Shows
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesFrom Chaos to Clarity: Reaching Your Agency Goals for the New Year with Stacey Green | Ep #754Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training What are your goals for your agency this new year? Which new heights are you hoping to reach and what needs to change in order for you to get there? As we step into a new year, agency owners start setting ambitious targets. But achieving these goals requires more than just wishful thinking—it demands a clear understanding of three critical elements: where you want to go, who you need on your team to get there, and perhaps most importantly, how you...2025-01-0119 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesThe POWER of Personal Brands: How Much is Too Much when SELLING Your Agency, with Jason Barnard | Ep #698 Are you debating the value of building your brand? Perhaps you're wary of the effort needed to establish your identity, only to feel confined to your business once you become the face of the agency. Our guest today specializes in helping clients effectively brand themselves and elevate their agencies. He understands the common fears and reservations surrounding personal branding and offers valuable insights into its benefits. Above all, he wants entrepreneurs to understand that personal brands should evolve continually, ensuring that they don't limit your growth. Tune in for expert advice on cultivating trust and credibility in...2024-05-1929 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesWhy You Need to Level Up Your Agency in 2024Jason Swenk and Manish Dudharejia delve into the world of agency management and business scalability, shedding light on the complex yet rewarding journey. They explore how past challenges can be transformed into valuable lessons for growth, highlighting the indispensable roles of continuous innovation and strategic thinking. Through their discussion, they unravel the subtle differences that set exceptional work apart from the average, offering listeners practical insights to propel their own business ventures toward unparalleled success and distinction. Manish reflects on the evolution of a growth-obsessed mindset, both personally and in business, acknowledging past mistakes as pivotal learning...2024-01-0320 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesMeaningful Lessons from a Live Retreat with Digital Agency Owners featuring Jason Swenk | Ep #656Once a year, our digital agency owners mastermind cohort trades Zoom squares for open skies, convening at a ranch to deepen connections forged through months of vulnerable idea sharing. For three days, members taste true community while sampling strategies for unlocking agency success. But the annual live retreat with other mastermind members promises more than stimulating discussion and delicious food. This gathering of peers breeds breakthroughs that boost business and life alike. Between fireside chats and horseback excursions, mastermind members crystallize priorities, pressure test assumptions, and summon the courage to meet change head-on. Tune in to hear...2023-12-2433 min
Strategic Advisor BoardEpisode 598 "Moments with Foo": Jason Swenk on the 5 Essential Roles CEOs Need to Know to Achieve Strategic GrowthIn this episode, we sat down with Jason Swenk, a seasoned expert in the digital agency space. A dedicated father of two incredible boys, Jason is also a digital agency owner. With 25 years of experience under his belt, Jason has honed his expertise in transforming agency burdens into valuable assets that bring about wealth, freedom, and equity for agency owners. Jason dives into the fundamental principles that have shaped his successful journey. He emphasizes the importance of having a clear vision for your business and sharing it effectively with your team. He stresses the vital role of value positioning...2023-08-2424 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesWhy an Effective CRM is Important for Agencies and ClientsAre you struggling to connect the dots between agency services and the results you drive for clients? Do you produce leads for clients without being sure if they're following up? What about your own marketing efforts? Do you have a process in place for outreach and follow-up? Throwing money at marketing initiatives without correctly measuring their performance can leave agencies with unanswered questions and uncertainty. An effective CRM is the answer; which is why today's guest has specialized in helping agencies enhance their sales process with the right tools. In this interview, he talks about some common mistakes agencies...2023-06-1443 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow Recessions Offer Opportunities for Digital Agencies2023 recession talk: pull back or grow? For the first time ever, Jason Swenk, agency owner, advisor, podcast host, and speaker, is interviewed on his own show! Darby turns the tables on him in this episode, where they discuss mistakes, regrets, and the path to becoming an advisor. Jason also talks about why he feels recessions offer opportunities. He shares his views on an economic downturn and how you can grow when others give up. Don't let fear take over, be proactive and tune in! Jason Swenk is an Agency Advisor, speaker, and podcast host who literally wrote...2023-04-1922 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesWhat are the Top Priorities for Building a Strong Agency Foundation?If you're in the early stages of your agency, what should you prioritize in order to grow? With so many things to track and so many hats to wear, how do you know what's most important? What deserves your time and attention? As a solopreneur with a startup, building relationships and establishing values for your are crucial for growth. Yet, some owners are not equipped to maintain these parts of the business. So, how can you prioritize these factors when growing your agency? Today's guest, Christy Pretzinger, understands that solopreneurs are not in a position to oversee...2023-01-1832 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesCan You Scale Your Agency Fast Without Burning Through Talent?Are you struggling to retain employees? Do you know how to keep scaling without burning through talent? When Robert Glazer started Acceleration Partners, he always had a vision of working with an international team. Now, his agency, which is focused on managing partnership and affiliate programs for high-growth brands, has 300 employees in eight different countries. Robert joined Jason in this episode to talk about how he avoids burning through talent, how he trains his employees to ask why, and what he invested in to get beyond the referral stage. 3 Golden Nuggets Beyond the referral stage. Robert ran a...2022-02-0917 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing Agencies3 Levels of Communication to Differentiate Your Agency BrandCan you effectively communicate what your business is about? With a 30-year background in marketing, Chris West noticed businesses normally handled their visual identity very well but need help when it comes to using their language. He started his agency, Verbal Identity, and has helped clients create a distinctive and impactful tone of voice for their brand. He is a big believer in the power of language and in this interview, Chris discusses the three levels of communication he teaches his clients, why humanity wins over corporate in social media, and his new book. 3 Golden Nuggets 3 levels of c...2022-02-0612 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesWhat Benefits Await Your Agency Beyond the Seven-Figure Mark?Are you struggling to get your agency beyond the million-mark? What benefits await beyond seven figures? Erik Olson merged companies with his current partner four years ago and they started Array Digital, an agency that, in its beginnings, focused on website development and mobile application services. They introduced digital marketing services as a smaller branch and then realized it became more popular than expected. In his conversation with Jason, Erik spoke about making the decision to niche down and why reaching the seven-figure mark made such a difference. He also talks about his book about the journey to a mil...2022-02-0221 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to 4X Your Digital Agency By Establishing the Right ProcessesWould you like to 4X your digital agency in less than 3 years? Joe Shelerud is the co-founder of the Amazon advertising agency Ad Advance. Joe was on the podcast two years ago talking about using automation to retain agency clients. Since then, he and his partner have managed to 4X their agency and have really seen the results of the processes they were just starting to implement two years back. In this new interview, Joe talks about growing the team, the agency's first key hires, the processes they implemented to train new team members, and much more. 3 Golden N...2022-01-3014 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesCan You Build a Successful Lifestyle Business To Eventually Sell?Are you growing your agency to sell it in the future or prefer the idea of building a lifestyle business? Maybe you don't have to choose. When Anna Mannerfelt created Wired Mustang, an agency specializing in brand development and equine marketing, she decided selling her business was not the ultimate