With the number of US digital agencies increasing by 54% in the last 5 years, it's harder than ever to distinguish your business and win clients. Over 60% of agency leaders claim lead generation is their greatest challenge, and 24% can't differentiate themselves from other agencies.

Fortunately, there are key things you can do to help set your agency apart. 

Now, let's deep dive into tried-and-true strategies you can use to market your services and find valuable clients. 

How to market your agency's services

What you do to market your agency can make or break your success. It's not just about being present—it's about being present in the right places at the right times and in the right ways.

And that's easier said than done.

Every touchpoint—be it your agency's website, tweets, blog posts, or ads—should resonate with your audience and drive action. Here’s how you can market your agency’s services with purpose.  

1. Create a top-notch website

Your agency's website isn't just a digital storefront—it's the heart and soul of your business. If you provide web development or design services to your clients, they need to see that you can do it for yourself.

Every click from a social media post, blog article, or ad campaign leads here, offering potential clients a close look into your agency's design sense and technical expertise.

A well-crafted website doesn't just impress. It could be your next big contract.

Let's look at a few ways you can boost your website's impact:

Design intentionally

Yes, your website needs to look good, but it also needs to function well. Site design goes beyond mere aesthetics. Here are some components to keep in mind as you build your website:

• Branding: Consistent presentation of your brand through design can boost sales by 33%. Every design choice, from colors and fonts to layouts, illustrates your brand's ethos.
• Functionality: A compelling design isn't just about looking good—it ensures a seamless user experience and easy navigation.
• Infrastructure: Your site's design includes the foundational backend. You want clean, semantic code that's easy to write, manage, and update.

Show your expertise

Your portfolio is your agency's visual résumé. Potential clients use it to determine your expertise, creativity, and versatility. To truly shine, feature a diverse array of past projects and campaigns. For each case study or client testimonial, try to provide a snapshot of the following:

• Challenge faced
• Solution crafted
• Outcome achieved

This storytelling method helps potential clients quickly grasp the depth and breadth of your capabilities.

2 out of 3 people are more likely to purchase after watching a testimonial video showing how a product or service helped someone like them. Leverage genuine reviews and testimonials (complete with brand logos) to boost your agency's credibility and your audience's desire for social proof.

Build responsively

An overwhelming number of users access sites via mobile, and a mere 100-millisecond delay can lead to a 7% drop in conversions. It's essential to ensure your agency's website isn't just mobile-friendly but mobile-optimized.

Keep the following best practices in mind when designing:

• Designs should be responsive for an optimal view on any device.
• Speed up your site by optimizing images and scripts.
• Prioritize touch-friendly menus and buttons.
• Craft concise content tailored for mobile users.
• Balance design with whitespace for enhanced readability.
• Opt for mobile-friendly font sizes.

Prioritize SEO

Having a visually appealing and functional website isn't enough. People aren't the only ones consuming your content—search engines also are crawling your pages to understand infrastructure, quality, reputation, and intent.

Nearly 68% of online journeys start with a search engine, and you might lose out on those leads if you haven't optimized your website properly. Here are a few best practices to follow that'll help get your content at the top of search results:

• Establish an easily crawlable site infrastructure.
• Prioritize reduced loading times for a seamless user experience.
• Dive deep into realistic keyword research.
• Finetune your meta tags for search relevance.
• Write high-quality, engaging content.
• Focus on building credible and authoritative backlinks.

Drive action

All the traffic in the world won't mean a thing for your agency if you can't get those visitors to take action. Traffic is the first step, but now you need to focus on conversion.

Strategically placed and well-crafted calls to action (CTAs) act as signposts, guiding visitors toward meaningful engagement. And the results speak for themselves—personalized CTAs can boost conversion rates by as much as 202%.

Design every page with a clear end goal in mind. Do you want users to book a demo, make a purchase, send your sales team a message, or download an ebook? Consider your purpose as you build, and make sure everything from the design to the copy drives toward this action.

2. Use social media to amplify reach

Your agency's social media presence is more than just a profile—it's a virtual handshake. 59% of the world's population uses social media, which probably includes a decent percentage of your target market.

However, leveraging social media is about more than reach and visibility. It's about building genuine connections with potential clients, showcasing authenticity, and engaging in broader conversations across your community.

Below, we'll guide you through picking the right platforms, investing in content, and turning digital interactions into legitimate business opportunities.

Prioritize the right platforms

You could join dozens of social media platforms, but resist the temptation to try and be everywhere at once. More isn't better—focus on quality engagement over quantity.

Pinpoint where your ideal clients spend their time. Do they mingle and contribute on LinkedIn or casually browse TikTok and get inspired by brands?

