How to Land Your First GMB Client: A Step-by-Step Guide for Your Agency
If you're serious, you will follow these steps.
Yesterday, I published a video on how to optimize GBP profiles. I’ve received many comments and replies on the video and also replies to yesterday’s email.
It’s clear that you see the opportunity with this business model, and I’m seeing the same question over and over again. Many of you are asking me, “What are the first steps to do this?”
You want to know the first step?
Get your first customers. Nothing else matters.
In today’s issue, I’ll explain how to generate your first GMB customer for your agency.
LFG. 🔥
Step 1: Create and Optimize Your Own Profile
I’m good at sales. I have a high close rate with inquiries and leads that come my way. But I don’t close deals because I’m some smooth-talking sales guy. I close deals because the proof of my work and results is there for everyone to see.
People know I’m good at what I do, not because I need to convince them, but because my successes (and failures) are out in the open.
If you can build your own GMB profile and rank your business for relevant keywords, it’s a huge step in establishing proof that you know what you’re doing.
Follow these steps …
Create a profile.
Use your home address or rent an address from a coworking space.
Verify your profile.
Optimize it.
Rank for something like “Local SMB Marketing Agency in [Your City].” (Pick keywords appropriate to your business.)
Even in a small city, ranking your company in the local pack should generate at least one new client every couple of months, possibly more. More importantly, it establishes credibility with potential customers. It also gives you confidence in your abilities.
Step 2: Pitch Local Small Businesses
When I drive my kids to daycare in the morning, I pass a street filled with small businesses. There are hundreds of them: mechanics, carpet cleaners, nail salons, coffee shops, mattress stores. Millions of dollars’ worth of potential customers all within a three-mile radius.
The same is probably true in your town.
In the beginning, you’ll have to step out of your comfort zone. Create a flyer promoting your company. Offer a free local marketing audit and include a QR code that links to your website. Then, walk up and down every strip in your neighborhood and hand out the flyer to as many managers and small business owners as possible.
If you hand out 1,000 flyers, you’ll get results.
Most people reading this won’t take this step. They’d rather dream of success than do the work it takes to achieve it.
Step 3: Collect Email Addresses And Start A Local Newsletter
Let’s assume you commit to this for a few months. You’ve landed five customers, each paying $1,000 a month. You’re not killing it yet, but you’re on your way.
At this point, it’s time to generate leverage. For a small business, one of the easiest ways to do this is to create a weekly newsletter highlighting local news, events, discount codes, and businesses.
Spend time every Friday putting together an email with weekend events, happy hour specials, and other content the community will find interesting. Include a promotion for your services in each issue.
This will pay off over time. It might feel like a waste in the beginning, but as your newsletter grows, it will absolutely generate leads for your agency. “From Boise” is a great example.
When I did this for YourBoulder, it looked something like this:
Local events for the weekend
Featured small businesses
Features of small business owners in the community
A CTA to your agency
P.S. - I even created a website for my local agency. I called it Boulder Growth Engine. When I was serious about it, it generated 3 clients. If I would have kept going, I know it would have been success. But the truth is that Copyblogger was growing so fast that spending time on YourBoulder wasn’t worth it.
It’s Not Rocket Science
You can do this. Most of you won’t.
Almost everyone avoids sales. But if you follow this process, you’ll succeed. It might not happen as quickly as you want. The truth is, everything takes twice as long and costs twice as much as you expect. But if you push through the discomfort and stay consistent, success is inevitable.
I hope to hear some success stories a few months from now.
Love you all. Talk to you Monday.
Go Birds 🦅
Tim
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Hi Tim, this is a really useful step-by-step process. For those of us who have a niche business already, would you recommend putting together another GBP and a separate website or would you piggyback on what we already have?