goal. Instead, she created a business to support her lifestyle. In today's episode, she sat down with Jason to talk about her negative experiences with agencies and why she fired a few plus the two-fold job of agencies. She also discusses why creating a lifestyle business doesn't mean you c...2022-01-1612 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow Genuine Empathy Can Reduce Agency Churn RateIs your leadership style genuine and sincere? Do you have empathy where your team is concerned? Do your clients display empathy for their end-users? When Lonn Shulkin first started working at Bam Strategy, they had just lost their biggest client and were in the process of pivoting and taking the opportunity to shift their focus to find their ideal customer. Eleven years later, Lonn is now the CEO at Bam Strategy and is dedicated to motivating consumer behavior through strategy, media, platforms, and creative initiatives. He sat down with Jason to discuss how they went from losing their biggest c...2022-01-1217 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Build an Ideal Team By Marketing Your Agency's CultureAre you having a hard time hiring the right talent to build your agency team? Manish Dudhareija first started his journey as an entrepreneur nine years ago when he noticed there was a huge demand for skilled developers trained in the latest technologies and there was a gap in hiring, training that fit his expertise. He created E2M Solutions, a full-service agency that offers website design & development, SEO, copywriting, and content marketing. In this interview, Manish shares how agency owners can address the common struggle of finding and hiring new talent. He also talks about how advertising your c...2022-01-0915 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow Can Agencies Scale Content Creation in 2022?Are you using your resources wisely in order to scale content creation? Are you leveraging partnerships that will help you grow your agency? Content creation is following a classic marketing channel trend and continually evolving every year. If your agency is not keeping up with the increased demand, you're missing out. In this episode of the podcast, Jason talks with Laura Smous and Steve Pockross from Verblio about how agencies are helping their clients do more with content, as well as some common mistakes agencies make when it comes to content creation. They'll also share the biggest investments your...2022-01-0518 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesDo You Want to Sell Your Digital Agency in 3-5 Years?Is it time to sell your digital agency? Considering a merger or acquisition in the near future? John Burns worked in mergers and acquisitions for 15 years when he realized a gap in the market, specifically for agency owners. So 7 years ago, he started Clare Advisors, a company that provides mergers, acquisitions, and financial advisory services to privately-held digital agencies and companies in the marketing, media, and business services industries. In this interview, John discusses what owners should consider preparing to sell their agencies, the common misconceptions of when to sell, and why now is a good time if you're c...2022-01-0217 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesStart With Confidence and a Long Runway to Grow Your AgencyScott Harkey had a rocky start in the agency business, having to keep other jobs while he tried to get his agency, OH Partners, off the ground. It took time, but he built his reputation and now runs a stable of agencies, as he says. Scott talks about how the first years of agency growth are always difficult and why new agency owners should give themselves a long runway to get their business off the ground. He also reflects on the mistakes he made and why he should have focused on strategic growth and talks with optimism about the...2021-12-1223 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesWhich Levers Do You Need to Pull to Scale Your Agency Faster?Do you know which levers you can pull in order to scale your agency faster? Greg Bond believes his purpose in life is to add value to other people's lives. He is the head of revenue at SharpSpring, a company that aims to help businesses better understand their customers so they can maximize their value proposition. Greg oversees the sales function and works really close with the marketing team. He understands what it is agencies, and end-users, are really trying to do with that platform. Greg discussed the levers agencies need to pull to scale faster, some of the c...2021-11-0714 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Boost Productivity by Supporting Your Team's Work-Life BalanceAre you looking for ways to boost your team’s productivity while also improving your work-life balance? Jason Berkowitz was working as a personal trainer in NYC when he discovered SEO and decided to become a freelancer. He grew his business and started hiring and building his team to create a legit agency, Break The Web. Now that he has a team, he has been implementing a few ways to boost productivity and morale. In this conversation, he talks about the key roles he hired to start growing his agency, why offering unlimited PTO has worked for his team, an...2021-10-2011 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesCan You Use NFTs To Create More Engagement For Your Digital Agency?Are you thinking about the ways you could use NFTs for your digital agency? After working in nine agencies, Kent Lewis decided to start Anvil Media in 2000, which is nowadays one of the oldest search engine marketing agencies in the Pacific Northwest that specializes in analytics, SEO, paid media, and organic social media strategy. Last year, during the NFT boom, Kent wrote a not so serious press release about this phenomenon and got the attention of companies wanted to learn how to use these one-of-a-kind digital assets. Just like that, he got into the NFT world and is developing s...2021-10-0619 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Create a Profitable Agency Machine That You Can Eventually SellDo you want to create a machine that ensures agency growth? David Butler was working as a special ed teacher when he decided to try his luck in the real estate business. He later created an agency looking to reinvent himself during the 2009 financial crisis. With Jason's help, he was able to grow and ultimately sell his business. David now enjoys a new lifestyle and focuses on his family. He joined Jason on the podcast to talk about how he implemented the "Netflix model" to prevent client cancellations, how he streamlined the company's hiring process to put the right...2021-09-2625 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesWhy a Solid Recurring Revenue Stream is the Key to Agency GrowthAre you creating a solid recurring revenue stream for your agency? Dan Sundgren has been involved in the digital marketing industry since he became one of the first employees at Google around 2003. After years of witnessing the rise of that tech giant, he eventually started his digital agency, FreeGren, which specializes in SEM, SEO, SMM and Website Development and Maintenance. He sat down with Jason to talk about the lessons he learned at Google about breaking the rules and how there's always a different way to look at things. He also talked about his decision to work with contractors r...2021-09-1924 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Build an Eight-Figure Agency by Training Your CompetitionBrian R. Johnson has served as a leader in online advertising and conversion rate strategy for nearly two decades. He had been offering professional training courses in the Amazon ad space for years before opening his own agency with his partner. Now, Canopy Management is an eight-figure agency and the leading A-to-Z, full service Amazon agency. He joins the podcast to talk about how he built his platform and community before being an agency owner, how he learned the importance of documenting processes and giving new team members access to them from day one, and how he encourages everyone i...2021-09-1531 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Build the Best Agency Culture by Attacking Ideas, Not PeopleChris Leone was playing drums in Japan trying to figure out his next step in life when a keynote by Gary Vaynerchuk inspired him to enter the agency world. He ended up working an entry-level position in a small agency and worked his way up to being president and CEO of WebStrategies Inc, a multi-million dollar agency that focuses on mid-low funnel, lead generation, SEO, PPC, social advertising, and inbound marketing. Chris sat down with Jason to discuss how he worked his way up from the bottom of the totem pole. He also shares his experience with an agency a...2021-09-1220 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Grow Your Agency By Filling Your Sales PipelineAfter working on his own using his experience in the agency world, Chris started specializing in the project management side of the business. Eventually, he decided to form Genius Digital Marketing with a partner and they have been growing ever since. Now, they work with growth-focused companies to accelerate their digital marketing strategies by operating results-driven campaigns. He talks a bit about how to make the jump from being a freelancer to having his own agency, how breaking sales and breaking operations is a normal part of growth, and how sales fix everything. 