Just like most things, the success of your agency will—without a doubt—take time. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day, right? But, there is a key to speeding up the process. That is, if you’re into that kind of thing.
And, my guess is, you are. So, to get right to it, building and nurturing solid relationships with each and every single one of your clients can (and will) propel your business onward and upward. Think of it this way:
- You and your client begin your working relationship with one another.
- Throughout the process, you not only surprise and delight them with awesome results using your Facebook advertising strategy, but you also get to know them—their family, common interests you two share, and more.
- Therefore, said client is so happy with you that they begin referring you to their friends, old classmates, and so many more people.
- And, as a result, your agency reaches new heights thanks to your solid relationship building skills and extra business earned.
Happy clients = More referrals = Greater profits. Sounds pretty amazing, huh?
Yet, maybe you’re feeling unsure of where to start and the necessary steps to take to help construct a strong connection with your client that’ll stand the test of time. I get it. It’s no easy task. That said, thanks to our client-relationship experts here at AdLab, I’ve compiled a list that’ll tell you exactly how to do just that (and make things a bit easier on your end to get you the referrals you’ve been craving).
Ready to get to work? Follow me…
First, let’s talk about how you’ll get your foot in the door to start building these relationships.
One thing is for sure—here at AdLab, we’re all about any excuse to get out into the community. We’ve got a serious passion for building relationships with people within the town where we live and work.
Why’s that? Well, as some of you may know, when Dr. Ben was just starting out with his own chiropractic practice, he was doing so in a town he didn’t grow up in. He had no connections. So, you can imagine the level of difficulty in trying to get patients to walk through his doors and want to grab hold of his services.
It’s a story you can relate to. You’re starting out with your Facebook advertising agency and people in your area most likely aren’t familiar with what it is you have to offer them just yet. For that reason, it makes it tough to initially get a client in the first place.
What do you do to fix that? Take a page from Dr. Ben’s book and get comfortable with getting out of your office and into your own local community. You might get the heebie jeebies just imagining doing that. But, trust us, it’s not that hard or nerve-wracking. In fact, think about any local charities you support that put on fundraising events, civic organizations, or even your own children’s sports and extracurricular activities.
These are prime places to meet like-minded individuals you’d love to do business with. And, you never know… those relationships can lead to long-lasting business relationships because you’ve built a solid foundation based on common interests and passions.
So, how do you keep those relationships energized and rock-solid?
Even once the perfect window of opportunity opens up for you to use your digital marketing skills via your Facebook ad agency?
1. Focus on them and their passions, not just their business.
Focusing on all work and no play can definitely make things difficult for you as soon as that personal relationship you’ve forged overlaps with business. You become so laser-focused on providing them with valuable, quality results that you actually forget to build a relationship with them as a person. Not just a business owner.
Thus, the relationship you have with your acquaintance or friend-turned-client becomes strictly business. That’s no fun at all. That said, truly make an effort to continue getting to know them more.
Find a happy medium when it comes to talking business and personal life. Put the spotlight on them and their passions. Ask them questions about how their weekend was within your first conversation at the start of a new week. And, even see if they’re doing anything fun for the holidays, what they have planned for their child’s birthday, and so on.
When you do just that, you show you really care about what’s going on in their life outside of your working relationship. And, you’ll continue to nourish your bond.
2. Get face time with them.
We live in a digital world nowadays, and a lot of things can easily be done online. Heck, we don’t even have to go out in public to pick up groceries or get food from our favorite restaurant anymore. Postmates will do it for us.
With that, however, it’s super easy for us to avoid human interaction and get so wrapped up in our work behind the computer. The unfortunate part about that is, it’ll only lead you to feeling disconnected with your clients and greater opportunities for emails to get misconstrued.
As a result, it’ll take you so much longer to establish a deep, meaningful relationship with them And, that’s the last thing you want if you’re reading this post.
Now, what’s the solution to avoid falling into that digital trap? Schedule frequent meet-ups with them in person. It can be as effortless and casual as a coffee or lunch date to talk project steps or results (an appropriate mixture of friendship and business!). Or, you can even schedule a Skype or Zoom Room meeting with them to chat virtually if you’re working remotely across the country.
Ultimately, from prospecting and brainstorming to project delivery, to even a few days after your final project is approved, you should secure any and every chance you can get to have facetime with them. All to ensure they’re happy as a clam, which can lead you to bigger and better projects with them (and their friends and colleagues!) in the future.
3. Treat each client as your most important one.
Imagine the holidays when you were younger, and your grandma gifting your brother with the coolest game set ever. Only, when you opened your present, your excitement suddenly dropped because, well, you just saw a package of those dreaded white socks at the bottom of the box. That wouldn’t make you feel very special, am I right?
Hopefully that didn’t happen to you. And, if it did, you can probably guess the moral of the story as it applies to this topic: it can be tough—especially as you begin to manage more than one to two clients—to keep everyone feeling as if they’re important. Emails end up getting missed for one, deadlines end up getting missed for another…a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad setback on the path to a complete waterloo.
