With so many new changes in the digital landscape, it’s essential to keep up with the latest trends and stay equipped with the latest tools for maximum efficiency.
Give your agency a competitive advantage next year by putting more emphasis on the technology your team uses.
For a complete breakdown of how digital marketing agencies are prioritizing for next year, read the full report.
2. Get Continued Agency Growth In 2023 By Refreshing Your Digital Marketing Service Offerings
According to CallRail’s survey, 98% of agencies agree that new offerings will be essential to growth next year. The report outlines the current state of agency offerings, as well as new services they plan to offer in 2023.
The most common services provided by today’s agencies include:
- Full-Service Digital.
- Branding Services.
- Sales Training.
- Creative Services.
- Email Marketing.
- Website Design And Development.
This is a major shift from 2021, in which agencies put the most emphasis on social media marketing.
There was also a significant focus on marketing automation last year, compared to 2022.
“While 90% of agencies said they are happy with their position in the market, that isn’t stopping them from adding new offerings. To help spur greater growth, 91% of agencies have added services in the past 12 months – most of them digital.”
The top new agency service offerings include:
- Website Design And Development.
- Paid Social.
- Full-Service Digital.
- SEM/Paid Search Advertising.
- Creative Services.
If you’re looking to take your agency to the next level in 2023, now’s the time to start thinking about how you can expand your offerings and satisfy even more of your clients’ needs.
Want to learn more about how agencies are improving their service offerings next year? Download the full report for more detailed statistics and data.
3. Try These 5 Keys For Successful Client Acquisition & Customer Retention
According to CallRail’s report, 95% of agencies say that they met their growth goals for the year.
However, most agencies are only holding steady as it concerns client acquisition and retention – not getting ahead.
In 2022, agencies reported a 44% client retention rate on average, which is a decline from 2021’s rate of 53%.
Furthermore, 79% of agency marketers said that they think client acquisition will be more challenging in 2023 than it was this year, with 81% predicting the same for client retention.
So, how can marketers overcome these challenges for a fruitful 2023?
The report shows that agency-client relationships will be key for successful retention next year.
When it comes to retaining clients, agencies used numerous methods over the past year. The top methods used during the economic downturn were:
- Increased communication/transparency with existing clients.
- Added new service offerings.
- Increased touchpoints with clients.
- Increased reporting efforts.
- Added flexible payment options.
If your goal is to increase your client retention rate moving forward, it’s crucial that your agency prioritizes client experience. The better your clients feel about working with you, the more likely they are to stick around.
Regarding client acquisition, the top sources where marketing agencies are finding clients are social media and tech partnerships, followed by conferences/industry events, referrals, and directories.
For more comprehensive data on how agencies are finding and keeping clients, get your copy of the report.
4. Report & Measure Marketing ROI To Prove Your Worth
Despite the many factors impacting marketing agencies over the past few years, such as pandemic conditions, economic stressors, and shifting technology trends, most agencies reported a strong 2022 and look to 2023 with optimism.
“However, to maintain this optimism and meet the goals they’ve set for themselves, agencies will need to keep up with new marketing trends and evolving channels while tackling challenges like client acquisition and retention, continued economic uncertainty, and proving ROI to their clients.”
Part of ensuring client satisfaction for higher retention is demonstrating your agency’s value and effectiveness – measuring the return on investment (ROI) for your marketing efforts is one of the best ways to do this.
Keeping track of success metrics and measuring campaign results are essential to maintaining transparency with your clients.
How else could you show your clients the extent of your agency’s impact?
Even when you’ve delivered the desired results, if you don’t provide the data to back it up, your clients may reconsider the value your agency generates.
According to CallRail, 80% of marketing agencies agree that reporting is essential to their client services, and 85% believe proving ROI to clients will be the key to growth in 2023.
The data also shows that 51% of agencies say they plan to adopt new tools and technologies to help prove campaign ROI next year.
Although 78% of marketers claim they’re satisfied with their agency’s tech stack, many agency professionals still see room for improvement and reasons to invest.
Technology clearly plays a central role in today’s agency marketing.
Not only is it essential to agency survival, but marketers also value technology to help support decision-making.
Not to mention, clients are more drawn to agencies that offer a comprehensive martech stack and competitive marketing analytics tools.
82% of agencies said they adopted new marketing tech in 2022 to track campaign ROI, as well as other metrics.
ROI isn’t the only important metric. Marketing analytics are also key to determining the success of a trend or tactic, according to 79% of agency marketers.
Download the full report to learn more about the benefits of reporting and measuring ROI for your clients.
5. Agency Predictions: What To Focus On Next Year
“Since much of their reputation is tied to keeping up with marketing trends, agencies put a lot of effort into learning about them.”
It’s important to track and learn from the latest trends to help plan your 2023 marketing strategy.
CallRail’s report shows that some of the most common ways agencies stay on top of trends include joining marketing associations, keeping up with competitor offerings, and attending industry events.
Many agencies also reported listening to marketing podcasts, reading industry blogs/newsletters/articles, and taking online courses to keep up with trends.
While some trends are considered fads by agency marketers, like AI, zero-click searches, localized SEO, and automation, there are certain trends that agencies think will be long-lasting, such as:
- Metaverse Marketing.
- Personalization.
- Customer Communities.
- Voice Search.
- Visual Search.
- Gamification.
- Short-Form Video Content.
- OTT (Over-The-Top/Streaming) Advertising.
According to the report, agencies are also planning to implement new marketing strategies in 2023, including:
- Visual Search.
- Customer Communities.
- Metaverse Marketing.
- Personalization.
- Short-Form Video Content.
Having an awareness of what other agencies will be focusing on helps you stay competitive within the industry. Check out CallRail’s complete guide for an exclusive peek at what your peers are planning for next year.
Start Refining Your 2023 Strategy With These Marketing Insights
CallRail’s report has all the industry insights you need to inform your 2023 strategy. Find out what digital marketing agencies have in store for the coming year and get on the right track for success.
“As agencies predict big changes for marketing in the future, they’re also taking steps to adapt by investing in tools, technology, and marketing analytics.
If your agency is looking ahead, consider a platform like CallRail that will unify marketing efforts to make it easier to help your clients and show your agency’s value.”
Want to learn more about the direction in which agencies are headed next year? Download the ebook and get started making your business goals a reality.
You can also try CallRail’s Call Tracking tool for free today.
Source: Digital Marketing In 2023: 600 Marketing Agencies Share Expert Insights
