In a world full of jargon and acronyms, it is easy to get confused about what exactly an online marketing agency does. After all, there are so many different jobs that it can be hard to know where to begin. From SEO to content marketing, performance marketing, and social media, it can be a bit overwhelming to know where to start. Never fear, we have you covered. Here’s a run down of everything you need to know about working with an online marketing agency in Graz, Austria.

The Different Stages Of A Client-Oriented Relationship

Although it is important to work with a reputable agency, it’s equally as important to understand the stages of a client-oriented relationship. As a business owner or manager, it’s your job to establish the right connections and create strong bonds with key decision makers. In order to do this, you must first understand the importance of a trusting business relationship. While there is no set formula for determining the right timing for pitching your business or product to a potential client, there are several important steps that you should follow to ensure maximum success.

Cold-Calling

Cold-calling is one of the first and most important things that you should avoid. It is a technique that was originally used in marketing but has since been overused and undervalued. The primary purpose of a cold-call is to generate interest and build a connection with a potential customer or client. While it might seem like a natural extension of your personality, cold-calling is not a good idea. Your telephone call might not even be answered, and if it is, it’s highly unlikely that you will get a moment’s peace from the person on the other end of the phone. If you need to reach a potential customer or client, do so through email or social media.

Introductions

Introductions are important, especially when coordinating events with other companies or individuals. They are the first step towards establishing trust and goodwill with a new contact. When you meet someone for the first time, you should always shake hands or offer a firm grasp on the arm. A simple hello can be the start of a business relationship that leads to future collaborations and partnerships. There are several different forms of introductions, such as business cards, email introductions, and social media connections. Ensure that you keep these cards or documents as a back-up in case your contact database gets deleted or corrupted. If you are unable to meet in person, video-conferencing or collaborating via email are viable alternatives that can also be used for follow-ups and updates on future projects.

Research

Research is important, whether you are looking to expand your business globally or regionally. Knowing about your target audience’s interests, hobbies, concerns, and culture can help you to tailor your strategies accordingly. Research is also important when it comes to selecting the right agency or team of agencies for your particular project. Without a clear idea of what to expect, it can be difficult to determine how successful a campaign will be. The better the research, the better the performance. However, this is not to say that all research is good research. There are several methods and tools that you can use to perform market research, and the choice is up to you. While many companies have moved to online methods of information gathering, nothing stops you from visiting your regional library or shopping for publications that pertain to your niche or industry. If you have a local university or college, visiting their business school can also be a great way to access useful research materials.

Proposal

A proposal is simply an offer or suggestion that you make to a potential client. Sometimes, proposals can be quite lengthy and include a detailed description of a service or product that you offer. A proposal should be concise yet elaborate enough to make your point clearly. You should structure your proposal around the steps that the client or user will need to complete in order to achieve the desired results. Proposals should also include a clear and reasonable estimate of the cost associated with each and every stage of the project (this is also known as the deliverable). If you are pitching an SEO service, your proposal should include the following:

• An overview of the company, its objectives, and the services that it offers.
• An explanation of how the proposed SEO strategy will help the client to achieve its goals.
• An outline of the key metrics that you will measure and report on in order to assess the success of the strategy.
• A discussion of the competitive analysis that you have carried out
• An estimate of the cost of the project
• Contact details

Depending on the nature of your business, you might also want to include a section on what to expect as a client. For example, if you are providing web design services, you might want to explain to potential clients what to expect as far as deadlines, quality of work, and so on. Having a clear idea of what to expect will help reduce your uncertainties and make the entire process more transparent. Remember that this is a proposal, and thus can and should be flexible.

Contract

Once you have agreed upon the terms of the proposal with a potential client, you should proceed to negotiate the contract. A contract is a formal agreement between the two parties that defines their responsibilities and establishes a date by which the project will be completed. A contract should be concise yet comprehensive enough to serve its purpose. The general structure of a contract is as follows:

• ABOUT THIS AGREEMENT
• PARTIES (Who are we dealing with? The individual or corporate identities of the two parties)
• DESCRIPTION OF WORK (This is the services that you will provide to the client)
• COUNTERPARTS (How will you provide these services? The contact details of the person or people that you will be working with)
• TIME FRAME (When will you start and when will you complete this project? A detailed schedule, with dates, should be provided.)
• MATERIALS (What are the materials that you will need to perform this project? Specify the tools, technology, software, and so on)
• BENEFITS (What are the benefits that the client will receive from this project? This section is optional and can be used to emphasize the key advantages that the client will gain from your services)
• PAYMENT (What will you charge the client for your services? This should be discussed and agreed upon in advance.)
• TERMS (This is an overview of the contract including all of its important clauses and sections. Be sure to consult with a lawyer if you need legal help drafting the contract.)

Follow-Up

After you have entered into a contract with a potential client, you should follow up with a series of brief emails or calls to ensure that they remain abreast of the progress that you make on their project. While there is no hard and fast rule regarding the frequency of follow-ups, you should take this into consideration. Depending on the nature and scope of the project, it might be necessary to follow up with several emails or calls over the course of several weeks or months. Make sure that you provide plenty of relevant information in your follow-ups and be sure to ask questions if you do not fully understand something. It is also important to be mindful of the potential burden that your follow-ups might place on the potential client. If you are working with a creative agency, the pressure of maintaining a CreativeCloud account or portfolio might also be a burden that you should consider. Regular follow-ups can also be used to keep in touch with former clients, as well as to invite them into a new and updated database of contact information.

Review

On occasion, you might also be asked to review a proposal or offer letter that you wrote for a potential client. This is especially important if you are presented with a new client or project that you have not worked with before. In these instances, it is important to show your professionalism by demonstrating that you have reviewed the material that was presented to you and that you have an understanding of what was asked. Your review should include the following: