Stepping into the realm of sales requires diligence and a strategic approach—especially when it comes to the pivotal discovery call. 

Whether you’re representing a full-service digital marketing agency or another fast-paced sector, mastering discovery call techniques separates the good from the great in selling. 

In this blog post, we will unveil an in-depth sales strategy guide. From nurturing leads to closing deals, these techniques enhance your ability to listen actively, gauge client needs accurately, and position your services as indispensable solutions. 

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What is a discovery call, and why is it important?

The discovery call is the professional equivalent of a coffee date. The goal is to gain knowledge. 

It is the first encounter between two businesses to get a feel for the other party, learning more about where they are, what they are looking for, and if you are a match.

In our industry, a digital marketing agency usually sets up a discovery call to respond to a potential client interested in its services. Qualifying leads on calls is an integral part of the sales process.

Below is a quick look at how each party benefits:

Your client:

• Speaks to an industry expert on their challenges and objectives
• Gains information that helps them reframe their “problem” 
• Learns about common approaches, available resources
• Outlines their investment potential based on new information

The digital marketing agency:

• Establishes initial rapport with a potential client
• Gains knowledge of the client’s pain points and industry 
• Speaks directly to an interested party
• Evaluate the feasibility of the opportunity 

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Preparing for a discovery call

The main goal of a discovery call is to learn about the client’s challenges. Below are different ways to arrive at that faster.

Research

It’s crucial to look interested in your client’s business, and that begins with research.

LinkedIn’s Global Stats of Sales report reveals that over 76% of top performers say they “always” perform research before reaching out to prospects, compared to 47% for other sellers. 

 Two things to help you get comfortable are:

• Visit the business’s website
• Look up your LinkedIn profile
  • Note commonalities in interests or work experiences
  • Scan for mutual contacts
  • Leverage Crystal Knows if possible to learn more about how to relate to the person to whom you will be speaking to

Create an agenda

You might think agendas are silly, but they are often your ace up your sleeve. Sharing an agenda with your client is the easiest way to show that you are an organized doer who respects their time. 

Often, conversations lead off the topic. This practice is common in everyday conversations, but you don’t want a confused client reaching out about things you should have discussed in your meeting. 

Even if you are short on time and have to speed through the last talking points, it’s better than not mentioning them.

Additionally, agendas help clients feel you have a standardized process at your agency. 

Discovery Call Scripts

Practice for a discovery call the same way you would an interview. 

Have a script planned on how to speak to your client in an empowering yet educational way. 

Your team can role-play with more experienced colleagues at your organization to get tips on speaking to specific points on your agenda.

Make sure to run through your agenda with your team. Jot down questions and flag concerns you might have from the research you have pulled.

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Mistakes We’ve Made & How It Defined Our Approach

“Seasoned experts” summarize years of learning. You become an expert by making mistakes and learning to solve problems. Here are some of the errors and how they fine-tuned our ways.

Assuming It’s An Easy Sell 

You want to ensure this is a fluid conversation, not a pompous rant on your abilities. If you show interest in the particularities of the conversation, it can unfold. 

Here’s an example:

• “What are your current capabilities in PPC?” can lead to “How do you think adding white label PPC” impacts your business?" 
• This approach can also lead to “What other processes are slowing down your team?”

If they ask you questions, ensure your responses are clear and brief. Address the frustrations at hand before moving on to bigger plans. Speaking about anything other than the current problem can make a client feel that you are just focused on creating a sale instead of solving the problem.

Skipping an Agenda

We figure we’ll communicate the importance of an agenda if we mention it twice. Did it work? 

It’s easier to achieve a goal if you are aiming for it. After introductions, review the agenda with the client. Establish why you’ve prioritized those talking points and what the goal is. 

Ask if they’d like to add anything. This gesture will help them feel that the dynamic is considerate. 

Overlook Video Calls

Video calls are a lot more personal and engaging than audio calls. 

There is a buzz about video calls being more effective, but we’ll leave this as a recommendation and organizational preference. 

We benefit from video calls at White Shark Media because our casual conversations and client relationships are rooted in personability. We like adding a face to a name. We can also record video calls to revisit points and learn from our calls. 

We encourage our white-label clients to try this out for themselves. Compare client engagement and buyer responses to evaluate which works best for your team.

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Discovery Call Follow-up Techniques

A best practice is to have a template for a follow-up to your discovery call. Standardized materials ensure that you include essential information and remind you to include common resources like blog posts or case studies that help the client decide.

Meet your team to review how you customize the template based on your client's needs and goals. Make sure to detail when you provide a proposal and the next step.

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Whether you need more in-house expertise or want to scale your current offerings, our white-label services for agencies walk you every step of the way. 

Unlock your potential with expert guidance. Contact our team to learn about partnering with the best white-label digital marketing agency.

It’s an exhilarating moment when a business transitions from being newly established to being ready to grow. Whether due to a high demand for products or competing for market share, these are signs that a business is prepared for more. 