3 Golden Nuggets Making the jump...2021-09-0816 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesWhat Did Frank Kern Learn from His Failed Agencies?Have you had a few failures in the agency world? Everyone is afraid of failure. But when you change perspective and treat it like a lesson instead of a defeat. That's the lesson from today's guest, Frank Kern, a well-known marketing consultant and agency owner who has ventured to start several agencies over the years. In this episode, Frank discusses some of his failures from these past businesses, the lessons learned, and what he would do differently. He offers valuable advice for anyone starting a digital marketing agency. He offers an honest and upfront take on every stumble, from st...2021-09-0528 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Manage the Future and Skyrocket Agency ProfitabilityIs your agency as profitable as it could be? Are you successfully forecasting agency finances? Nate "Agency Dad" Jenson has built his business around helping agency owners drive profitability. Nate is a certified management accountant and internal auditor who focuses on offering the tools and accounting practices necessary for a thriving agency, with his business Agency Dad. On his second visit to the podcast, Nate talks about forecasting and the importance of managing the future, instead of wishing you could change the past. He explains why you, as an agency owner, are very in tune with your b...2021-09-0218 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Negotiate Successfully and Stop Lowering Your Agency PricesEvery agency owner needs solid negotiation skills to feel more confident when dealing with clients. Mori Taheripour is an executive and award-winning educator who focused her career on negotiations. She currently teaches at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and works privately with entrepreneurs, corporations, foundations, and universities. She wants to make negotiations more accessible and help people realize it's a skill we all have and are better at than we realize. In this episode, she discusses why negotiations make people anxious and how you can get better results by being prepared and understanding motivations and your...2021-08-2531 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Overcome Isolation as an Agency Owner So You Can GrowHaving your own agency and the responsibility for people’s livelihoods can be an isolating experience. Darren Fox says he fell into the agency world unexpectedly. After a while of offering freelance web design services, it became clear he could not continue solopreneur. So, Darren founded Idea Marketing Group. and started building a team. Even though he loves building relationships with his team, as the agency grew, he had to separate himself to maintain his leadership role. “You definitely feel like you’re on an island,” Darren says. In this episode, Darren is candid about the loneliness of agency ownershi...2021-08-2224 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesCan a Pay-Per-Performance Pricing Model Work for Your Agency?Ever wondered if you could make money on performance-based pricing? Kyle Sulerud was a Google ads expert with many years of experience in the space. He even had a training program teaching others his Google ads methodology. That was until he was presented with the challenge of running YouTube ads. Today he runs AdLeg, an agency specialized in this niche. Kyle joins the podcast to talk about his experience with the pay-per-performance model, how it has worked for him, how he refined his criteria to work with clients that he could ensure success, and the hurdles he has found...2021-08-1817 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow To Prepare For a Smooth and Successful Agency AcquisitionAfter the life of digital nomad led to the failure of his first company, Dean Dutro started Worth eCommerce. Since then, found the Digital Agency Elite mastermind, learned the importance of having a mission and values, and grew an amazingly successful agency that helps eCommerce stores drive new and repeat sales with email & SMS marketing. He recently sold that company and today he’s here to talk about how his early failure led to having a strong belief in the agency’s values and mission, the process of getting ready for an opportunity to sell your agency, and what he advi...2021-08-1127 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesCan Adding SaaS to Your Agency Reduce Churn Rate?Shaun Clark is the co-founder and CEO of HighLevel, a company that offers an all-in-one sales and marketing platform for agencies and marketers. HighLevel gives the tools, support and resources marketing agencies need to succeed all in one place. Today, he joins the podcast to talk about how marketing agencies can reduce churn rate by becoming an all-in-one solution. And, how the future for agencies will be to tack on software to the services they already offer. 3 Golden Nuggets Tack on software to what you’re already doing. If you’re an agency working with small businesses, no matte...2021-08-0412 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Position Your Agency as the Solution Clients NeedVasa Martinez is the founder and CEO of Growthbuster, a remote marketing agency that has helped food and beverage brands reach new heights with community, creative, and innovation. After years of CPG experience working with many brands, Vasa started building his own company focused on the outsourced marketing department. Today he joins us to talk about his experience with brands, how he positioned his agency as the solution clients need, and why you need to follow your north star. 3 Golden Nuggets Bet on yourself. A lot of times a company might be really attached to “vanity metrics” and turn...2021-07-2815 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesWhy You Shouldn't Forget to Treat Your Agency Like a ClientJason Yormark realized the job stability he always hoped to find behind a desk was waiting for him as an entrepreneur. That's when he decided to take the risk and founded Socialistics, a B2B social media agency. Three and a half years later his agency, based in Seattle, helps tell businesses stories in ways that not only drive audience and engagement; but more importantly, real business results. Today, he joins the podcast to talk about how you should treat your agency, the benefits of long vs. short-term contracts, and more. 3 Golden Nuggets Don’t be afraid to dis...2021-07-2118 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Qualify Leads and Stop Wasting Time On the Wrong ProspectsMike Poznansky was still in college when he started working at Red Bull's college marketing division. Since then, he realized the need for agencies that understand students and deliver at the scale and quality necessary to keep up with large consumer brands. That's why Mike founded Neato and now works alongside the world’s best brands to design and run creative marketing programs that bring new value to both brands and students. He's here to talk about pre-qualifying leads so you can separate the good ones from the ones who are just fishing. 3 Golden Nuggets Separate the fishers fro...2021-07-1420 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Create a Recurring Revenue Machine for Your Digital AgencyKevin Daisey works hard to stay on top of changing trends in digital marketing. He is the founder & CMO of Array Digital, a digital marketing agency specializing in search engine optimization, social media, and digital advertising; and also Rival Digital, a digital agency niched in the HVAC market. Today he joins us to chat about how to create a recurring revenue machine. And also how establishing tight processes will not make you lose clients if they’re the right clients, and how his agency benefitted from eliminating the least profitable services. 3 Golden Nuggets Becoming a recurring revenue machine. Af...2021-07-0721 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Attract and Hire Your Agency Dream TeamAnna Shcherbyna is the CEO of Remotivate. And, leveraging her decade of experience in Business Operations and International Recruitment, Anna's recruitment agency helps online businesses hire remote staff worldwide. They handle all the due diligence relating to candidate communication, arranging interviews, discussing salary expectations, and conducting reference checks. Today, she joins us to talk about how to find and attract your agency's dream team. She shares why some job search platforms are better than people may think, why it’s better to invite candidates to apply for your agency, and why you should never hire for the fire. 3 Gold...2021-06-3017 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Create Amazing Ads that Convert More ClientsAs co-founder and creative visionary at Harmon Brothers, Daniel Harmon uses storytelling and humor to create ads that convert. Since 2014, he has helped create videos that changed the way we do advertising today, and that at the time were confused with funny sketch videos that had to assure audiences "Yes, this is real. This is a real ad." Now, he joins us to talk about how the Harmon Brothers found their comedy niche, how they find the right creative thinkers to write their unique ads, and how the company teaches their entire system through the Harmon Brothers University. 