So you must have heard about SMMA and wondering how to start a social media marketing agency in 2021 and does this really work as a successful business model.
I always like to share some proof before I go into my elaborate blog posts and breakdowns so you understand that I speak from honest experience.
I have sold 7 figures in digital marketing services, started my digital social media agency 8 years ago before all the hype and here is a screenshot of some of my monthly recurring earnings and checks.
Now, I want to be clear that there are incredible pros when starting a social media agency but I will also go over the things to look out for and the mistakes I have made and learned from.
With that said this business model in my opinion is one of the fastest ways to start generating a revenue machine with very little upfront cost.
I have been in the same position you are in right now as you read this. 8 years ago I wanted to start a digital marketing agency and leverage the skills of social media marketing, management, web design and SEO.
I was reading and researching online, I stumbled across a gentleman named Terry and that is when a spark went off. I joined Terry’s course on Search Engine Optimization and WordPress web design. I then found a few more elite internet marketers and joined their courses and trainings as well. I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars investing in myself, trainings, events and programs and I continue to do so.
Why? Because I love taking everything from different coaches and implementing and testing to see what is the best. Now, not everything is always as good as the hype makes it sound but there are some impressive and incredible coaches that I have had the pleasure of working with and continue to work with that bring my business, knowledge and skill set to a new level and I want to share some of these focal points and gems with you today.
You most likely found me by Youtube or through a specific Google search and it brought you here or you may have read my other blog post on Tai Lopez Social Media Marketing Agency Course Reviews regardless how you found me you are here and it is a perfect place for you.
Watch My Video On Starting A Social Media Agency For Beginners Right Here ?
If you are already one of my Youtube subscribers you know I put out weekly videos giving over the shoulder business tutorials, business advice from experience, personal branding and personal development.
I always try to add massive value in the videos I create.
You can find a lot of free digital and social media marketing training right on my channel that can help you get started. There are also a few other good Youtubers sharing some really great info on these topics as well.
I have been through a lot of smma courses and trainings and decided to put my own spin on things. I created what I feel is the best social media marketing course out right now. This is only for serious people that really want to invest in themselves and learn everything I have learned and absorbed over the last 8 years. You should check out the case study I made below which shows some live earnings and a few of my campaigns and clients results.
Again, there is plenty of free information on the web for you to check out. What I created here is a proven system and education program for the real serious business people that want to really grow a six figure social media marketing agency and beyond.
If you do want to view my FREE Case Study & SMMA Training – Go here and lock in your spot!
(Continue To Read My Complete Steps and Guide Below)
How do I start my own digital marketing agency? SMMA
One of the best things about starting an SMMA is the fact you do not need any money upfront.
That’s right, you can literally start today if you wanted by simply signing up a client and charging them a fee and collecting a payment.
Now I hear people telling you to do this but I highly suggest you watch my social media marketing agency business plan video where I break down the 4 core pillars before you just get excited and try and sell a client.
Do not feel overwhelmed if you are a beginner doing some research and considering starting a digital agency that offers business social media marketing or search engine optimization which is one of my favorites if you can deliver results.
This blog post is going to cover a lot of key things for any newbies and put certain things into perspective by the time you finish reading and watching the videos I share.
As long as you are willing to take massive action you will be able to start your business today and the best thing is it will only require one thing, YOUR TIME.
Now I do recommend when your ready to really take your agency serious to invest in an SMMA course and an online program that is designed to hold you accountable and also organizes everything for you step by step.
Remember, this is a real legitimate business and any other traditional business or even online business models requires a lot of money upfront so in my opinion it is a no brainer to invest in a well structured social media agency program that takes you by the hand every step of the way.
If you land one client you make your money back plus some on any course and coaching you decide to invest in. (This Is An Insane ROI and Unheard Of In Business Start Ups)
I also preach and teach SEO aka search engine optimization to offer your SMMA clients because this one skill alone can explode their business with new leads and you get paid a recurring monthly profitable fee.
This is always a great upsell in addition to running FaceBook or instagram ads for a business.
Speaking of SEO one of my favorite online businesses is the rank and rent model. This in my opinion is a much better business than starting an SMMA agency.
If you are going to start an online business you might as well invest in digital assets that you own and control.
LEARN HOW TO GET YOUR FIRST SMMA CLIENT CLICK HERE
In my free case study I go over real live examples of my results that I have for clients I also breakdown the 4 Pillars needed to have a successful social media marketing agency along with giving you a sneak peek under the hood of what is included in my training. I hold absolutely nothing back and everything in the training is there to help you close your first client and grow to a six figure digital agency.
I also created a checklist to assure you get things done and the modules are broken into short precise easy to follow videos over the shoulder step by step in what I consider the best social media marketing course created.
Why Sell Social Media Marketing Services:
10 Social Media Statistics You Must Know Heading Into 2020
Businesses Need Social Media To Grow Their Brand
Google search, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube are some of the top players that will continue to thrive and be the solid link between a business and a potential customer through advertising and brand building.
