During his final year in the University, for his dissertation, the CEO of Social Agendas Marketing, Aaron Branch, argued that musicians should steer off selling their ownership rights to big labels and instead focus on marketing themselves on social media. He firmly believes that social media is an equalizer available to all who are willing to manipulate it for growth.
It is on that principle that he founded his agency Social Agendas which caters to businesses looking to scale their bottom line through online advertising. Aaron Branch also finds time to mentor startups through his "Start and Scale Agency Program." He has authored a Bestseller, "The First 365," which I highly recommend reading for anyone just starting on social media marketing and needs genuine and personalized motivation. His company has since helped hundreds of businesses leverage social media and online platforms to scale their revenue and outreach.
The International Speaker and marketing authority believe that through sharing what he's learned, his failures, debts, losses, and years of trial and error, he creates loyal partnerships instead of unhealthy competition. In this article, I will share the blueprint that he used to grow his brand from an opposing company, into the million-dollar social media advertising agency that serves hundreds of successful companies:
Step 1 - Identify Your Target Market
Aaron Branch advises that before pitching yourself to potential clients, sit down and think about who your target client is. Consider;
- Business model (local companies, SaaS, service companies, etc.)
- Industry (Hospitality, Education, etc.)
- Company size (SMBs etc.)
Once you identify who you want to serve, you will know how and what to offer.
It's not advisable to go full service right off the bat. Quickly hiring experts in each area, such as SEO and PPC, can have you pumping in too many resources for mediocre services.
The best solution is to specialize in an area you feel best at. If you feel like content marketing is what you shine most, focus on that in the beginning. As you learn and grow, you can employ experts who grasp and execute the other sectors your clients may need - like SEO, PPC, and more.
A good example is Apple, which started with just a computer. They then branched to offering a variety of products but only after perfecting their initial development.
Step 2 - Get Clients
Ask for testimonials from your clients if you've been freelancing before. If not, offer your services for free to a few of your ideal clients to trade for a testimonial.
In the early days, Aaron Branch helped Social Agenda generate leads by doing freelance jobs, going to live events, meeting potential clients, and investing from his credit.
Step 3 - Build an Evergreen Content Machine
Churn valuable and evergreen content to educate, inspire and entertain your target audience. This content must be relevant at all times, e.g., "how to spread a bed," because the steps and process never change, and people will probably be searching for it for decades to come. As crucial as paid ads are, content marketing compounds over time. On the other hand, paid ads shut off your lead generation engine when you don't find your ads. Ensure to ask yourself how your content can be a bit better than the existing one. Is it by providing in-depth content, easy-to-read, visually appealing presentation? Whatever it is, ensure your content is relevant, fresh, and repurpose whenever it starts to go stale or old.
Step 4 - Hire and Partner
Now that you have a solid process in place, your primary focus should shift to growth. Hiring, according to Aaron Branch, is a make or break. It is therefore imperative to partner or hire for the positions you are weak.
If you're not a good people manager, find a CEO or a co-director.
Find experts that you respect and get them onboard.
Unfortunately, like hiring, it's also critical to fire when employees don't align with your vision. Aaron Branch believes that firing helps keep the productivity levels high and only leaves you with motivated team players.
You now have some snippets into the blueprint that Aaron Branch used to grow Social Agenda from an opposing company to a million-dollar agency.
You'll encounter a lot of challenges along the way, but following these steps and consulting with mentors such as Aaron Branch, you'll get there.
It takes an average of 3 years to build a company- so start today!
