Lead Generation for digital marketing agencies: 8 tactics you need to use

Digital marketing agencies are the creative powerhouses behind the successful advertising efforts of many companies across the globe. With a carefully curated and skillful team, these firms ideate and implement effective single-channel, omnichannel, and multichannel campaigns for a variety of clients.

However, even a knowledgeable team of advertisers can experience a stalemate when trying to create and build upon a customer base of their own, especially in highly competitive markets like advertising agencies in New York City.

This is due to the fact that attracting clients as an agency requires a completely different playbook than the standard practices already in place to help clients, even if those clients are in the B2B niche.

Throughout this article, you will gain in-depth insight into the various aspects related to lead generation for digital marketing agencies, including lead generation for digital marketing and a variety of tactics and best practices that you can implement to drive greater acquisition.

How to generate leads for a digital marketing agency?

Undoubtedly, lead generation is an integral part of any business’ operations, and a practice that can seem somewhat overwhelming for many marketers. 

Although it may seem counterintuitive, given the nature of their work, digital marketing agencies often deem the generation of clients to be a major obstacle. In fact, almost 54% of marketers say improving lead quality is their greatest challenge.

With that being said, opportunities exist within challenges and there are several ways in which you can overcome these barriers in order to acquire a base of clients that are perfectly matched to your capabilities. 

These include the following:

Define your services 

One of the most effective ways to attract the appropriate audience is to clearly define what service you offer and what your specialties as an agency are. 

By doing this, the lengthy process of discussions and negotiations with unqualified leads is eliminated, saving you time and important other resources.

Engaging with leads who are suited to your target audiences allows you to focus on building relationships with possibility and longevity. When clients and agencies possess mutual, realistic expectations of one another, the likelihood of the partnership’s success becomes greater. 

Don’t forget your own content marketing

Marketing agencies create clever, engaging content for their clients day after day, helping them to raise brand awareness and increase their reach in an effort to acquire leads. 

However, it is important to remember not to neglect your own business needs for a content marketing strategy. After all, content marketing generates 3 times more leads than traditional marketing techniques. 

When beginning to think about how to approach this content, it is important to reference several key aspects of your business. 

• Your pricing plan information should be readily available to leads, as oftentimes they will be scanning through a range of agencies to find the most competitive price. Being transparent about the cost of your services to the best of your ability can lead to a more effortless planning experience for clients. 

• Leverage reviews from past clients by making them a focal point throughout your content. Seeing past successes can foster a sense of confidence amongst leads, making them more comfortable in progressing with your services.

• Focus on your unique selling points as an agency within your content. Each business has a unique set of talents, backed by team members who possess expertise and experience in a variety of different activities.

Buying digital marketing leads

Lead generation for digital marketing agencies can be a lengthy process and one which many businesses are unaware of how to approach. In addition to this, the time and thought that is required to curate an impactful generation strategy is often limited for agencies who are focusing on their client roster. 

This leads to companies buying leads online.

There are a host of positive and negative aspects that must be considered when attempting to buy digital marketing leads, such as the following;

Pros

• Buying leads is a quick and simple transactional process

• The lead generation process is simplified as zero marketing is required by your business

• You can quickly increase your database’s capacity 

Cons 

• This practice can often be more expensive than organically generating leads, depending on the number of leads you purchase and where you purchase them from. Additionally, ensuring leads are accurate through vetting can be costly.

• The list of leads that you buy is not always unique to your agency, and can sometimes be shared with multiple business owners.

• You are not guaranteed that the leads you have bought are qualified, leading to a waste of your time, money, and other resources. 

• Email deliverability can be negatively affected, as sending emails to users who are unaware of your business often leads to your messaging being marked as spam. 

• You run the risk of violating GDPR, as you cannot be sure that the data is fully compliant with regulation.

Ensuring the verification of leads that you purchase and acquiring their consent to be contacted is non-negotiable in today’s business landscape, as failure to retain permission can result in serious legal repercussions. 

