Stop guessing. Here’s how the pros market their agencies—and win.
Dav Nash
15 min read
You’re a pro at marketing your clients. But without marketing yourself, there are no clients. So learning how to market digital marketing agency is a must!
Here’s the irony: marketing agencies often have a hard time marketing themselves. They can make businesses known, but when it comes to selling their own services, it gets… awkward.
It’s a bit like a chef who cooks fancy meals for others but has instant noodles at home.
You have the talent in-house, but you have no idea how to grow a digital marketing agency.
Sounds familiar? Don’t worry—you’re not the only one.
Many agencies get caught in this situation.
It’s easy to see why. You spend all your time on clients and end up neglecting your own growth.
But here’s the dilemma: You need clients to grow, and you need to grow your own business to attract clients.
The way out: It’s time to improve how you market your digital marketing agency.
Where should you go from there?
Through the same path you take your clients through, from creating a brand that stands out to finding quality leads, you need to do it all and much more!
Here’s what we’ll go over:
Ready to become your biggest client? Let’s begin.
Before you can market your digital marketing agency, you need to who you are and what you stand for.
Your brand is like the personality of your business—it makes you stick out and relatable. It’s also what people are going to connect with.
Without a solid brand, you risk being just another agency in a crowded market. And honestly, no one wants to be the one nobody remembers.
First things first: What is your brand?
Your logo?
Your colour scheme?
There’s more than meets the eye.
Your brand includes the 3 Vs of your digital marketing agency:
A strong brand creates trust and builds credibility. Your brand is what makes potential prospects say: “Yes, I want to work with them.”
There’s another thing good branding does. It sends the right message.
When clients see your name or logo, they should think, “This agency gets it.”
If your branding fails to send that message, you’re missing out on opportunities.
Pro tip: When is it time for a branding redesign? When it doesn’t evoke the right feeling in those who look at it.
What sets your agency apart?
It could be your creative thinking, your niche, or the jaw-dropping outcomes you deliver. It could be anything.
But if you don’t get what your true UVP is, you’re never going to understand how to grow your digital marketing agency.
Your UVP is what makes you unique. So, this belongs right on top of your marketing strategy plan.
What does a good UVP look like? It tackles 3 questions:
Think of your UVP as your elevator pitch.
If you can’t tell someone why they should pick your agency in 30 seconds, then you don’t have a UVP.
Here’s a hint from the pros: saying “We love marketing” isn’t enough.
Everybody says it, and nobody cares about it. Be clear, be bold, and be memorable. More to the point, don’t say the same thing as your competitors.
Now, visuals.
Do our logo, website, and social media graphics match and feel cohesive? I’m not asking if they look professional because I’mk assuming that they do. You’re a digital marketing agency, after all.
These are what people notice first, and first impressions count. Clients will judge your agency based on visuals first.
Needless to say (but here we are, saying it again for the guys at the back) quality design is not negotiable.
Who is going to trust an agency with a logo that screams “homemade with MS Paint”? Nobody.
Plus, you want visuals that tell the story of who you are, what you do and what you do best.
Here’s the thing: The DIY feel is going to tell a completely different story.
Consistency also extends to your online presence. From social media updates to email newsletters, everything should have a uniform look and feel.
The key aspect of learning how to grow a digital marketing agency, is to learn who your target audience is.
Otherwise, you are just guessing—sometimes you might hit something, but it’s unlikely to be what you want.
This is who you want to attract.
Start by defining the types of industries, the sizes of businesses, and the marketing budgets that fit your agency’s skills.
Are you great with e-commerce companies?
Do you achieve results for small local businesses?
Focus on what you do best.
Not all clients are the same, even in your niche.
A client who spends a lot but doesn’t value your work is a drain for your time and morale.
On the flip side, a small business with a lot of ambition can become your best client.
Think about: Who would benefit from your skills? Which industries do you want to work with? Which industries do you understand best?
Use these questions to identify your ideal clients instead of targeting everyone at the same time.
Ok, you know your target and it turns out it’s a lot smaller than what you initially thought.
That’s why it’s called a niche.
Now, the next question is: what are the main issues in your target niche?
What issues trouble potential clients?
Are they dealing with low website visits, weak engagement on social media, or ineffective ads? Understanding these issues helps you position your services as the answers they need.
Dig into their problems.
Use surveys, talk to them directly, or check their social media to find out what they discuss.
The better you understand their problems, the better your solutions will be.
Put yourself in their position. If you were struggling to establish an online presence, what would you want from a marketing agency?
Likely, it’s not fancy buzzwords but real, practical solutions.
People want to know you can help improve their business results.
