Book Club: 5 Insights from HubSpot’s ‘Transforming Into an Inbound Marketing Agency’

In their eBook, “Transforming Into an Inbound Marketing Agency,” HubSpot highlights the stories of six executives who transitioned their companies from design, SEO or traditional advertising agencies to inbound marketing specialists. Here are five essential tips to help your agency make the shift and thrive in the inbound marketing space.

Evolve or Die

To work in the digital space, an agency must be comfortable with constant change and flexible enough to evolve quickly. Hire people who love to learn with an innate ability to adapt, and let go of legacy clients who refuse to change.

Differentiate Yourself

Agencies are notorious for failing to follow their own advice. To succeed as an inbound marketing agency, it’s important to dedicate adequate resources your agency’s own inbound marketing efforts. Focus in on your unique promise, refine your communication and educate your clients.

Don’t Try to Be Everything to Everyone

Collaborate instead of competing with specialized agencies. Make sure you understand your clients’ business goals, and be firm about what you think will actually work. No client will thank you for wasting money on outdated tactics.

Create Great Content or Outsource It

An inbound marketing agency simply cannot succeed without generating great content. An email, an article, a tweet — these are all pieces of content, and writing is the core competency of today’s marketers. If you cannot create great content in-house, find a partner that can.

Revamp Your Service Menu

Predictable cash flow is a key challenge for many agencies. Transitioning clients from project-by-project relationships to retainer-based services is the secret to security. Create a pricing and service package model that bundles related services. Test your bundled packages on a client who doesn’t mind trying something new, and introduce the menu to new prospects first.

To find out more about how and why six agency executives adapted their businesses, download Hubspot’s free eBook on “Transforming Into an Inbound Marketing Agency: Stories & Advice From 6 Execs.”