So you’ve been bitten by the entrepreneurial spider, and you’re ready to start your own digital marketing agency? Great choice!
A digital marketing agency is actually one of the most convenient businesses that you can start these days.
You don’t need an office for the beginning, and you have the flexibility of working from anywhere anytime, like a real digital nomad.
It’s also worth mentioning that the demand for digital marketing is sky-rocketing, with every business scrambling to up their online presence.
And the best part? The starting costs are quite low compared to other business types.
But let’s be honest, no success comes with ease.
Just because entering the digital marketing sector is a piece of cake, there are hundreds of thousands of competitors you are going to face on the path to success.
But don’t worry, because I wrote this guide to walk you through the entire process, step by step.
I am about to cover everything from building your agency from scratch to attracting clients, using the best tools for digital marketers, and of course – How much money you can expect in your first months.
My name is Barak, and I ran a successful digital marketing agency for 18 months working with tens of businesses from all around the world.
I wish I could read this post a few years ago because it would have saved me so much time and money!
This post may also interest you: 6 Ways to Use Digital Marketing for Passive Income
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Are you ready to dive in?
This is everything you need to know to start a successful digital marketing agency:
Starting a digital marketing agency without a niche is like opening a restaurant without a menu – confusing and a recipe for disaster.
With so many digital marketing agencies around the world, finding your uniqueness is crucial to succeed.
If you start without uniqueness, I promise you that once you speak to potential clients, they will all ask you the same question: “What special about you”?
And you better come up with a great answer or you will end up sending them quotes they will not even bother looking at.
So what’s the solution? Pick a niche.
Whether it’s eCommerce, real estate, personal branding, SaaS companies, or even B2B marketing for dentists (yes, that’s a thing).
By focusing your profession on a specific industry, you will become an expert in that field, and clients will chase after you because of your specific knowledge.
If you are unsure of what niche you should start with, I recommend choosing one that has high demand and one that feels comfortable to you.
This great video shows the best niches for digital marketing agencies:
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2) Building Your Digital Marketing Empire: Start With the Right Tools
Before you start emailing everyone or posting inspirational quotes on LinkedIn, you need the proper infrastructure.
You must ensure your digital presence is awesome and that everyone who encounters your brand will receive value and get excited about working with you.
That means you need a professional website, a branded email address (not a @gmail.com domain), and of course, the best digital marketing tools that will make your life easier.
Here’s your starter pack:
- Elementor: If you don’t have knowledge in coding, but still want an awesome website that looks professional and converts, Elementor is your go-to website builder. It’s a drag-and-drop tool that will help you build the website of your dreams.
- SEMrush: This is your best SEO analysis tool for getting ranked high on the search results. This tool will help you with analysis, keyword research, and competitive spying. Without this tool, you are driving blind.
- Invideo AI: This is the greatest online platform for video editing where you can create professional videos using AI features quickly, even if you don’t have video editing skills.
- Google Analytics: This tool will help you understand your website traffic, what’s interesting and what’s not. It’s free, so you don’t have any excuses for not to use it.
- Mailchimp: Email marketing is the most profitable digital marketing channel, and Mailchimp will help you manage everything related to smart email marketing (by the way, it also includes AI features).
- Zoom/Google Meet: I recommend purchasing the pro version of Zoom or Google Meet because every digital marketing business has a lot of virtual meetings, and the free versions won’t allow you to have long meetings.
- CRM software: It doesn’t matter what CRM you are using, whether it’s Google Sheets or Zoho CRM, it’s crucial to use CRM software that will contain all the important information of your business in one place.
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3) Recruit Your First Clients (Yes, It’s Tough, but Totally Possible)
Ah, the million-dollar question: How do I get my first clients? Especially when you’re just starting, no one knows who you are.
So, you need to create some noise.
Here’s the game plan:
Start with your network
If you know people who are seeking digital marketing services, just offer them yours for a special beginning price.
In addition, let all of your social circles know you’re launching a digital marketing agency.
Yeah.. I know what you are thinking – “I want the fair compensation I deserve”.
When I started with Ultraise, my digital marketing agency, I saw that funny beginning price as a way to buy client testimonials and case studies so I could show them to new clients and get more business.
Very soon, I started receiving the prices I believed I deserved.
Freelancing Platforms: Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer
Using freelancing platforms can help you find specific projects that fit your skills. Usually, these platforms take a big portion of your revenue, so I recommend using them just at the beginning to find your long-term clients and build a reputation.
Cold Outreach (Don’t Shy Away)
Craft cold emails or LinkedIn messages to potential clients.
Make them as personalized as possible and focus on how you can solve their problems instead of telling them about your awesome digital marketing agency.
Use Paid Promotion
If you are starting a digital marketing agency, I guess you are good at it.
So why not use your own skills to promote your brand?
Use paid promotion on platforms like LinkedIn/Meta/Google to find relevant clients to whom you can provide real value.
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4) How Much Can You Expect to Make in Your First Months?
Like every business, you can’t expect to become a millionaire in just a few months. But you can still expect to make a decent income if you play your cards right. Here’s a rough breakdown:
Month 1-3: $1,000 to $5,000—depends on your client base and whether you start with a few retained clients.
Month 4-12: $3,000 to $6,000—by now, you should have some solid client testimonials, case studies, and possibly a few retainer clients.
Beyond 12 months: Once you’ve scaled and brought in bigger clients, you could be hitting $10,000+ per month.
Ready to Launch Your Digital Marketing Empire?
Even though it’s super easy to start a digital marketing agency, you must remember that it takes time, hustle, and a serious dose of determination.
If you use the right tactics, learn from your data, and successfully recruit great clients, you can grow from zero to a six-figure business faster than you think.
One thing I can promise you is that the road to success will not be easy, but when you get that first positive review of a client, and start seeing real revenue – It’s all worth it!
Read next: Starting as a Freelancer – The Right Way
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