CLASS 01

Defining Your Agencys Positioning

Professor: Sarah Phillips

HubSpot Agency Partner Certification

Brought to you by HubSpot Academy

WHY IS POSITIONING
IMPORTANT?

YOU CANT MARKET YOUR

AGENCY SUCCESSFULLY
WITHOUT A CLEAR
POSITIONING STRATEGY.

WHAT IS POSITIONING?

Positioning is an articulation of what services you offer and

which markets or customer segments your serve.

THE ANSWER CAN NOT BE

EVERYTHING AND
EVERYBODY.

Nobody buys a product or service because

it can do everything, but rather because it
can do something.
TIM WILLIAMS

Imagine youre
planning your
wedding.

YOU ARENT LOOKING FOR A

FREELANCER WITH A WIDE RANGE
OF PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPERIENCE.

You want a photographer

who specializes in
wedding photography.

WHY DO SO MANY AGENCIES

DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS
FULL SERVICE?

Positioning requires
focus, it means that
youre saying no
to things.

IF YOU TRY TO APPEAL TO

EVERYONE, YOU END UP
APPEALING TO NO ONE.

With thousands of agencies around the world, you need

to find a way to specialize and stand out from the crowd.

HOW DOES POSITIONING

BENEFIT YOUR BUSINESS?

Positioning
provides direction.
There will be no question about what
you do, whom you do it for, and how
you do it.

Positioning provides a
borderless market.
By determining a focus and building
this up as a core part of your service,
clients will want to work with you
regardless of your location or size.

Positioning provides a
clear target audience.
Strong positioning helps you understand
the unique pain points of your target
audience, what they need and want,
and how they buy.

A positioning strategy allows you to have a

strong qualifying process.

Positioning drives
premium pricing.
With profound expertise,
comes premium pricing.

FLICKR USER DANN O_O

Positioning is no easy feat.

It takes time, dedication, and the

courage to say no to some things.

BUT IT IS NECESSARY

Especially if you are struggling

to create consistent revenue
streams, bring in new clients,
and retain your clients.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE

YOUR AGENCYS
POSITIONING?

Based on Tim Williams book,

Positioning for Professionals.

POSITIONING STRATEGY
CREATION NOTES

Get the right people involved

Document your positioning strategy

Pick a position

Everything you do with your inbound marketing strategy

should tie back to your positioning

STEPS FOR DEFINING

YOUR POSITIONING STRATEGY

STEP 1:
Assess your
current
positioning.

STEP 2:
Define your
agencys
purpose.

STEP 3:
Identify your
agencys
best client.

STEP 4:
Identify your
agencys core
competencies.

STEP 5:
Define your
agencys
culture.

STEP 6:
Create your
positioning
statement.

STEPS FOR DEFINING

YOUR POSITIONING STRATEGY

STEP 1:
Assess your
current
positioning.

STEP 2:
Define your
agencys
purpose.

STEP 3:
Identify your
agencys
best client.

STEP 4:
Identify your
agencys core
competencies.

STEP 5:
Define your
agencys
culture.

STEP 6:
Create your
positioning
statement.

A MISSION STATEMENT IS
NOT A POSITIONING
STATEMENT.

An objective points the way, but it takes

an effective strategy to get you there.

YOUR AGENCY IS NOT

DIFFERENTIATED BY:
Your full-service capabilities

Your reputation & years in business

Your integrated approach

Your nimbleness and flexibility

Your superior service to clients

Your promise to assign the best people

Your ability to produce results

Your diversity of clients

Your devotion to big ideas

Your fresh thinking to problem solving

THE SEA OF SAMENESS

Agencies competing in the same space for the same clients.

Its much better to strike out

for unchartered waters
where nobodys sailing.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

ASSESSING YOUR CURRENT POSITIONING

What makes your agency unique today?

How do you communicate that differentiation on your website?

Social media? Content? With your clients?

Write down in one or two sentences what you stand for and what
differentiates you.

You havent devoted

the time and attention
to understand how your
agency creates value.

You have attempted

to articulate your
positioning strategy,
but havent moved
beyond the expected
points of parity.

IN THE BEGINNING ITS

TEMPTING TO WANT TO BE
EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE.

STEPS FOR DEFINING

YOUR POSITIONING STRATEGY

STEP 1:
Assess your
current
positioning.

