Today we have a guest post from Danny Kershaw, account manager at Prize Content.
Dawn Creative often work with other agencies & partners to help strengthen our expertise & customer proposals along with providing a fully rounded solution to every enquiry we receive, Prize Content is a marketing agency which helps companies find their voice across digital platforms to generate leads and influence conversions. Danny and the team at Prize Content deliver some fantastic copy & interesting articles including the blog below.
It’s a hard life being wordy.
You spend your time writing catchy titles, compelling website content, and punchy social posts for clients, only to find that words on a white page aren’t enough.
Who knew?
As it turns out, there are people out there who do know. They’re the mac to our cheese. The Ben to our Jerry.
Getting The Mix Right…
Clients often come to Prize Content understanding that they need help improving the words across their online presence, from blogging to social media and beyond. What they sometimes don’t realise is that words alone aren’t enough to drive their expected success.
A better website design and improved visual branding are essential parts of the mix, and that’s when we reach out to our friends at other agencies, like Dawn Creative.
We work with other agencies because despite being really good at what we do, the written word is only part of the puzzle.
We find agencies at the top of their game in other specialisms and together we complete the jigsaw that makes up a brand. (Sorry for ditching the food analogy here btw, describing a brand as a ‘soup’ or ‘stir-fry’ seemed a bit gross.)
What else do clients need? Consistency.
Consistency between web design, visuals, and the words on the page that feels natural, not jarring. Consistency in approach which means they feel like they’re dealing with one team, not a patchwork of different businesses.
But how do you ensure that consistency for your clients when you’re two separate agencies with different specialisms? And how do you know which agencies to work with? By choosing who you collaborate with carefully.
Processes, values, attitudes. That’s where you make or break a successful partnership. And it’s by discovering the common ground that you can find partner agencies to develop a longstanding relationship with.
Here are some things to bear in mind when considering another agency to work alongside.
Focus on Research and Understanding.
Before we write a single word, we spend time with our clients learning about them and their business.
Asking a LOT of questions: About their customers, their business, and how they rock their customers’ world.
That way, we have a wealth of knowledge to base our decisions and actions on. Success is built on these foundations, so we always make sure our partner agencies recognise this approach and do something similar.
When you know you’re partnering with a company who does their homework too, both agencies can be confident that the other understands the client inside out.
Processes That Work Time After Time
Having processes that are robust and can be repeated is everything.
When that process relates to building a brand for your clients, and will affect their future success, it’s even more important than that.
Remember, branding isn’t just choosing a couple of colours and a logo. It’s outlining the personality of the client’s brand, their tone of voice, pace, volume, colour, ‘volume of colour’ (a phrase Dawn Creative uses which we blimmin’ love), and everything else that makes them and their messaging stand out.
That’s a lot to cover, and it’s easy to mess it up if you’re trying to wing it.
No two agencies (particularly those with different specialisms) will have the exact same approach, but what’s important is to have processes that work repeatedly and have the flexibility to allow collaboration with partners when it’s needed.
Even if your paths only cross when you’re ‘handing over’ a client to a partner to work their magic, it has to be as seamless as possible for the client and not lead to duplication and wasted effort.
A big ask, but with the right partners it works like a dream. Or strawberries and cream.
That ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi’
You need to fit with your agency partners. Gel. Groove.
Your understanding could be based on shared values, an equal desire to deliver top quality every time, or a mutual love of cake, but you won’t get on in business if you don’t, you know, get on.
So when you’re considering which agencies to partner with, spend a bit of time getting to know each other before you jump into a big project with both feet!
Last Thoughts
The digital world is constantly evolving and what’s right this year might not work next year, so being flexible is key to achieving success — as a business and for your customers.
Working with fellow agencies allows you to be agile, play to your strengths, and deliver fantastic results time and time again.
If this is a step you’d like to take, reach out to Prize Content and Dawn Creative to discover how we can do great things together.
