Starting a Digital Marketing Agency

[perchboy]

Starting new business idea
Was making a couple grand a month detailing cars since April but it really slowed down for the summer. Same marketing but much less leads.

A couple days ago, I was bored so I decided to test out a new business.

I asked myself, what are my skills? I'm not good at detailing cars, I'm good at finding clients online for it. Specifically I'm good at optimizing GMB pages. I had 30 reviews and was outranking all the 200+ review giants getting 1 call per day in the past months from it.

Bought 5000 ringless voicemails, and sent a voicemail out to every service business in my city.

"Hey my name is Alex and im calling to offer you 30 leads per month for $100/month.

I got hundreds of calls back but most of them didn't hear the voicemail; They just pressed call back which means I got a bajillion phone calls of people who have no clue what I do. I only replied to leads who messagaed/voicemailed me back asking more questions. My voicemails has problems though so its not reliable.

Talking to my leads
I got on 1 hour phone calls with 2 pest control companies. They vented for one hour about how they're paying 1000-2000/month to an agency right now and getting 0 leads. I got on other calls as well but they were cheap asf asking me to work for free and talking to my like im a piece of shit so I told them to have fun with their dying business. Here I decided that Google Adwords is a big opportunity since agencies suck which breeds huge pain points and I can provide tremendous value.

I have Google Adwords experience learning from @Andy Black while running car detailing. The pest control guys were telling me what the agency is doing with the ads and they have no clue what theyre doing They are just feeding money straight into google's pockets.

Then I realized I can make big money off Google Adwords. $1000/month - spend $500 on adspend and pocket the other $500. 5 clients is 2.5k/month. 20 clients is 10k/month


New ringless voicemail campaign
So i sent a ringless voicemail to every pest control company in Canada. I said to msg me at a different number instead of the number I was calling from (if they pressed call back its an invalid number). Didn't work and got 2 messages back that werent really interested. Im gonna set up an automated system that says "press 1 for consulting about digital marketing" to filter out all the people that are just giving me a call back and didnt hear my voicemail. Then I will have a lead creation machine.

Closing my 2 leads
I'm going to be negotiating a price with them through email tonight. I can probably charge them $200/month + adspend money (i doubt they'll pay big money to a stranger who cold called them) but I want them to see how much my advertising will help their business first before we negotiate pay. I'm confident that I can get them results and I dont have any bills to pay so I have no problem working for free for the first month. I've learned that people love when you come off as transparent with them so by showing them my skills first I'm going to gain their trust.

Im going to send the emails tonight. "$10/day adspend and I'll get you results first before we discuss pay and increase ad budget.

Once these 2 guys sign, I will outreach to some more companies with the same offer.

Inexpensive to start, recurring, fully online, and scalable.
All it comes down to is if I can get them results or not.

 

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[Black_Dragon43]

Awesome progress @perchboy — this is probably the best timing to start an agency, since there is a gold rush ever since covid to start online businesses and market online. As an agency, you’re selling shovels during the gold rush, which is the best place to be.

Here’s a model that you’ll find very helpful in building your agency: NOTABLE! - MARKETING - Does your Agency have the foundations to scale to $1M+?

I encourage you to focus your marketing around a social media channel where you can connect with your niche. I’ve personally done amazing with LinkedIn (and my clients have too).

Your pricing is very low, but at the same time it’s smart in the beginning to optimize for FLOW, not for MONEY. Get as many clients as you can and build as many solid case studies as possible.

Once you have that, it will be much easier to optimize for money.

Lots of new agency owners do outreach for 6 months to get 1x $3K/mo client. That’s time wasted. They could charge much lower prices and get volume first.

 

[mav55339]

Interesting. Isn't this a less than ideal business idea because your money and time are connected? If you don't work one day, then money won't be earned that day.

Also, how do you achieve a "big exit" with this type of business?

 

[Black_Dragon43]

Isn't this a less than ideal business idea because your money and time are connected? If you don't work one day, then money won't be earned that day.

The same way you do for other service businesses — you hire others to do the work.

Also, how do you achieve a "big exit" with this type of business?

You can sell your agency. Usually you’ll be selling to a bigger agency who wants to expand into the niche that you’re active in.

Alternatively you can do what I did with my first agency and transfer clients over to other agencies for a revenue-share deal.

Imo “big exits” are overrated. You want something that continuously prints money for you. Not a “big exit” — regardless of how big it is, you’re stuck with a fixed sum of money even if it’s $10M. I’d much rather prefer owning something that keeps producing money.

 

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[mav55339]

The same way you do for other service businesses — you hire others to do the work.


You can sell your agency. Usually you’ll be selling to a bigger agency who wants to expand into the niche that you’re active in.