It is simply amazing if you stop and think about how over 3 billion users are on social media and the landscape that these social media platforms have paved out. They have incredible easy functionalities for the average day user but also unbelievable data mining systems and magnets that capture incredible information about their end users.
Not to mention the brilliant news feed advertisement layouts that place targeted ads right in front of interested social media addicts with intention to get them to click. Here is a quick shot of one of my clients Facebook and Instagram ads ?
These are the simple ads we create on facebook and instagram for local businesses that pay us a monthly fee to help drive more targeted customers through their doors. This form of advertising for a local business is way more effective and trackable than any traditional form of advertising.
Think of all the different types of businesses that could use just this type of service alone. Getting a specific incentive aka lead magnet in front of their local targeted audience and turning them into a customer.
We realized creating incentive based ads that lead over to a landing page that is designed to squeeze specific information like email, name phone number works incredibly well. You then have them in your sales funnel.
We use Clickfunnels to design these simple drag and drop landing pages and integrate these funnels with email automation so we can stay in touch with the potential customer.
Now, think of what your life would be like not only helping local business owners get more business with a proven method but creating a real business and business structure that allows you to be in control and make money every month.
In my opinion there is no better time to learn social media marketing and search engine optimization.
Keep Reading more in depth details about starting your social media marketing business even if you are a beginner.
Start A successful Social Media Marketing Agency From Home
The 4 PILLARS To Your Digital Marketing Agency Success
- A Specific SKILL For A Specific NICHE That Delivers RESULTS
- Prospecting And Closing Clients (This is Why We Created Prospecting Kings)
- Mindset: You Must Execute On A Daily Action Plan
- SCALE: You Need Specific Systems In Place So You Can Hire, Train and Grow!
But How do I get Smma clients?
This is one of the most popular questions I get when it comes to starting a digital marketing agency. I have closed and signed up social media marketing clients using four main methods.
- Cold Email Outreach
- Cold Calling
- Ringless Voice Drops
- BNI in Person Meet Ups
The first main method is cold emailing. In my training I go in depth on how to go about doing this but there is a manual way and an automatic way to blast out cold emails to potential clients. This is one of the most effective and creative ways to reach the targeted prospects at mass.
There are two main cold emailing methods I use. The first is what I call the manual screencast personalized email outreach. This is a little more tedious but can still be effective especially when just starting your smma agency. The second is using software that helps blast out to a list of business emails you load into the software.
Now, I know this second method is hated by so many who do not like to get on the phone but truthfully you need to get used to being on the phone because even after a successful email you need to get on the phone anyway to close or set up a demo.
Yes you guessed it right if you knew I was talking about cold calling. Once you have a targeted list of potential prospects in your niche you service you reach out using a script. I have another video on my Youtube channel showing an example of this method and I also provide scripts inside my training.
Another great method is call Voice Drops or Ringless Voicemails. This is a method where we call prospects cell phones and automatically are able to leave a voicemail message because we use software that forces us to go to their voicemail when we call so they do not get a chance to answer the call. We also have an Mp3 already recorded with a specific message that prompts them to want to call us back if they are interested in turning them into a warm lead.
The last but not least method to getting digital marketing clients without cold calling is to attend chamber of commerce meetups, local BNI groups and business meet ups in your local area. Starting a conversation with local businesses on a weekly basis is a great way to get your message out there. The big takeaway is to position yourself as a goto for a specific niche and get potential prospects onto a DEMO where you can show them how you can help them get to their desired business goal.
Social Media Marketing Agency Business Plan
My digital marketing agency course goes really in depth on a plan and actionable steps in order.
Here are 5 main things you need when starting your smma
- Business Foundations(Business Name, LLC, EIN Bank Account, Payment Gateway)
- Your Exact SKILL- Practice On A Trial Client Until You Can Deliver RESULTS
- Niche Specific Website: For Example if you are selling social media advertisement to plumbers you would want your company website to be something like plumberpros.com or plumberadvisor.com
- Pricing: Know what you are going to charge that makes sense for both parties
- Systems For Selling (Prospecting Kings)
The Only Risk To Starting Your Digital Marketing Agency Is Really Just Your Time.
How My Easy To Follow Training Is Laid Out
I keep all my training organized in a step by step system so it is very easy to follow and take action after each training video. It is also broken into modules that allow you to easily navigate to where you left off and you will also be able to mark off each training video by selecting completed and moving on. This will show checkmarks next to the videos you have completed.
Should I Buy A Social Media Marketing Agency Course?
There are plenty of FREE tutorials on Youtube to start off with if you are a beginner just starting your SMMA journey.
I have videos myself on my Youtube channel and I have come across some pretty good tutorial videos on setting up social media ads that could also be incredibly helpful.
