What Services To Offer In Your SMMA As A Beginner

Summary

In this episode of 'Tom and Harry's SMMA Unfiltered,' the hosts delve into the world of starting a digital marketing agency, specifically focusing on local lead generation for beginners. They emphasize the importance of offering paid ads, creating high-converting landing pages, setting up effective automation for lead nurturing, and mastering email marketing. The discussion also touches on the evolution of digital marketing since 2018 and the necessity of adapting to current trends. The hosts advocate for a professional approach, highlighting the low costs and high profitability of starting a digital marketing agency, and invite viewers to join their academy for in-depth training on these topics.

Takeaways

• 🚀 For beginners in digital marketing, starting with local lead generation businesses is recommended due to the lower complexity and the ability to leverage local proximity.
• 💼 E-commerce brands are more challenging for beginners as they typically require testimonials and case studies, which new agencies may not yet have.
• 📈 Local businesses are ideal targets for beginners since they can benefit from increased local inquiries and leads through digital marketing efforts.
• 🎯 Initially, focusing on a single service like Facebook ads can be a good strategy for new agencies to establish their expertise and grow their client base.
• 📊 The importance of adapting to the changing digital marketing landscape is emphasized, as strategies that worked six years ago may not be effective today.
• 🔑 Four key pillars for a successful digital marketing agency in 2024 include paid ads, funnel and landing pages, automation and lead nurturing, and email marketing.
• 📝 Landing pages have evolved significantly and are now critical for converting ad traffic effectively, with high-quality pages outperforming average website conversions.
• 💬 The distinction between leads and paying clients is crucial; leads require nurturing through automation to convert into sales.
• 💰 Email marketing is a straightforward yet powerful tool for engaging with both existing and new clients, often providing quick wins for agencies.
• 📲 Text message marketing and automations are additional services that can be offered to clients, enhancing the overall digital marketing strategy and improving client results.
• 🌟 High-level tools and platforms like High Level are game-changers, offering significant benefits in lead nurturing and client communication for agencies.

Q & A

What is the primary focus for beginners starting a digital marketing agency?

The primary focus for beginners should be on local lead generation businesses, as targeting e-commerce brands that sell products online is too difficult without the necessary expertise.

Why are local businesses ideal for beginner agencies?

Local businesses are ideal because beginners can leverage their locality to bring them leads, and these businesses typically have a lower barrier to entry compared to e-commerce brands.

What was the initial service offered by the speakers when they first started their agencies?

One speaker initially offered Facebook ads, while the other focused on landing pages, although they didn't initially consider landing pages as a separate service.

How has the digital marketing landscape changed since the speakers started their agencies?

The landscape has changed significantly, with the need to adapt to new platforms and strategies. The speakers mention that some 'gurus' who were successful six years ago no longer have agencies because they couldn't adapt to these changes.

What are the four key pillars that a beginner agency should implement according to the speakers?

The four key pillars include paid ads, high-converting landing pages, automation and lead nurturing, and email marketing.

Why is automation and lead nurturing important in the current digital marketing strategy?

Automation and lead nurturing are crucial as they help convert leads into paying clients, which is the ultimate goal for businesses. This process has become more sophisticated and effective in the last 12 to 18 months.

What role does email marketing play in a beginner agency's service offering?

Email marketing is a fundamental service that helps maintain brand exposure and drive sales by engaging with both existing and newly acquired leads through branded emails and reactivation campaigns.

How do the speakers view the importance of investing in a digital marketing agency?

The speakers emphasize that investing in a digital marketing agency is crucial for success, and they argue that it's one of the most cost-effective and profitable business models, requiring minimal startup costs.

What additional pillar of service do the speakers mention that can enhance a beginner agency's offerings?

The additional pillar mentioned is text message marketing, which can be used for promotions and brand engagement outside of the automated lead nurturing process.

What is the speakers' stance on the necessity of professional quality in digital marketing services?

The speakers stress the importance of maintaining professional quality in all services rendered, as delivering subpar work can harm the agency's reputation and success.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Starting an Agency in Digital Marketing

The video script discusses the challenges and considerations for beginners starting a digital marketing agency, particularly focusing on the services to offer and how to approach local businesses for lead generation. The hosts emphasize the importance of adapting to the evolving digital marketing landscape and highlight the necessity of offering services like Facebook ads, landing pages, and lead nurturing to stay competitive. They also reflect on their own experiences and the changes in the industry since they started their agency.

