With so many new changes in the digital landscape, it’s essential to keep up with the latest trends and stay equipped with the latest tools for maximum efficiency.
Give your agency a competitive edge next year by placing more emphasis on the technology your team uses.
For a complete breakdown of digital marketing agency priorities for the coming year, read the full report.
2. Achieve continued agency growth in 2023 by upgrading your digital marketing service offerings
According to CallRail’s survey, 98% of agencies agree that new offerings will be essential for next year’s growth. The report outlines the current state of agency offerings, as well as the new services they plan to offer in 2023.
The most common services provided by agencies today include:
- Full service digital.
- Branding services.
- Sales training.
- Creative services.
- Email marketing.
- Website design and development.
This is a major change from 2021, where agencies place more emphasis on social media marketing.
There was also a significant focus on marketing automation last year, compared to 2022.
“Although 90% of agencies are satisfied with their position in the market, this does not stop them from adding new offers. To help spur more growth, 91% of agencies added services in the last 12 months, most of them digital.
The best new agency services offerings include:
- Website design and development.
- Paid social.
- Full service digital.
- SEM/Paid Search Advertising.
- Creative services.
If you’re looking to take your agency to the next level in 2023, now is the time to start thinking about how you can expand your offering and better serve your clients’ needs.
Want to learn more about how agencies are improving their service offerings next year? Download the full report for more detailed statistics and data.
3. Try these 5 keys to successful customer acquisition and customer retention
According to CallRail’s report, 95% of agencies say they have met their growth goals for the year.
However, most agencies only maintain stability in regards to customer acquisition and retention, not moving forward.
In 2022, agencies reported an average customer retention rate of 44%, which represents a decrease from the 53% rate in 2021.
Additionally, 79% of agency marketers said they believe client acquisition will be more challenging in 2023 than this year, with 81% expecting the same for client retention.
So how can marketers overcome these challenges for a fruitful 2023?
The report proves it agency-client relationships will be key for successful retention next year.
When it comes to retaining clients, agencies have used a number of methods over the past year. The main methods used during the economic downturn were:
- Increased communication/transparency with existing customers.
- Added new service offerings.
- Increased customer touchpoints.
- Increased reporting efforts.
- Added flexible payment options.
If your goal is to increase your customer retention rate in the future, it’s imperative that your agency prioritizes customer experience. The better your clients feel about working with you, the more likely they are to stick around.
When it comes to customer acquisition, the top sources where marketing agencies find customers are social media and technology partnerships, followed by industry conferences/events, references, and directories.
For more comprehensive data on how agencies find and keep clients, get your copy of the report.
4. Report and measure marketing ROI to prove your value
Despite the many factors that have impacted marketing agencies in recent years, such as pandemic conditions, economic stressors, and changing technology trends, most agencies have reported a strong 2022 and are looking forward to 2023 with optimism.
“However, to maintain this optimism and achieve the goals they set for themselves, agencies will need to keep pace with new marketing trends and evolving channels, while also tackling challenges such as client acquisition and retention, the ongoing uncertainty cost-effectiveness and ROI demonstration for their customers.”
Part of ensuring customer satisfaction for increased retention is demonstrating the value and effectiveness of your agency – measuring return on investment (ROI) for your marketing efforts is one of the best ways to do this.
Tracking success metrics and measuring campaign results is essential to maintaining transparency with your customers.
How else could you show your clients the extent of your agency’s impact?
Even after you deliver the desired results, if you don’t provide the data to back it up, your clients may reconsider the value your agency generates.
According to CallRail, 80% of marketing agencies agree reporting is essential to their client services and 85% believe demonstrating ROI to clients will be key to growth in 2023.
The data also shows that 51% of agencies say they plan to adopt new tools and technologies to help demonstrate campaign ROI next year.
Although 78% of marketers say they are satisfied with their agency’s technology stack, many agency professionals still see room for improvement and reasons to invest.
Technology clearly plays a central role in agency marketing today.
Not only is it essential for the survival of the agency, but marketers also value technology to support decision making.
Not to mention, clients are more attracted to agencies that offer a complete martech stack and competitive marketing analytics tools.
82% of agencies said they adopted a new marketing technology in 2022 to track campaign ROI and other metrics.
ROI isn’t the only important metric. Marketing analytics is also key to determining the success of a trend or tactic, according to 79% of agency marketers.
Download the full report to learn more about the benefits of reporting and measuring ROI for your clients.
5. Agency forecast: what to focus on next year
“Since a large part of their reputation is tied to keeping up with marketing trends, agencies put a lot of effort into getting to know them.”
It’s important to monitor and learn from the latest trends to help you plan your marketing strategy for 2023.
CallRail’s report shows that some of the most common ways agencies keep abreast of trends include joining marketing associations, keeping up with competitor offerings, and attending industry events.
Many agencies also reported listening to marketing podcasts, reading industry blogs/newsletters/articles, and taking online courses to keep up with trends.
While some trends are considered fads by agency marketers, such as artificial intelligence, zero-click searches, localized SEO, and automation, there are some trends that agencies believe will last a long time, such as:
- Metaverse marketing.
- Personalization.
- Customer community.
- Voice search.
- Visual search.
- Gamification.
- Short-form video content.
- OTT (Over-The-Top/Streaming) advertising.
According to the report, the agencies are also planning to roll out new marketing strategies in 2023, including:
- Visual search.
- Customer community.
- Metaverse Marketing.
- Personalization.
- Short-form video content.
Having an awareness of what other agencies will focus on helps you stay competitive in the industry. Check out the complete CallRail guide for an exclusive look at what your colleagues are planning for next year.
Start refining your 2023 strategy with this marketing insight
CallRail’s report contains all the industry insights you need to shape your strategy for 2023. Find out what digital marketing agencies have in store for the coming year and get you on the right path to success.
“As agencies foresee big changes for marketing in the future, they are also taking steps to adapt by investing in marketing tools, technology and analytics.
If your agency is looking ahead, consider a platform like CallRail that will unify marketing efforts to make it easier to care for your clients and showcase the value of your agency.”
Want to know more about the direction agencies will take next year? Download the ebook and start turning your business goals into reality.
You can also try CallRail’s Call Tracking tool for free today.
[source:journalpur.com]