New Client Farms
In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, agencies must be constantly innovating to stay ahead of the curve and be competitive.
One such innovation that has gained traction in recent years is the concept of client enrollment farms. This is a technique I learned many years ago when going from a digital marketing freelancer, to agency staffer, then project manager, and then eventually starting my own small, distributed-team digital marketing agency.
For Digital Marketing Agencies and Other Businesses
The concept of how to create and operate new client farms is relevant to growing digital marketing agencies as well as other businesses focused on creating ways to always have new clients coming in on a regularly-recurring basis.
And I can tell you that creating, and maintaing, such farms, was critical to freelancing, and agency, survival.
But what exactly are client farms, and how do they operate?
Digital Marketing Agency New Client Farms Demystified
Imagine a digital marketing agency as a well-oiled machine, with various departments working seamlessly together to attract, onboard, and retain clients.
Now, picture a specialized section within this machine dedicated solely to the acquisition of new clients – that’s the client enrollment farm.
Now, add to this concept a targeting mechanism, or way to attract a precice type of client: those who want, need, and value what we can provide to them.
It’s a vital fact that while we may believe that our services and products can directly benefit all business owners, and this may be true, the reality is that many business owners may not want that service or item, may not understand it, or may not be able to afford it or handle it. So if we take the example here of digital marketing, the unfortunate reality is that most businesses statistically fail at a pretty rapid clip going under within five years in most cases. We don’t want to attract business owners (as clients) who may be broke, cheap, inexperienced, not have any support staff, have no prior experience with digital marketing, not see any value in what it could do for them, be controlling, or have some other issue blocking us from being able to deliver optimally for them.
So it’s not even enough to create client farms. We have to create client farms catering to clients appropriate to what we provide or sell (and when i say “we” I mean you, gentle reader).
Here’s a breakdown of how these farms work:
1. Lead Generation:
Client enrollment farms start by casting a wide net to attract the right types of leads. This involves employing various tactics such as relevant (usually very specific local) content marketing, (very local and targeted) SEO sometimes to specific industries or groups, social media marketing (which essentially distributes branded content), email campaigns (that offer free giveaways our ideal client needs), and targeted, tested, paid advertising. The goal is to attract potential clients who are in need of digital marketing services, understand the concepts behind it, see value in it, can afford a realistic budget that meets industry norms, and benefit from it (infrastructure is necessary).
Again, I want to reiterate here that these principles apply to all types of business. I’m just using digital marketing as a primary example since it was through digital marketing that I came to be introduced to the concept.
What would this look like in action? Some examples could be teaching regularly scheduled workshops on topics ranging from SEO overviews, WordPress introductory offerings, eCommerce discussions and brief sample tutorials, content marketing and repurposing lectures, and other related topics.
If you are a lawyer, this could mean teaching workshops in divorce or estate planning. If you’re a barber, this could be teaching workshops on how to properly shave or dye a beard. If you’re a doctor it could be hosting community health forums or presentations in tandem with local NPOs. A restaurant could offer cooking demonstrations, competitions, special promotions, and other incentive programs tied to local associations, NPOs, and other groups.
Now who you offer these workshops to, in what ways, how often, in what geographic regions, what’s free versus charged and why….all of those are very important factors you have to weigh before putting them out into purview.
For example teaching a workshop through the WordPress Meetup ecosystem might not deliver the type of client who’d have a realistic marketing budget, support staff, and previous experience and value conception as, say, an an enterprise-level business or government agency….or even trade association.
2. Lead Qualification:
As mentioned before, not all leads are created equal. Once leads are generated, they go through a qualification process to determine their suitability as potential clients.
This might involve assessing their budget, industry, goals, and current digital marketing efforts.
Only leads that meet certain criteria move forward in the enrollment process.
Think of client enrollment or preqalification as dating. You don’t want to date someone who sees no value in you, doesn’t know how to talk with you, or want what you can bring to the table. So it is with business clients for more specialized business types. The more specialized your business type or service or product, the more you need a matching partner.
This point goes right back to what I was mentioning in the first point in this list; that who you present to, is just as important, if not more so, as what you present.
3. Initial Outreach:
After qualifying leads, the next step is reaching out to them. This could be through personalized emails, phone calls, or even targeted advertisements. The goal here is to engage the leads and pique their interest in the agency’s services through offers they want, value, need, and feel a sense of urgency to act on.
Examples of this could be very specific ads or offers targeted through PPC social media ads or even blog posts addressing very specific pain points of certain business types and offering free checklists or similar download to motivate them to take action against failure.
When we mentioned workshops earlier, examples of this could be attending Chamber of Commerce events and asking what types of events they’d like or need most, hosting them, presenting them, coordinating with other local area organizations, cross-pollinating (advertising) them, working in tandem with City organizations and event planners, local colleges, inviting local media whenever possible, and doing all of this in a way where you get the greatest range of time / energy ROI as humanly possible.
When I did this…
4. Nurturing and Relationship Building:
Building trust and rapport with potential clients is crucial. Client farms often employ strategies such as lead nurturing workflows, personalized communication, and providing valuable content to educate and engage leads over time. The aim is to position the agency as a trusted advisor and solution provider.