05:01

📈 Essential Services for New Agencies

This section delves into the fundamental services that new agencies must offer, such as paid advertising, landing pages, and automation for lead nurturing. The hosts discuss the importance of mastering paid ads across various platforms like Facebook and TikTok, creating high-converting landing pages, and setting up effective automation for lead follow-up. They also touch on the significance of email marketing and text message marketing as part of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy for local businesses.

10:03

💼 Building a Digital Marketing Business Model

The hosts provide insights into the business model of a digital marketing agency, emphasizing the low cost of entry and the potential for high profitability. They discuss the minimal expenses involved in delivering services like high-level automation, email marketing platforms, and SMS marketing, which are often paid for by the clients. The conversation highlights the ease of starting a digital marketing agency with a focus on quality and professionalism, and the importance of investing in the right tools and strategies to succeed in the industry.

15:03

🌟 The Academy: A Resource for New Marketers

In the final paragraph, the hosts introduce their Academy as a resource for beginners in digital marketing. They outline the comprehensive training provided, which includes step-by-step instructions on Facebook ads, TikTok ads, sales funnel creation, and automation strategies. The hosts stress their commitment to quality and professionalism, offering a supportive and accountable environment for new marketers to learn and grow. They invite viewers to join their community and benefit from their expertise and mentorship.

Keywords

💡SMM

SMM stands for Social Media Marketing, which is the use of social media platforms and websites to promote a product or service. In the video, SMM is discussed as a starting point for beginners looking to establish a digital marketing agency, emphasizing the importance of adapting to the changing landscape of digital marketing.

💡Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing refers to the use of digital channels to promote or market products and services. The video focuses on the evolution of digital marketing, particularly the shift towards more sophisticated strategies and tools, which are essential for beginners to master in order to succeed in the industry.

💡Lead Generation

Lead generation is the process of attracting and converting strangers and prospects into potential customers by encouraging them to share their contact information. The video suggests that beginners should focus on local lead generation businesses as a starting point for their agency services.

💡E-commerce

E-commerce refers to the buying and selling of goods or services using the internet, and the processes involved. The script mentions that e-commerce brands often require more expertise and testimonials, making them a less suitable target for beginners starting a digital marketing agency.

💡Local Businesses

Local businesses are small-scale enterprises that operate in a specific geographic area. The video emphasizes the importance of targeting local businesses for beginners in digital marketing, as they can leverage locality and are more accessible for starting an agency.

💡Facebook Ads

Facebook Ads are a form of online advertising that businesses use to reach potential customers on Facebook. The video discusses Facebook Ads as one of the fundamental services that a beginner's agency should offer, highlighting its role in introducing brands to new audiences.

💡Landing Pages

A landing page is a standalone web page, designed specifically for marketing or advertising purposes. It is mentioned in the video as a crucial component of a digital marketing strategy, used to convert traffic from ads into leads or customers.

💡Automation

Automation in digital marketing refers to the use of software to automate repetitive tasks. The video highlights the importance of automation in lead nurturing and email marketing, as it helps to streamline processes and improve conversion rates.

💡Email Marketing

Email marketing is the act of sending emails to potential or current customers with the goal of promoting products or services. The video suggests that email marketing is a straightforward and effective tool for beginners to use in their digital marketing services, particularly for re-engaging customers and promoting offers.

💡High-Level Automation

High-level automation refers to advanced marketing automation tools that can manage complex tasks such as lead nurturing and customer relationship management. The video mentions the introduction of high-level automation as a significant game-changer in the digital marketing landscape, particularly beneficial for agencies.

💡Text Messaging Marketing

Text messaging marketing, also known as SMS marketing, involves sending promotional messages to potential or current customers via text messages. The video discusses the implementation of text messaging as part of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy, emphasizing its effectiveness in promoting brands and offers.

Highlights

The video discusses starting a digital marketing agency, focusing on local lead generation businesses for beginners.

E-commerce brands are more challenging for beginners due to their need for expertise and testimonials.

Local businesses are ideal for beginners as they can leverage locality to bring leads.

The importance of offering Facebook ads as a fundamental service for beginner agencies.

Landing pages have become advanced and are now considered a service in their own right.

The evolution of digital marketing since 2024 has made it necessary to adapt to new strategies.

Highlighting the four key pillars that every beginner agency must implement.

The necessity of paid ads for introducing brands to new audiences.

The significance of having a high-converting landing page and funnel for ads.

Automation and lead nurturing have become game-changers in digital marketing.

The distinction between leads and paying clients, and the importance of lead quality.

Email marketing as a crucial component of digital marketing for existing and growing databases.