TrustedForm helps companies avoid these circumstances,  protecting you by providing a certificate for every customer that you contact that proves their consent.

Discover more about how TrustedFrom can help you avoid TCPA litigation when buying leads.

How do digital marketing agencies find clients?

Before you go ahead and place all of your focus on ideating lead generation strategies for digital marketing agencies, you have to take a step back and define a clear picture of who your ideal customers are. 

After all, if you don’t know exactly who your audience is, how can you target them?

Lead generation for digital marketing agencies requires the definition of a buyer persona, built according to specific parameters, such as geographical location, industry, company size, interests, personal information, and more.

Your buyer persona is the profile of your ideal potential customer, built by mixing the traits of your existing clients with the imaginary traits your potential customers should have. So, in order to paint a picture that is as clear as possible, you must pay attention to the details and describe your buyer persona in as much detail as you can.

Here are a few tips that can help you with that:

• Name your buyer persona. According to their specific traits, give them a name that reflects those traits to better identify them as a real, existing person.

• Create more than one buyer persona. In order to better target different markets, you can create different personas and separate them by niche, size, and the product you offer.

• Use the same parameters for all buyer personas. When building your personas, make sure to define them by the same set of parameters, for more accurate targeting.

Once you have created these profiles, you can proceed with these seven strategies for how to get clients as a digital agency.

How to find leads for digital marketing agencies

1. Focus on high-quality lead magnets

There is, unfortunately, no shortage of agencies out there promising to drive outstanding results, but a lot of them lack experience, strategy, and the technical knowledge to deliver on those promises.

Therefore, creating strong, high-quality lead magnets is a powerful option when it comes to your lead generation for digital marketing agencies’ strategy. Not only are you creating a path in the digital sales funnel that works as an incentive for users to get in touch and share their lead information, but you’re also getting to showcase that you have the expertise you claim.

Here are some of the most popular lead magnets:

• Webinars that go in-depth with marketing strategies or detailed information your clients could benefit from;

• Checklists that walk users through crucial marketing tasks, such as “Things to check before launching an ad”;

• Ebooks, which can vary from 1000 words to 10,000+ words with actionable content;

• Worksheets, to help you calculate your ideal ad budget or to develop buyer personas;

• Templates, including templates for graphic designs or writing templates for copy or blogs.

Thrive Agency, for example, hosts regular webinars on specific, timely topics that walk attendees through common issues such as how to address negative reviews online.

Remember to have a simple, easy-to-use lead generation form for users to fill out in exchange for lead magnets. Keep it short, asking for their name, their email address, and something simple like company size. Users may not want to give out too much information upfront. Check out this blog for Lead Generation best practices and hacks to land more leads.

2. Use content marketing to showcase knowledge

There’s a reason why so many agencies use content marketing, and that is because it works.

Content marketing is another way to showcase how much your agency knows and what you can offer to clients while you’re slowly building a relationship in a no-pressure environment. Generative AI can help you come up with ideas and use cases to help you create content that showcases your authority

Rankios.io has an excellent blog geared toward its target audience of personal injury attorneys.

Potential clients can find resources you’ve created, come to trust your expertise, and reach out when they realize that marketing is just too technical and time-consuming to tackle on their own.

As an ad agency lead generation tool, a blog can help you create and share optimized content for high-intent keywords that users may search for when they’re either actively looking for an agency or when they’re at the point of realizing they need one.

If someone is searching for something like “Facebook’s Business Manager advanced features”, they’re likely looking to set up these features themselves.

If, however, they’re searching for “Troubleshooting Facebook Ads” or “PPC copywriting tips”, then they’re actively looking for help to improve campaigns that may not be working. These are users who would be more likely to hire an agency if they see its value.

3. Implement account-based marketing strategies

Account-based marketing is the practice of pitching work and marketing directly to specific individuals or companies and can be a useful inclusion in lead-generation strategies for digital marketing agencies. 