3...2021-06-2731 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesShould You Burn the Boat In Order To Achieve Agency Success?Duncan Alney made the decision to focus his agency on social media back in the late 2000s when MySpace was still a thing. Now he's running a 7-figure agency and is has niched it down even further. As founder and CEO of Firebelly, Duncan juggles the roles of catalyst, program overseer, problem solver, and strategist within the organization. Today he joins us to talk about how he accelerated his social media agency, the benefits of letting go of your fears, and why you have to let go of your ego to reach the next level. 3 Golden Nuggets Letting...2021-06-2332 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Avoid a Failed Agency Merger By Focusing on CultureWith around three decades of experience running professional services firms, Don Scales understands first-hand how to make them successful. He is currently the Global CEO of Investis Digital, a global digital communications company that helps world-class businesses manage their corporate brands. Today this industry veteran joins us to talk about his experience in the business, the reasons behind failed mergers and acquisitions, and share some funny stories. 3 Golden Nuggets If you continue to have to do it all, you’ll never scale. So many agency owners are at the million-dollar mark and wanting to get to the eight-figure mark...2021-06-0934 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Implement a Successful Roll-Up Strategy for Your AgencyTodd Taskey has over twenty years of experience as a founding investor, board member, and management team of several business ventures. Now, as M&A at Potomac Business Capital, he helps CEO's and entrepreneurs develop a successful exit strategy by understanding the mid-market investment banking process. Today he joins us to talk about roll-up strategy, the mergers and acquisitions red flags you should avoid, and what you should be offering as an agency if you're thinking of selling. 3 Golden Nuggets Thinking about selling? A lot of agency owners are thinking of selling at some point in the future...2021-06-0618 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Calculate and Eliminate Scope Creep to Drive Agency ProfitabilityAs a Certified Management Accountant, a Certified Internal Auditor, and certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis, Naten Jenson, co-founder of Agency Dad, is certainly the best person to help you establish a strong business and drive your agency's profitability. Today, he joins us to talk about scope creep, a topic that many agency owners struggle with but should definitely learn more about. Remember that if we can get a hold of scope creep, we're going to increase our profit. 3 Little Nuggets What gets measured gets managed. Many agency owners get so focused on that next client that they...2021-06-0218 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesIs it Time to Hire a VP of Operations to Take Your Agency to the Next LevelAfter deciding to leave the mean streets of LA, where he worked as a police officer for 13 years, Jason Smith started working at the leading Facebook and Instagram advertising agency Tier 11. He eventually moved to create his own company Spotlight Social Media Consulting in 2016. Today, he joins us to talk about the key factors that have helped him grow his team and making the decision to bring a VP of Operations. 3 Golden Nuggets Having a good foundation to grow your agency. For Jason, an integral part of growing an agency is having a great team that have your...2021-05-2619 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Grow Your Digital Agency to an 8-Figure Revenue with Chris Dreyer | Ep #413Chris Dreyer is the founder and CEO of Rankings.io which is an agency specializing in SEO for personal injury law firms. Chris believes in being super niched in order to be successful for his clients. He says it takes extreme focus to deliver great SEO results and therefore his agency does not offer any other services or work with clients outside the legal industry. Chris is on the show to talk about how he's grown his agency beyond the first million and is now looking at an 8-figure revenue. 3 Golden Nuggets What got you to 7-figures won't...2021-05-1216 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesUnlocking the 3 Keys of a Values-Based AgencyFran Biederman-Gross has grown her firm Advantages from a local printing business to a global end-to-end communications agency. As the CEO and founder an Inc. 500 company, she leads her clients on an invaluable journey of brand discovery that reveals their 3 keys: Purpose, Values, and Story. She joins the Smart Agency podcast to get really deep with understanding your purpose and communicating it in a way that gets your team and clients behind it. 3 Golden Nuggets The quickest way to become profitable to attach it to your why. There is an overarching commonality in everything that you do. Understanding...2021-05-0529 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Make Agency Video Ads That Don't SuckJacque Spitzer is the CEO of Raindrop, the direct-to-consumer marketing agency he founded in 2014. He's committed to bringing fresh, new creative to his agency and their clients. Jacque's been involved in some of the most creative and entertaining videos on the internet. And he's sharing some of the lessons learned and insider secrets on making great videos for your agency brand. Generate more leads when your video ads don't suck! 3 Golden Nuggets Test your video creative to figure out what messaging resonates. These are solution statements that typically come from the sales or customer service team. Don't assume...2021-04-1831 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesWhy You Need to Export All Your Knowledge to Grow Your AgencyManuel Suarez is the Founder and CEO of AGM. Founded in 2015, AGM is a full-service, social media marketing agency that focuses on helping brands acquire the most valuable commodity today: attention. Manuel is sharing how he rapidly grew his agency over $3 Million in the first five years. He attributes a lot of his success to being the face of his agency and exporting his knowledge both to build authority and to train his client. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher | Radio FM 3 Golden Nuggets Provide value aggressively. Earn trust and build authority by providing through social...2021-04-1127 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesDigital Agency Leadership Lessons from a Navy SEALNick Norris is a former United States Navy SEAL, now the CEO and co-founder of Protekt Products. He is a graduate of both the United States Naval Academy and Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL (BUD/S) Class 247. Upon completion of SEAL training in 2004, Nick assumed progressively higher positions of leadership within Naval Special Warfare. Nick is sharing how his leadership training in the SEALs can help entrepreneurs excel in business. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher | Radio FM 3 Golden Nuggets We are only limited by our minds. Most of what stands in our way is head t...2021-04-0736 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Retain Agency Clients By Showing Them SuccessIris Shoor is the founder and CEO of Oribi, a web analytics tool. After two successful startups, she is growing her third startup. Oribi, an AI-based web analytics tool dedicated to making analytics easy for everyone, without the help from analysts and developers. (And, no code needed!) Iris is passionate about simple products, creative marketing, great UX, building a unique culture, and most of all—people. She's on the show talking about how she helps her team aspire to reach their goals with personal development. She also shares how your digital agency can show clients success on their funnels and...2021-04-0419 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesWhy You Need to Generate Content to Generate LeadsAre you looking for an efficient way to attract more leads? Do you want to get to a place where you can pick and choose your clients? Content is a great way to generate leads with your ideal clients. When you generate the right content you will find the perfect prospects seek you out. In today's episode, we'll cover: #1 way to increase organic traffic. How to get over your content creation fears. How to create more content right now. Today I sat down for a really fun chat with Jason Sirotin, co-founder of Brain Bytes Cr...2020-08-2619 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesAGENCY OWNER PROGRESS OVER PRIDEIs pride standing your way of growing your agency? It's easy to get in your own way sometimes as an entrepreneur. I had something in my personal life that made me step back and reflect on this lesson. In this video, I'll talk about progress vs. pride. Sometimes pride holds us back. Whether it's our desire to be right or just a matter of principles, we lead with our pride and sometimes do things that prevent growth. As I think back over the 12 years I owned my agency, I remember many occasions where this was true (even...2020-07-2802 min
The Small Business Leadership PodcastFrom Agency Owner to Top Agency Advisor with Jason SwenkThis episode features Jason Swenk.
Here is his story:
Fresh out of college I was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. I quickly realized that I couldn’t work for anyone but myself, so I decided to change direction, quit my day job and launch a digital marketing agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands from AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, we caught the attention of bigger agencies and sold the ag...2020-06-2930 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Win More Agency Clients with Location-Based MarketingHow can you give your brick-and-more clients a bigger ROI? Are you looking for a way to drive more traffic to your retail clients? Location-based marketing, or geotargeting is an effective way to learn about customer behaviors so you can analyze habits and trends to drive new business for your clients. Better results for them means more new business for you. In this episode, we'll cover: 2 reasons geotargeting is better than traditional marketing. Should your agency offer location-based marketing? Is location-based marketing right for your agency clients? Today I talked to Dan Dillon, VP of Mar...2020-06-0312 min
The Truth About Social Ads2: How to Build a Successful Digital Agency with Jason SwenkJason Swenk joins me today for this super insightful episode. We go deep into his story and how he found success as an “accidental” digital marketing agency owner. It’s pretty damn impressive. And now I am super fortunate to be able to call him a close friend and colleague.We also dive into what he’s doing now, helping agencies scale faster by developing systems and focusing on the right strategies, and avoiding all the distractions that plague us all. Jason’s goal is to provide the support and feedback he wishes he had when growing his own agency...2020-05-1826 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesCAN YOU GROW YOUR AGENCY DURING A RECESSION?Can you grow your agency during a recession? What should you do to make sure your agency survives a downturn in the economy? How can you flip current conditions to benefit your business? In this video, I'll talk about how you can grow your agency during a threatening economic market. I'm already hearing from agencies saying clients are backing down their spending, some are losing deals in the pipeline... it's partially a result of global panic over the coronavirus outbreak. Now, when I owned my agency for 12 years, we went through many economic threats during the Dot-Bomb Era, September 11...2020-03-1203 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Make Video Content To Attract New Agency Business with Chris DeblasioCreating video content is hard, right? It's got to be perfect lighting, sound, and of course relevant subject matter. Don't let all that overwhelm stands in your way of getting started. Video content is one of the hottest ways to attract new agency business. And, anyone can make incredible videos without a ton of experience - you just need to get out of your own way in order to get started. In today's episode, we'll cover: How to start making video content for your agency. 3 easy video types to help get you started. #1 tip for creating...2019-08-2023 min
Perfectly Mentored with Jason PortnoyEP15: Jason Swenk: Strategies and Systems to Scale Any BusinessJason Swenk has literally written the book for growing an agency from nothing to an 8 figure agency. He is one of the most sought out advisors to agencies in the World, by showing them an 8 system framework that worked for growing his agency, working with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, Lotus Cars, and eventually lead to selling his agency.www.jasonswenk.com2018-11-1934 minPerfectly Mentored with Jason PortnoyEP15: Jason Swenk: Strategies and Systems to Scale Any BusinessJason Swenk has literally written the book for growing an agency from nothing to an 8 figure agency. He is one of the most sought out advisors to agencies in the World, by showing them an 8 system framework that worked for growing his agency, working with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, Lotus Cars, and eventually lead to selling his agency.www.jasonswenk.com2018-11-1934 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesAre You Self-Sabotaging Your Agency's Sales & Growth? With Cat Howell | Ep #208Are you self-sabotaging your agency's sales? Do you lack trust or confidence in your team to deliver results? Worried they aren't going to live up to expectations and make you look bad? You probably have felt this way at one time or another. You might even be causing the problem and not realize it! Your agency is a reflection of you and it's natural to have these concerns. Once you're super honest and self-aware you can get out of your own way to grow your agency. In today's episode, we'll cover: How niching down builds trust. A...2018-08-2923 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesJason Swenk: Marketing Business Strategist, Agency Consultant and AdvisorHow does your agency fit into your life? Are you being very honest and clear on what it is that you want and what success means to you? If you feel like a prisoner to your business or you're struggling with passion for your agency, it might be a time to look within. In this episode, we’ll cover: 3 simple questions to gut check whether your agency is working for you. How to reinvent your agency. How to understand your recurring revenue needs. Today I talk with Pia Silva, Founder and Brand Strategist at WorstofAll Des...2017-10-2514 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesIs Sustainable Agency Growth Possible? | #AskSwenkAre you finding you agency growth moving to fast that you are worried of it burning out or do you think it's moving too slow? In an ever-changing agency environment, does sustainable growth really exist? One of the main questions should be if should agencies concentrate on growing as much and as fast as possible, dealing with the fallout as it occurs? In this episode of Ask Swenk, I take a closer look into what you need to do to achieve and maintain sustainable agency growth and cover all your questions to give you a peace of m...2017-03-2104 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Say ‘No’ To A Bad Agency Prospect | #AskSwenkDo You Have a Bad Agency Prospect? Have you ever ignored that little voice telling you to turn away a bad agency prospect? It's hard to walk away, even when you know they're going to be a really bad client. Do you struggle with knowing when or how to say 'no'? All that and more is covered in this episode... Phil asked: "Today I took on a client I know will be a bad one. I have struggled with knowing when to say: I don't think we're a good fit for you. 2017-03-0704 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesTeam Not Staying Within Budget | #AskSwenkBudget and time. In any digital agency or even business for that matter, these are a couple of aspects you need to always keep in the forefront of your priorities both internally and with clients. So here's a question for you. Does your team understand the budget and it's limitations that you set on a project? Do you have a hard time getting your team to stick to the client's budget and timing? In this episode of Ask Swenk, I take you through a couple of key points of thing to do to get your team on board of maintaining budg...2017-01-1705 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHung Up on Marketing Your Own Agency | #AskSwenkDo you have a hard time marketing your marketing agency because you're too close to it? Do you question your own branding and creative, even though you do a killer job of it for your clients? You're not alone. Here's how you can step outside of your business, market to the right clients and really crush it in sales! {1:07) Rob asked: "I'm really struggling with marketing my own agency. We are crushing it with clients but when it comes to marketing my company we get smashed in the face by a huge wall. ...2017-01-1008 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesTransitioning Yourself from Agency Owner to Agency CEO | #AskSwenkHow to fire yourself from a key role in the business and transition from Agency Owner to Agency CEO. You built your business on skill and passion. You're the best at a certain aspect of it and giving that up can be really difficult. I can totally relate! Here's how to say 'yes' to the right things and 'no' to the wrong things so you can scale. Lisa asked: "In the Agency Playbook, I watched the video on leadership where you outline the roles of an agency owner. Creative direction was not on that list. Her...2016-12-2003 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesSexy Agency Website & Using Your Personal Brand | #AskSwenkDo you need a sexy web design for your agency website in order to land 6-figure deals? In this episode of Ask Swenk, we hear about what big clients really want from their agency. We also cover the question of can you build your digital agency around your personal brand? Want the answer? Yes, you can! Here's how. How a Sexy Web Design Can Land New Deals {1:13} Jarrett asked: “My team comes from a design heavy background. We typically build beautiful websites and admire companies like Huge & Firstborn. We came from rsq...2016-11-2909 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesEverything You Wanted to Know But Were Afraid To Ask | #AskSwenkEverything You Wanted to Know But Were Afraid To Ask Do you have questions about me and my agency experience that you've been wondering but were afraid to ask everything? In this episode of Ask Swenk, I take your questions that many you have asked about my journey as an agency owner. Here's everything you've been wanting to know about why I sold my agency, what I'd do differently, what I regret and why I do what I'm doing now. I've been getting some great questions about my past experience as an agency...2016-11-0109 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesWhy I Charge for Agency Programs, Owner Dragged Into Client Work & Getting the Contract Signed | #AskSwenkWhy I Charge for Agency Programs Ever wonder why I charge for my programs? Asked and answered right here! Also, how to quit being dragged into client work so you can grow your agency. Plus what do to when a client refuses to sign a contract and questions why you even have one. {0:52} Simon asked: Everyone says a business owner should work on the business and not in the business. However, we’re a very small team of 5 people. The biggest challenge we have is hiring talented senior people who can run and grow the cl...2016-10-2509 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Get the Bigger Agency Clients with the Bigger Budgets | #AskSwenk | Ep #153Every agency owner has the goal of growing their agency to a level that they can target the bigger potential clients. This is because with bigger clients comes creating proposals for bigger budgets. This week is we are going to talk all about budgets... more importantly, we are going to talk about client budgets. In this episode of Ask Swenk, I take a closer look into what you should do when clients lower their budget during a project, the strategies for getting an increase in budget and how to land bigger clients with bigger budgets. Bi...2016-10-0412 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesShould You White Label Agency Services? | #AskSwenk | Ep #151Should You White Label the Services That Your Agency Provides? In this episode of Ask Swenk, we talk about all things to do with white labeling agency services. This is from whether you should white label in order to work with big brands, to charging for it and who's responsible for liability insurance on white labeled services. {1:20} Phil asked: "I currently white label my services for another company and they are dealing with some pretty big clients.... What are your thoughts on white labeling?" {5:34} Phil also asked: "I know the agency I'm white la...2016-09-2709 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesWhat is a Healthy Profit Margin for a Digital Agency? with Jason Blumer | Ep #150What is a Healthy Profit Margin for a Digital Agency? What is a healthy profit margin goal for your agency? If this is something you have asked yourself more than once or struggle with, this episode is for you. In this episode, we’ll cover: What your digital agency profit margin should be. How to improve agency profit margins. 7 tips for healthy agency financials. Building cash reserves and improving cash flow. Financials can get confusing. We all can agree there are so many different statements and ways of reporting - it’s all very overwhelming. That’s...2016-09-2120 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesSharing Agency Finances with Key Employees | #AskSwenk | Ep #149Figuring out the right level of transparency to have with employees about agency finances. How much should they know in order to motivate them and how much is too much? Transparency of Agency Finances With Your Team Jack asked: {1:35} "I like the idea of bonuses based on profitability. How much info should I share with my team? Do they need to know everyone else's salary/wages so they can monitor project budgets, costs, profits, etc.?" The short answer is you shouldn't share everyone's salaries as they don't need to know this in...2016-09-2009 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesPros/Cons of Merger, Competitive Pricing and Scaling a Creative Agency | #AskSwenk | Ep #147Discover the pros and cons of a merger with an agency that has complimentary services. Determine if you are competitively priced in your market, and is it possible to scale a creative agency? {1:35} Rikki asked: "We are a digital marketing agency considering merging with a design and development agency. We think this will be a good move because the services are very complimentary. What are the pros and cons?" {6:03} Imani asked: "How do you know if you are competitively priced? I thought about getting proposals from my competitors for the type businesses that I would...2016-09-1312 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesGetting Referrals, Employees Freelancing & Video Marketing | #AskSwenk | Ep #143Whether you are starting an agency or you're an established agency that has potentially hit a plateau, finding the best team especially your sales team is important. In this episode of Ask Swenk, I discuss everything you need to know about finding, hiring, paying and managing great sales reps to CRUSH IT in your agency new business. I talk about everything from skill criteria and previous experience to salary and commission. {1:42} Ramzi asked: “I was wondering if you have any great strategies to get referrals from current clients?” {4:15} Myles asked: "Should I let my f...2016-08-3012 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesFinding, Hiring, Paying & Managing Agency Sales Reps | #AskSwenk | Ep #141Whether you are starting an agency or you're an established agency that has potentially hit a plateau, finding the best team especially your sales team is important. In this episode of Ask Swenk, I discuss everything you need to know about finding, hiring, paying and managing great sales reps to CRUSH IT in your agency new business. I talk about everything from skill criteria and previous experience to salary and commission. Finding, Hiring, Paying & Managing Agency Sales Reps {1:03} Simohammed asked: “I’m thinking of hiring a sales rep for my agency. I know it's...2016-08-2310 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesWhat You Need To Know To Profitably Sell Your