That happened to our white-label services client, a Canadian cleaning service business. The company is a successful provider of services using 100% green-certified cleaning products. The company was doing well and found itself in a great spot.

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The Opportunity

It was a great moment for all when our team at White Shark Media met with the client to discuss their aim to franchise their services. 

They planned to do this by leveraging online advertising, and our team was on board for the ride. We aimed to help them expand into new markets and appeal to new customers. 

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The Business Objective

After understanding our client’s business goals, our team decided that campaigns needed to increase the client’s franchise landing page views to generate leads with a solid audience foundation.

Why?

• Landing pages are essential as they are focused on one goal, making it easier for the user or reader to convert. Our client’s home page would be a generalized overview of service descriptions, availabilities, etc. All this information gets in the way. The landing page focuses solely on the opportunity to franchise and provides all the information to address concerns and encourage action.
• This campaign focuses on lead generation. We aim to attract prospects and provide them with information to help them move forward in the buyer’s cycle. 

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Our Approach

Compared to other platforms, Facebook was the right place for our campaigns. Its features align with our objectives, from its wealth of users to the ability to increase brand awareness and target specific demographics. 

To achieve our goals, we used Facebook Audience ads to allow us to:

• ✓ Lean on Facebook's current 3.049 billion monthly active users, we could reach a more extensive set of people for website traffic
• ✓ Leverage ad campaign to reach precise audiences 
• ✓ Communicate a trustworthy brand for your customers

Here’s a closer look at our approach:

• Launched a broad traffic campaign for two months

  Broad traffic campaigns are free of filters and open to a larger audience. 

• Ran a B2B-focused conversions campaign for three months

  Here, we rely on users' “interests” and demographic information to advertise to decision-makers and relevant industries. 

• Collected relevant leads by re-engaging with previous campaign audiences

  There is an opportunity to reconnect with old leads; they are already familiar with your business, and it’s easier to revive their interest in your products or services. 

• Paused the traffic campaign for conversions’ campaign budget efficiency.

  Pausing traffic campaigns prevents them from showing. We did this to ensure that we ran the most efficient campaigns possible.

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The Outcome

Clients often approach us to get them out of sticky situations, but this was different, and we were excited to take on this “positive” challenge for our clients.

To summarize, it went well! 

During the first month with both campaigns, we had 300+ website visits and 17 leads.

• Website visits focus on the number of times the landing page was loaded. Meanwhile, leads are potential customers who have shown interest in the franchise.

After two quarters, there were 4,000+ new users, 300+ website leads, and 59 calls.

• New users refer visitors who are new to the site.
• Website leads are potential customers captured specifically via the landing page.
• Calls are the number of times someone reached out to learn more.

It was (yet again) a great moment for both businesses! Our team helped our client achieve its goals of opening up to new markets and customers. 

• New users augmented by 234.22%
• Sessions improved by 236.33%
• Leads were raised by 573.33
• Calls increased by 490.00%

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Experience is critical to leveraging platforms to achieve your goals in an ever-evolving industry. If you have similarities with the case above and hope to leverage social media marketing to achieve your goals, visit us for more on Facebook Ads Growth.

We relish answering questions because it builds trust with our clients. At the beginning of a white-label partnership, marketing leaders want to know as much as possible about what they can expect and get them excited.

If you want to add white-label services to your business, this post answers digital marketing FAQs. Share this post with your team as a friendly resource when addressing client concerns.

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When will you first see results with Pay-Per-Click services?

The short answer is 90 days. Below is a breakdown of why:

• Month 1: The primary focus for the first 30 days is gathering data.
• Month 2: With a better understanding of your campaigns, strategists and account managers can start filtering out what isn’t working and making tweaks to boost performance. 
• Month 3: Changes from Month 2 will be reflected in Month 3. Quality results such as conversions or transactions begin to surface. Additionally, your campaigns will start to see an increase in qualified leads.

How does my Pay-Per-Click budget impact my performance?

Considering the previous timeline, it’s essential to note that your budget can delay the course. Here are two examples to help you understand why this is so.

Example 1: Businesses with a Budget of $1,000

Let’s consider you have a new client interested in PPC campaigns to create brand awareness for their new jewelry line. 

They want to invest $1,000 in paid ads and don’t have previous campaign data to work with. Our team will have to start from scratch, and it will look much like the 3-month process we shared in the last example.

Your client wants to conquer the US, but our strategist will recommend focusing on a small city like St. Augustine, FL, which better uses their budget. Bigger cities are more expensive, resulting in less impact. Small wins will benefit your account and show progress.

Once the return is there and data provides new opportunities, it’s an excellent time to expand into other locations.

Example 2: Businesses with a Budget of $5,000 or More

Businesses with larger budgets can launch more aggressive campaigns. 

Here's an example from our portfolio. SVP Worldwide is one of the world's largest consumer sewing machine companies, serving over 190 countries. They struggled with big competition from other retailers and hoped to reach consistent weekly sales through PPC campaigns.