When you’re using account-based marketing strategies, the ball is really in your court. You can research these potential clients extensively, reviewing their audience, their existing marketing strategies, and their needs.

You can then create value-specific pitches based on what you think they need, reaching out to key decision-makers proactively. In many cases, they’re relatively easy to find on platforms like LinkedIn, where they’re simply a message away. To make your first message stand out, use a free screen recorder to speak directly to the person and show your results. This will make you stand out over competitors who just send a generic LinkedIn sales message.

If you have an agency that specializes in the health and beauty industry, for example, you wouldn’t just run generic campaigns trying to reach “makeup businesses”. Instead, you’d create dedicated accounts for individual brands like Maybelline, Sephora, and Clinique if they were your target audience.

For lead generation for digital marketing agencies, this is a clever option when you want to reach qualified leads, as you’re essentially taking the first few steps to qualify them before you even connect.

4. Focus your attention

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, standing out amidst the noise is no easy feat. As a digital marketing agency, the temptation to cast a wide net and appeal to every potential client can be strong. However, in the quest for growth and success, focusing on a specific niche can be a game-changer.

The Pitfalls of Trying to Be Everything to Everyone

At first glance, the idea of catering to a broad spectrum of clients might seem like a sound strategy. After all, the more clients you can attract, the better, right? In reality, attempting to be a jack-of-all-trades in the digital marketing arena can backfire.

By spreading resources and efforts thinly across various industries and client types, agencies often find themselves unable to deliver truly tailored solutions. Generic marketing strategies may fail to resonate with clients in specific niches, leading to lukewarm results and, ultimately, dissatisfied customers.

The Power of Specialization

By honing in on a specific industry or client demographic, digital marketing agencies can position themselves as experts in their chosen fields. This specialization brings several compelling advantages:

a. Deep Industry Knowledge: Focusing on a niche allows agencies to develop a profound understanding of the nuances, challenges, and opportunities unique to that industry. This expertise equips them to craft highly targeted marketing campaigns that speak directly to the pain points and aspirations of their niche audience.

b. Tailored Solutions: With a specialized focus, agencies can tailor their services to meet the precise needs of their niche clientele. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions, they can develop customized strategies that resonate with the target audience, driving better results and ROI.

c. Enhanced Reputation: Specialization breeds credibility. As agencies establish themselves as go-to experts in their niche, they naturally attract clients seeking specialized knowledge and proven results. A strong reputation within a specific industry can lead to a steady stream of referrals and new business opportunities.

5. Run PPC Lead Generation ads 

Pay-per-click (PPC) ads allow you to reach users with whom you may not have connected otherwise.

You can use platforms like Google Ads to show up in relevant searches when potential leads are seeking services like yours. You can also use discovery-based platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn to generate demand where there wasn’t any before, getting people excited about an agency even if they hadn’t been considering it.

When it comes to ad agency lead generation platforms, there are four that you should test: Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, and TikTok. With the power of automation, you can make the most out of these platforms.

How to promote a digital marketing agency on social media

Social media is a necessary inclusion with any lead generation for digital marketing agencies’ strategy, that is no secret. 

However, putting something out there on social media won’t necessarily make it go viral. 

There are specific ways to promote a digital marketing agency on social media that prove to be more successful than others. Below, you can find the best tools to help you achieve that.

Best ad agency Lead Generation tools

Facebook Lead Ads

If you’re wondering how to promote digital marketing agencies on social media, Facebook Ads is a great option.

Facebook Lead Ads is a mobile-first ad format that allows you to collect lead information right on the platform without users ever having to go to an external landing page.

With LeadsBridge, you can easily connect Facebook Lead Ads to any of your marketing tools for immediate lead processing. With our integrations, leads flow from Facebook Lead Ads into a destination of your choice automatically and in real time, while always maintaining GDPR & CCPA compliance, so that you can get in touch with them right away.

LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms

LinkedIn has a lead generation ad format similar to Facebook’s, where users can fill out lead forms right there on the platform without having to navigate to a landing page off-site.