The role of SMS marketing in promoting brands and driving sales.

The low cost of starting a digital marketing agency and the potential for high profitability.

The importance of investing in digital marketing tools and platforms for business growth.

The academy's mentorship program that teaches the four pillars step by step.

The value of the academy's comprehensive approach to teaching digital marketing strategies.

The emphasis on quality and professionalism in digital marketing services.

Transcripts

hi guys and welcome to Tom and Harry

smma unfiltered this video is about if

you're brand new you're new to the space

you're new to smma or what is now really

digital digital marketing um you want to

start your agency you're kind of

dabbling in it you've kind of done it

the chances are you might even be

talking to people about your

business how do you what sorry what

services you going to offer how you

going to go about doing it how do you

explain it what's worthy of of giving

out to someone for your fee you're going

to charge so this podcast this video

let's get into it y so I think the first

thing to do

mate I think we should discuss like what

type of businesses that beginners do go

after because then you kind of have to

fit your services to the type of

businesses you go after don't you you

yeah you do yeah so let's we can't do it

that we can't talk about this for every

for every Niche can't we no I think the

B the bottom line of it is if you're a

beginner agency and you're brand new you

have to go after local lead generation

businesses you can't go after e-commerce

brands that sell products online because

it's just too difficult and you don't

have the expertise and also those

e-commerce brands are more inclined to

want testimonials from you and case

studies just because they're more

experienced and there's more on the line

for them so if you're a beginner you are

going to be going after local businesses

ideally in your area so you can leverage

locality and you bring them leads

essentially so you're doing local lead

genen to increase the number of

inquiries that your Lo this local

business is getting for their for the

service they're offering yeah and I

think when we look back on when we first

started well you might be different to

me but what we like we were I was just

offering remember when I first began I

was just offering what was then called

Facebook

ads yeah did were you doing the what I

was doing I think I think I was doing

land I was doing I know I did I always

did a landing page mate because I I did

yeah I yeah same saying I mean as a I

never classed landing pages as a service

though I I do now yeah I just did yeah I

just did add the landing page that's it

it's funny that because I even though

when you put together all these um

projects for people you just say oh I'm

G to send it to a landing page and it's

going to convert and this and stuff but

it takes a lot of time landing pages

have become so Advanced now like it's

not like an opin box anymore and there's

a whole bunch of things behind the

scenes that that convert the lead but

it's funny I never considered it up

until when we teach it teach how people

how to do it that it was a service um

but I remember I first offered Facebook

ads that was it one thing yeah yeah I

mean let's let's rattle through them

mate so if you're

doing I think what what's worth

highlighting in this as being a beginner

in this now in 2024 mate is different to

being a beginner starting your

agency massively 100% which is why you

get the gurus that had an agency six

years ago that don't have an agency now

because they couldn't adapt with the

times because of how different it came

now they offer their mentorship to other

agency owners teaching how to start an

agency and they teach things that we

look at and we come on this channel and

say I can't believe this is being taught

because they're they're teaching smma

and they have the same mindset of smma

from when they launched it six years ago

I think there's very few people mate

that are like us that have been around

and had an agency then and Haven a

successful agency now because it has

changed like you used to literally be

able to get one Facebook ad up on one

audience to one product like on a of a

um Ali Express image of that product and

get loads of sales and it could be more

opposite from that now you have to have

which is why the DCA 3.0 which our

mentorship program that the the new one

we've

launched on the landing page we make

such a massive thing about it don't we

about like implementing these four key

pillars and even if you're a beginner

you have to implement these four key

pillars in my view yeah I think there's

four and then there's an additional five

to get the deal over the line yeah which

is really clever but let's just talk

about if you're a

beginner yeah what what we can offer

first thing mate you hit you tell them

one thing that as a beginner they need

to do I'd say PID ads paid ads is the

fundamental service that all social

media marketing agencies have to offer

because otherwise how are you going to

get your the brand into loads and loads

of people and that can't just be

Facebook unfortunately it and this might

I think the way loads of people speak

about social media marketing and digital

marketing for beginners mate I think

they they like baby it like a lot they

like act as if everyone's really [ __ ]

stupid which we I don't think we do

because I I I don't agree with it like I

think people go all right you're

starting a social media marketing agency

like you you're really stupid so just

you know focus on this really basic

thing whereas I don't do you not think

that like because in the academy we

don't do that like all new agencies that

could join like because majority of the

people that join the academy are

beginners who have never had a client

and we get them to where they want to go

and we throw them in the dend mate we're

like right no you need to learn Facebook

ads Tik Tok ads it's not a [ __ ] big

ask if you've got two brain cells up

there you can learn Facebook ads and Tik

Tok ads when you're doing it like let's

not be around the bush it's not [ __ ]