Because this business model really allows you to start with no over head I would suggest if you are going to invest money into something it is in good organized training. This really comes down to how serious you want to take this new business venture.
Remember this is a real business concept that will require a lot of work especially in the beginning. Yes, the beauty about this model is you literally can start with no money. It will all come down to the hustle inside you and taking massive daily actions around the 4 Pillars I mentioned earlier.
- ACCOUNTABILITY: When you purchase an SMMA course or coaching this will do a few things for your business and mindset. You will feel more obligated to get things done knowing you spent money on training which holds you more accountable especially when you are apart of a community of like minded individuals. You will also have proven training tutorials all in order and in one place from a mentor who already been where you are now.
I always preach if you want something so bad then go find someone who has done it successfully and model what they have done.
I know unfortunately there is a lot of FLUFF and B.S. out there on the internet.
There is also a lot of negativity that affects many from being successful or starting a business because you let those voices bring you down, discourage you or make you feel guilty.
The honest truth is you have to really take a good look at who is telling you what is good for you or not good for you.
Ask yourself how qualified is this person? Is this person a mentor? Is this person doing things at an unbelievable level themselves?
“I would never take financial advice from someone who lives on the street with no money”
You need to be careful who feeds you information and question where they are in their own lives?
Do You Need Social Media Marketing Training Or SMMA Program To Be Successful?
The answer to this question is NO! I honestly do not want to sell anything to anyone who is not ready to work their butts off. SMMA and any other business that may sound amazing is going to take hard work PERIOD.
With that said if you are a beginner I suggest you first watch a few videos on Youtube about how to start, how to set up social media ads like Facebook or Instagram. Really make sure you are ready to start a business and put in the work that is required.
There are quite a few Social Media Marketing courses out there and I have honestly invested in about 5 programs myself over the last few years myself because I like to continue to learn and see new takes on things.
I am a huge believer in investing in good training and mentorship to get to the next level. It is just like going to school but for a very small fraction of the price.
I have sold 7 Figures in digital marketing services over the years and I would not have done it without training. I also learned a lot on my own and making some big mistakes trying to figure things out on my own.
How Much Do SMMA Courses Cost?
If you are completely ready to really grow an existing social media marketing agency you currently have or you are just really committed to make this work then you can find good smma training from around $397-$1500.
This would be the only real investment needed to start a local social media agency and this is absolutely incredible if you really take the time out and think of what most businesses require as far as capital when first opening up.
If you were to go to school for eight years to be a lawyer and once you graduate you never commit to finding a job at a law firm or putting in the work to grow your own practice, well then it is absolutely your own fault and all on you.
Just because you buy a degree and go through the schooling does not mean someone will show up and do the work for you. The same thing is required when you start a business, join a course and coaching. Once you learn and get educated You still need to commit to putting in the work!
Social Media Marketing Agency Program Testimonials and Reviews
Read some testimonials and reviews from a few of my rank and rent clients and students. We help businesses GROW!
When you can watch a business grow in revenue because of the systems you implement into the marketing it is incredibly rewarding
““A formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.”– Jim Rohn
How To Get Your First Social Media Client
I mentioned earlier in this blog post the 4 ways I get SMMA clients but I wanted to bring up a very specific tactic you should use if you are just starting your agency which is called the free trial method.
This is a great way to test your ad skills on someone else’s dime while helping them with their business.
So, the way this works is first you must know a niche and one specific service you will be offering. For Example: Hair Salons and Facebook ads.
Now, you reach out to local hair salons and offer them a free 2 week trial where you will set up and manage their ads and all they have to pay is $250 in ad spend to Facebook but you will not charge them your set up or management fee.
This does three things:
- It gets you used to talking about your service with a business owner. (You can ask friends and family for these trial referrals and also post a post on Facebook offering this. You will be surprised how many people you know in the niche willing to try your trial)
- It helps you practice your ad set up, creation, landing page, funnel and targeting for two weeks. (Again, the skill that gets the RESULTS is what we are looking to develop)
- It allows the business owner to get a taste of what is possible with the right types of advertising which can turn into a monthly client, give you a referral when you ask and also give you a review which you would post on your social media platforms and agency website to help with future sales.
Here is also a FREE Video I made where I built a simple hair salon Facebook ad campaign. This is from 2017 but you can still get a good idea of the idea behind the copy and capturing a lead.
That Is My Honest Review On Starting A Successful Social Media Marketing Agency
You can absolutely be successful with your social media or digital marketing agency whether it is just to make an extra $1,000 per month or if you are looking to build a 7 figure agency and continue to grow it and build a team with proven systems in place this is all possible with the right work ethic and formula in place.
Again, one client can bring you at minimum a few hundred dollars profit per month and that is the beauty of the smma model.
You do not need to buy any inventory or spend money on ads like many of these other business models.
You simply just need to be willing to reach out to local business owners in a specific niche and give them what they want and need which is more customers.
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