The value of lessons learnt
From the start, my gut told me to walk away. But I wanted to be proven wrong, so I ignored it.
That decision cost us several days of unpaid work. On the plus side, it gave me two wins: a blog topic and a reminder to always trust my instincts.
It started with a prospective client – one we knew could benefit from external marketing expertise. They operated in a space where we had plenty of experience, they were already investing in marketing, and they aligned with our strategy.
We made contact, introduced our services, and got positive feedback. A meeting followed to understand their challenges and goals. Then a strategy day (which we were paid for, it wasn’t all negative), after which we delivered a detailed report on where they should focus and how we could help.
The follow-up meeting was positive and complimentary, budgets, timings and KPIs were discussed, and all was looking positive.
And then we got the email: Thanks, but no thanks. They had decided to do it all in-house.
I can’t say for certain why we lost the work, but I’m confident it came down to this: they viewed us as a cost, not as an investment.
And I knew that would be the case, so what should we have said to prove our worth?
We’ve learned the lessons for you
As a marketing agency, marketing is all we do. We’re constantly testing, learning, and refining across industries and channels. Every day, new marketing insights flow into our business.
So our value goes beyond the creation and delivery of the marketing, it’s in the lessons we’ve already learned. Lessons that save our clients time, money, and frustration and fast track them to the best outcomes.
Marketing is a process of continuous refinement, to improve results and connect with the right audience. And with their accumulated knowledge, agencies can shortcut that learning curve. They identify winning strategies faster, avoid costly mistakes sooner, and apply proven tactics before clients even realise they need them.
Here’s one
we made earlier
In a recent campaign, we tracked and analysed performance (of course) across social media, Google, and out-of-home (OOH) ads. One insight boosted the online ad effectiveness by nearly 45% and proved the ROI of traditionally hard-to-track OOH spend.
That knowledge is now part of our toolbox, available to every client from day one.
On another campaign, we learnt how to increase email open rates by 27% at zero cost, boost website engagement by 18%, and craft the most effective email subject lines for competition entrants.
That’s in the toolbox too, and included in our fee.
Think value, not cost
When we buy something, we don’t just look at the price, we consider what we’re getting for our money. A tasting menu at a restaurant costs more than a supermarket meal deal, but both can be great value or a waste of money, depending on the quality and experience. We just want fair value in exchange for our money.
Of course hiring an agency costs more than DIY marketing. But an agency brings insights and experience that will fast-track marketing success – and that’s what gives the client the added value for their spending.
So, next time you’re wondering whether an agency is worth it, ask yourself:
How much will it cost me – in time, money, and missed opportunities – to match their knowledge?
Because a good agency doesn’t just do the work. They save you from wasting time and budget on trial and error – they’ve already learnt the lesson.