10 Easy Steps To Start A Digital Marketing Agency (Company) In Nigeria

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Having a working digital marketing agency in Nigeria is every digital marketer’s dream!

Perhaps:

Just like every other business, running a digital marketing agency in Nigeria may not be easy as you think.

This is because…

…you have to undergo various stages before you can say I have arrived.

The steps I am talking about involves series of challenges, and you have to be proactive enough to surmount these challenges and get your digital marketing agency running in Nigeria.

Take this from me, it is imperative: A lot of newly emerging digital marketers never had hands-on experience in digital marketing. They felt that they have gotten the skill and knowledge perhaps in using one or two digital marketing tools and for that reason, you go ahead to set up a digital marketing company.

The chances that you will do well are very slim. No matter the knowledge and skills you have acquired, you need to work with a digital marketing agency or company in the past before you can start thinking of setting up your digital marketing agency.
Working with a digital marketing agency before setting up your digital marketing firm gives you the room to understand the modus operandi and gives you the chance to avert any mistake.

Working with a digital marketing agency before setting up your digital marketing agency gives you the room to understand the modus operandi and gives you the chance to avert any mistake. Click To Tweet

10 Actionable Steps To Start Building A Successful Digital Marketing Agency in Nigeria

Step 1: Set Clear Goals

In order to be the resounding success that we both know you can be, you’re going to need clear goals to work towards. Because without a goal, it’s hard to score.

Where you don’t look at goals in terms of attainable, you look at them as aspirational. Click To Tweet

The fact you’re here and looking to starting an agency, suggests one of your goals is money, and that sweet six-figure agency status. But your goals can be anything else that excites you or drives you forward.

In all honesty, you should be taking what Google executives call Moonshots. Where you don’t look at goals in terms of attainable, you look at them as aspirational. Where you set yourself something above, and beyond, what you think you can achieve.

But on a more actionable level, it pays to set your business goals using SMART. Because, as boring and unoriginal as it sounds, it works at all levels. If you’ve never set a SMART Goal, here’s how it should look:

• Specific: Be clear about what you want to do. Replace vague terms like, “be the best in the industry” with “Generate N10,000,000 in sales from retail companies”.

• Measurable: This is answering the question, “How will I know when I’ve achieved it?”.

• Attainable: This is normally Achievable, but as research found, having aspirational goals here is far more beneficial. Try adding 20-25% onto what you think you can achieve, and you’ll find you’re hitting goals faster than ever.

• Relevant: By the same token, know what’s in your reach. Landing N1,000,000 worth of work probably won’t happen in your first year. But, over five years, why the heck not?

• Time Based: Set a clear, specific, time frame to achieve your goal in. This can be short, medium or long term, depending on the goal you’re setting.

So, if you were going to start an agency today, your SMART Goals might look like:

• Get N10,000,000,000 worth of SEO contracts from retail clients in six months
• Have a team of 10 workers on N1,000,000 a year each by March
• Build to 10 clients at an average of N2,000,000 a month in one year’s time

While you might not know your exact goals right now it’s important to take the time to figure this out. They’ll give you a lot more focus and direction, and help you maintain that positive attitude, even at the toughest times.

Step 2: Find Your Focus

Goals allow you to focus your time and effort. But, this level of focus is about who you’re going to focus those time and efforts with. This step is where you get to know your audience, who they are and what makes them tick.

A great brand – as you’ll read about next – delivers a specific set of ideas to a specific type of person. And, it’s your job to decide who you’re trying to appeal to.

Who is it that you want to work with, and why? Is it small independent businesses, Fortune 500 companies, fashion brands? Click To Tweet

Now when you’re at the beginning of the road, it’s tempting to try and appeal to everybody. Because you want money in your bank account and clients under your belt. Feeling that way is totally normal, so don’t worry about it. Just don’t give into it.

Try and answer these questions to give yourself a little more focus and clarity on what it is that you’re trying to build, and who for:

• What is your niche? Who is it that you want to work with, and why? Is it small independent businesses, Fortune 500 companies, fashion brands? Knowing this will help you narrow down where you go looking for contracts.

• Who do you want to appeal to? Are you here for the geeks, the wizards, the whizz-kids, the hardened professionals or the new kids on the block? This will help you find the people you’ll associate with, and how you’ll begin to build a loveable brand.

• What makes you unique? There are thousands of agencies out there, so what is it that makes you different? What do you (or will you) value, care about or do differently to others?

Analysing who you are, and what you bring to the table – whether that makes you a digital content agency, advertising or otherwise – is a key step in building a profitable brand. Also, remember to say no to things that don’t fit your focus or your goals, and you’ll be a success in much less time.

Step 3: Register your business

Before proceeding to go to the digital aspect of it, you must have registered your digital marketing agency with the Corporate Affairs Commission. Afterward, you are issued with a certificate of incorporation, as your RCC number, perhaps before building your website.