STEP 2:
Define your
agencys
purpose.

STEP 3:
Identify your
agencys
best client.

STEP 4:
Identify your
agencys core
competencies.

STEP 5:
Define your
agencys
culture.

STEP 6:
Create your
positioning
statement.

Purpose is a definitive statement

about the difference you are trying
to make in the world.
ROY J. SPENCER JR., GSD&M AGENCY

YOUR PURPOSE ANSWERS

Why does your company exist?

Why do you go to work every day?

Why do your employees continue to come to work?

Why do your clients want to work with you?

Understanding why
is essential to
knowing how to
communicate how
and what you do.

Making money is not a why.

Revenues, profits, and salaries are simply results of what you do.

Purpose provides you

and your team with a
view on how your agency
will make a difference,
setting everyone on the
same path.

QUESTIONS TO ASK
DEFINING YOUR PURPOSE

Besides profits, why does your organization exist? What would

people miss if you didnt exist tomorrow?

What inspires you to go to work each day?

What is the purpose and the meaning of what you do?

What problems do you solve?

If your people were volunteers instead of employees, what would

they be volunteering for?

MAKE SURE THE

CEO OR AGENCY OWNER
IS INVOLVED HERE.

Write it in stone,
figuratively or literally,
and share it internally
and externally.

FLICKR USER DON BURKETT

STEPS FOR DEFINING

YOUR POSITIONING STRATEGY

STEP 1:
Assess your
current
positioning.

STEP 2:
Define your
agencys
purpose.

STEP 3:
Identify your
agencys
best client.

STEP 4:
Identify your
agencys core
competencies.

STEP 5:
Define your
agencys
culture.

STEP 6:
Create your
positioning
statement.

Focusing on an audience allows you to

become an expert in understanding
the attitudes, values, habits, wants,
needs, motivations, and behaviors
of a particular class of people.

72%

of businesses are more likely to buy from thought

leaders, people or businesses that are recognized as
an expert in their marketplace.

SOURCE: B2B MARKETING

SPECIALIZE AROUND A
SPECIFIC INDUSTRY.

POSITIONING WITH WHO

EXAMPLE: GORILLA 76

SPECIALIZE AROUND A
SPECIFIC AUDIENCE.

POSITIONING WITH WHO

EXAMPLE: LEAGUE DIGITAL

QUESTIONS TO ASK

IDENTIFYING YOUR AGENCYS BEST CLIENT

What type of clients have you been most successful with in the past?

What traits do they have in common?

Which industries, business categories, or market segments do you

know best and excel at?

What type of companies do you enjoy working most with?

What type of clients do you NOT want to do business with?

STEPS FOR DEFINING

YOUR POSITIONING STRATEGY

STEP 1:
Assess your
current
positioning.

STEP 2:
Define your
agencys
purpose.

STEP 3:
Identify your
agencys
best client.

STEP 4:
Identify your
agencys core
competencies.

STEP 5:
Define your
agencys
culture.

STEP 6:
Create your
positioning
statement.

Becoming an expert in a discipline

is another way to focus your agency.

CAN YOU BE SEEN AS A

THOUGHT LEADER IN ANY OF
YOUR CURRENT SERVICES?

POSITIONING WITH WHAT

EXAMPLE: CONCENTRIC

QUESTIONS TO ASK

IDENTIFYING YOUR AGENCYS CORE COMPETENCIES

What do you do particularly well, better, or more efficiently than other agencies?

Which of your capabilities and services provide the most value to your clients?

If you could only provide one service, what would that be? What services would
you give up to have that focus?

What are the things that your clients cant do on their own if they chose to invest
internally?

Where does HubSpot and inbound fit in here: do you call yourself an inbound
marketing agency or do you offer inbound as one of your services?

STEPS FOR DEFINING

YOUR POSITIONING STRATEGY

STEP 1:
Assess your
current
positioning.

STEP 2:
Define your
agencys
purpose.

STEP 3:
Identify your
agencys
best client.

STEP 4:
Identify your
agencys core
competencies.

STEP 5:
Define your
agencys
culture.

STEP 6:
Create your
positioning
statement.

The culture of
your agency is
your companys
way of life.

Culture can be the

key differentiator that positions
you far above your competitors.