Their budget permitted a more aggressive and detailed approach to their PPC strategy, which included the following:

• Starting branded strategy to prioritize conversion rate traffic and boost conversions.
• Adding a seasonal campaign approach to increase the budget during the holiday season.
• Leveraging Performance Max campaigns to take advantage of Google's algorithm.
• Implementing a Shopping & Search strategy blend to maximize campaign performance.
• Structuring and segmenting campaigns by product groups in different categories to improve budget management and prevent overlap in traffic.

In just a few months, our team was able to achieve a vast improvement across SVP campaigns: 

• Impressions grew by 103%
•  Maximized Conversions by 516%
• Lowered CPA by 74%
•  Incremented Conversion rate by 426%

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Does SEO work? 

Yes, SEO works, and it will surprise you!

A recent Forbes article states that organic clicks accounted for 45.1% of all search results, proving users rely on organic search results.

Comprehensive strategies, including keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building, boost your client’s online presence and drive sustainable long-term growth. 

At White Shark Media, our process includes the following steps to ensure success:

We often see business owners cut SEO because they need to understand the results. Communicating to clients that SEO is a long-term strategy and setting expectations is critical to preventing misunderstandings. 

Furthermore, SEO is a great sidekick to other efforts. Pairing organic (SEO) with paid (PPC) increases results, boosting lead quality and volume.

Improving your SEO will increase visibility, but it will only get you far with quality content and a proper marketing strategy. 

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Why don’t white-label agencies provide quotes over email?

Everyone is eager to determine pricing and packages, but discovery calls are essential to quoting.

Digital marketing agency clients often come to us for one kind of support and leave with another. This pivoting happens because discovery calls allow our strategists to (1) clarify the benefits of tools and services and (2) hear out the challenges that they are facing.

Only after do we assemble a package (and quote) that works for you.

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Conclusion

In today’s market, a white-label partnership offers a broad range of services and tools that can accelerate performance. However, the key to reaping the benefits of a white-label partnership is understanding the services and how you can benefit from them. 

Click here to request a conversation with one of our strategists. We’ll match your objectives and needs with the right services. 

Juggling client needs is a massive challenge – but it doesn’t have to be with extra help. A digital performance marketing agency (like yours) can boost performance by leaning on a white-label digital marketing agency (like ours).

We have been providing white-label services for agencies for over 14 years. In that time, we've learned something. Our clients feel more comfortable when they understand our services. They want to do so before our first meeting. This step is also helpful to our team as it allows us to get the most out of our time together.

Do you have a discovery call on sales enablement? If so, this post covers the differences between sales enablement and fulfillment. It also covers signs that you might need one or both.

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What is Sales enablement, and what does it include?

Sales enablement is the resources that empower your team along the sales cycle. Having suitable materials at hand helps professionals navigate the ups and downs of client conversations, facilitating the closing of a deal. Sales enablement teams or tools can be in-house or outsourced. 

Typically, this includes:

• Equipping your team with items like proposals and account audits
• Providing reporting for the previous month, highlighting comparative data
• White-label sales & marketing collateral 
• Referencing previous work to manage expectations
• Sales pitch support
• Co-event hosting capabilities

When clients approach White Shark Media needing the abovementioned items, we recommend sales enablement tools like White Shark Media Compass. 

It's essential to find tools that provide a wide range of resources to help your team get from start to finish and address some of the client's concerns. 

Our online dashboard allows our clients to pull branded sales materials like:

• Case studies, by industry

• Pre-written proposal decks

• AdClicks reporting tool
• Access to Monday to request tools from your white-label team

What is Sales fulfillment, and what does it include?

Separately, sales fulfillment teams are any managed services provided to another agency.

For White Shark Media clients, this means someone from our agency manages any or all of the following services for you:

• PPC, featuring ads in search engine page results
• Social media, featuring ads on social media platforms
• SEO, optimizing your site for search engine optimizations
• Web Design & Development focused on UX/UI & CRO
• Creative, designing banner ads and video editing services 

Despite their differences, both services contribute immensely to your digital marketing agency's capacity to serve clients.

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Signs you need one of these services

Understanding how these services differ is the first step to determining which services support your team’s needs.

Our sales team has a great understanding of what to look out for. Below, we’ve matched challenges with the appropriate support.

You need Sales Enablement if…

• Your objectives are growth and scalability. If you are trying to grow your agency and "don't have the right tools for it," you'll benefit significantly from a team of experts and marketing tools. You will feel more confident with data and someone to guide you through the sales cycle.
• Your team needs more time. Prep time is tedious but necessary. Reviewing materials and ensuring they are coherent for your client meetings is essential. If your team is timely and provides consistent, stellar reports, it'll only improve the relationship. Tools help you work "smarter," not "harder."
• You want to establish your position as a seasoned marketer. If your agency is starting or trying to break into a particular service outside your expertise, this might make clients weary. That's why it's helpful to piggyback on an agency like White Shark Media. We offer our client 20+ years of experience, the use of case studies, and expert support.

