DIG for Victory: resilience and a growth mindset.
Let’s be honest - 2024 tested a lot of agencies. Hesitant clients. Unpredictable pipelines. The graph flattened.
But here’s the thing: the agencies who win in 2025 won’t do so by luck. They’ll do it by DIGGING IN.
That means showing up with:
Intention in strategy
Discipline in execution
Grit when things get tough
This isn’t theory. It’s the real stuff - shaped by a straight-talking panel session with Amy Parry, Cath Taylor and Paul Tanner at our Founders Breakfast this month.
Here’s where to focus: Marketing, Business Development and Client Development.
1. Marketing → from afterthought to engine room
You do it brilliantly for clients. Now do it for yourself.
This means:
Founders, stop being the bottleneck. Build a “marketing squad,” spread the responsibility for ideas / execution and set some deadlines
Work your wins. That last campaign? Turn it into a case study, a reel, a “boast post”. Ship it across LinkedIn, TikTok - wherever your clients hang out
Align your efforts with new biz. As Amy said: “marketing and sales are left foot, right foot - one without the other leaves you limping”
Systemise it. Spend half a day. Create templates. Set roles. Book content check-ins. Celebrate internal contributors. Make it a cultural thing.
Give it stand-out. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online will make all the difference.
2. Business Development → build a pipeline, not a panic button
Selling only when it’s quiet? That’s why you’re stuck in feast/famine mode.
What works:
Process, not panic. Map the full journey - from intro to invoice. Use your CRM like a weapon, not a to-do list.
Be picky. Not every pitch deserves your time. Use a client matrix (Tier 1, Tier 2, Avoid) to filter fast.
Add value up front. Paul Tanner’s angle: offer free workshops, co-create early ideas, trigger buy-in.
Play both games. Longer campaigns for ideal clients + short, focused sprints for quick wins = balanced, healthy pipeline.
Know your numbers. Track pitch costs. Measure ROI. Drop what’s draining your resources.
3. Client Development → Deeper. Smarter. More human.
Landing the work is just the start. The real play is staying indispensable.
Here’s how to do it:
Solve the unsaid. Clients don’t always know what they need. (Example: “Can you help me sell AI to the board?”) Find the real pain.
Level up your team’s EQ. Teach them to listen between the lines. “What’s really at stake here?” is your go-to question.
Create champions. Help your client look good internally. Make their job easier. They’ll repay you with loyalty and leads.
Run it like new biz. Assign ownership of revenue and relationships. Keep intel fresh. Be proactive - not reactive.
Hold the line. Saying yes to misaligned work costs more than it gives. Be strategic.
Final Word: resilience is a team sport
Creative brilliance isn’t enough anymore. If you want to grow in 2025, you need systems.
But more than that - you need people who are bought-in. Who show up. Who DIG.
That’s how momentum builds.
Even when it’s hard.
Especially when it’s hard.
DIG for Victory.
Let’s go.