When it comes to lead generation for digital marketing agencies, LinkedIn Ads are highly effective. Since LinkedIn is a strong B2B advertising platform, people are automatically in a professional mindset when they’re browsing the site, which helps put them in the right headspace, increasing how receptive they’ll be to an ad from your agency.

As soon as those leads come in, you can use LeadsBridge automation to push the new lead information straight to your CRM in real time.

Whether you want to go for hyper-specific account-based marketing targeting strategies or you simply want to target key decision-makers in selected industries, LinkedIn’s job-centered targeting makes that very easy.

You can target users at certain companies, in specific industries, or who hold distinct job titles. This puts you more in control of who is seeing your ad, allowing you to reach relevant users more easily.

Google Ads lead form extensions

Facebook and LinkedIn are excellent PPC platforms when you want to reach out to users proactively. However, Google Ads can be used to capture people who are already searching for digital agencies.

These are often incredibly high-intent users, and if you get that click early on and you’re a good fit, there’s a decent chance that you’ll snag the lead’s information. When it comes to lead generation for digital marketing agencies, Google Ads lead form extensions are exceptionally useful.

You can add targeting criteria to these ads, though since users are already searching for you, it’s not as crucial as other platforms. What you should do, however, is test out multiple different ad groups based on keywords.

An agency that focuses on social media marketing, for example, might test out the following keywords:

• Social media marketing agency

• Digital social media agency

• Social media agency

• Social media services for small business

• Social media marketing

• Social media management services

With LeadsBridge integrations, you can collect leads through Google Ads lead form extensions and send them straight into your CRM, email marketing software, autoresponder, or any other marketing tool automatically and in real time.

TikTok Lead Generation

TikTok may not sound like the most obvious choice when it comes to ad agency lead generation strategies, but you’d be surprised at the number of successful conversions TikTok is generating for businesses of all kinds. By the end of 2023, TikTok had achieved 1.1 billion monthly active users who spend, on average, 26 hours per month on the app, this platform is proving to be the best when it comes to generating high audience engagement.

Just like the tools we already mentioned above, TikTok also features an ad objective that is specifically dedicated to generating leads directly within the platform: Lead Generation.

The setup is relatively simple, all you have to do is set your target audience and bidding strategy, then select an instant form template and customize it.

Discover more about the value of TikTok Lead Generation in our dedicated article, or learn more by watching our webinar on how to leverage the power of advertising on TikTok.

As an official TikTok partner, LeadsBridge integrates TikTok Lead Generation with all main marketing tools. With LeadsBridge integrations, leads collected through your instant forms in TikTok are moved to your desired CRM (or any other marketing platform) automatically and in real time, allowing you (and your clients) to get in touch with potential customers right away.

6. Work with the right influencers

We have already touched on the importance of a strong social media presence for a digital marketing agency, and one thing that can elevate that presence to another level is setting up an influencer marketing strategy. Influencer marketing has become extremely popular in recent years, especially for B2C markets, but it can be a great ad agency lead generation strategy as well.

The key is to find the right influencers to work with.

Since we’re talking about a B2B business, you have to focus on personalities such as speakers at trade events, industry journal contributors, or any other relevant, authoritative media personalities in your sector.

Once you have identified the best influencers to work with, you can then try to engage with them and convince them of the value that your agency can provide to both them and their community of followers.

Once you have a pool of influencers to work with, consider making use of team collaboration tools that can help you streamline communication. Tools that have Gantt chart views are great for easily visualizing milestones and project progress.

7. Take advantage of marketing automation

Automation is a marketer’s best friend.

Marketing automation can help you improve lead generation for digital marketing agencies, whilst also saving you a significant amount of time. It can automatically sync new users to your CRM, help with lightning-quick auto-responders, and continually show your ads to new users by updating ad lists.

LeadsBridge has extensive marketing automation tools that were designed to improve your lead-generation process. We’ll help you make sure that your lead generation tactics and efforts aren’t wasted.

