Ramblings of an Agency Owner: What I'd Advise If You Needed Quick Growth
Spoiler - there’s no quick and easy answer.
People always seem to come for advice when they need clients yesterday - and unfortunately, marketing doesn’t really work like that.
Here’s what I’d suggest if you need more customers ASAP:
Don’t panic. Be strategic.
When people are under pressure, they lose sight of the bigger picture and try everything - social, blogging, email, ads… but a scattergun approach won’t get you further, faster. Step back. Ask yourself:
What’s the strategy?
Who’s your ideal customer?
Where do they hang out?
Where do you need to be?
Find the domino.
What’s the one big thing that will make the most difference right now? Say you’re an early-stage SaaS - is the game-changer a flood of small deals, or one big partnership agreement? Work that out and put all your energy there.
If closing a funding round is your domino, don’t waste time tinkering with minor bug fixes. I get it - your product is your baby - but no one’s going to give you cash because you tweaked the sign-up flow. You’d be better off refining your pitch deck and hammering your outreach.
Package and target.
Whether you sell a service or a tech solution, create an offer that’s clear, proven, and priced right. Sell that. It makes for a faster, easier sale. You skip the back-and-forth of “Do you want X or Y?” and the hours spent writing proposals. Just:
“You have this problem - here’s the package that fixes it.”
Even better, once you’ve sold it once, you’ve got proof. That helps you refine your product, tighten your audience, and move faster.
What You Can Do
There are loads of tactics you could try, but these are the most obvious and cost-effective:
Great if you already have a database or a clearly defined ICP and message.
Wouldn’t be my go-to if you don’t.
Relatively cheap to execute - use platforms like Instantly or Apollo to help you find your leads and send out emails.
I’ve talked about LinkedIn before and how much of a slog it can be - but if you’re B2B, it’s a goldmine. You can find your ideal customers and message them directly. Build your personal brand, update your profile, and stay front-of-mind.
Community
Everyone knows someone.
Use your network - who can give you a referral? Who can post about you on social? Friends, family, ex-colleagues, the random guy from the gym… Most people genuinely want to help, so don’t be afraid to ask.
Existing clients or users
An extension of your community, but worth its own mention. Most industries are small - people know people. Ask your current clients who else you should speak to. Look at the companies they’ve worked at before. Most of the time, they’ll be happy to make an intro.
As always, my inbox is open - drop me a line if you want any advice: chloe@themarketingmix.agency
Speak soon,
Chloe