What's my best next step?

[Kelvin]

Hey everyone,

So not too long ago I posted on here asking how to approach the market with my automation services. (For some reason I cannot link the post)

Currently I am helping a friend free of charge who owns a marketing agency streamlining her internal operations by creating an onboarding process and building a client portal to manage their day to day.

I believe there may be other marketing companies who face similar challenges and I want to use this scenario as a case study to expand and scale up and getting my first paid client.

The question is how exactly should I approach this?

Would it be just a case of cold reaching marketing owners on Linkedin/IG and say along the lines of:

"I work with marketing agencies that have challenges managing their businesses and help them implement solutions streamline their businesses quickly, would you mind having a call?"

Happy and eager to hear better approaches.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Hey everyone,

So not too long ago I posted on here asking how to approach the market with my automation services. (For some reason I cannot link the post)

Currently I am helping a friend free of charge who owns a marketing agency streamlining her internal operations by creating an onboarding process and building a client portal to manage their day to day.

I believe there may be other marketing companies who face similar challenges and I want to use this scenario as a case study to expand and scale up and getting my first paid client.

The question is how exactly should I approach this?

Would it be just a case of cold reaching marketing owners on Linkedin/IG and say along the lines of:

"I work with marketing agencies that have challenges managing their businesses and help them implement solutions streamline their businesses quickly, would you mind having a call?"

Happy and eager to hear better approaches.

LinkedIn is almost certainly the right platform to you.

In terms of actually selling, play a bit of a long game.

Connect, interest, add value.

The sales message itself - reverse it.

1 - it's all about them. (you, not I)
2. Highlight the need and the outcome (benefits) and work back to them.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

I might be thinking outside the box here..... but I'd have thought the contacts in this marketing agency might be able to help you market your new business?

 

[Ozzy]

I might be thinking outside the box here..... but I'd have thought the contacts in this marketing agency might be able to help you market your new business?

I had the same thought and was about to say the same thing when I saw your reply.

On the basis you are helping the friend free of charge, I would think it's the least they could do for you @Kelvin

 

[Kelvin]

LinkedIn is almost certainly the right platform to you.

In terms of actually selling, play a bit of a long game.

Connect, interest, add value.

The sales message itself - reverse it.

1 - it's all about them. (you, not I)
2. Highlight the need and the outcome (benefits) and work back to them.

Thanks @Mark T Jones

Definitely need to work on highlighting the outcome, sales is not my strongest suit but aiming to improve on it

 

[Kelvin]

I had the same thought and was about to say the same thing when I saw your reply.

On the basis you are helping the friend free of charge, I would think it's the least they could do for you @Kelvin

Hey @Ozzy & @BusterBloodvessel yes definitely, they are willing to help and spread the word, however for me I wanted to start those potential conversations as early as possible while not wait until the current project is done.

So hoping to have something in the pipeline

 

[coachdangra]

Hey @Ozzy & @BusterBloodvessel yes definitely, they are willing to help and spread the word, however for me I wanted to start those potential conversations as early as possible while not wait until the current project is done.

So hoping to have something in the pipeline

You can definitely try to start the conversation but nothing will beat proof.

I'd say focus on overdelivering with your work now, grab that case study and get a testimonial.

I'm sure agencies get a lot of promotional outreach messages. But being able to say "I helped another business with ... and here are the results I got them..." will set you apart instantly.

 

[Jeff Morton]

Hey everyone,

So not too long ago I posted on here asking how to approach the market with my automation services. (For some reason I cannot link the post)

Currently I am helping a friend free of charge who owns a marketing agency streamlining her internal operations by creating an onboarding process and building a client portal to manage their day to day.

I believe there may be other marketing companies who face similar challenges and I want to use this scenario as a case study to expand and scale up and getting my first paid client.

The question is how exactly should I approach this?

Would it be just a case of cold reaching marketing owners on Linkedin/IG and say along the lines of:

"I work with marketing agencies that have challenges managing their businesses and help them implement solutions streamline their businesses quickly, would you mind having a call?"

Happy and eager to hear better approaches.

I have 5 years experience in Linkedin leadgen and here is how I would approach it:

1. Write up your case study as a detailed problem-solution narrative. Include all things you did and the results in terms of time saved/efficiency gained/problems solved.

2. Ask your friend to describe the experience and the benefits from their perspective and include that in your write-up.

3. Generate an ICP for Linkedin outreach - this will be the ideal client profile of other marketing agencies who may benefit from a similar solution (are experiencing similar problem)>

4. Using your ICP, and a company lead finder such as Apollo.io, build a list of approx 500 companies matching your ICP. Extract the founder/Owner/CEO Linkedin profiles to a csv.