You can now register your Digital Marketing Agency Business Name with the online portal of The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

Steps to Registering your Business Name Online

1. Search for availability of Name:

• Visit http://services.cac.gov.ng/
• Sign up as a new customer and provide all necessary details accurately.
• Once you are properly signed in click on ‘Name availability Search’ type in two names that are creative and uncommon as your proposed business name and try to avoid cliché names.
• Fill the form with your best Email address and Phone number and submit the form when done. The submission of the form would cost N500 and can be paid using your MasterCard, Visa card, Verve card or Online banking etc.
• The name search would take one to two working days to be approved or disapproved. If disapproved try again With a different and more unique name.

2. Register the Business name:

• Once your name has been approved the next step is to register the business name. Log in to your account with CAC and once logged in click on ‘action’ and download the letter of approval from the CAC portal, open it and take note of the approval number.
• Go back to the website, Click on ‘Registration’ on the top left of the webpage select business name and paste the number from the approval document in the space provided click on enter. Ensure you know the nature of the business, proprietors of the business and all other relevant information accurately. NOTE: You can ‘save and exit’ the form at any point where you have difficulties.
• When it comes to nature of the business ensure that you type in three (3) nature of the business and it is always a good idea to add General contracts so you do not need to get another business name in the future as General contracts encompass everything. (I made the mistake of not adding General contracts and I had to apply with an additional cost of N6000 to get it changed and it was a stressful process)
• Fill the form Accurately avoid Mistakes as a Correction would cost you more money and waste your Time.
• Now one important thing is When asked if you need additional copies of Certified true copy and documents, select Zero as this is applicable to only those who are registering a limited liability company.
• Submit the form and Pay N10,000 for the business name using your ATM card. You would be given a form to submit to the CAC office in your selection.

3. Physical Submission:

Download and print and make two photocopies of

• All receipt of payment from Remitta and CAC,
• The approval of business name document
• The form you received upon payment for business name
• Take these documents with two passport Photographs, N250 stamp duty fee – to be paid into CAC Skye Bank Account (you can do this before going to the office the bank has the account number) and submit for filing with the corporate Affairs commission.

That’s the practical steps it takes to register your digital marketing agency in Nigeria.

Step 4: Get yourself online

Okay, I’m not going to teach you to chew nuts here. You’re in internet marketing, and you know you have to have a website to start generating income. But, what you don’t have to do is break the bank.

Building a website is a prerequisite.

Did you know that a website is the most important aspect of a digital marketing agency?

A good website not only reflects your business brand, it also offers high-quality content and is easy-to-navigate.

Your website is the key to a successful digital marketing strategy because all other digital marketing elements direct guests to your website, which should effectively convert guests. Elements of website design that generate conversions are using best SEO practices and tools, having a great user experience, and capitalising on the wealth of analytics websites offer.

Before you get started with your digital marketing agency in Nigeria, It’s very necessary that you have a working and dynamic website.

I’ve previously covered how to build a website or blog, click the link for more details.

There are different companies where you can get the domain name of your site registered. For instance, I have been using Findigitaltools in registering all of my domain names and trust me; it has been awesome dealing with Findigitaltools.

You also have to host your website with any good hosting company to make the process complete.

However, a WordPress CMS is what I always used to build a website for my business. Using WordPress site is easy and seamless, but if you haven’t used it before, you will spend some time learning how to use the platform to get going with your agency website. (You can click here to join our digital marketing training, we’ll show you how to build your website step by step)

Meanwhile, if that could take much of your time, you may need to outsource the service. Candidly, you need to understand the in and out of WordPress. Sometimes, I may need to optimize the website, and I do that because I have the knowledge.

Further, the kind of theme you use in building your WordPress website also account. The theme you use should communicate professionalism. I often search for themes on ThemeForest; you can also use One Paper Themes.

You can click here to join our digital marketing training to learn how to build your website step by step.

Apart from setting up your digital marketing website, other things to do to set up your online presence are:

Create a professional email address

Creating a professional email is very essential. You don’t need to start using your personal email.

An example of a professional email is “community @ digitalmarketingskill.com”.

So you need a real company email address where clients and prospects can reach you. Now, the way you set up a personal email account is entirely different from the way create a company email address.

However, some or most web hosting companies do offer a built-in mail platform through Cpanel. I recommend you to set your email on the Cpanel (This is covered in our digital marketing training WordPress module, click here for insight).

How to create email account in cPanel:

In order to create a new email account in cPanel, follow the instructions below:

1. Log in to your cPanel > Mail section > Email Accounts menu:

2. If you have multiple domains, select the domain you want your email account to be associated with in the drop-down list in the top right corner and enter the desired email and a strong password of your choice:

Click on Create Account once all is set.

3. To log in webmail, click on More next to the email account in question > Access Webmail:

4. Once done, you will see the icons of the three webmail interfaces:

5. Feel free to choose any access webmail.

Create Your Business on Google+

There is one unique complex role that Google plus plays and that is Search Engine Optimization. When using Google Plus always have it in mind to continue optimizing relevant keywords. You just have to try establishing yourself on Google+ when you have started your digital marketing agency.

