Agencies
A Comprehensive Guide to Maximizing Your Investment
Site Map:
The Core Four: Warm Outreach; Post Content + Monetize Content; Cold Outreach; Make Ads + Monetize Ads
1. The Core Four 1. Lead Magnet I 2. SEO I 3. Your First 5 Clients I 4. Content Marketing I 5. Cold Outreach I 6. Paid Ads I 7. More, Better, New
2. Lead Getters 1. Referrals I 2. Employees I 3. Agencies I 4. Affiliates
3. Excecution: Open To Goal, I $0–$100M Roadmap
1. A Personal Experience with Agencies
Once, when funds were tight, I approached an agency owner. Instead of purchasing services, I proposed a learning arrangement. I paid $750 per hour, totaling $6000, for him to teach me their processes step by step.
2. The Illusion Agencies Often Project
At their core, advertising agencies are businesses that specialize in lead generation. This can be through paid ads, outreach, or content distribution.
The typical agency model involves onboarding you, showing initial results, and then, often, handing you off to a junior representative. This can lead to diminishing returns over time, prompting clients to cancel.
3. The Dilemma: Hiring an Agency vs. Doing It Yourself
There are two paths: either you opt for an agency or you take matters into your own hands.
Embrace continuous learning: Stay updated with new methods and platforms.
Actionable Insight: Once you’ve accumulated enough funds, start exploring reputable agencies. If you follow the guidelines in this guide, your investment will yield significant returns.
4. My Strategy for Collaborating with Agencies
Initiate a conversation with clear expectations. Express your desire to understand their processes and the rationale behind their decisions. Offer to pay extra for this deeper insight.
Transition to a consulting arrangement once you’ve internalized their methods and trained your team.
Actionable Insight: Establish clear terms and deadlines when partnering with an agency. Use the provided template as a starting point and don’t shy away from negotiations.
5. Selecting the Ideal Agency: Alex’s Checklist
Reputation: Have trusted acquaintances or prominent companies achieved good results with them?
Demand: A waiting list often indicates high-quality service.
Transparency: The agency should have a clear sales process, set realistic expectations, and avoid short-term gimmicks.
Communication: Regular updates, clear tracking mechanisms, and simple explanations are essential.
Value Proposition: Assess their promises, the likelihood of achieving the desired outcomes, the expected timeline, and the required effort from your end.
Cost: Quality agencies tend to be pricier. However, a high price tag doesn’t guarantee quality. Engage with multiple agencies to discern the best.
Referrals: Even if an agency isn’t the right fit, they might direct you to one that is.
6. Moving Forward: Actionable Steps
Evaluate: Determine if partnering with an agency aligns with your current needs.
Research: Engage with multiple agencies to understand the landscape. Remember, quality comes at a price.
Agreement: Utilize the framework provided earlier to establish terms.
Skill Acquisition: Set firm deadlines to ensure you and your team acquire the necessary skills.
Comparison: Initially, use both your team and the agency. Over time, measure performance and lean more on your team as they outperform the agency.
Transition: Shift to a consulting model once your team consistently outperforms the agency. When you feel your team has surpassed the agency in expertise, it might be time to part ways.