You need Sales Fulfillment if…

• You want to grow but “don’t have the bandwidth to take on more clients.” Like the previous growth point, relying on more people expands your business. 

• You are concerned about performance. If your team struggles to see good performance across accounts, leaning on seasoned account managers can help capture new opportunities and flag account errors. Both of these can quickly address an account that has plateaued. 

Many of your clients aim to improve performance. Our client, FMG, prioritized this when they approached us for performance marketing services.

FMG is a furniture & mattress outlet committed to furniture, mattresses, and home furnishing. Our work on this account is an excellent example of how seasoned strategists can turn things around.

Our team created new PPC campaigns to increase conversion volumes and improve return on investment. We were able to leverage valuable data from previous campaigns for our launch. Our strategists proceeded to:

• Target custom audiences (furniture keywords and competitor websites)
• Leverage past visitors and buyer data
• Expand our reach with In-Market and Affinity segments
• Ensure essential assets (images, videos, headlines, and descriptions).
• Exclude the 18-24 age group to improve conversion rates.

Within months, our team increased conversions by 26.16% and reduced cost per acquisition by 23%.

• Your team needs to gain product knowledge. This issue is one of the more severe points as it can create distrust with your clients. If you are adding services to your portfolio, consider that it takes time to understand how a product works. Leveraging consultations with strategists can prevent sticky situations and minimize your team's learning curve.

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As a full-service digital marketing agency, we use the same sales enablement tools that we offer our clients. Tools facilitate materials, while the fulfillment side strengthens product management. Freeing you up for what matters most: client relationships and business development. 

This investment proves worthy across our portfolio, where we’ve seen businesses do significantly better by adding sales enablement services. 

With cunning work by our strategists, we’ve seen a percentage growth as high as 400% for Evergreen and 600% for FMG.

Our clients multiplied account numbers and sales, all while saving time on redundant tasks. 

Below is a short clip by Michael Herschel IV, Marketing Director at FMG, on how a white-label partnership can boost business.

Contact us to get insights into the sales fulfillment process and how it can streamline operations, enhance customer satisfaction, and grow revenue.

Running a successful digital marketing agency can be both challenging and rewarding. Finding a way to streamline processes and provide the best online marketing for clients is the ultimate goal, and don’t get me wrong; it can be achieved. However, even the most seasoned agencies face pain points when working with white-label marketing providers, and we figured we would put them out here so you can recognize them when shopping around.

White-Label Marketing Partnership Challenges

No one solution is perfect, but you can checklist what’s important for your business, especially if you’re investing in a white-label digital marketing solution.

Here are the pain points you’ve probably encountered and what to do about it:

1. Limited Expertise in Digital Marketing

Challenge: Many agencies struggle with limited expertise in certain areas of digital marketing. Whether it's SEO, content creation, or social media management, having a partner who lacks expertise can hinder your agency's growth.

Solution: When choosing a white-label marketing provider, prioritize expertise. Look for partners with a strong track record and deep knowledge of the services you want to offer. A reputable white-label partner can fill the gaps in your agency's skill set.

2. Transparency with Pricing

Challenge: When working with white-label agencies, maintaining transparency in pricing can be challenging. Clients expect clear and predictable costs, but hidden fees or ambiguous pricing structures can erode trust.

Solution: Commit to a no-hidden-fees policy. Ensure you are clear about any third-party costs (e.g., ad spend, software subscriptions) and ensure they are included in the pricing breakdown.

3. Lack of Communication

Challenge: Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful white-label partnerships, insufficient or unclear communication can lead to misunderstandings, delays, and frustration.

Solution: Clearly define your expectations regarding communication frequency, channels (email, calls, meetings), and response times. Regular check-ins and project management tools should be agreed upon to enhance collaboration and keep both parties aligned. 

4. Failing to Deliver on Time

Challenge: Timeliness is crucial in digital marketing. Delays can harm client relationships and impact campaign effectiveness.

Solution: Communication is key. Ensure your white-label marketing provider offers clear communication channels and adheres to deadlines. Regular updates and transparency can prevent delays.

5. A Dip In Sales

Challenge: If your white-label services aren't selling well, it affects your revenue stream.

Solution: Understand your target audience thoroughly. Research their pain points and tailor your offerings accordingly. A white-label partner can help you identify market gaps and create compelling solutions.

6. Poor Client Retention

Challenge:Losing clients due to service dissatisfaction reflects poorly on your agency.

Solution: Choose a white-label marketing provider that delivers consistent quality. Regularly assess client satisfaction and address any issues promptly.

7. Customization to Your Needs

Challenge: Generic solutions won't set your agency apart from competitors.

Solution: Work closely with your white-label partner to customize services for each client. Tailor strategies based on individual needs, industry nuances, and specific pain points.

Choosing The Right White-Label Marketing Provider

How did these pain points resonate with you? You want to work with a partner that understands your goals, delivers high-quality services, and helps you grow your business. 

