Social Performance Measurement For Agencies
10 GIFs All Digital Marketing Agency Employees Will Understand
Sahail Ashraf posted on 5 March 2018
Like most people, we like to look at the funny side of things every now and then. And one of the best ways to do that is through a GIF.
There aren’t that many GIFs in the world that are dedicated to digital marketing, but there are plenty that cover the emotions, stresses and funny moments in a digital marketing agencies day-to-day life. We thought we would take a look at a few.
When the deadline a client set has finally arrived
You’ve been working all the hours you have available, and you’re still light years behind schedule. You’re stressed, and you know that the client is waiting for you to send that email with a wonderful social media report attached. But it isn’t finished.
This happens to digital agency staff the world over. It’s not cool, and it’s worse if you know you’ve done everything you possibly can for the project. For all your future deadlines, we hope you feel happier than this GIF suggests.
You’re constantly running around trying to put fires out
Okay, not literally. But you have days where you are always trying to deal with problems that come up in the moment. It could be a customer service issue that should have been taken care of five minutes ago. Or a client who wants the colours on that Instagram post changed.
From managing small requests to the big things that take over the entire office, being reactive is never fun. You’re on the back foot. Hang in there, and remember that being a digital agency means that you have the ability to be creative. That is what normally saves the day.
And the next time you’re working with a client, at least this time you’ll know how to avoid such problems, right?
When the client comes back to you asking for the thousandth change…
That’s right, you’re creative. That means that you’re looking at subjectivity in almost everything you do. Sometimes, you can tell a client that your idea is right and it will bring them huge amounts of engagement, but they’ll still come back a few hours later with a change request. And then another, and another, until you feel like you’re on a treadmill.
There are ways to keep clients happy and this usually involves documentation. And as you get to know a client better over time, the changes will be less frequent. But that still doesn’t take away that feeling you get when you have no energy left.
When you go gung-ho on a tough project
You know what it’s like. You’ve got a long streak of great jobs behind you, a full client list and everything’s going your way. You may even make Agency of the Year this time round. And then a client suddenly asks for a huge favour. It’s a huge job and the turnaround time is miniscule.
But you don’t care. Your agency is the best in the world, and if any agency can handle what is most likely an impossible job, it’s you guys. Challenge accepted.
The next part of this story usually involves a missed deadline, stress, and long hours. But at least you took on the challenge. Remember, bravado can be dangerous.
When that project just goes on and on and on…
Deadlines exist for a reason. Miss them and you feel the pain of guilt and also a world of stress. The best digital agencies will never miss deadlines because they set them, and stick to them.
But it’s going to happen sometime. And then it’ll happen again, and again. And then the client will change their mind over a detail (or ten). And you find yourself in the middle of The World’s Largest Job.
And this GIF accurately portrays what that feels like.
When you’re too eager to please
It’s great helping clients, it’s why you do what you do. However, if you just present as an incredibly eager to please type of agency, now and then you’ll be given jobs and tasks (and changes) that just needlessly pile on the pressure.
And that’s when you become this dog, happy to do whatever its owner asks. Keep focused on what you do, and remember that the client is not always right about what’s required, that’s why they hired you.
When you’re too busy to ask the right questions
This is an interesting one. You’ve been chasing the client for a long time and finally, they agree to get to work. It’s great news, and cause for celebration. But wait.
Ask the questions you need answering. Focus on the deliverables and make sure they’re right. Clarify methods of communication. In other words, stop partying and make sure you walk away from that meeting with the job exactly how you want it to to be.
Having the wrong tools
Servicing clients can take a whole load of tools and platforms. For metrics, for example, it’s much easier to have one platform to work from.
The problem can stretch to all areas of work, from planning your week to making a video call to an overseas client. In an age when nearly everything can be done online when it comes to business, make sure your agency is not behind the times. Or using the wrong tools for the job.
Scope Creep
People change their minds, but good digital agencies plan projects that stop this from happening. Of course, you want to keep your clients happy, but ‘scope creep’, where a client just keeps adding little jobs, can be an agency killer. Spending too much time on a project because you didn’t make it clear to a client what to expect from you is not a good thing.
Keep your work outlines tight, and avoid scope creep.
When you land the client of the century
This is that client that you’ve been waiting for. A huge project, with potential to amplify the standing of your brand in the industry. And it’s good to go.
You’ve never been happier, and you give the entire team the afternoon off. It feels just like this, and reminds you why you got into this industry in the first place. Well done, now onto that incredibly detailed and scope creep proof outline.
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