Okay, yes, that was a tad bit dramatic. But, the point is, you need to provide each client with the best service you have to offer. Period. And, that’s no matter if they’re a small business down the road or a Fortune 500 Company halfway across the country.
Remember (and celebrate!) their birthdays and special events by sending them a handwritten card or a fun, affordable gift—like a 1-month subscription box or a gift basket filled with their favorite treats. And, don’t hesitate to send them a handwritten thank you card, showing your gratitude for the support they’ve given you.
Industry articles and news can help you out in this area, too! If you see something across the Internet they’d like, share it with them via email. It’s the little things. After all, you never know who they might have in mind to refer you to next.
4. Let them work alongside you.
Ever hire someone for a project—personal or business-related—and wonder if things would’ve turned out a whole lot better if you’d just taken the time to work on it together? We’ve been there, done that, that’s for sure.
Therefore, do yourself a favor and consider this before you begin working with your clients. Yes, I know… the last thing some might want to do is actually get their clients involved, weaving them into their well-thought-out process. And, depending on who you’re working with, it might be a pain in the butt and feel like overkill. If I’m being 100% honest with you, however, it can feel like that at times.
But, when you let them work alongside you, you’ll help take the relationship that much further. Not to mention, you’ll discover additional advantages—such as faster decision making time, avoiding costly and timely misunderstandings throughout the duration of the project, and even opening the doors to mutual education.
You convinced now? I thought so. Now, how can this be done, you ask? Meet up with them to tackle certain tasks in person. Working alongside them instead of you solely owning the project the entire time will enhance their level of trust in you and encourage closer collaboration.
Also, be sure to give them a chance to do revisions on the initial project. Doing so will allow them to gain a better understanding of the process and make them feel really good about the end result—before it even happens. All because they were involved from the get-go.
Obviously, you won't be expected to implement each and every edit request they make during the revisions stage. But, be sure to give them feedback on whether or not their request will be carried out. And, if it won’t, give them a genuine explanation as to why you made that decision.
If you’re wondering about additional ways you can get your client involved on top of the obvious tasks, take a look at this list of ideas:
- Brainstorming jaw-dropping offers (JDOs) alongside them, in addition to picking out the ad and landing page image, crafting simple ad copy, and other creative tasks. Again, this allows them to learn more about the process, along with what works and what doesn’t to create a winning campaign.
- Training the staff on how to respond to a client calling to redeem the jaw-dropping offer (JDO) from your Facebook ad.
- Encouraging their staff to track leads throughout the entire duration of the campaign and report to you how those leads turned out in the office. This makes each member of your client’s staff feel like they’re an integral part of the process.
- Making client signoff on tasks/projects necessary, holding them accountable to ensure it meets their expectations prior to delivery.
5. Be patient.
If you have in-laws, and if you have a good relationship with them, think of the time it actually took to build that connection. Chances are, you didn’t click right off the bat. (If you did, kudos to you!)
In all seriousness, just as it takes time to build long-lasting relationships with your in-laws, new friends, and colleagues, it takes time to build relationships with your clients as well. You certainly can’t expect to be buddy buddy with them right off the bat.
Instead, you need to be patient. And, while you’re at it, natural. It’s something that’ll take time, and needs nurturing. But, it’s well worth it, and you and your agency will see the results—no doubt about it.
6. Check in with them from time to time—even well after the initial project is complete.
You purchase a new car—a big-ticket investment—and, once you walk off the lot… poof. It’s like you disappeared from the mind of your car dealer almost immediately. That’s a gut-wrenching feeling. But, it’s just the way some businesses are, allowing you to feel—right from the start—that you’re just another number in their books.
In your case, it’s no sweat for you to shake hands and call it a day after you’ve wrapped up a project for your client. But, doing that means you’re taking the easy way out and you’ll leave them with the same feeling I shared earlier—like just another number in your books and more money in your bank.
The way I look at it is, you have two paths you can take—you can follow the crowd and be what many refer to as a “sheep,” leaving your clients in the dust (hey, you’ve completed the project! What else is there to do, right?). Or, you can follow Robert Frost’s words of wisdom and take the road less traveled.
I prefer the latter, meaning, check in with your client from time to time—even well after the initial project is complete.
Here’s how: if they’re local, pop into their office and say hi. It will be a welcomed and much-appreciated visit! And, continue to bring ideas to the table even if they have absolutely nothing to do with your business. It’ll show you truly care about your relationship with them and want to continue helping them. Not to mention, you want to see them grow and succeed.
After all, you’re friends (because, if you’ve followed the previous steps, you’ve worked your way up to that). And, friends look out for each other’s best interest.
One thing is for sure: building and nurturing relationships with your clients is not for the lazy. Yet, when you put in the hard work and make them feel valued and appreciated, you’ll be rewarded. And, chances are, that reward will be referrals for even more business for your budding Facebook ad agency.
Best of all, if you’re craving more information like what was shared here today, I’d like to invite you to join AdLab. It’s an ever-evolving ad strategy course on all things Facebook advertising, helping grow your agency and generate profit for years to come.
Have questions or something to share about client relationship building and nurturing? Drop us a message in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you.
