Specialization is How Small Agencies Can Win Business from Big Ones

BY Rachel Cagle
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It’s difficult being a small ad agency going up against the big kids on the block. The bigger agencies have all the awards, they can afford all the gifts for their pitches, and they enjoy the advantages that having more money can provide. It can be tough to keep up with them in those fields, but do you really have to? No, you don’t, and that’s the imperative factor that too many small agencies don’t realize.

In Ollie Campbell’s articles, “How big agencies work, and how small agencies can beat them,” and “How to make your agency stand out from all others,” he stresses the value of specialization. That’s where small companies can shine. It’s easier to focus on a specific industry or marketing service when you have a lighter staff, so large agencies don’t have much hope of doing the same. If your company can broadcast its specialization in a certain industry and in a specific service tailored to that industry, you may not have to worry about where you’ll find your next client. They’ll come to you. Or, you can also search for potential clients in specific industries using the account locator tool in AdMall from SalesFuel​.com.

Think about it; just by focusing on one industry, your potential clients will know before they even meet with you that you’re more of an authority in what they need than some big company. And when you do meet, you’ll know exactly how to talk with them and you’ll be more in-​tune with the industry’s changing needs. Not only that, your portfolio will already be filled with a history of satisfied clients just like the ones you’re pitching to. Clients who will be more likely to refer you to others in the industry. Everything you do will be relevant to future clients.

You can stand out even more within the industry by specializing in a handful of services. You could emphasize a specific service, like SEO, or go for a broader approach by offering something more inclusive like design. Campbell also points out that you have the ability to change your service specializations at your leisure/​as the industry changes.

Let the bigger agencies have their awards and their unending list of services they’ll offer to any company that will hear their pitches. If you define your small agency as the authority in a specific industry and in specialized services, who do you think a potential client is going to choose?


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