difficult is it well Tik Tok ads out of

all the platforms is probably the

easiest one of a lot exactly so like

when you're learning paid ads you may as

well [ __ ] learn them on all platforms

it's not you can learn like it's it's

different if you're learning from

YouTube but if you're learning from like

a mentor which is why we have it in the

academy you can learn four Platforms in

two weeks by watching all the videos

yeah you can it's like it's

[ __ ] what people struggle with as a

beginner is coming up with ideas for

your client of what the ads can be yeah

but I mean that can all be taught as

well like in the academy we talk about

where to get ideas from and leveraging

and well you go Facebook ads libr for a

start and you'll see a whole bunch of

ads so it's like exactly yeah but no

you're right so the first thing as a

beginner you're going to run you need to

have paid ad yeah you need to have paid

ads in your locker to get that brand in

front of hundreds of thousands of people

to grow it otherwise if you're relying

on social media management or their

existing database you're only going to

deal with what they've got so you need a

way to introduce to new people so that's

pillar one y agree two mate pillar two

is you need to have a funnel and and a

landing page where and and I got to put

these two together really but funnel

landing page to automation lead

nurturing it's the I think it's the

biggest Game Changer in the

last 12 to 18 months I would say I'd say

I'd say since I started my agency this

has been the biggest

change no as in like the nurturing

process now though that we've got

available to us through high level yeah

that's that's an high level only really

bur yes yes yes yeah so I meant like the

INT in the introduction of high level

has been the biggest like benefit from

when I first started my agency if people

are listening to they're like what's

high level you need to do a bit more

research guys but most people should

know dude I don't know but I think

either way you need a really good

landing page that that gives all the

information about the service or the

offer that you're talking about on your

ads and you're working them way down the

what we call down down sales funnel and

then you get to like the nurturing and

and within that as part of your service

you're offering text messaging that go

to the lead immediately in a

conversation style followup and then

you've got emails that go out to that

lead too um and if people don't reply

they get messages there's a whole bunch

of automations that you can do to get

that person who submitted their lead

let's say that someone who wants like

um a Botox or a lip filler you know do

not beginners need to

understand they understand they need to

understand this mate don't they where

when a lead comes through it's not a

sale there's a difference between a lead

and a paying client yeah and it's

been the journey used to be this big

yeah and and it's always been a problem

mate like even when I started my agency

like with with the first dentists I had

it there was always a convers even when

Facebook ads were really easy like

there there was always a conversation of

just being poor lead quality poor lead

quality like you're going to get that

all the time and the only way you solve

that is through the automation side of

things so like pillar two is kind of you

need a you need a high converting

destination for the ads you're creating

in pillar one if you're sending them to

your website or your client's website

you you're not going to convert them a

good rate typically like an average

website converts to 2% some of our

landing pages convert at 9% which is

just ridiculous because you're squeezing

way more juice out of the ad spend that

you're spending so that's like how you

so pillar one's how you introduce the

brand to new people landing pages is how

you convert that traffic at a really

good rate and then the automations is

how you're going to make the most money

out of the lead you're bringing that

client which is all the client cares

about the client doesn't care about

having two million leads a month which I

see loads of people offer as like their

their 2024 agency offer is I can bring

you 75 leads a week all your money back

when it's like I never understood that

because businesses don't really give a

[ __ ] about leads like if we like which

is why we don't use leads in any of our

case studies because no one gives a [ __ ]