You can also expand your service offerings, increase revenue, and scale your agency. If you want to learn more about our white-label marketing services, contact us; we’re excited to see how our solution can work for you.

White Shark Media has been a Google Premier Partner since 2014, consistently meeting and exceeding the requirements for becoming a Premier Partner. We have proven our ability to manage large and complex campaigns, optimize performance across multiple channels, and generate a positive return on investment for our clients.

As a leading digital marketing agency, we proudly announce that we have been named a 2024 Google Premier Partner, which marks our 10-year anniversary of this recognition. This prestigious award is granted only to a select group of agencies demonstrating excellence in delivering high-quality digital marketing solutions to clients using the latest Google products and best practices.

Yesterday, Google recognized the achievements of top-performing digital marketing partners across the globe by awarding 2024 Premier Partner status as part of the Google Partners program. 

What Does It Mean for White Shark Media to Be Named Google Premier Partner This Year?

We are proud of this achievement because being among the top 3% of Google Partners participants in the US signals leading expertise in Google Ads and the ability to forge new client relationships and support continued client growth. 

White Shark Media will have access to exclusive benefits as a Google Premier Partner, such as advanced training, dedicated support, and early access to new features and products from Google. It will enable the agency to provide more value and results to its clients across various industries and markets.

Other perks include getting listed on the Google Partners directory, which helps potential clients find top digital marketing agencies that are Premier Partners like us, and receiving exclusive benefits that promote business growth and success with Google Ads.

"This confirms White Shark Media's commitment to creating value for our customers through the latest marketing solutions on Google's platforms." said Daniel Alvarado, CEO of White Shark Media. "The digital marketing landscape continues to change, and working with an agency like White Shark Media ensures you get the best combination of industry know-how, extensive support, and a creative approach toward driving results."

About The Google Partner Program

The Google Partners program is designed for advertising agencies and third parties that manage Google Ads accounts on behalf of other brands or businesses. Its mission is to empower companies by providing them with innovative tools, resources, and support to help their clients succeed and grow online.

It is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to grow their online business and reach new clients. You can also earn badges and certifications that showcase your skills and expertise in various areas of digital marketing. Whether you are a web developer, a content creator, an SEO specialist, or a social media manager, the Google Partner Program can help you enhance your online presence.

White Shark Media Digital Marketing Agency

We offer a full range of digital marketing services, including search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, web design and development, and more. Our agency has a team of certified and experienced strategists who work closely with each client to understand their needs, challenges, and opportunities to create customized strategies that align with their objectives.

We want to thank our amazing team and loyal customers for making it possible. We look forward to continuing to help you grow your business online with the power of Google!

We are a few months into 2024, so if you are reading this, there is a high chance that you're fine-tuning your social media strategy for the year and searching for the latest trends. But there’s more to just incorporating trends; you need to ensure your content engages and caters to your audiences.

Luckily, we have you in mind and are here to guide you in the right direction!

Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Long Form Content Is Back! But It’s Different From What You Think

Short videos still rule the engagement roost, capturing fleeting attention spans with lightning speed. But here's the twist: those same platforms are pushing longer videos. 

Why this shift is happening:

• TikTok's Influence: The rise of platforms like TikTok has conditioned audiences to crave engaging, visually-driven experiences. Even longer videos on TikTok, from one minute to 30 minutes, show the appetite for deeper dives within a shorter format.

• Attention Spans: Yes, they might be shorter, but that doesn't mean people don't want to learn or be immersed in a topic. They want it delivered in a way that's digestible and engaging.
• SEO Benefits: Long-form content, even in video format, still holds SEO advantages. It allows you to cover a topic comprehensively, include relevant keywords, and attract backlinks, contributing to better search engine rankings.

VR/AR is Reshaping Brand Connections

While virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have existed for some time, their applications in social media marketing are steadily growing. In fact, according to a Statista report, the global market for augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality reached 28 billion USD in 2021 and is projected to surpass 250 billion USD by 2028.

These technologies offer unique ways for users to interact with the virtual world, and businesses can leverage this potential to boost their social media in 2024 presence through: 

• Enhanced Product Visualization: Try on clothes, explore spaces, or experience services virtually, leading to better understanding, recall, and purchases.
• Storytelling and Brand Experiences: Create immersive narratives, showcase values, and offer exclusive glimpses, fostering emotional connections and building loyalty.
• Community Building and User-Generated Content: Encourage participation with interactive filters and AR challenges, building a community and amplifying brand reach and engagement. 

Did someone accidentally write the script for 2024 based on a "Black Mirror" episode?

@barstoolsports Apple Vison Pro on the subway @Barstool Gametime ♬ original sound - Barstool Sports

How Voice Search is Transforming Social Media in 2024

More and more businesses are using voice search on social media platforms to connect with customers and expand their reach.This trend aligns with the broader rise of voice assistants and conversational interfaces, where users can search for information and interact with brands using natural language. Social media platforms adapt to this shift by integrating voice search functionalities, allowing users to find relevant content, brands, and products through spoken commands.