Agency | #AskSwenk | Ep #139Curious about selling your agency? In this episode of Ask Swenk, I cover how to determine your agency's current value and what you can do to increase it. I also take a real look at the process to eventually sell your agency and gain profit. {0:48} Tim asked: "What is my digital agency worth if I sold it today?" {4:10} Bree asked: "What does the process look like when you sell your agency?" {7:32} Tony asked: "How can you increase your agency valuation?" Tim asked: "What is my digital agency worth if I sold it...2016-08-1611 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesEmployee Profit Sharing, Referral Commission & Hourly to Retainer | #AskSwenk | Ep #137Employee Profit Sharing, Referral Commission & Hourly to Retainer Is employee profit sharing a good idea? In this episode of Ask Swenk, I answer your questions about if and how to compensate clients for referral business, how you can convert a longtime hourly client to monthly retainer and profit sharing for your team of employees. {1:58} Geoff asked: "What are your thoughts on profit sharing for key employees?" {4:50} Ryan asked: "I know you've talked about sales people and compensation before but, what about referrals? Flat fee or percentage? One time or for the life of t...2016-08-0909 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesAll About Cash Reserves, Losing A Major Client & Providing Examples When You Have None | #AskSwenk | Ep #135First Pitch to a Client On the first pitch to a client, it can create different obstacles for you as an agency owner as well as your team. Understanding your agency, resources you have and those you can bluff can make the difference in any first pitch with a potential client. In this episode of Ask Swenk, I talk about understanding cash reserves for your agency, why clients leave and how to avoid it, PLUS how to respond when prospects ask for an success story that you don't have yet. {3:01} Alina asked: "How mu...2016-08-0211 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesStreamline Delivery, Building Relationships & Critiquing A Proposal | #AskSwenk | Ep #133Do you want to learn more about the best way to build relationships, streamline your deliveries and the best way to critique proposals? In this episode of Ask Swenk, I answer these questions and share more insight into how you can improve your agency. In this episode I discuss: How to streamline processes without being too cookie cutter. What to do when you're new in town and need to build relationships. PLUS, watch my critique of another agency's actual proposal. {1:52} Tara asked: "I feel like every time we get a new client we are on '5...2016-07-2619 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesClosing a Pitch, Calculating Profit, & Managing Team Priorities | #AskSwenk | Ep 128How to close a pitch and how to accurately calculate profit. Plus, managing your team priorities when it comes to training and continuing ed within the industry. Closing a Pitch {0:38} Yasser asked: Just a quick question... how do you end a pitch? Calculating Agency Profits {2:02} Myles asked: I was wondering what your thoughts are on trying to work out the profit we make on a deal? I feel it’s a bit of a guess at the moment, as I’m not sure exactly what we should factor in to the cost o...2016-07-0507 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to BONUS the Creative Team, Prospect Selection & Sales Process, Sales Team Model? | #AskSwenk | Ep #126How to BONUS the Creative Team, Prospect Selection & Sales Process, Sales Team Model? #AskSwenk 37: How can you bonus and incentivize your creative team? What to do when the prospect is controlling the sales process and expects some "free" work. PLUS, how to structure your agency's sales team. {0:32} Meny asked: "How can we build an incentive program for our creative team members, and what would that look like?" {3:53} Jared asked: "How do you address prospects who want to control the sales process? We're talking to someone right now that is putting us through their...2016-06-2412 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesPayment Schedules, Payroll for Owners, & Yearly Reviews | #AskSwenk | Ep #122Payment Schedules, Payroll for Owners, & Yearly Reviews In this episode of Ask Swenk, i'm talking all things payment and payment schedules. The best client payment schedule and how to get your clients to stick to it. Plus, whether the owner should be on payroll and how to handle those dreaded annual employee reviews. {1:14} Stuart asks: "We have tried to implement your payment schedule of 50% upfront, then 25%, 25%, based on milestones or timelines. However, we haven't had any success with this, and clients have pushed back hard to get this upon them signing off on the work. A...2016-06-1409 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesSelling Digital Agency, Partner Commissions, Prospect Silence | #AskSwenk | Ep #120What You Should Do (And Shouldn't Do) When Selling Digital Agency In episode thirty four of #AskSwenk, I discuss what you should do (and shouldn't do) when selling digital agency, plus how to compensate referral agencies and how to follow-up when a prospect goes dark. {1:08} Amy asked: "I'm in negotiations to sell my marketing agency. What should I be aware of? Pitfalls to avoid?" You need to determine why is the other agency or business interested in buying your agency? Revenue? Location? It's important to figure this out for the leverage o...2016-06-0711 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesAgency Case Studies, Team Accountability & Avoiding Client Changes | #AskSwenk | Ep #118Agency Case Studies, Team Accountability & Avoiding Client Changes. On this episode of #AskSwenk, we'll cover: How you can use case studies to attract agency new business, how to improve your team accountability, and what do you do to stop your client from requesting a zillion changes. This Week's Questions: {0:51} Christian asks: "How can I use a successful case study to attract more business within the same niche?" {3:01} Eric asks: "What can I do to hold my team accountable to their goals? More importantly, if they don't hit them... what kind of repe...2016-05-3108 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesAgency KPI's, Technology, and Client Contracts | Ask Swenk | Ep #116Do you find it hard to keep up with developments in technology and getting client contracts just right? In this episode of #AskSwenk, I answer your questions and cover these topics for you: What KPI's your agency should be measuring, how to keep up with all the latest technology and what key info you need to include in client contracts. Agency KPI's, Technology, & Client Contracts This Week's Questions: {0:25} Susan asks: "What KPI's does a digital marketing agency need to measure?" {2:10} Troy asks: "You are pretty much on every channel. I've listened to your podcast, see...2016-05-1708 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesStarting an Agency, Outgrowing Clients & Outsourcing Content | #AskSwenk | Ep #114What You Need to Know When Starting an Agency When starting an agency, it can be intimidating from building the best team to creating your portfolio of clients to make your business profit. But as the agency grows, you may find yourself outgrowing clients that you had when you initially started and needing to consider growing your team or outsourcing content for different projects. On this episode of #AskSwenk, we'll cover: what to do when your agency has outgrown a client, all about starting an agency (like when and how), and whether you should outsource y...2016-05-1009 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesConflict of Interest, Foot In the Door & Better Leads | #AskSwenk | Ep #112On this episode of #AskSwenk, we'll cover: How to handle clients who think you have a conflict of interest because you're specialized in a niche. Also, ways to get your foot in the door with new clients, plus getting better business leads for your sales team. This Week's Questions: Tackling Conflict of Interest {0:29} Giles asked: "We specialize in design and marketing for the bar and restaurant sector. We've recently had a couple of meetings with prospects who were concerned about a conflict of interest as we already do work for one of the larges...2016-05-0308 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesAgency Awards, Published Pricing, & Spec Work | #AskSwenk | Ep #110On this episode of #AskSwenk, we'll cover: What awards you should be looking at nabbing to attract big brand clients, whether you should be putting your published pricing on your website, and how to protect the concepts you've pitched. This Week's Questions: 0:22 - Jerry asked: "What industry awards should I go after for my agency that can attract the bigger clients?" 