Alternatively you can do what I did with my first agency and transfer clients over to other agencies for a revenue-share deal.

Imo “big exits” are overrated. You want something that continuously prints money for you. Not a “big exit” — regardless of how big it is, you’re stuck with a fixed sum of money even if it’s $10M. I’d much rather prefer owning something that keeps producing money.

Thanks. Where can I find out everything I need to know about starting and running a marketing agency? I don't know how to do any digital marketing. If I started an agency, could I just outsource all of the work from the beginning and still be successful?

 

[perchboy]

Thanks. Where can I find out everything I need to know about starting and running a marketing agency? I don't know how to do any digital marketing. If I started an agency, could I just outsource all of the work from the beginning and still be successful?

1. Ringless voicemails
2. Close leads
3. Hire freelancers to do it for you

 

[Black_Dragon43]

If I started an agency, could I just outsource all of the work from the beginning and still be successful?

You could, but it’s unlikely you’ll be successful. I recommend learning and being good at a skill yourself to start with.

You could find people who are good, but it’s messier at first. Since getting results is important, and you basically have to trust someone else 100% to get results for you. Unless you know that person and have worked with them before, that’s hard to do.

I started by freelancing. Then when things got more complex morphed into an agency.

Where can I find out everything I need to know about starting and running a marketing agency?

Free:

Black_Dragon43

www.thefastlaneforum.com

From there go to my website, then under Resources in the menu find the LinkedIn Playbook, which is the exact strategy you need to get clients.

Paid:
MARKETPLACE - Join a Paid Community for Agency Owners as a Founding Member

 

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[Andy Black]

If you don't work one day, then money won't be earned that day.

What if you setup campaigns for a client that work untouched for years and they continue to pay you a flat monthly fee?

how do you achieve a "big exit" with this type of business?

Use your skills to generate leads and start owning what you build instead of "just" doing it as a consultant?

So if Bob's Pest Control wants you to help them get more leads then they could:

1. Hire you as a consultant/agency to run campaigns in their Google Ads account to their website bobspestcontrol.com?
2. Pay you to run ads in their Google Ads account to your landing page contact.bobspestcontrol.com on their website bobspestcontrol.com?
3. Pay you to run ads in your Google Ads account to your landing page bobspestcontrol.nationalpestcontrol.com on your website nationalpestcontrol.com?
4. Pay you for leads that you generate from your Google Ads campaigns and your site nationalpestcontrol.com?
5. Some other way?

@perchboy ... good for you taking a skill that could help people and now figuring out how to get paid for it, and then how to scale it. I'm sure you'll figure it out as you go.

I'm curious if you got your initial Google Ads results by going through my course or if you figured it out from all my other content.

 

[mav55339]

What if you setup campaigns for a client that work untouched for years and they continue to pay you a flat monthly fee?


Use your skills to generate leads and start owning what you build instead of "just" doing it as a consultant?

So if Bob's Pest Control wants you to help them get more leads then they could:

1. Hire you as a consultant/agency to run campaigns in their Google Ads account to their website bobspestcontrol.com?
2. Pay you to run ads in their Google Ads account to your landing page contact.bobspestcontrol.com on their website bobspestcontrol.com?
3. Pay you to run ads in your Google Ads account to your landing page bobspestcontrol.nationalpestcontrol.com on your website nationalpestcontrol.com?
4. Pay you for leads that you generate from your Google Ads campaigns and your site nationalpestcontrol.com?
5. Some other way?

@perchboy ... good for you taking a skill that could help people and now figuring out how to get paid for it, and then how to scale it. I'm sure you'll figure it out as you go.

Thanks. How would you set up a campaign that could be untouched for many years?

 

[Andy Black]

Thanks. How would you set up a campaign that could be untouched for many years?

Ahhh... the million dollar question.

Setup campaigns so they generate sufficient leads and sales for the right price for clients that provide a good service. Personally, I find dealing with smaller businesses works better where you're dealing with the business owner... rather than dealing with larger corporations who have a turnover of staff you have to deal with.

 

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[perchboy]

I'm curious if you got your initial Google Ads results by going through my course or if you figured it out from all my other content.

I got your starter course but we also hopped on a call a couple months ago and you walked me through it.

I’ve also read some of your threads which were a huge help in understanding your strategy. Especially your “landing pages don’t convert” thread

 

[Spenny]

Awesome to see your testing, I'll be following along.

 

[perchboy]

I’m still getting calls from tons of companies begging me to start running GMB for them but then they hit me with the “I don’t want to give you owner permission” (they can stop paying me once I do all the work and keep the ranked account) and “I don’t want to give you a deposit” (I can do all the work and then they can keep the money or just pay me once while the business page is ranked for a long time)

Lessons learned:

1. GMB is hard to make it recurring since I’m not in control of their page. They can kick me out at any time. Just like if I run Google Ads on someone else’s account they can kick me out and keep my ads running

2. market yourself as low-ticket if you want to work with parsimonious low-quality clients

 

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[Andy Black]

I got your starter course but we also hopped on a call a couple months ago and you walked me through it.