5. Consultative Sales Process:
Client farms typically adopt a consultative approach to sales. This involves understanding the prospect’s pain points, goals, and challenges, and then offering tailored solutions to address them. The focus is on providing value and building a long-term partnership rather than simply making a sale.
6. Onboarding and Integration:
Once a prospect decides to become a client, the onboarding process begins. This involves setting clear expectations, outlining deliverables, and integrating the new client into the agency’s systems and processes.
Smooth onboarding is essential for laying the foundation of a successful client-agency relationship.
When I was actively engaged as a small agency owner, my onboarding process, or at least part of it, was providing and explaining a step-by-step guide to digital marketing that explained key concepts, how projects are developed and scheduled, why content is so important, why SEO matters, why eCommerce is also important, why design matters and also how to tell the right design for your business type.
7. Retention and Upselling:
Client farms don’t stop once a client is onboarded. They continue to nurture the relationship, provide ongoing support, and look for opportunities to upsell additional services or upgrades. The goal is to maximize the lifetime value of each client and foster loyalty.
8. Monitoring and Optimization:
Finally, client farms continuously monitor their performance and optimize their processes for better results.
This could involve analyzing conversion rates, lead quality, sales cycles, and other metrics to identify areas for improvement and refinement; or be as simple as calling a valued client every few months to check on their needs.
Client Farms for All Business Types
When it comes to creating new client farm environments, this concept is directly relevant, and I’d even say vital, to all types of business.
After all, which business does not need new customers or new clients? The one that’s stagnate or on the way out.
So all businesses can benefit from taking new customer or client engagement more seriously and assertively. This can mean anything from bringing more customers into a physical brick and mortar store, more diners to a restaurant or pub, more clients to a law firm, more patients to a medical practice or optician, more customers to a furniture warehouse, or more clients to a digital marketing agency.
The choice as to whether or not to apply these principles to your own business type is up to you; but they do work when used proactively and regularly.
1. Define Your Ideal Crop
Every farm starts with a vision. Similarly, crafting a client farm begins with defining your ideal customer for your business type.
Understand their demographics, preferences, pain points, and aspirations so you can better recognize them and tailor your marketing to them.
Develop detailed buyer personas to guide your efforts. You can see a buyer persona infographic I created here.
By knowing your target audience intimately, you can tailor your outreach and offerings effectively.
2. Prepare the Soil: Market Research
Just as a farmer analyzes soil composition, conduct thorough market research. Identify industry trends, competitive landscapes, and untapped niches. Unearth insights into customer behavior and preferences through surveys, interviews, and data analysis.
This groundwork ensures you sow seeds where they’re most likely to flourish.
3. Plant the Seeds: Marketing Strategies
With insights in hand, sow the seeds of awareness through strategic marketing. Utilize a mix of channels – digital, social media, content marketing, and traditional methods – to reach potential clients.
Craft compelling messages that resonate with your target audience’s needs and aspirations. Consistency and creativity are key to nurturing curiosity and engagement.
4. Cultivate Relationships: Customer Engagement
Beyond the initial contact lies the crucial phase of nurturing relationships. Provide value through personalized interactions, stellar customer service, and relevant content. Leverage email marketing, social media engagement, and community-building initiatives to stay top-of-mind.
Actively listen to customer feedback and adapt your strategies accordingly.
5. Weed Out Obstacles: Addressing Concerns
Just as weeds threaten a crop’s growth, obstacles can hinder client retention and acquisition.
Proactively address concerns and objections through transparency, problem-solving, and continuous improvement. Build trust by delivering on promises and rectifying mistakes promptly.
A customer-centric approach fosters loyalty and advocacy.
6. Harvest and Reap Rewards: Conversion and Retention
As relationships mature, it’s time to reap the rewards of your efforts. Convert prospects into paying customers through compelling offers and seamless experiences.
However, the harvest doesn’t end there; focus on retaining clients through ongoing value delivery, loyalty programs, and incentives. A satisfied customer is not just a one-time sale but a renewable resource. Satisfied customers can refer you to others, tell you about contract opportunities, buy more services or products, and support your business for decades to come.
7. Expand and Diversify: Scaling Your Farm
A thriving client farm is ripe for expansion. Identify opportunities for growth and diversification within your existing client base. Encourage referrals and word-of-mouth marketing by delighting existing customers. Explore new markets, products, or services that align with your core offerings. Continuously innovate and adapt to evolving customer needs.
8. Sustain Through Stewardship: Long-Term Commitment
Finally, sustainable client farming requires ongoing stewardship. Dedicate resources to nurturing and tending your client relationships. Monitor metrics, gather feedback, and iterate your strategies to ensure continued growth and relevance. Remember, a client farm is not built overnight but cultivated with patience, perseverance, and passion.
Client Farms Summarized
In essence, client farms are specialized units within digital marketing agencies and other businesses focused on efficiently acquiring and onboarding new clients.
By leveraging a combination of lead generation strategies, personalized outreach, consultative sales techniques, and ongoing relationship management, these farms play a vital role in the growth and success of the agency as a whole.