1:53 - John asks: "What are your thoughts about posting your prices on your website or not posting them? I see many other agencies who do post and then many who do not."2016-04-2606 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesAgency Valuation, Core Service Focus & Cold Calling | #AskSwenk | Ep #109Do you know how to ensure you are guaranteeing leads for your business? If you are struggling with this as well as growing your team or how to prevent time lost to bad clients, this episode of Ask Swenk is the one you need. In this video, I’ll cover: What to do when a prospect wants you to guarantee leads. My #1 struggle in growing my agency team and 3 ways we overcame it. How to fire a terrible client so you can quit wasting time. Guaranteeing Leads in a Proposal (0:23) Lawrence asks: "A prospect is ask...2016-04-2008 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesGuaranteeing Leads, Growing Your Team & Firing a Client: #AskSwenk Episode 27Do you know how to ensure you are guaranteeing leads for your business? If you are struggling with this as well as growing your team or how to prevent time lost to bad clients, this episode of Ask Swenk is the one you need. In this video, I’ll cover: What to do when a prospect wants you to guarantee leads. My #1 struggle in growing my agency team and 3 ways we overcame it. How to fire a terrible client so you can quit wasting time. Guaranteeing Leads in a Proposal (0:23) Lawrence asks: "A pros...2016-04-0608 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow To Save On Taxes and Avoid an Audit on Your Agency with Jason Blumer | Ep #88Want some tax-saving tips for your agency that will help you save money and avoid an audit being carried out on your digital agency? In this episode, we discuss: How to protect your business, financially and legally. Ways to lower your taxes and other tax-saving tips. The IRS’s big secret on audits. This is HUGE! Super-fun CPA and friend to U.S. agencies, Jason Blumer of Blumer CPA’s chatted with me about several tax-saving tips along with a few words of caution, and one big IRS secret on this episode of The S...2015-11-0926 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow Can I Handle Training New Employees and Setting Up Success? | Ep #80How Can I Handle Training New Employees and Set Up Success? Do you want new employees to be successful from day one? Training new employees effectively and providing proper onboarding are the keys to success from their first day on your team! 4 Things You Can Do To Get New Employees Ready Before Their First Day Day #1 on any job is overwhelming for everyone. It’s information overload! But by tackling these four things prior to their first day, you can set up your new employees for success. 1. Share your company vision and...2015-08-3006 min
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow Businesses Can Generate More Leads Without Creating More Content | #AskSwenk | Ep #584 Simple Steps to Generating More Agency Leads Immediately Ever find yourself churning out content but never seem to bring in more leads? In this episode of Ask Swenk, I show you how you can generate more agency leads without the need for more content from your team. Leads - we need them and they need us! Take a look at Google Analytics and find out which are your best performing blog posts. What content are you putting out there that is getting the most hits? Now, knowing what information your leads are seeking via...2015-04-2004 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Build TRUST and CLOSE MORE AGENCY SALES with Jason Swenk | AskSwenk | Ep #482015-01-2619 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow Do I Find Time to Focus On Running My Agency vs. Being In The Agency? | AskSwenk | Ep #47Productivity Funnel: How I Find Time to Focus On Running My Agency? Do you have a hard time with your productivity within your agency? No matter what level you are on, it is easy to get distracted from the tasks you should be focusing on. This is why a productivity funnel can be really beneficial to your agency. Q: How Do I Find Time to Focus On Running My Business vs. Being In The Business? Finding time to focus on running your business while getting bogged down by the business can b...2015-01-2208 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesJohn Lee Dumas on Why You Should Have an Agency Podcast | Ep #39Do you have an agency podcast? In this episode I chat with the master of podcasting, founder and host of Entrepreneur on Fire, John Lee Dumas about why your business needs an agency podcast. Podcasting is seriously great for agencies. Here are just some reasons why you need to have an agency podcast: It’s on demand. You don’t have to say no to something else to listen to a podcast. You can’t watch a video and drive a car, just like you can’t run and read a blog. But...2014-11-0619 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow Do You Land a Big Client Like Ford Motor Company? with Scott Monty | Ep #30In this episode I talk with Scott Monty, former Global Head of Social Media for the Ford Motor Company. He walks us through landing big agency clients like Ford as well as other new clients. How does your ad agency generate new business with big clients like Ford? It’s all about the research. According to Scott, about 90-95% of the people who contacted him didn’t do their research before approaching him. As a fairly public figure at Ford you can imagine that he got a lot of inquiries. But most of them wer...2014-09-0521 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow to Get the Fortune 1000 Executives to Call You | Ep #24How to Get the Fortune 1000 Executives to Call You Here’s what worked for me to get the Fortune 1000 executives to call me. Warning! This is only for businesses that are targeting the Fortune 1000 companies. This will not work for smaller companies. Ok, so lets jump to it… We all struggle with trying to find ways in the doors of the big companies. Everyone wants to work with them. We have tried email marketing, cold calls, partners, etc. You name it, people have tried it. But here's something that no one does...2014-07-2407 minSmart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing AgenciesHow Should Agencies Handle Multiple Niches? | Ep #22In today’s episode, I discuss how agencies should handle multiple niches. This is a solo episode where I’m talking to myself! Actually, I’m talking to you, the listeners, and answering the questions that you are sending into me. Should you even have multiple niches? How many niches you have depends on how many authority figures or experts you have for those niches. Pick as many niches as you want, but remember that just means more work. You need to make sure you’re equipped to handle all those niches. A lot of a...2014-07-0107 min