Building Blocks for a Strong Agency: Your Clients, Your Employees, Your Partners

Greg Brock, CEO of Firefli, a digital strategy company based in Roanoke, Virginia, discusses the changing digital marketing landscape. When digital first started, it negatively impacted traditional marketing channels, but it also "wowed" people—the results were measurable. Entrepreneurs and start-ups flooded into this "magic" niche . . . and huge media companies followed when they saw the potential in that space.   Greg provides an experienced overview of where digital marketing started and key tactics for running a digital marketing agency. He notes that today's marketing competition has gotten "insane," but it has also opened a lot more opportunities.   He believes a client's digital strategy has to be founded on business strategy in order to be effective, and that digital is merely a tool to achieve business objectives. Business analysis has to come first, in order to clarify objectives and avoid expensive mistakes.   When expanding, Greg has found it more important to hire for fit than for talent—and emphasizes that agencies should never scrimp on talent. Great talent and bad fit can destroy company culture.   He also explains how client diversification is critical . . . as is avoiding "bad money,"—clients who do not share your values, demand diamonds on a dirt budget, and/or are financial laggards when the bills come. An agency will be able to work more effectively if it understands the best size and type of clients for its current team and focus.   Greg sees a future where more agencies work together in collaborative partnerships to meet the challenges of digital marketing's ever-changing scope and complexity.   Greg can be contacted through his company website at: firefli.agency