioning or push back to the work, it makes it difficult for the agency to do the job that they were hired to do. If a client approves a strategy then as long as the agency is a good communicator and keeping the client updated, better outcomes will be delivered when agencies can execute creative freedom and implement the strategy as they see fit.
The client agency relationship is key for trust. If your agency has been consistently over-communicative on the work they are providing and the results that they are delivering, and they meet the deadlines agreed upon by both parties, it is much easier for the client to allow the agency more freedom in their scope of work. That reliability that the agency demonstrates is the foundation of trust and is essential for a long-term partnership.
Collaboration Drives Creativity and Results
Communication and trust go hand in hand, but if one party is less engaged in the relationship than the other, it can cause issues and lead to the dissolution of the relationship.
Misalignment of Goals
Without the client being an active and engaged party, the marketing agency may not have enough of the vision to truly understand the goals, especially if those goals change as the business evolves. And if the agency lacks prioritization of the campaign, the expected results will not be delivered. So collaboration ensures that both parties are working toward a common goal.
Lack of Clarity or Direction
Feedback is critical to marketing campaign success and client/agency feedback is a must for proper alignment. Without client feedback the agency will assume that their work is on par and acceptable, and without agency feedback the client may not know where the campaign stands or if it is successful.
Delayed Decision-Making
A lack of collaboration really impacts the timeline of a project and can cause delayed results. If approval is needed and is not provided or takes longer than desired, missed opportunities are the result of that delay in decision making.
Suboptimal Performance
If one party is not engaged enough to monitor and optimize marketing efforts, necessary adjustments may be missed such as refining the message, addressing a dip in performance or tweaking ad spend.
Increased Costs
A disengaged client may cause the agency to work overtime in regard to communication and efforts which could add cost to the campaigns. Additionally, if the agency is disengaged then they could either overspend on budget or underspend based on lack of awareness, both impacting the client’s ROI.
Missed Opportunities
There may be times when marketing efforts may need to adjust or pivot based on trends. Lack of collaboration may make it difficult to get approval or connection on necessary changes to drive results and a greater impact.
Overall, a lack of collaboration leads to miscommunications that can result in impact to the bottom line. Frustration then causes a break in trust and once trust erodes it is challenging to maintain the client agency relationship.
Contact HardPart Media for a Long-Term Successful Partnership
Look at your relationship with your current marketing agency. We know it can be difficult to find an agency that is trustworthy and honest. If you don’t trust your agency, feel that they are high level communicators and truly embrace your partnership, it may be time for a change.
We truly believe we are an extension of your team and that your success is our success. Contact HardPart Media today to learn about our organization and see first-hand why we are different when it comes to your marketing solutions.