I’ve also read some of your threads which were a huge help in understanding your strategy. Especially your “landing pages don’t convert” thread

Oh, that was you? Good stuff. I can never remember folks based on their forum names and avatars!

 

[TCMorgan]

Amazing job taking action! I run an agency in the pest control niche and let me tell you... It's no surprise to me that pest control operators are calling you back. There's maybe one reputable agency that is competing against us. Everyone else has horror stories lined up against them.

Quick side note: you mentioned offering $10/day ad spend. Pest control search cost per clicks are insane. Definitely work a mix of display in as well. Shoot me a DM if you want to chat anything pest control specific!

Best of luck!

 

[adnanazmi]

Awesome progress @perchboy — this is probably the best timing to start an agency, since there is a gold rush ever since covid to start online businesses and market online. As an agency, you’re selling shovels during the gold rush, which is the best place to be.

Here’s a model that you’ll find very helpful in building your agency: NOTABLE! - MARKETING - Does your Agency have the foundations to scale to $1M+?

I encourage you to focus your marketing around a social media channel where you can connect with your niche. I’ve personally done amazing with LinkedIn (and my clients have too).

Your pricing is very low, but at the same time it’s smart in the beginning to optimize for FLOW, not for MONEY. Get as many clients as you can and build as many solid case studies as possible.

Once you have that, it will be much easier to optimize for money.

Lots of new agency owners do outreach for 6 months to get 1x $3K/mo client. That’s time wasted. They could charge much lower prices and get volume first.

Hey Black Dragon, I am using LinkedIn as well. Anyone you would recommend learning from on how to crush getting leads on LinkedIn?

 

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[Black_Dragon43]

Hey Black Dragon, I am using LinkedIn as well. Anyone you would recommend learning from on how to crush getting leads on LinkedIn?

Yes, that would be me. In all honesty I cannot recommend anyone else, since I don’t know of anyone who managed to sign 100+ clients from LinkedIn in a few months. So click my profile below:

Black_Dragon43

From there go to my website, then under Resources in the nav menu find the LinkedIn Playbook, which is the exact strategy I’ve used on LinkedIn (and teaching it got me banned).

(Btw @BizyDad thinks you’re all my alt accounts and I made you ask so that I can promote myself — I know it! Remember Bizy, I’m the Walter of digital agencies AND I only suffer of OCD not multiple personality disorder!!)

 

[adnanazmi]

Yes, that would be me. In all honesty I cannot recommend anyone else, since I don’t know of anyone who managed to sign 100+ clients from LinkedIn in a few months. So click my profile below:

Black_Dragon43

From there go to my website, then under Resources in the nav menu find the LinkedIn Playbook, which is the exact strategy I’ve used on LinkedIn (and teaching it got me banned).

(Btw @BizyDad thinks you’re all my alt accounts and I made you ask so that I can promote myself — I know it! Remember Bizy, I’m the Walter of digital agencies AND I only suffer of OCD not multiple personality disorder!!)

Hey @Black_Dragon43 thank you for that. I use Notion as my knowledge base as well. Btw the link goes into the spam folder so may want to check what can be done about that. Also love your hustle. What's your SMMA monthly revenue?

I started an AAA because I think I am really good with prompting ChatGPT.

 

[Black_Dragon43]

Hey @Black_Dragon43 thank you for that. I use Notion as my knowledge base as well. Btw the link goes into the spam folder so may want to check what can be done about that. Also love your hustle. What's your SMMA monthly revenue?

I started an AAA because I think I am really good with prompting ChatGPT.

We’re at 65K/mo atm. Thanks for the spam prompt, will need to look into that. What email provider are you using, and does it land in Promotions or outright Spam?

 

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[adnanazmi]

We’re at 65K/mo atm. Thanks for the spam prompt, will need to look into that. What email provider are you using, and does it land in Promotions or outright Spam?

I use Gmail. It lands in the Spam folder.

65K per month is amazing. Inspirational!
Did it take your years? Are you affiliated with Joel?

 

[Black_Dragon43]

65K per month is amazing. Inspirational!
Did it take your years? Are you affiliated with Joel?

Well it happened quite quickly, but I've been preparing for years. My first agency also had months when we did $65K, even more, the only issue was that it wasn't subscription-based as this one is – rather it was project-based. So some huge months, and other months where the income was much lower.

