Every agency loves and needs their clients, that’s a given. Not just because of financial relations but because of the diversity they bring to the table with their own visions, thoughts and various requests that fuel the creative processes behind digital marketing. But it can be pretty difficult and rare to find that sweet spot between a smooth, friendly but professional operation and an unintentionally too friendly, and at times dysfunctional, partnership. Luckily for all of us, most clients are well-meaning and co-operative, and we wanted to appreciate some of the green flags we’ve seen along the way.
1. Respecting Your Internal Processes
This one can be a challenge for both sides. While sometimes clients understandably want to be as involved in the creative process as possible, creative and management teams of any given agency have their own internal relationships and routinized work structures. So the involvement of an external component might prove fruitless or, in some cases, detrimental to the overall success of a business partnership. That’s why it’s a different type of joy we feel when our clients give us the space we need in order for our team’s dynamics to function as intended, which brings about the optimal levels of productivity and quality of production. In short, we can think about agency-client relationships like a friendship where each individual needs some personal space to do what they need to do for the benefit of both sides.
2. Working With You Because They Trust Your Expertise
We can consider this one as an extension of the first green flag. As you can guess, a successful business relationship should be built upon more than an interpersonal sense of trust. The partnership is not going to bear the fruits you expect if the parties involved don’t have faith in each other’s skillsets. To exemplify; say your agency wants to try a new post format or create a brand account on a new social media platform that looks promising, and your client supports these decisions as they feel safe working with your team and their capabilities. Isn’t it a great comfort to know that your clients trust your agency enough to leave the wheel in your hands when needed?
3. Having Specific Short and Long Term Plans for Their Products and Organization
Well, a business partnership rarely starts with no expectations for the future. So it is important for clients to come up with a roadmap of their own to be referenced as we navigate them through the digital space. It also gives us the essential information that we need while mapping your social media, brand story and promotional posts. We could think of it as ordering dinner at a restaurant; the more specific your order is, the more likely it is for you to enjoy your dinner, otherwise the chef is going to try to match vague descriptions which is not the best route to take to pinpoint exactly what you want.
4. Not Violating Your Work Hours
We love a client who takes caution to not violate our team’s work hours with revision requests on the weekend or at midnight. Everybody is entitled to their own time outside their shifts both because of workplace principles and because everybody needs a well-earned rest at the end of the day for physical and mental wellbeing. It can also be a slippery slope between accepting a few extra requests overtime and a habitual stream of them so it’s always a joy when a client respects your team’s daily hours as well as their own.
5. Being Responsive During The Process
Taking the responsibility of a brand’s marketing strategies and roadmap into its future ventures demand that both parties be responsive and open to communication. A partnership’s functionality depends on mutual understanding, especially when the process at hand is conducted remotely and asynchronously. A smooth and flowing communication is vital for the satisfaction of everybody involved, as well as for the results of your social media campaigns to meet your expectations. So when a client supplies this stream of communication, the whole process becomes much more foolproof.
Well, the list can be expanded into infinity and beyond, but you get the gist. It is tough to strike a good balance of sincerity and professionalism as the client team and your own team consist of lots of people with different visions and ideals. But as long as there is mutual respect, understanding and, when needed, compromise, there is no such thing as an unsolvable problem. When these virtues are aligned, it is really one of the best sources of motivation for a digital marketing agency. It also helps us create a working environment that not only promotes wellbeing, but also provides the opportunity to reflect it on our daily lives.
See The Difference
We believe that good communication and respect are paramount to the success of any partnership: these values uplift the quality of any outcome. If this understanding is something you’ve yet to experience with your brand, write to us at [email protected] and meet our team of enthusiastic experts!