Regardless of your chosen platforms, focus on a handful (1 to 3, max) and go all out.

Tailor your content

You can't take a copy/paste approach to social media content. What thrives on Twitter might fizzle on Facebook. Tailor your content to each platform's vibe and audience.

Whether it's captivating visuals for Instagram, thought-provoking articles on LinkedIn, or lively TikTok videos, match your content to the platform to ensure it resonates with your followers and potential clients.

Have two-way conversations

Remember, social media isn't just a broadcasting channel—it's a conversation hub. Engage authentically by responding to feedback, diving into discussions, and nurturing your community. This proactive interaction elevates your brand and strengthens your online community.

Make data-backed decisions

Navigate your social media efforts with data. Utilize platform-specific analytics to gain insights into content performance and audience behavior.

For example, studies show that 68% of social media users follow brands to stay updated on products. You might incorporate that data into your social media strategy by publishing more product-specific posts.

Use your own engagement data to inform your tactics. If your audience engages better with some types of content, prioritize those posts going forward.

Collaborate with the community

Boost your reach by teaming up with influencers, experts, or brands that align with your agency's brand. From guest posts to co-hosted webinars, these collaborations expose your agency to fresh audiences and strengthen its reputation.

3. Leverage content marketing to drive traffic

Content is the bridge that connects clients to your agency. Everything from your blog posts and resources to your case studies and videos builds a narrative that your agency is a creative, trustworthy, and reliable partner.

However, it's not enough to just start writing and publishing content. The digital world is crowded with billions of users creating millions of pieces of content daily. You need purpose, strategy, and know-how to stand out from the crowd and get noticed by your would-be clients.

Fortunately, that's the mission behind any successful content marketing strategy, and we will show you the foundations you need to get started.

Learn about your audience

Content marketing starts with an intimate understanding of your target market. The best ideas and creative strategies will flop if they don't resonate directly with their needs and interests.

Use your available data and research (or conduct fresh new studies) to learn about your audience's unique challenges, problems, and desires. Craft content that directly addresses their needs and provides solutions they'll be excited about.

Create top-notch content

Opt for content that's meticulously researched, insightful, and mirrors your agency's expertise. Whether you write articles, create ebooks, or shoot how-to videos, do it better than any other creator or competitor.

Remember, every piece of content you create essentially promotes and sells your brand. Get it right, and even a product page template might earn you a lucrative customer.

Optimize for search engines

SEO should be the backbone behind any content marketing strategy. While there are multiple layers and methods to invest in, we recommend starting at least with the basics:

• Perform keyword research
• Incorporate keywords into your copy
• Finetune your meta tags
• Optimize for mobile devices
• Focus on page speed

Experiment with new formats

Content consumption will vary among your clients. While an in-depth article might captivate one person, another may gravitate toward a podcast or an infographic. Maximize your reach by developing a content portfolio that speaks to multiple personas in your audience.

However, remember not to overstretch yourself. If you're a growing agency, you might not be able to produce blogs, podcasts, videos, webinars, ebooks, and in-person events simultaneously. Instead, experiment with new formats, see what sticks, invest in what works, and nix what doesn't.

Follow the 80/20 distribution rule

The 80/20 Rule suggests that a mere 20% of your efforts yield 80% of your results. In content marketing, significant traffic is driven not by content volume but by the quality and promotion of your content.

The goal of content marketing isn't to create more than your competitors—it's to get seen more. Spend 20% of your time creating content and 80% promoting it. Consider these promotional channels:

• Search engines
• Social media
• Email newsletters
• Paid advertisements
• Guest posts
• Influencers

Build followings on reliable channels

Depending entirely on platforms you don't control can be risky business. Social media can suddenly ban your account or significantly reduce your reach, and Google can introduce algorithm changes that tank your organic traffic overnight. While using these channels is fine and dandy, you never want to put all your eggs in one basket (or even two baskets).

Cultivate channels you can control. By developing an opt-in email or SMS list, you secure direct communication lines to your followers. These classic communication avenues ensure you maintain continuous touchpoints with your audience, safeguarding you from unpredictable digital issues.

Market your agency with Webflow

Scaling your agency is a delicate balance between expanding your reach and maintaining quality. Overburdening your team compromises the quality of your offerings while growing too rapidly without sufficient work can strain your resources.

As you market your services and grow your agency, remember you're not alone. The tools you invest in can either propel you forward or hold you back, and we built Webflow to help you do the former.

Our visual design platform helps you build websites for your agency (and clients) at scale without compromising speed, flexibility, or quality. See for yourself. Sign up for a free account to start building today.