Where To Find Digital Marketing Agency Leads This Week

This post was originally published on July 21st, 2017. We’ve added a couple more ideas on where to find leads this week, so you can jumpstart your digital marketing agency right now, whether you’re a brand new agency owner or you’ve been doing this for years.

You’ve got your digital marketing agency all set up. Your website is out there, you’ve got all the software and apps you need, you’re raring to go.

Now, you need some leads to convert into clients.This is a common problem for most new digital marketing agencies. It can even be a problem for agencies that have been around for a while. It’s all well and good to hang out your shingle and advertise, but cold leads take time to develop and, “I’ve got projects coming up” doesn’t pay the bills.

You need clients now. 

Hopefully by now, you’ve set up your  Agency Messenger Funnel. That way, you have somewhere to send potential leads so they can get something of value from you and opt into your free Facebook ads audit.

The question is, where can you get warm, interested leads that are easy to convert on such short notice?

I’m so glad you asked.

Here are 7 ideas on where you can find leads for your digital marketing agency this week.

Send an Email to Your Friends and Colleagues

“What? Approach my friends? Expose that I’m not already a successful entrepreneur?” I hear you cry.

Guess what. Successful entrepreneurs know that word of mouth is the most effective marketing tool out there. They also know their best source of leads is in their own inner circle.

And no, this doesn’t make you sound desperate. In fact, a lot of the list-building courses recommend this exercise as a great place to start.

Here’s what you do:

Write a basic email you can customize for each person

You don’t need to write a novel about what you’re doing and why. It can be a short message that looks something like this:

Hey first name,

I hope you’re well and everything worked out with (insert some recent project or reference here.) 

I just wanted to let you know that I’ve started a digital marketing agency, specializing in Facebook ads, and I have a couple of spaces in my roster for new clients. If you or anyone you know would be interested in a complimentary Facebook ads audit to discover which of your audiences are the most profitable, please let me know, pass my info along, send them to this link (insert your Instant Audit link) or make an email introduction using my new business email, (add your business email). 

I offer:

• Insert bulleted list of your services here, or a sentence describing what you do

for people in (insert your preferred client business or niche here).

Thanks so much and I’d love to (catch up, grab coffee, something similar) sometime soon.

Take care,
Your Name
Your Website
Your Business Email

Send this email to 100 people on your personal email list 

Do NOT send this via your ESP or CRM! Send this email from your personal email address to the recipient’s personal email address (or whatever email address you have for them.)

Take the time to personalize it a bit. The text above is a guideline. If you saw someone at an event or social gathering recently, mention that. If you know someone had a big life change, mention that. Be personal. Make sure this email feels genuine and not some templated thing you send to everyone. 

I know 100 people can feel like a lot. But I bet you can find at least 100 people on your list of personal contacts who would not only like to receive this email from you, they will be supportive of what you’re doing.

Some of them may take you up on your offer for their own businesses. Others may pass your information along to a company marketing manager or to a friend they know needs help.

The best part about having a community, is they want to help. So, let them.

Follow up with potential leads ASAP

This seems obvious, but I am stunned at the number of people who don’t do this right away. (I’ve been guilty of it myself.)

Yes, your life is busy. But the whole point of this exercise is to get leads, right? Don’t hoard your leads like a dragon, follow up on them!

Send an email asking about a friend’s upcoming project as soon as they respond with, “Actually, I do have something you could help with…”

If someone makes an e-introduction for you, send a “Reply All” response so your friend knows you’re following up and your potential lead knows you’re interested. If your potential lead doesn’t respond in a couple of days to a week, follow up again. Be persistent, but polite.

I know the question you’re asking right now. “Does this really work?”

Yes. It does. I’ve done this myself for my own businesses and gotten great responses. I recently recommended these same steps to a friend, and she had 2 new clients for her marketing business within 3 weeks.

Do it. If you don’t end up with at least one potential lead out of 100 people you contact, I’ll be very surprised.

Send This Same Message to 100 Friends on Facebook 

You work on Facebook, right? Surely you have a good network of friends there. People who know you well enough to recommend you to their friends. Use it.

Go through the same process you just did with your email list and identify 100 people who may need your services, or who might know someone who does.

These people can be anyone from close friends who you know in the “real world” to online friends who run their own businesses or hang out with (or work for) entrepreneurs, business owners and established companies in your target niche.

You’ll probably want to modify your message a little bit so it looks something like this:

Hey first name,

I saw your recent post about (insert reference to post here). That’s (awesome, sad, infuriating, whatever is appropriate.) I hope (some sort of good wish for their situation here.)