Create A Killer Portfolio

Actions have, and always will, speak louder than words. Which is why having a strong, result driven portfolio is paramount for generating new business.

If people see that you’ve worked with, and delivered results for, a brand that they know and trust, they’re more likely to buy from you. Because if they trusted you enough to work with you, why shouldn’t they?

Now if you don’t have a portfolio yet, don’t worry. That’s easily remedied. You can simply try and do some free work for people (and build some good relationships while you’re at it) to get these. Or, you can compile a list of previous projects your staff have worked on in the past as a placeholder until you’ve got some agency work under your belt.

A portfolio is now considered a minimum requirement for an agency to have. So, it’s essential you get one in place. A good portfolio is made up of:

• Headlines and shorts snippets
• Further, in depth, result case studies
• Testimonials from clients
• Future goals and targets for that client

Showing people that not only you can deliver the results, but you will continue to deliver them to people continuously.

Setup Profiles Across All Social Media Platform

You can set up all relevant profiles across all social media platform (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others). Write a summary of what you have crafted in your portfolio section and tailor your social media profiles to leverage on social traffic.

Step 5: Go Social

A key piece of the puzzle for agencies, since the social-age boom in 2008, is to have social media channels in place. But they aren’t just there for you to be like, “Oh hey, we know how to use Twitter!”. Instead, they’re there for:

• Marketing: It’s free, it’s easy and it’s word of mouth. You can share anything from offers, to blog posts and any other materials that might drive people your way.

• Customer Engagement: You can deal with (and be seen to be dealing with) complaints. See what people are saying about your service. And, just become a more human brand to anyone who finds you online.

• Lead Generation: It might not be the most successful tactic for finding new clients, but they are definitely out there. Having a strong social media presence improves your chances of finding them, too.

Don’t worry about canvassing all the social media channels, though. Focus on just one (or two, if you’ve hired staff) to focus on. You’ll get more traffic, engagement and leads from one really strong profile, than two mediocre ones.

Step 6: Network

Your biggest opportunities and clients will often come from chance meetings. Attend every conference, connect with everybody on social media, always have your eyes peeled for an opportunity. I’ve landed some of my biggest deals in the most unexpected ways. You have no idea where your next big client is going to come from.

Step 7: Partnership

Partnership in most businesses usually work, you can partner with any firm that has a competitive advantage in a particular niche or area. For instance, I have an Indian partner, we do things together. Sometimes, I give him some website jobs to do for me when am indisposed.

The partnership may not be an essential at the preliminary stage but in the long run, you will get more sales.

Step 8: Become vastly experienced in critical aspects of digital marketing

Digital marketing is not making your website just visible; do not get restricted to getting found on the first page of search engine result. It goes beyond that. Part of your job should be to offer a broad range of digital marketing services that could be of value to customers and prospects.

It could be to run a digital marketing campaign, SEO services, email marketing services, or copywriting.

Step 9: Generate Quality Leads

This is an aspect you can never do without; your leads bring forth the money to your business. There are many ways you can go about this. It depends on how much effort you intend to invest in this area. You can source for emails through LinkedIn. You can also get leads from organic traffic source; you can also use paid advertising.

Step 10: Conversion Process

Every digital marketing business should have clear conversion paths to marketing outcomes which contribute to the business.

A conversion funnel should be designed and architected to help your digital marketing business acquire as many new prospects and clients as possible (at break even or better)…

An activation funnel should be designed and architected to help your digital marketing business convert as many of its prospects (or inactive buyers) into recent clients…

…And a monetization funnel should be designed and architected to help your digital marketing business generate revenue from its active buyers and indoctrinated clients.

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking…

“Which conversion funnel should I be using in my business?”

… but this is the wrong question.

The right question is…

“Which conversion funnel should I be using in my business, RIGHT NOW?”

Every business should deploy each funnel type at different times to different people.

An Acquisition Funnel can’t do the job of a Monetization Funnel.  A Monetization Funnel can’t do the job of an Activation Funnel. And so on… Each funnel excels at meeting one particular goal.

Define your conversion process, know which funnel to use for the right purpose and when to use them. Also, have a retention strategy that allows you retain clients. These type of customers will most likely hire you on a monthly basis.

That should be it.

I hope the 10 actionable steps in setting up your digital marketing agency in Nigeria will help you succeed as a digital marketer in Nigeria? If you have any question or addition, you can communicate with us using the live chat medium at the bottom of the page or register to join our complete digital marketing training in Nigeria.

More articles:

• Why You Should Have a Digital Strategy
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) | A Complete Beginner Guide To Ranking Your Website
• What is Digital Marketing? A Complete Step by Step Guide For Newbies
• 7 Common SEO Mistakes To Avoid And How To Fix Them
• How to Start Affiliate Marketing for Beginners | Step by Step Guide
• How To Market Yourself Online [Infographic]
• 6 Steps To Building An Online Marketing Strategy In Nigeria
• Lead Generation | A Complete Beginner Guide To Generating Leads
• 10 Tips On How To Generate Leads On Twitter To Drive More Sales

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