EP 250: State of the Agency 2020 Pt. II with Drew McLellan

In my 250th (man, how times flies!) episode of Build a Better Agency, we look at the next set of client and employee-focused trends from the 2020 Agency Trends Report, picking up where I left off in episode #245, which was me walking you through the first half of the trends. The back half of the report covers everything from employee retention and happiness to the changing needs of your clients as they respond to current events. I am hoping these trends will give you a better idea of what we can do to adapt to this complex economic climate while protecting the health of our agencies. Every summer, I consolidate the trends that I see every day in the 250+ small to mid-sized agencies we serve and distill them down for you so you can plan for these evolutions in our industry.

With everything going on right now, it is hard to dedicate the necessary time and mental space to focus on running your agency. But, paying close attention to the health of your agency and the trends that will impact its health, is more important than ever before. We have to carve out of the time to protect our businesses and I am hoping that taking a look at these trends will help you do that.

The State of the Agency 2020 will provide tons of insights to push through these difficult times and help your clients do the same.

A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

• Why agency leaders had to make concessions due to employment shortages and how that trend is shifting
• How to regain control of your agency while maintaining employee retention and happiness
• How to take advantage of the expanded talent pool created by the pandemic
• Why our clients are looking to get a bigger share of wallet from their existing customers
• How agencies can capitalize on the need for cause and social marketing
• How agencies are stepping over the line and diving into sales strategies with clients
• Why clients are seeking out brand activation
• Best practices for embedded employees
• How we can help our clients create and manage private communities that are loyal to their brand
• New areas where agencies are making great money