How To Build Your Advertising Client Base In Nigeria

When you start an advertising agency in Nigeria, or any part of the world, your primary target should be how to grow the agency. Successfully establishing the agency is good but the real success is in gradually expanding your client base, getting more jobs and climbing up the top echelon of the advertising agency sector. This requires a deliberate plan to achieve. Here is a comprehensive guide on how you can build your client base as a profitable advertising agency in Nigeria. This guide provided by wikihow could actually be applied by any advertising agency anywhere in the world in building a client base.

Decide who you will market to. You will probably take on a variety of clients from different fields, but you may want to develop a specialty for your firm. If you or someone on your team has background with hotels, for instance, you could market towards hotel advertising. Figuring out your specific niche will help guide you to where you should concentrate your efforts for clients. Small businesses rarely attract attention from agencies because they usually don’t spend a lot on ads. This means there is also a potential market for advertising with small businesses, so don’t neglect them when looking for clients. You’ll have to keep your rates fairly low to do this, however.

Consult your own contacts for referrals. Most companies find advertising agencies through personal referrals, so cold-calling and random meetings probably won’t go very far. To take advantage of this fact, let all of your contacts know that you’ve started an agency and are looking for clients. Especially focus on contacts who work with businesses, like lawyers or accountants. If you’ve worked in advertising before, you probably have a long list of contacts you could tap into. If you’re new to the industry, you’ll have to take advantage of any and all contacts you might have. When meeting with your contacts, perhaps treat them to lunch or coffee. Bring your portfolio and be prepared to talk about why your agency will do a good job. Remember, even if these are your friends, you’re relying on them to refer your agency to clients. Making a good impression is your number one priority.

READ ALSO: HOW TO START A SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING AGENCY IN NIGERIA! QUICK GUIDE

Attend conferences. There are usually several conferences in advertising and related fields every year. Advertisers as well as clients looking for agencies attend these conferences. Keep an eye out for these meetings in advertising journals and websites, and attend all that you can. Of course, bring your portfolio and do your best to meet everyone you can. You never know who can go from a casual acquaintance to an important client.

Sometimes conferences look for speakers or presenters. You should try to present at conferences as well, instead of just attending. This will give you more publicity and ensure that more potential clients will see you and hear you speak.

Offer first-time deals. Many clients are interested in using an advertising firm, but resist because they’re unwilling to spend a lot of money for a first-time consultation. A good tactic for gaining clients is to offer either a free or low-cost introductory session. In this meeting, you can talk with your client about what services you offer, what you’ll charge, and show him samples of your work. The small financial cost of offering a free consult will be a worthwhile investment if you gain a client out of it.

READ ALSO: HOW TO START AN ADVERTISING AGENCY IN NIGERIA WITHOUT CAPITAL! A QUICK GUIDE

Try specialized websites. Some websites, like Agencyspotter.com, are designed for agencies and clients to come together. Look for these kinds of sites and make a good profile on them to find more clients.

Consider doing a charity campaign. Often charitable organizations use ad agencies to design public service announcements or campaigns. These often don’t pay much or at all, but they are great exposure for your agency. Consider these opportunities heavily if they come your way.

Having read the guide above it should be pretty clear to you the basic steps to take in building your client base and growing your business in Nigeria. Advertising agency business is lucrative if the right steps are taken to achieve success.