NoRobots was kind enough to feature us in their post about client acquisition. Please read the full article HERE, though we’ll post a little teaser below…
Client acquisition is one of the most talked-about – and often misunderstood – aspects of running a creative business. While there’s no shortage of advice online, the reality is that the most effective client acquisition strategies tend to be highly personal, shaped by experience, relationships, and lessons learned the hard way.
We’ve gathered insights from three creative agency leaders who share what’s working, what hasn’t, and how they think about attracting the right kind of work.
High-Performing Channels and Where Quality Comes From
Not all acquisition channels are created equal. Some bring volume, others bring alignment – and the difference matters.
What are your top two client acquisition channels right now, and which one brings the highest-quality projects?
Courtney Todd, fractional CMO, creative director and founder of Umlaut Agency:
Referrals and past clients, hands down. Most of the work coming in is through people I’ve already worked with or people they’ve introduced me to. Those projects are almost always the best fit. There’s already trust, they understand the value of strategic work, and we can skip the back-and-forth and get straight into solving real problems. I also often have people who find me through LinkedIn or my website.
Josh Denberg, creative director and founder of Division of Labor:
We are pretty well known within the Series B startup community due to our past projects, so word of mouth continues to be our strongest client acquisition channel. The founder community in San Francisco is quite tight-knit and we really value when happy clients pass our name along. In addition, SEO/GEO – particularly with third-party references – play a major role. Many clients often find us by searching online or asking tools like ChatGPT or Claude for top ad agencies for Series B startups and B2B tech companies. Because of that, we make an effort to stay current, even as things evolve quickly in that space…