The Case For Ad Agency List Building Delegation
This is the first in our ad agency list-building blog series around our latest eBook, The Prospecting List, Turbocharged: How To Pump The Right Fuel Into Your New Business Engine.
Written by RSW Operations team member, Emma Thompson, Emma delves into all the list options agency execs are bombarded with and a few of the best solutions to tackle what is arguably one of the most important parts of your agency’s new business effort.
As an agency executive, you have a lot on your plate.
You most likely wear many hats.
Aside from the day-to-day running of your business, you probably also handle prospect research as well as outreach.
It makes sense that you look for ways to make your job easier and more efficient.
Luckily for you, there are many great resources on the market for company and contact research.
We named a handful of these (including our own service-couldn’t help myself) in our recent eBook The Prospecting List, Turbocharged: How To Pump The Right Fuel Into Your New Business Engine.
Making the process more efficient, many of these programs offer an automated list service.
But are they any good?
While they may seem time and cost-effective upfront, the information may not be all that accurate.
These platforms often grade their information on an accuracy scale and do not guarantee that it is 100% correct.
The data they are pulling is often based on a computer algorithm that culls information from the internet, or worse yet, user-entered information.
As you can imagine, this results in a wide range of accuracy from platform to platform and puts into question the quality of your purchased list.
When the data you are using for your outreach is inaccurate, you will spend more time finding the right information and less time actually prospecting.
Your agency would actually be wise to utilize 2-3 different research platforms to gather all necessary data and crosscheck for a high level of fidelity.
But as an agency executive, do you really have time for that?
The answer is assuredly no, but the time and effort it takes to do this extra legwork is worth it.
Consider hiring someone to do this work, or more realistically (especially for small and mid-sized firms), could be a prime opportunity to have someone handle that work as part of their responsibilities, with a salary increase.
Trusting your list building to someone proficient in online research, who understands your company and can navigate resources and analyze data, is the most effective way to get the information you need.
Not only will this person have a full understanding of what you are looking for in a way a computer never will, they will also be capable of cross-referencing multiple data sources to find the most accurate information on your target list of companies and contacts.
The role of this designated “list builder” can even go further.
Once they build up your initial list of prospects, they can also help you manage your database on-going and ensure that new company and contact information being added over time is accurate and correctly targeted.
As experience has no doubt shown you, it’s important to continue to nurture your prospects over time, so when the opportunity strikes and they need agency assistance, your name will be top of mind.
Keeping your database “clean” will ensure that you reach everyone.
And delegating this work to a researcher will free you up to focus all your time and energy on your outreach and not ad agency list-building.
