“Cold outreach just doesn’t work.”
How many times have you heard that? Maybe you’ve tried cold outreach for scaling your agency and haven’t seen much success. But cold outreach does work — if you’re willing to put in the effort.
Below, you’ll find a time-tested system for mastering cold outreach that can help your digital marketing agency grow to seven figures and beyond.
Nailing Down a Target Audience That Wants What You’re Selling
Part of why agencies say cold outreach doesn’t work is that they pitch to the wrong people. If you pitch to someone who isn’t ready to buy or doesn’t have decision-making power, of course, you’re going to get crickets. Those folks are not your target audience.
You want your message to go straight to the people at the top. That means business owners and people who have the authority to greenlight purchases. Small business owners, in particular, are great to target. They’re deeply invested in the business’s success, and saying something like, “Hey, if you’re having trouble getting customers, here’s how I can help,” is sure to catch their interest.
Prospecting for leads is your first step, and it’s one many digital marketing agencies get wrong. Without the right leads, everything else falls flat.
So, where do you find these lucrative leads? One trick is to join a few associations for the industry you’re targeting. Whether you focus on plumbing, HVAC, pest control, or some other industry, you’ll find an association for it. Joining that association is a smart way to rub elbows with some big players in your target industry.
It’s also smart to sign up for a lead generation service. These services find leads based on your target demographics — for example, plumbing companies that make $500,000+ a year.
Crafting an Irresistible Sales Pitch
You’ve got your prospects; it’s time to craft your message. Here’s another step that many agencies get wrong. They just email prospects out of the blue saying, “My agency offers these services; call me.” It’s no wonder they think that cold outreach doesn’t work!
Personalization is the name of the game when crafting the message for your cold outreach system. You want to tailor it to the prospect’s pain points and seal the deal with compelling proof that your agency has what it takes to get results.
Including a video with your message is one of the best ways to get your prospect’s attention. You could record a video of the business’s website, point out problems, and give solutions for fixing them.
In your message, you’ll also want to include your best case study that illustrates the results you achieved for a client. It’s strong proof that your agency isn’t just all talk.
The “one in your area” campaign also works very well. With this campaign, you only work with one niche in an area at a time. For example, you might only serve one electrician in Houston, one in Sacramento, and so on.
Connect With Prospects Through Multi-Channel Touchpoints
Agencies often fall flat because they rely only on email and don’t have a follow-up strategy if their emails get ignored (and they often will). Email sequences are great, but you can’t rely on email as your sole communication method. You’ll lose out on a lot of business if you do.
Instead of just focusing on email, pick up the phone and call your prospects. No answer? Leave a voicemail. Find the social media channels they hang out on, whether Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, and connect with them there.
This cold outreach strategy works because it gives your prospects multiple chances to engage with you. Maybe they don’t read your email, but they see your comment on their Facebook post and decide to give you a call.
It’s worth mentioning that the timing of your outreach matters, too. You don’t want to spam the prospect on multiple platforms in a single day. That’ll only annoy them and put your agency on their “do not buy from” list.
Instead, come up with an outreach calendar that’s spread throughout the week. For example, on Monday, you might send your email. On Tuesday, you call the prospect, reference your email, and encourage them to follow up.
Grow Your Agency to Seven Figures With Strategies That Really Work
The early stages of agency growth can be challenging, but by nailing down your cold outreach strategy, you’re setting your digital marketing agency up for success. Need help with cold outreach? Check out the Seven Figure Agency podcast or call (888) 628-8122.
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