Outreaching potential clients is one of the most important aspects of running a successful social media marketing agency (SMMA). However, it can also be one of the most challenging, especially when starting out. Here are some tips on how to effectively outreach clients for your SMMA:
Define your ideal client
Before you start reaching out to potential clients, take some time to define your ideal client persona. Consider factors like company size, industry, location, and budget. Outlining your ideal client will help you create more targeted, effective outreach campaigns. For example, if you specialize in social media marketing for small local businesses, you would target companies with less than 50 employees in your city or region.
Identify outreach channels
There are many different channels you can use to connect with potential clients. Consider which of these strategies may work for reaching your ideal customers:
- Cold email outreach
- Social media messaging
- Guest posting on industry blogs
- Networking events
- Cold calling
A combination of digital outreach like email and social media along with in-person networking often works best. Prioritize the 2-3 strategies that align most closely with your ideal client.
Create personalized outreach templates
When doing any type of digital outreach like email or social media messaging, you want to personalize your message as much as possible. Research each prospect beforehand so you can add specific details:
- Mention clients they remind you of
- Note algoithms/tactics that could help their business based on their current marketing
- Compliment recent achievements like rankings/campaigns
However, you should also develop templates that include key details about your SMMA. This way you can easily customize each message while keeping a consistent structure. Include details like:
- A brief company intro
- Your experience/expertise
- Case study examples
- Services offered
- Call-to-action for a follow-up
Make follow-up a priority
It typically takes 4-6 follow-up contacts before a lead converts into a client. Set reminders to follow-up with all your outreach campaigns. Follow-up messages can offer new information like:
- A new case study or example client success
- Relevant industry news or insights
- New service offerings or packages
- Updated company achievements like rankings, leads generated, etc.
Following up shows prospects you are persistent and passionate about helping their business.
Track and optimize outreach
Be sure to track all of your outreach efforts so you can optimize and improve your strategy over time. Tracking metrics like:
- Open/click rates on emails
- Common questions from prospects
- Most effective follow-up timelines
- Conversion rates by channel
Will allow you to double down on what’s working and refine what’s not. You may find email outreach converts better than social outreach for your business, for example.
Offer value to build relationships
When reaching out to potential clients, focus on offering value instead of making a hard sales pitch. Provide useful advice and insight related to their business, like:
- Tips to improve website copy or load times
- Recommendations for better social media engagement
- Suggestions for improving SEO or PPC campaigns
This helps build relationships and establishes you as a trusted industry resource. Once prospects see your expertise in action, they will be more inclined to hire you.
Have patience and persistence
It takes time and consistent effort to generate leads and convert them into paying clients. Be patient but persistent in reaching out to your target customers. Maintain organized lead lists you can methodically work through with structured follow-up. With a thoughtful, strategic approach to outreach, you will be on the path to SMMA success.
Conclusion
Outreaching potential clients is critical but challenging work for social media marketing agencies. Define your target customers, identify the best outreach channels, create personalized messaging, follow-up consistently, track data, provide value, and exercise patience in your efforts. With smart, structured outreach techniques, you can build relationships with prospects and win new business.
| Outreach Channel | Ideal For… | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Email | All prospects | – Scalable reach – Low cost – Can include lots of detail |
– Low response rates – Seen as “spammy” |
| Social Media | Active social media users | – Higher open rates – Direct access to decision makers – Builds relationships |
– Smaller reach – Harder to track |
| Guest Posting | Ideal customers reading industry blogs | – Establish thought leadership – Targeted audiences – High conversion potential |
– Very time intensive – Difficult to secure posts |
| Networking Events | All prospects open to in-person meetings | – Build strong relationships – Share examples and stories – Generate word-of-mouth |
– Small reach at each event – High time investment |
| Cold Calling | Traditional organizations | – Direct contact and questions – Faster follow-up possible – Higher response rates than cold email |
– Intrusive for many prospects – Time intensive – Scaling reach difficult |