Extra Tips on Leveraging Voice Search for Social Media

• Use natural language and long-tail keywords that mimic spoken questions. Think "how to..." and "what is..." phrases.
• Include location-specific keywords if relevant to your business or target audience.
• Answer questions directly and concisely in captions, descriptions, and video transcripts.
• Consider translating key content and captions to reach a wider audience.

Are you curious about voice search and its benefits beyond social media territories? Tune in to our YouTube video. 

Embracing Social Commerce as a Core Part of Your Digital Strategy

Remember the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt trend? Social media platforms are increasingly becoming hubs for product discovery. 

With billions of users spending hours daily on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, businesses have a captive audience ready to be converted.

Social platforms have a wealth of user data, allowing businesses to target ads and product recommendations precisely. This personalized approach increases the chances of resonating with customers and driving conversions.

Don’t Get Left Behind, Update Your Social Media Strategy!

We hope this overview has shed light on some key trends to consider as you craft your social media strategy. From the impactful influence of long-form content to the immersive potential of VR and the rising prominence of voice search, these trends open exciting avenues for engagement and brand building.

However, navigating trends and applying updates to your strategy can be challenging. That's where our social media advertising services come in. We partner with you to develop a data-driven, multi-faceted approach that aligns with your brand goals and leverages the latest digital marketing trends. Together, we can turn your social media strategy into a success story. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

There is so much opportunity when it comes to valentines! With the big day just around the corner, don’t leave the chance to attract more customers to your business out on the table. Whether you have massage services or sell flowers, chocolates, jewelry, or any other romantic gift, you need a solid digital marketing strategy to make your business the top pick for Valentine’s online shoppers.

Did you know that 62% of consumers aged 25-34 plan to celebrate this year, spending an average of $185.81 on various services and goods?

Take a look at these powerful marketing strategies and tips on using Local Services Ads, Google Business Profile in SEO, and social media to boost your Valentine's Day marketing.

If You’re a Local Business, You Must Try LSA

Local Services Ads are online advertising that shows up at the top of Google search results when people look for local services in your area. They differ from regular Google Ads because they only charge you when you get a phone call or a message from a potential customer, not when someone clicks on your ad. This means you only pay for leads that are interested in your services, which can save you money and increase your return on investment.

To use Local Services Ads, you must create a profile on Google Local Services and verify your business information, such as your location, hours, services offered, and reviews. You also need to set a budget and choose the areas and categories you want to advertise in. Once you do that, Google will automatically match your profile with relevant searches and display your ad at the top of the results page. When someone clicks on your ad, they will see your phone number, website, ratings, and a "Google Guaranteed" badge that shows that you have passed Google's screening process and background checks.

Local Services Ads are a great way to showcase your credibility and trustworthiness as a local business and generate more leads from Valentine's online shoppers. You can also use them to highlight any special offers or discounts that you have for the occasion, such as free delivery, gift wrapping, or personalized messages.

So if you are an acupuncturist, personal trainer, weight loss center, barber shop, child care, dance instructor, hair/nail salon, massage therapist, tattoo studio, or yoga studio you could be engaging with Valentine shoppers and growing your leads.

See if your business qualifies using this link.

SEO: Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Another way to improve your online visibility and attract more customers this Valentine’s is to optimize your Google Business Profile. This is the listing that shows up on the right side of Google search results when someone searches for your business name or category. It contains important information about your business, such as your address, phone number, website, photos, reviews, and more.

To optimize your Google Business Profile for Valentine's online shoppers, you need to make sure that all your information is accurate and up-to-date. You also need to add relevant keywords and phrases to your description, such as "Valentine's Day gifts", "romantic ideas", or "special deals". You can also use the "posts" feature to share timely updates about your products, services, events, or promotions. For example, you can post a photo of your best-selling Valentine's Day item, a video of how you prepare your orders, or a testimonial from a happy customer.

Increase your chances of showing up in the "local pack", which is the section of Google search results that displays the top three local businesses for a given query, by optimizing your Google Business Profile. You can also enhance your reputation and credibility by encouraging your customers to leave reviews and ratings on your profile. This will help you build trust and loyalty with your existing customers and attract new ones.

Influence through Social: Get Ideas on Trends and Virals

Another option to include in your digital marketing strategy is social media to create buzz and engagement around your Valentine's Day marketing campaign. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are ideal for showcasing your products or services in a creative and appealing way. You can also use them to interact with your followers, answer their questions, solicit their feedback, or run contests and giveaways.

Tips for Valentine's Day

• Upload high-quality images and videos that capture the attention and emotion of your audience.
• Use hashtags that are relevant to Valentine's Day and your niche, such as #valentinesday2024 #lovelocal #bestvalentinesgift
• Create content that is useful, informative, entertaining, or inspirational for your audience. For example, you can share tips on how to choose the perfect gift for your partner, stories of how you helped customers find their match, or quotes from famous love songs or movies.
• Encourage user-generated content by asking your followers to share their photos or videos of how they used or enjoyed your products or services. You can also feature them on your stories or feed as a way of saying thank you and building rapport.
• Collaborate with local businesses or influencers, sharing your target audience or values. You can cross-promote each other's products or services, offer discounts or coupons to each other's customers, or co-host a live event or webinar.