As soon as a new lead comes in, this will be automatically moved to your CRM or email marketing software in real time, thanks to LeadsBridge’s seamless integrations. Your sales team can be notified in CRMs like Hubspot, an autoresponder email can be sent out through platforms like MailChimp, and you’ll be well on your way to landing that client.

Best tools for marketing agencies 

Mailchimp is a leading marketing automation and email marketing platform. LeadsBridge automates the entire workflow by syncing all of your generated leads into an organized Mailchimp campaign.

HubSpot is one of the most popular marketing platforms across numerous industries that can be tightly coupled with the top lead generation sources through the power of LeadsBridge.

ActiveCampaign is software designed to improve email marketing with advanced welcome, drip, and follow-up campaigns. LeadsBridge can help guarantee that no leads fall through the cracks and each can be appropriately nurtured in an email marketing campaign. 

VinSolutions is an automotive-specific CRM designed to help dealerships with customer organization and management. LeadsBridge can eliminate time-consuming manual downloads and transport new leads directly into your system.

Textmagic stands out as one of the premier tools for marketing agencies seeking to elevate their communication strategies effectively. It offers a powerful, user-friendly platform designed to streamline SMS campaigns, from personalized mass texts to targeted alerts and notifications.

With Textmagic, agencies can effortlessly integrate text messaging services into their marketing mix, enabling real-time engagement with audiences across various sectors. The platform’s robust features, including customizable templates, detailed reporting, and automated workflows, support marketing agencies in driving campaign success, enhancing customer engagement, and achieving measurable results. 

Textmagic’s reliability, combined with its global reach and competitive pricing, makes it an indispensable asset for marketing agencies aiming to deliver impactful and efficient communication solutions to their clients.

8. Use referral marketing

If your goal is to generate leads for Saas marketing agencies at a low cost, you should take a look at referral marketing programs. 

Referral marketing can help you consistently attract high-value and long-retaining leads and clients. Referred customers typically have an LTV that’s around 16% higher than other customers, and customers who are acquired through referrals have an increased retention rate of approximately 37%. This simply goes to show that, when it comes to conversion rates, referrals are a strong contender amongst other marketing channels.

Have an official referral program set up if possible, and display it prominently on your site.

If you don’t want to go that route, you can also honor a discount on their next invoice, a discounted month of service, or a free add-on when clients refer someone to you who converts.

Tips and best practices for marketing agencies buying leads

As with any process in business, there are a number of tips and best practices to follow that can make everything run a little smoother, and buying digital marketing leads is no exception. 

Here are some things you should keep in mind going forward:

Keep consent at the forefront

GDPR has never been more important, and it is an aspect of lead buying that cannot be overlooked. 

To discover more about how to operate in accordance with data protection guidelines, take a look at our articles on GDPR implementation and GDPR and Facebook advertising.

When purchasing leads, you must take ownership of ensuring that all leads within your new database are consenting. Failure to do so can result in TCPA litigation that can cripple a business, both from a financial and reputation standpoint.

Using TrustedForm, you can ensure that you are fully TCPA compliant and retain a certificate that proves the consent of every lead that you contact.

Test your lists

As previously mentioned, you cannot guarantee that every single lead that you purchase is actually qualified, or even that their information is still correct.

In regard to buying digital marketing leads, it is best practice to run a test on a small group from within the lead list. 

This way, you’ll have the opportunity to determine which prospects within a group possess a genuine interest in your service and have quantifiable characteristics before beginning a full campaign.

Define your audience

It is imperative that you have a defined identification of your target audience. This way, you will have the ability to recognize significant characteristics within lists before making a purchase.

LeadsBridge custom audiences integrations afford you the opportunity to target your CRM-segmented audiences within your advertising campaigns.

How to grow your digital marketing agency in 2024

In the ever-evolving realm of digital marketing, staying ahead of the curve is essential for the growth and success of any agency. As we navigate the challenges and opportunities of the new year, here are three key strategies to propel your digital marketing agency forward in 2024:

1. Harness the Power of Customer Feedback

Understand your clients’ needs, preferences, and pain points to refine your services and elevate customer satisfaction. Here’s how you can effectively gather and leverage feedback:

– Collect customer feedback with Usersnap: The feedback platform for every company that values collecting and collating user or customer feedback.

– Engage on Google My Business: Take an active role in managing your Google My Business profile to respond to reviews and gain deeper insights into client sentiments and expectations.

– Leverage GoodFirms and Clutch: Monitor reviews on platforms like GoodFirms and Clutch to gauge client satisfaction levels and identify areas for growth and improvement within your agency.

2. Create a Conversion-Boosting Website

Your website serves as the digital storefront of your agency, making a lasting impression on potential clients. Make a lasting impression on potential clients and drive conversions with these impactful strategies:

– Follow Modern Web Design Practices: Ensure your website is visually appealing, user-friendly, and optimized for mobile devices. Align design elements with your brand identity guidelines to create a cohesive online presence.

– Incorporate Conversion-Boosting Elements: Integrate specific CTAs and strategic pop-ups to prompt user engagement and facilitate lead generation. 

– Don’t overlook SEO: Optimize the SEO aspect of your website to improve visibility and ranking in search engine results. Focus on elements like site speed, mobile responsiveness, and structured data to enhance user experience and drive organic traffic but above all, check if your page is indexed.

3. Master the Art of Saying “No”

While it may seem counterintuitive, mastering the art of saying “no” is crucial for maintaining focus, managing resources efficiently, and safeguarding client relationships. Safeguard your agency’s focus, resources, and client relationships with this crucial skill:

– Practice Discernment: Evaluate potential projects and clients based on your agency’s goals, capabilities, and risk tolerance. Prioritize opportunities that align with your expertise and strategic objectives.

– Set Boundaries: Allocate sufficient time between client engagements to handle unforeseen challenges and maintain quality standards. Embrace the power of saying “no” to projects outside your core competencies or with excessive risks.

– Foster Trust and Reliability: By demonstrating discernment and integrity in client engagements, you establish your agency as a trusted partner committed to delivering exceptional results.

4. Streamline Project Management

Growing your digital marketing agency means establishing processes that help you manage client projects effectively – from budgeting and resource planning to billing and reporting. Here are a few ideas how to achieve that:

– Centralize Agency Management: Use agency management software to put tasks, projects, and client information all in one place, streamlining workflows and team collaboration.

– Define Clear Processes: Establish standard operating procedures (SOPs) for common tasks to ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities.

– Prioritize Communication: Maintain open communication channels to keep everyone on the same page, especially if your company is remote-first.

Try ad agency lead-generation tools for free

With LeadsBridge, you can make the best of your lead generation for digital marketing agencies’ practices using automation tools for free. 

By connecting your ad platforms with your favorite ad agency lead generation tools – CRM, autoresponder, email marketing software, call center, and much more – you can move your newly acquired leads through your funnel in real time, as soon as they interact with your business, without having to move data across platforms manually.

The same can be applied to your clients.  By making their marketing & advertising platforms communicate and share lead data with each other through an interconnected ecosystem, you can gather more accurate conversion data and show your clients the true impact of their campaigns, in real time.

With marketing automation software for agencies, you can both save time and unlock more budget from your clients. With our Free plan, you get to use LeadsBridge for free, forever. However, you can only create 1 bridge and move a maximum of 50 leads per month with the free plan.

Key takeaways

Digital marketing agencies typically specialize in connecting their clients with leads but who struggle to capture their own. Although this may seem like a total juxtaposition, the parameters for attracting clients that struggle to collect their own leads are quite diverse. 

By implementing a series of informed and targeted strategies, lead generation for digital marketing agencies can skyrocket. Accompanying these with a series of automated integrations, via LeadsBridge, will result in the entire acquisition and nurturing process becoming completely streamlined. 

Discover our full list of automated lead generation solutions.