I just wanted to let you know that I’ve started a digital marketing agency, specializing in Facebook ads, and I have a couple of spaces in my roster for new clients. If you or anyone you know has an upcoming project they’ll want to promote with a Facebook ad campaign, please let me know, send them this link for a free Facebook ads audit (Insert your Instant Audit link) pass my info along, or make an email introduction using my new business email, (add your business email).

I offer:

• Insert bulleted list of your services here, or a sentence describing what you do

for people in (insert your preferred client business or niche here).

Thanks so much and best of luck with (reference to post). 

Go through the same two steps of customizing each message to the person you’re sending it to, and following up with any response. 

By the way, you can also automate Facebook Messenger to deliver your Instant Audit, via a chatbot.

Again, I’m sure you’ll get at least one lead from this process.

Post to Your Facebook and LinkedIn Groups

You may have seen people doing this in groups you’re a part of. It’s a pretty common tactic. Again, your network of people is worth tapping as a resource.

These folks may not be as “warm” as the other two suggestions, but they’re may be entrepreneurs, just like you. If not, they probably get what you’re doing and will help if they can.

You’ll do a similar message to what you’ve already sent, but it can be shorter and less personal: 

Hey everyone, I may have mentioned to all of you that I’m starting (alt: I run) a digital marketing agency specializing in Facebook ads. I’ve got room on my roster for a couple of new clients, so I figured I’d ask if any of you need my services, or if you know someone who does.

I offer:

• Insert bulleted list of your services here, or a sentence describing what you do

for people in (insert your preferred client business or niche here).

Please go to (Insert Instant Audit link) to get a free audit of your Facebook ads account, leave a comment below or PM me if you’re interested or know someone you’d like to refer.

Reach Out to Your Personal Networks

Are you part of a networking organization like BNI? Mention your Facebook ad campaign services to your group members. Especially those who are in industries that you know something about. 

Are you part of a club or local organization? Let the folks in your club know what you do and which industries you serve. They may not take you up on your offer, but they may mention it to someone who does. 

Share your Instant Audit link in these groups.

As mentioned before, word of mouth referrals can be some of the best, most qualified leads you’ll find, so definitely spread the word about your agency.

Put Your Instant Audit Link on Your Business Cards

I know, I know, business cards seem so old fashioned. But despite this fact, everyone still carries them and hands them out.

So take advantage of this! Make a customized link for your Instant Audit and put it on your business card. Something like “yourbusinessname.com/free-audit.” That’s easy to remember and easy to type into a browser search field.

Hand those cards out wherever and whenever you talk to someone who runs their own business, or knows people who might need Facebook ads help. You’ll be surprised how many people opt into your Instant Audit this way. Then, you can follow up with them to sign up for a full Facebook ads audit.

Get Opt-Ins via Text Message

Another alternative is to use a text service to get people to opt in with a special phone number and Unique Identifier. Leadpages offers their Leaddigits as a way to do this. Several other text marketing services, like Twilio, do this as well.

You can give people a number and a word or phrase to type into their text messages. Then they get the chance to opt into your Instant Audit, via their text messages or via an email, depending on the service.

Run Facebook Ads

(Gasp!) Shocking! You’re a digital marketing agency and you’re not running Facebook ads for your own company?!

Actually, this happens a lot.

Sometimes, it’s because you’re so busy running ad campaigns for your clients that it doesn’t occur to you to do this for your own business. Sometimes it’s because it’s harder to talk about yourself and your own business than it is to promote other people’s businesses.

And honestly, this can take longer to come to fruition than some of the suggestions above. But it’s a great source for leads and it can help you have new potential clients waiting in the wings once your current clients’ campaigns have finished.

Don’t get disheartened. You run an agency. You’ve got this.

You’ve probably even heard us talk about our 3-step plan for getting more leads through Facebook ads:

1. Run a Facebook ad campaign, promoting your Agency Messenger Funnel, then offering a free Facebook ad audit to whoever opts into your list.
2. Contact your leads, set up an audit and review their Facebook ad accounts, using your free 14-day FunnelDash trial account.
3. Impress your potential new clients with suggestions to improve their ad campaigns, using information based on data in their own Facebook ad accounts.

Need to know what questions to ask yourself while you’re reviewing your potential clients’ accounts?

Click on the button below to download your free copy of our popular checklist, 17 Questions to Ask Yourself When Doing a Facebook Ads Audit for a Prospective Client. These questions will help you get the most information from an audit, so you can prove your value during your client call.