like you could bring them 900 leads a

day if they're all [ __ ] [ __ ] they

don't give a [ __ ] like it means nothing

and that's what that automation process

does I agree okay next what's the next

thing you should offer as a beginner and

then email marketing so email marketing

is kind of is part of that automation as

well but also outside the automated

process of of the lead campaign you need

to be doing email marketing to their

existing database and their growing

database so so yeah so like real quick

wins is just like getting hold of their

database their existing email list and

just sending out some really nice

branded emails with special offers

reactivation campaigns and just get

these leads back spending money with

them like it's such an easy way to to to

get your ads spend or your service fee

paid for and then everything else on

Top's profit so it's like such a good

pill

if beginners what beginners need to know

is like email marketing is actually

really really straightforward and simple

get a good template talk about a

particular product or service or bring

them back any any which way you can

bring them back to the funnel again yeah

um but you should be offering you know

think about it as a beginner now whose

marketing whose email marketing list are

you on you might be on in the UK gim you

might be on gymshark you might be on

Tiffany and Co you could be on Louis

Vuitton like all these brands do email

marketing and you get an email some

Brands like L Von are emailing and JY

shark I think Jim shark email every

other day yeah like and B Powers I'm

pretty sure they email once a day like

my yeah my protein like if not every

day it does and it does help because you

know it does help Drive brand exposure

and then you're more likely to take

action yeah but yeah that's the next

perod you should be offering Emil

marketing um what's the fourth

one uh well the fourth one is kind of

automations yeah text messaging Cent

automations is one but again outside of

automations mate we often Implement txt

marketing yeah so just text messages

that go

out like like Pizza Hut do you know

dominoes they send you one to say hey

like B get free we do that with our

clients which just like one message a

month a week or two two two a month go

out just promoting the brand yeah yeah

and it sounds like we've run through

them there very quickly but it's and it

sounds way more complicated than it is

it's very like and it all happens in

stages so if you're a beginner you sign

a client first of all you create the

landing page because that's where all

your emails are going to go your SMS are

going to goit typically for those for

that specific call to action and your

ads are all going to be sent to that

landing page which then filter through

to your automation so that's like the

fundamental building block you build

these campaigns on so you sign a client

build them a landing page you build them

the automation that's setting Stone then

you launch the ads to that landing page

and then you get your email marketing

and SMS on the back end which deals with

their existing database so it happens in

stages and there's no reason why as a

beginner even if you're doing it for a

low fee at this at the start you can't

be implementing all of that stuff it

doesn't cost you all you need is to buy

a go high level account for

$97 a month they'll pay for their email

marketing platform like MailChimp you

just get them set up on it and they'll

pay for it um SMS they pick up the cost

for ad spend they pick up the cost for

so really the only expense you have to

deliver all those pillars is is high

level it's like makes me laugh mate when

people say well how much is it to start

marketing like a digital marketing

company marketing

agency and we and you read off a couple

of things like like you just said go

Cana maybe a a do a panda do or whatever

sends a contract through they like oh

man well it's going to cost me like 150

quid a

month well yeah dude it's the cheapest

most cost effective profitable business

model ever I know and but that's not a

lot you know you named one other

business where you don't need any

startup cost at all I know it's mad and

I think I think it's change I think it

is changing now where people realize if

you're going to do this you can't do

social media marketing or digital

marketing start a company and expect it

to be successful if you're not willing

to invest something in it other than

your time yep absolutely mate well I

think that's a perf Round Up of the four

pillars

mate yeah beginners get involved there's

so much [ __ ] business out there man

like there's so much business so many

local companies that just want really

good lead G with a good follow-up

process they want email marketing they

want text messages and there is a fifth

pillar to it which you can find out if

you you know within our Academy we teach

all that but just get involved and get a

piece of it and grow it and take it

seriously it's [ __ ] love business

made there there is and I think as long

as you're doing it in the right way and

as long as you're doing it with quality

because like there's no good you doing

all the four pillars and it looking a

load of [ __ ] like there's a way to do it

professionally and and and make what you

do look really nice and I think if you

are a beginner and this might be the

first time you're watching this channel

it might not be Tom and I have ran a

successful marketing agency doing this

day in day out for hundreds and hundreds

of clients across the UK across the us

and we we live and breathe it which is

why we have the academy because it

teachers you'll see from the landing

page if you click the link in the

description we teach these pillars step

by step we teach te Facebook ads Tik Tok

ads YouTube ads uh sales funnel creation

all the automations we use for our lead

generation businesses we give you in a

snapshot of go high level so you just

import into your business as well as all

the sales strategies to get to a point

where you have a client and then on top

of that all of the the uh account um the

accountability and the contact you have

with us to to really get you to where

you want to go is quite incredible and

and like if you you are new to this

channel we like the least salesy people

ever you're never going to get a DM from

us trying to sell this [ __ ] we're just

pointing you in the right direction

direction if you are you know you've

landed on this video and you're

struggling to weave through the [ __ ] on

YouTube and Tik Tok and you've watched

this video and it's like right how can I

Implement these four very

straightforward pillars to the best

ability and charge ,500 a month which

Tom and I do day and day out with our

team so it's like if that's what you're

interested in click the link in the

description watch the video and

hopefully we'll see you on Monday's live

cool but yeah it will it will really

change the game yeah hope you enjoyed

the video guys please subscribe if not

and yeah we'll see you very shortly for

tomorrow's video