You Show Me Yours and I’ll Show You Mine…

When I was in 4th grade, I got my first computer.  It was a TRS-80 Color Computer from Radio Shack, and in 1983, it was big news. It had a tape deck for the hard drive and I could manage to program my name to repeat itself across the screen.  Smooooooth.  Call me the OG of Geek in the Pink.

Of course, I didn’t learn my fancy programming tricks from just playing on a new computer. It came with a manual and a cartoon guide with a talking computer named Compy, who was my first digital teacher. By the end of the year, I had mastered all of the code this manual had to offer.  Information was available for me to learn how to use my equipment, but you know what?  Knowing this information didn’t give me the magical power to author new technology for Radio Shack or steal their market share. In other words, a 4th grader being knowledgeable in their product had no effect whatsoever on their business model.

So I keep wondering, why are agencies so afraid of sharing their strategies and processes with clients?

Agencies (I am using this as a broad term to include service providers and vendors) are notorious for “not playing well together” in fear that the other guy might swipe a process or a tactic for his own business benefit.  Wha what? Really?  It’s not like the formula for Coke: company processes are so individual and specific to each and every person working on the account.  Or at least they should be.

There are two kinds of process that agencies employ.  One is a set of formulaic best practices that a monkey could execute.  “Strategy in a Box” is stretching what this actually is.  The second kind is based on the talent the agency employs – stemming from individual right-brain thinking.  Nothing is duplicated, but strength of experience allows some general “standards” across the board.

This has always been the debate people have whenever I speak.  It’s so often that speeches are really just sales pitches.  You spill enough to make the audience-goer think you’re the wizard of your industry … then tell that them HOW you do it is the magic part.  OK, wizard of Oz … lead us to a heart.

Regardless of who I’ve been speaking to or what company I was representing, I’ve always been a “leave it on the dance floor” kinda gal.  Yes, I’m walking them through strategy I have formulated for clients. Yes, I am telling them where I’m learning about trends so they can follow.  Yes, I am teaching them how to use the tools our company charges for, themselves. And. It. Feels. Great.

When you lock yourself down to not sharing information you’re doing more damage than good for both the client and your own company.  The internet has been a notoriously shady business.  New models and “just one click to profits” (let’s not even mention Y2K) are rampant, and trust in this arena is scarce (with good reason).

Let me give you some examples from my side of things that should be shared and not held as proprietary:

Market Strategy/Marketing Plans – These are critical to team success with multi agencies for a client.  OK, OK, I know what you are thinking … but it’s our roadmap! Um, ya.  The only reason you should be scared of sharing it is if they all look alike!  These were your individual plans for this particular client – they really don’t apply to anyone else.

Thinking the client will no longer need you or the other agencies are going to duplicate your work is just plain stupid.

I’ve seen a Van Gogh, yet I can’t recreate it.  I’ve read a Stephen King novel, but I’m not about to write one, either.  Being afraid of having your talent duplicated indicates a lack of talent. A true marketing talent creates for the individual clients and uses strength of experience as guidance.  Experience is NOT demonstrated in any plan you write … it’s a peek into the end of the process.

Social/SEO/Media Strategy – I lumped these together so I don’t sound like a broken record.  But the key here is that none of these are alike for any one client, and the trends that drive results change CONSTANTLY and are OPEN for ANYONE TO FIND.

SEO ranking is cheap.  Cheap Cheap Cheap.  Any SEO company can get you ranked.  Yep, I said it.  But, it’s the individual client strategy that a talented strategist will steer.  Choosing keywords should be significantly different from one client to the next.  Success on one destination might not work in another and very often doesn’t.

Social Strategy -  I just have to say HAHAHAHAHAHA (wait have to breathe) HAHAHA to anyone that thinks they have a foolproof formula for success.  I’ve been lucky enough to work with one of our clients that has reached 115K fans on FB.  I also have clients that have under 1K followers.  Using the same exact formula (if duplication WORKED), you’d think I could guarantee that to all of my clients.  That’s like guaranteeing when a hurricane is going to hit.  I can create conditions, I can propose campaigns … but it’s my strategy and the brand strength that have to make the perfect storm.  Thus, I just finished a two day seminar showing destinations every possible “tactic” that I use for success.  Viral is just that … viral.  You have to be creative, put it out there and keep doing it until you strike gold.

Quit hiding what you do and share with the client. You BOTH have to be on board for any success to transpire.

Media Placement – One sentence: You negotiate agency rates, that’s your advantage.

Bottom line, don’t trust anyone that doesn’t trust you.  If they aren’t giving up the goodies with every question you ask – if they’re holding your assets hostage because you aren’t in the know – if they’re telling you it’s magic … it’s bullshit.

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