You’re Still in Time To Get a Campaign Up and Ready

By using a mix of marketing platforms for Valentine's Day marketing, you can increase your brand awareness and reach new customers who may not be aware of your business. You can also create a sense of community and loyalty among your followers and customers by showing them that you care about them and their needs.

Valentine's Day is great for growing your business and generating more sales. Using Local Services Ads, optimizing Google Business Profile SEO, and posting content on social media, you can create meaningful engagement with Valentine’s online shoppers to help you reach your goal. Stop procrastinating, and plan to launch a campaign with us this week!

If you use PPC marketing, then you‘ve probably already heard of Google’s latest campaign type roll-outs, Performance Max (PMax) and Demand Gen, but how do they apply to your business? And what makes them a better choice? As a new way to help advertisers reach target audiences and achieve marketing goals, Google PMax and Demand Gen are designed to leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and its vast network of platforms and properties to stretch your marketing dollar even further.

More Efficient and Effective PPC Marketing

A new way to optimize your advertising budget and reach more customers, you might want to prioritize phasing into Google PMax or Demand Gen campaigns. These powerful campaign types can help you create and manage effective PPC marketing across different channels and platforms. Read on to learn more about how to:

What is PMax?

How Demand Gen Works

The Difference Between Them

What’s Right For Your Business?

How Does a PMax (Performance Max) Campaign Work?

Google’s PMax uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to find the best ad assets for your target audience based on factors like location, device, behavior, and context. You can also measure and optimize your campaign performance using data and insights from Google Analytics, Google Ads, and other sources.

As a new campaign type, Google’s PMax allows you to access all of Google's inventory across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover Feed, and more through a single campaign. To top it off, optimizing just got enhanced through AI assistance that automatically optimizes your bids, creatives, and targeting based on your campaign goals and performance signals.

PMax is ideal for businesses who want to

• Reach new and existing customers across the entire Google network without managing multiple campaigns and creatives.
• Drive conversions, sales, leads, or brand awareness with flexible and customizable goal options.
• Test and learn from different creatives, audiences, and strategies with real-time insights and recommendations.

What is a Demand Gen Campaign?

Demand Gen has come to replace Discovery campaigns with a marketing strategy focusing on generating demand for your products or services rather than just awareness. It involves creating and distributing valuable content that educates, engages, and nurtures your customers through the buyer's journey. You can use a Demand Gen campaign to build trust and credibility with your audience and generate qualified leads already at the bottom of the sales funnel.

This new campaign has features that allow you to serve visually appealing, multi-format ads on Google's most impactful placements, such as YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.

Demand Gen campaigns are perfect if you want to:

• Generate demand and purchase consideration for products or services by showcasing your brand or offerings in an engaging way.
• Reach potential customers who are in the later stages of their purchase journey, and influence their preferences and decisions.
• Use a product feed to show relevant and personalized ads to customers, based on their interests and behaviors.

So, What’s the Difference Between PMax and Demand Gen? And What Makes Them the Better Option?

AI powers Google’s PMax and Demand Gen campaigns and uses the same ad formats and assets, such as images, headlines, descriptions, and logos. However, they have some key differences in reach, inventory, and optimization.

What Is Right For Your Business, PMax or Demand Gen?

There’s no right answer here because both PMax and Demand Gen campaigns can complement each other and other campaign types to help you reach your online marketing objectives. It’s all about trying them out and seeing which mix gives you better performance.

• PMax: Reach the widest possible audience across the entire Google network and drive conversions, sales, leads, or brand awareness, depending on your goal. Google’s PMax campaigns help you find new customers and re-engage existing ones.
• Demand Gen: Generate demand and purchase consideration for your products or services by showcasing your brand or offerings visually appealing and engagingly. Google’s Demand Gen campaigns can help you influence potential customers who are deciding to purchase and persuade them to choose your brand over others.
• Other campaign types (Search, Shopping, Video, or Display): Complement your PMax and Demand Gen campaigns and target specific keywords, products, audiences, or placements with more granular control and customization. Capture the intent and interest of users actively searching for or browsing your products or services and drive them to act.

Tips on using them effectively:

• Define your goals and KPIs. 
  • What do you want to achieve, and how will you measure it? 
  • Do you want to increase traffic, conversions, sales, or retention? 
  • What are the metrics that matter most for your business?
• Segment your audience. 
  • Who are you targeting, and what do they need? 

Pro-tip:Use Google’s PMax to create custom audiences based on various criteria, such as demographics, interests, behaviors, and intents. You can also find similar audiences that share characteristics with your existing customers.

