5 Ways To Cultivate a Strong Client-Agency Relationship

Did you know 90% of digital agencies say they truly understand their client’s business, but only 65% of clients agree? With this kind of disparity, how can a client-agency relationship truly work?

At Pixl, we are privileged to have built scores of healthy client relationships,  nurtured and developed over the past few years, and that embody all the fundamentals that clearly indicate a successful client-agency synergy. To form a strong working partnership takes a great deal of invested time and effort from both parties. Although there may be times when deadlines and budgets add pressure to a project or situation, if the fundamentals act as guiding lights, they can work to ensure both parties stay on track. So what are some of the best ways for building client relationships? Below are some key pointers to aid lasting, mutually rewarding client-agency relationships.

1. Set clear goals and expectations

Goal setting is essential for any campaign as such. We need to take out the time in setting goals, like, what we are trying to achieve, and how we plan to achieve it. This is especially important when working on behalf of a client. Make sure the objectives are clear and mutually agreed upon. This way the agency has no grounds to suggest in the future that goals were unreasonable or unlikely. Later, send a recap email to confirm every deliverable in detail. This ensures all key stakeholders are on the same page and is one of the added benefits of creating a tangible record to reflect on in case of any future confusion.

2. Evaluate Often

A quick way to ensure everything is running smoothly is for an agency to conduct quarterly evaluations. A questionnaire asking clients to evaluate various parts of the agency’s performance could result in the agency spotting any gaps where their service could be accelerated. Also, the agency needs to make sure to get a clear action report after any meetings are held. As one of the best client practices, you need to be open and honest about agency feedback. Give the agency some pointers on what you’d ideally like to happen and decide together what is appropriate and practical.

3. Be Transparent

Clarity and transparency up front can add a lot of value. It’s important to make sure the capabilities, as well as culture, are a fit for both agency and client. One way we do this is through a live reporting dashboard that the clients can access at any time. This accountability provides the comfort that every client wants. Also, always keep the client informed about any changes to their campaigns or overall strategy and give a heads up whenever any issue may arise. Setting up checkpoints along the way builds trust on both sides of the relationship and maximizes the chances of achieving success and exceeding goals.

4. Reporting

Reporting is invaluable as a tool to measure success. Beyond monetary values, there are many measurables that can help. Tools and technology offer a great degree of automation but should not replace regular communication. For instance, If you are tracking social media, web conversations, or email marketing, be sure to create a reporting dashboard to send to clients periodically, weekly, or monthly. The updates of the dashboard should be made in real-time so that the clients have access to the most updated version for analysis.

5. Communication

Benchmarks should be set with both the agency & the client’s needs and expectations in mind. The relationship should work for both parties. Setting unrealistic goals, underpaying, and micromanaging are tools that hardly ever help the cause of a long-term agency-client relationship. Both parties should know what they are getting into and what to expect.

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