5. Craft an outreach message to send to your list, along the lines of; "hi, here is a case stdy of how XYZ company saved 5 hours per week with a unique process automation" with a link to the case study.

6. Plug your 750-1000 linkedin profiles into an automated Linkedin outreach tool such as Waalaxy/Skylead etc etc (there are many) and drip the connection requests out at approx 20 per day over 40-50 days.

7. Out of 500 companies you should land at least 2-3 new clients.

8. Write new case studies for your new completed projects.

9. Wash, rinse, repeat.

 

[Kelvin]

I have 5 years experience in Linkedin leadgen and here is how I would approach it:

1. Write up your case study as a detailed problem-solution narrative. Include all things you did and the results in terms of time saved/efficiency gained/problems solved.

2. Ask your friend to describe the experience and the benefits from their perspective and include that in your write-up.

3. Generate an ICP for Linkedin outreach - this will be the ideal client profile of other marketing agencies who may benefit from a similar solution (are experiencing similar problem)>

4. Using your ICP, and a company lead finder such as Apollo.io, build a list of approx 500 companies matching your ICP. Extract the founder/Owner/CEO Linkedin profiles to a csv.

5. Craft an outreach message to send to your list, along the lines of; "hi, here is a case stdy of how XYZ company saved 5 hours per week with a unique process automation" with a link to the case study.

6. Plug your 750-1000 linkedin profiles into an automated Linkedin outreach tool such as Waalaxy/Skylead etc etc (there are many) and drip the connection requests out at approx 20 per day over 40-50 days.

7. Out of 500 companies you should land at least 2-3 new clients.

8. Write new case studies for your new completed projects.

9. Wash, rinse, repeat.

@Jeff Morton This is brilliant thank you so much, really appreciate the breakdown.

I never had to write a case study like this before, what's the best way to approach it and where should it be hosted?

I was thinking of highlighting as such:

The background
The challenge
The solution
(Testimonial from friend)

Would this be enough?

 

[Jeff Morton]

I was thinking of highlighting as such:

The background
The challenge
The solution
(Testimonial from friend)

Would this be enough?

I would structure the format as follows:
The background

The problems being experienced by your friend (in detail) and how they translate to increased time spent, stress, overwhelm, less time to focus on other things, having to do mundane/repetitive tasks etc etc

The solution outline ideas

The process used to identify how best to implement the solution

The actual details of implementing the solution
A description of how the solution is now used to provide benefits to your friends agency and the tangible results in terms of time saved, less stress, less overwhelm,more time to focus on other things, not having to do mundane/repetitive tasks etc

Testimonial from friend which outlines their experience of the process and the benefits

The case study can be added as a blog post on your website, or as a Linkedin post, or even as a Medium or substack post.
Website is preferable for long term benefits as you grow your business and your client base (and SEO benefits), and you can add a basic contact form at the bottom of the page (name & email) for potential clients to contact you after they have read the case study.- Linkedin is second best option.

If you need a little help to get started then first simply create an outline including bullet list of all the relevant details, send it over to me and I will be happy to help you by using AI to create a draft case study - which you can then edit and refine in your own preferred style. I used to do this for clients for lead generation campaigns.

The most important thing is to take the first step.
It does not need to be perfect to begin.
You can refine and adjust all aspects of the case study write-up, the leadgen process, and your messaging - whilst the campaign is running.

LFG

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

Hey everyone,

So not too long ago I posted on here asking how to approach the market with my automation services. (For some reason I cannot link the post)

Currently I am helping a friend free of charge who owns a marketing agency streamlining her internal operations by creating an onboarding process and building a client portal to manage their day to day.

I believe there may be other marketing companies who face similar challenges and I want to use this scenario as a case study to expand and scale up and getting my first paid client.

The question is how exactly should I approach this?

Would it be just a case of cold reaching marketing owners on Linkedin/IG and say along the lines of:

"I work with marketing agencies that have challenges managing their businesses and help them implement solutions streamline their businesses quickly, would you mind having a call?"

Happy and eager to hear better approaches.

As others are saying on here, the best thing ever is proof. Get your customer to talk about what you've done as a video testimonial.

Who do you believe more? Is it the company selling to you or their customers who've bought the solution?

And if you get it done as a video testimonial, you can put it front and centre on your website, cut it up and use it on your Insta, Linkedin etc... and generate more awareness and ultimately business.