My huge advantage is that now, after 12+ years online, I can do everything myself – building websites, designing, copywriting, strategy, managing website security, creating mockups, setting up email accounts, creating content, running ads etc. As a result of that, I have tremendous flexibility and speed. Whatever needs to get done quickly I can do it. I never need to resort to someone – often I prefer doing that if it's not urgent, but it's not a necessity.

Being an expert at everything that has to do with digital marketing has enabled me to literarily say "I want to start a community" and 7 days later get the community started and bring in 30 people into it, which you saw on the forum most recently.

As a result, my company achieves in DAYS what others take MONTHS to achieve. I wanted to set up my podcast, in 7 days I had a team of 3 people assembled, the website designed, and 5 episodes pumped out while taking care of everything else. I haven't seen someone capable to match this speed of execution.

It does have its drawbacks because often I take action without weighing the possible consequences, and as a result sometimes I need to turn around and take another decision instead, replacing what I had been working on. I think my progress would be faster if I had more wisdom and would think through things more rather than being impulsive and pressing on the trigger ASAP. I literarily have 0 patience LOL.

For your last question, I'm not sure what/which Joel you're asking about?

 

[perchboy]

A pest control company which I’m working for free for the first month just gave me their website login so I can set up some quick landing pages and install conversion tracking. They have

Adspend invoice is due for when we start the campaign.

Campaign will start on the 25th when the owner gets back in town.

I'm going to take a look at his Google maps listing tonight since he said that he's been getting 1/10th of the leads he used to be getting from it.

He also said he knows tons of people who are in need of my help and he'll be sending them my way.

Again, it all comes down to if my Google Ads perform.

If I can get $5 back for every $1 adspend (it is achievable as I did it with car detailing) I'm essentially a money printing machine who gives him $5 whenever he puts $1 in. I can charge $5000/month to generate him $25,000/month and he'd be stupid to say no.

 

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[23Infinity]

Great, definitely get the amount for the ad spend upfront. Usually its a sign of commitment, I never even started building the campaign for my first client until he wrote the cheque (fee + ad spend, although I gave him the first two weeks free - but basically he paid for 1 month and got 2 free weeks + 4 paid weeks), managed to hectically set up the campaign in the 3 days after that, but nothing wrong with setting things up to be ready to go if you feel he's firmly committed (assuming its your own ad account you are running ads from where you are running the ads).


If you can bear the cost, would definitely recommend the use of a call tracking software such as Callrail, its pricey but lets the client know that it's a call from your google ad, not a regular customer. The clients goes "oh wow this is a real lead from this marketing guy". Maybe there's some sort of coupon or code for something like half off for this software you can find, or a free trial (not sure though, I haven't seen any so far).

 

[perchboy]

Just got a deposit for AdSpend from a window installer guy who I'm gonna be running ads for for free for 2 weeks.

He's in desperate need of getting some sales right now.

An opportunity to provide insane value and sign a long term client.

 

[perchboy]

I set up an automated phone system that qualifies leads through dial system and voicemail and then sends me a message with the contact info. It was great.

I got banned for "suspicious activity". Probably from the ringless voicemails.

I won't need to outreach anymore though since once I help these 2 guys out I'll be getting referrals.

 

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[Wizza134]

Damn, bro reading this is inspiring A week in and you already have 2 clients. I've never heard of ringless voicemails. I should maybe give them a try along with my LinkedIn outreach.

Keep up the hard work man.

 

[perchboy]

Ads went up for window installer last night. Got our first lead this morning. Google says we have no clicks yet though so I don't know if it just hasn't updated yet or if the traffic came from somewhere else (i cant think of anywhere else it would come from).

The window installer is based in a small city with barely any traffic so I'm going to have to brainstorm some ideas to get them more traffic.

Getting results is extremely motivating. It makes me go to sleep and wake up excited to kill it.

 

[perchboy]

Pest control ad spend payment came in last night. Gonna have ads up in the next few days.

 

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[aDollarMight]

Off topic but reading your thread got me wondering what payment service do you use for receiving money from your clients?

As teenagers, we can't use a Stripe or Paypal merchant account to do so, but there's also Interac that offers payments reception regardless of the age within Canada (I'm also Canadian).

Just curious about the payment method you are using.

 

[perchboy]

Off topic but reading your thread got me wondering what payment service do you use for receiving money from your clients?

As teenagers, we can't use a Stripe or Paypal merchant account to do so, but there's also Interac that offers payments reception regardless of the age within Canada (I'm also Canadian).

Just curious about the payment method you are using.

Why can’t we use stripe or PayPal? I’ve used both of them in the past.

I was originally sending invoices through Zoho invoice with Stripe but they prefer to pay e transfer anyways. Better for me since there’s no fees.

Anything works tbh. You don’t need to be so professional. They can hire an agency if they want that. Be a trustful person who helps out their business.