If you are reading this, then you are probably having some issues with your agency. Why? Your agency may not place a strategist on your account. Or, maybe it doesn’t understand your business. It could possibly not even align with your business goals. The reasons are endless, and it may be your fault. Let us explain.

To get value out of your agency — similar to getting value out of a team — you have to look at it as a part of your team and provide it with the assets to win. While an agency absolutely wants to win on your behalf, it may not be equipped to love and breathe your brand like you do.

If you are a CEO or a chief marketing officer (CMO) who is constantly frustrated with your agency, take a step back. First, realize that your contact is probably not a CEO or CMO. Second, realize that your team probably doesn’t make the type of money you do. So, comparing them to yourself will never work. However, giving them the tools to fill an important marketing gap on your team can.

So, what should you give your agency to help them win?

1. A clear business plan. Align your goals with the agency’s execution.
2. A scorecard that has a clear scope and expectation. Sometimes it is as simple as communicating your expectations.
3. Consistency of availability. Be ready to show up on calls and give your agency the tools required for them to succeed.

There are certainly some brand leaders who look at their agency relationships as vendors. That, in our opinion, will not accomplish greatness. Find ways to motivate them to win. We once had a client who showed up at our office and taped a $20 bill to the wall, stating that whoever booked the most results for his brand could keep the $20. That was motivating.

We once had a client who wrote “thank you” and “you’re the best” emails. It made our team feel like they were a part of his team. That was motivating.

Now, there are certainly mismatched marketing partners. 

In our opinion, brands make switching decisions because of one or all of the following:

1. Relationship
2. Service
3. Strategy
4. Results

Do you evaluate your marketing partner in these four key categories? Do you give them the time, information and resources to win in each?

Winning in marketing is a two-way street. 

Sure, most agencies celebrate when they get it right and blame you when they don’t. But the good ones want to win and really care about making you happy. 

At Mainland, we will take your brand on a storytelling journey to tell “why you/why now” and amplify it to the right people in the right markets. Through technology, we give you a branded marketing experience unlike anything else out there. How? The Buzz Factory. 

Here’s a look at what you can expect:

Custom Landing Page: 

On the front end, we focus on bringing in qualified, focused readers into the funnel. We do this through unpaid editorial that covers the complete industry. Then, we guide them to your brand.

Custom Content: 

Then, we start to build your “why you/why now” through content, video, research and aggregated media coverage. Your active newsroom will give your brand audience news and information designed to motivate them as they become comfortable with the idea of working with your brand.

Aggregated Content: 

A branded newsroom would not be complete without other stories created by journalists. We aggregate important news from other media sources. 

Paid Media Management: 

Armed with great content, we identify your target personas and target markets, and amplify your content through retargeting, Google, Facebook and LinkedIn. This builds excitement with your ideal audience.

CRM Integration: 

We then integrate into your sales process. This could be through drip campaigns, counter content, marketing collateral or your own internal magazine. 

Social Distribution: 

Then, we tap into your brand’s distribution sources to increase the readership of your content. This could be shared on your Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or, even on your Website through our news widget tool.

Real Time Analytics: 

Through measurement and data, we can get a sense of what content has the highest engagement, what demographics are engaging with the content, where they are and what days they read your content. Then, we give you AMPD data through our API integration with Google, LinkedIn and Facebook — for real-time data on your ad campaigns (in addition to the monthly reporting feature).

Strategic Account Manager: 

Most tech platforms stop there. We didn’t. We integrated humans back into the process. Why? Business development is tough. Thus, we want to make sure you are armed with someone to help you identify your goals and create action plans to help you solve them. 

Simply put, our publications and digital marketing solutions are geared towards helping you gain lift. 

If you’re ready to get the most value out of your agency, learn more at hellomainland.com.