To enhance your targeting, create detailed client profiles.
A profile is a made-up representation of your ideal client, including their industry, job title, challenges, and goals.
For example:
Name: Sarah the Startup Founder
Industry: Tech
Pain Points: Needs better ways to generate leads and lacks time for social media management.
Goal: Increase visibility and drive sales.
You need to develop your audience personas if you want to tailor your messaging and outreach strategies.
Social media is not just for funny memes and cute cat videos. It’s a great place to go to market digital marketing agency.
That’s assuming your strategy is more complex than using a few random posts or hashtags.
Not all platforms fit all audiences.
If your target clients are high-level executives, LinkedIn is likely a better choice than trying to go popular on TikTok.
Meanwhile, if your clients are small businesses or creative startups, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube could be better suited.
The main point is to concentrate on where your clients are already active.
Avoid wasting effort on platforms where they are not present.
Here’s a simple tip if you’re unsure where to be: Research to find out where competitors are. This is where your clients are too!
Social media is not simply a digital billboard for your agency.
It’s a social platform for connecting with people. So, if every post screams “Buy from us”, people won’t pay attention to you.
You want to build relationships with your target audience.
How does it work?
By creating content that offers real value. Share tips, insights, and trends in your industry to establish your agency as an expert.
Go further with a dialogue: you can ask questions, respond to comments, join in relevant discussions, etc. The bottom line: Social media is not a sales pitch. It’s a conversation.
Pro Tip: Add some personality to your content. A touch of humour or a glimpse into your team’s daily life can make your agency seem more relatable.
People prefer to work with real individuals.
Nothing says, “We’re good at what we do” like a proven track record.
So, you can use social media to share your case studies, client reviews, and the occasional humblebrag (not too much of it; it gets boring).
If you helped a client with their digital presence, share that story.
If you just delivered a successful campaign, let your audience know about the outcomes.
Also, don’t shy away from behind-the-scenes content. It’s your opportunity to show your human side.
Avoid being the agency that posts once and vanishes for long periods.
Whether it’s three times a week or daily posts, find a rhythm that works for you and commit to it. The more consistent you are, the more likely you are to get noticed.
How to grow a digital marketing agency? By sharing quality content people want to read or watch.
Blogs, videos, infographics, and webinars are very important.
The trick is to change it up. One week, post a short video with tips. The next week, share a blog analysing an industry issue.
This mix keeps things interesting and your audience engaged.
Also, don’t ignore memes or humour. A funny caption or a relatable joke can boost interaction.
Aim for a “friendly chat” vibe instead of a “formal lecture.” Keeping a varied style not only entertains but also shows your agency as a flexible, useful resource.
Need a quick win? Repurpose content!
Change a blog into a little video or turn a webinar into small infographics. It’s like recycling and can give more return on your investment.
Whether it’s to inform, entertain, or motivate, make sure each piece brings value.
People enjoy stories—that’s natural. Use storytelling to connect emotionally.
What does it look like? Share the challenges your clients had and how you helped them. A bit of drama or humour can make it even better.
Don’t only share client stories.
Talk about your own path—how your agency began, the hurdles you faced, and the successes you achieved.
Being open builds trust, and trust creates loyalty.
Good content should be seen. That’s where SEO helps.
Do keyword research, optimise your titles, and use those keywords naturally in your content, that’s how to market your digital marketing agency!
SEO is about helping the right people find you.
That’s why agencies love tools that give real keyword results, like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush.
Ah, leads.
What would agencies be without leads? The answer is nothing.
So, of course, you want to figure out how to attract the right leads to grow your digital marketing agency.
Do you have time to personally go on a hunt for leads? No.
That’s where lead magnets become your super weapon.
What are lead magnets and how to market your digital marketing agency with them?
Essentially lead magnets are free items. But, they’re not like the usual freebies you get at trade shows. You use lead magnets in exchange for getting someone’s contact info.
For example, you can use
The trick is to make them look irresistible.
If it’s not something you would download yourself, then you can sure potential clients wouldn’t either.
What does a lead magnet look like?
It could be a guide on “10 Fast Ways to Increase Your Website Traffic” or an offer for a free social media check-up.
The goal is to solve a small problem and leave people wanting more.
Why? Because either they’ll get in touch, or you can move them further along the lead generation funnel.
Yes, email marketing is still here. No, it isn’t dead. Yes, it still works.
It is one of the best methods to nurture leads.
Use email messages to share tips, success stories, and updates that keep your audience interested.
But, you want to avoid sending spam. It’s easy to send emailing campaigns. It’s just as easy to unsubscribe or mark you as spam. So, keep your emails useful and concise.