• Create relevant content. 
  • Provide value to your audience and address their pain points and challenges.
    
    

Pro-tip: With Demand Gen, you can create content that educates, entertains, or inspires your prospects, such as blog posts, ebooks, webinars, videos, podcasts, or infographics. Creating landing pages that capture leads and offer incentives, such as free trials, discounts, or demos, is also another option

• Choose the right channels and formats. 
  • Reach your audience where they are and how they prefer. 
• Test and optimize. 
  • Monitor and analyze campaign performance and make adjustments as needed.

Put Google’s PMax and Demand Gen to Work in Your Current PPC Strategy

Google’s PMax and Demand Gen campaigns are two of the newest and most beneficial campaign types it offers your business for PPC marketing. By leveraging the power of AI and Google's vast network of platforms and properties, you can optimize your online marketing strategy and reach your target audiences and goals more effectively and efficiently.

Learn more about how to use Google’s PMax and Demand Gen by reaching out to our dedicated team!

Did you know that every year more and more marketing agencies add to the online advertising industry, a 21.8% growth from last year to be exact, and has been steadily increasing 12.0% annually since 2017? That number is only expected to rise as we factor in accelerating factors such as AI and other revolutionary platforms in digital advertising.

So, what will it take to keep up as a digital marketing agency? Identifying your challenges to develop a strategy and find a solution is definitely in order.

Common Digital Marketing Agency Painpoints

Perhaps you can identify with the current challenges most marketing agencies face this year and some tips on dealing with them.

1. The rise of competitors and higher client expectations.

   With more and more businesses investing in digital marketing, the competition for clients and talent is fierce. You need to differentiate yourself from other agencies by offering unique value propositions, high-quality services, and measurable results. You also need to meet the increasing expectations of your clients, who demand more transparency, accountability, and ROI from their marketing campaigns. To do this, you need to communicate clearly and regularly with your clients, set realistic goals and expectations, and use data and analytics to track and optimize your performance.

2. Trending with the latest in MarTech, especially AI.

   With new platforms, tools, and techniques emerging every day, you need to stay on top of changes and learn how to use them effectively for your growth and scalability, not to mention your clients. You must also be flexible and adaptable, as what works today may not work tomorrow. To stay on top, invest in continuous learning and development, experiment with new ideas and approaches, test them, and learn from them.

3. Efficiently managing clients and service offerings.

   As a digital marketing agency, you may have to juggle multiple projects and clients simultaneously, each with different needs, goals, and deadlines. This can be challenging and stressful, especially if you don't have a clear strategy and process in place. You need to manage your time, resources, and budget efficiently and effectively without compromising on quality or customer satisfaction. To do this, use project management tools and software, delegate tasks and responsibilities, prioritize your work, and set clear boundaries.

   
4. Talent acquisition and retention.

   One of the biggest challenges for any digital marketing agency is finding and retaining talented people who can deliver the best results for clients. You must attract people with the right skills, experience, and attitude for your agency's culture and vision. You also need to retain them by providing them with opportunities for growth, development, and recognition. You’ll need to have a strong employer brand, offer competitive compensation and benefits, create a positive work environment and culture, and provide feedback and rewards if you want to drive positive outcomes with the talent you have and want to onboard.

5. Measuring and proving the value of your services/products.

   Impressing clients and going above and beyond comes with proving your value to them by showing how your work contributes to their business goals and objectives. You need to measure the impact of your campaigns on key metrics such as traffic, leads, conversions, sales, revenue, and ROI as well as report these results to your clients in a clear, concise, and compelling way. You need to use the right tools and methods for data collection, analysis, and visualization to tell a story with your data that highlights achievements, challenges, and recommendations.

The Secret to How Many Digital Marketing Agencies Are Thriving

WHITE-LABEL DIGITAL MARKETING SERVICES!

Reviewing the challenges previously mentioned, why wouldn’t you consider a global solution to many of them? Rebrand and resell digital marketing services as your own without investing in the resources, expertise, and technology required to create them. By partnering with a reliable white-label digital marketing services provider, you can benefit from:

• Increased revenue and profit margins (growth and scalability)
• Expanded service offerings and customer base
• Reduced operational costs and risks
• Enhanced reputation and credibility
• More time and focus on your core competencies and goals

And the list goes on, but isn’t this mind-blowing (if you haven’t thought of it, of course)

Start Fine-Tuning and Prioritizing Your Digital Marketing Agencies Needs

If you are a digital marketing agency that is struggling with the challenges of scaling your business, delivering quality services, and staying ahead of the competition, then you might want to consider white-label digital marketing services. 

At White Shark Media, we offer a range of white-label digital marketing services, such as SEO, PPC, social media, content marketing, web design, and more. Our team of experienced and skilled talent can handle all aspects of your projects, from strategy to execution to reporting. We also provide you with the tools and support you need to market and sell your services effectively. Whether you need a one-time project or a long-term partnership, we can customize our solutions to meet your needs and expectations. Book a session with us to hear more!