Extra points for a catchy subject line that doesn’t shout, “We want to sell you something!”
Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns can work wonders for generating leads if done correctly.
Platforms like Google Ads and LinkedIn let you target specific groups based on keywords, industries, and job titles.
If your digital marketing agency is new to PPC campaigns, start with a small budget and adjust as needed.
Test various ad texts, images, and landing pages to find what works best to attract new leads.
And remember to monitor your ROI. You want to earn money, not burn it.
Influencers are the cool kids in the marketing world. Everyone wants to make friends with them. And frankly, why wouldn’t you?
Working with the right influencers can dramatically boost your agency’s credibility and visibility from 0 to 100.
But there’s just one question: Where are you going to find the right influencers?
Kim Kardashian.
Khabi Lame.
Charli d’Amelio.
We’ve all heard about those names.
The good news is that not all influencers are the same. So, if Kim is out of your budget, you can turn to the micro-influencers.
These may have fewer followers, but their audience is highly engaged and trusts their opinions. Quality over quantity is key.
Besides, they’re probably a better choice to help target the right audience group.
How to market digital marketing agency with influencers? You’ve got two different approaches:
Influencers are not walking digital billboards. They are people running an online business through their social media and blog presence.
So, whatever you want to achieve, they’ll only accept if it is also beneficial to them.
In other words, you want to come up with collaborative ideas that serve both sides well.
This could be a joint webinar, a guest article, or a social media event. The aim is to provide value to their audience while highlighting your agency.
Important tip: Influencers do not work for free.
Clearly communicate expectations. Nobody needs vague plans.
Define deliverables, timelines, and compensation clearly—whether it’s money, products, or promotions.
Why couldn’t they be authentic? The point of building a partnership with them is to connect with someone who aligns with your agency’s values.
Audiences can detect a disingenuous partnership from a mile away.
Work with influencers who truly reflect your brand and its values.
Artificial collaborations make everyone uncomfortable.
One thing to know: the influencer will add their unique style. You’re not hiring a potential e employee who will do everything the way you do it in-house. You’re reaching out to an outsider.
Their authenticity is precisely what you need to earn the audience’s trust. So let them express themselves.
Marketing without tracking is like throwing darts blindfolded.
You need data and you need to know how to grow a digital marketing agency by using the right data.
Before tracking success, you need to define what it is. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are how you measure it.
Are you aiming for more website visits, additional leads, or improved ROI on your efforts? Choose metrics that match your goals and stay with them.
Pro tip: Stay away from vanity metrics like “likes” and “followers” that are sometimes captured for the sake of it. They look nice but don’t necessarily translate into sales. So, if you’re not turning them into actionable strategies, you don’t need them.
Which analytics tools need to be on your list?
There’s no rule per se. But as a digital marketing agency, you want to use analytics tools like:
which provide insights into what works and what doesn’t.
Data isn’t just nice to look at. It’s for acting on.
If something fails, change it.
Test new approaches, adjust your messaging, or move your budget to more effective channels.
If you’re not adjusting your marketing activities, are you even doing it right?
Can data be misleading?
No, it doesn’t lie, but it can confuse you if you don’t know what to focus on.
Start with the basics, and don’t hesitate to seek help from a pro if you’re stuck. The key to learning how to market digital marketing agency is to know what the data is telling you.
When you know what works, you can do more of that—and less of what doesn’t.
Scaling a digital marketing agency is like juggling.
Sounds fun enough, right?
Except the items are on fire, and now there’s a chainsaw involved.
So, fun isn’t the right word.
But, once you know what you’re doing, you can actually plan growth for your digital marketing agency… and put out the fire too!
Not sure how to scale your agency? Offer new services!
What does this look like in practice? Look beyond basic SEO and social media.
Can you include influencer marketing, automation, or data analysis in your offerings?
Just ensure these new services fit your expertise and what your clients want.
Warning: Avoid overextending and overstretching yourself. Adding too many services too fast will get you back juggling with items on fire and a chainsaw. And nobody wants that.
Problem 1: You need to grow to survive.
Problem 2: Disorganised operations cause chaotic growth.
So, you want to streamline your digital marketing operations first with tools and workflows to manage clients and projects effectively:
The key? Reduce time spent on administration and increase time spent on producing outstanding results for your clients.
Sometimes scaling means working together more.
It’s worth considering working with other agencies or tech firms that can enhance your services.
For instance, partner with a web design agency if your focus is social media. By doing this, you can offer clients a broader package without using too much of your resources.
Good luck growing your digital marketing agency!