BE CAREFUL: THIS IS THE MOST

COMMON WAY AGENCIES COP-OUT
ON TRULY DIFFERENTIATING.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

DEFINING YOUR AGENCYS CULTURE

What are the philosophies and methods you follow to service clients?

Do you have a unique way of thinking or working processes?

What is the one thing that you would never change about your agency?

Will you say "no" to a prospective client because of your values and culture?
If so, what are some of the reasons that would cause you to say no?

Regardless of role, what does it take for someone to truly succeed at your
agency?

Create a Culture Code.

Heres the 7 principles that HubSpot Agency Partner New Breed follows.

SHARE THIS CULTURE CODE

INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY.

STEPS FOR DEFINING

YOUR POSITIONING STRATEGY

STEP 1:
Assess your
current
positioning.

STEP 2:
Define your
agencys
purpose.

STEP 3:
Identify your
agencys
best client.

STEP 4:
Identify your
agencys core
competencies.

STEP 5:
Define your
agencys
culture.

STEP 6:
Create your
positioning
statement.

Schedule a meeting
with the involved
team members.
Share and discuss the results of each
previous step.

FILL IN THE BLANK:

We provide this service/value/outcome

for this type of company/industry/market

THE WHAT

by using this kind of approach

THE HOW

THE WHO

because

why
THE WHY

STEPS FOR DEFINING

YOUR POSITIONING STRATEGY

STEP 1:
Assess your
current
positioning.

STEP 2:
Define your
agencys
purpose.

STEP 3:
Identify your
agencys
best client.

STEP 4:
Identify your
agencys core
competencies.

STEP 5:
Define your
agencys
culture.

STEP 6:
Create your
positioning
statement.

EXAMPLE
POSITIONING
STATEMENT

We create custom, user-centric

websites for B2B companies by
using growth-driven design
because we value your customers
experience and believe your
website is essential to achieving
your business goals.

LETS BREAK IT DOWN:

We create custom, user centric websites
THE WHAT

by

for
THE WHO

THE HOW

because

.
THE WHY

LETS BREAK IT DOWN:

We create custom, user centric websites
THE WHAT

for

B2B companies
THE WHO

by
THE HOW

because

.
THE WHY

LETS BREAK IT DOWN:

We create custom, user centric websites
THE WHAT

for

B2B companies
THE WHO

by

using growth driven design

THE HOW

because

.
THE WHY

LETS BREAK IT DOWN:

We create custom, user centric websites
THE WHAT

for

B2B companies
THE WHO

because

by

using growth driven design

THE HOW

we value your customers experience and believe your

website is essential to achieving your business goals
THE WHY

GET THE SUBSTANCE

RIGHT FIRST, DONT
FOCUS TOO MUCH ON
SHINY WORDS.

The positioning statement will help your marketers

produce clearer, tighter and more consistent messages.

STEPS FOR DEFINING

YOUR POSITIONING STRATEGY

STEP 1:
Assess your
current
positioning.

STEP 2:
Define your
agencys
purpose.

STEP 3:
Identify your
agencys
best client.

STEP 4:
Identify your
agencys core
competencies.

STEP 5:
Define your
agencys
culture.

STEP 6:
Create your
positioning
statement.

POSITIONING IS AN
ONGOING PROCESS.
ALWAYS ADAPT
AND ADJUST.

HOW DOES
POSITIONING IMPACT
YOUR MARKETING?

A POSITIONING
STRATEGY IS NOTHING
WITHOUT EXECUTION.

You must bring your

positioning strategy
to life in all your
agencys major
business practices.

As a marketer, you want to communicate this positioning,

highlight your thought leadership, and attract the
right type of clients.

EXECUTE YOUR
POSITIONING STRATEGY

WEBSITE

CONTENT CREATION
STRATEGY

LEAD
QUALIFICATION

EXECUTE YOUR
POSITIONING STRATEGY

WEBSITE

CONTENT CREATION
STRATEGY

LEAD
QUALIFICATION

Look at your homepage.

When someone lands on your website, they should be able to clearly state
what you do, who you do it for and how you do it.

AUDIT YOUR OTHER PAGES

Based on the clients you want to work with, and the

services you want to provide, are there changes you should
make to reflect this?

Publish case studies.

Focus on creating success stories of the
types of clients you want to get more of.

DONT JUST USE LOGOS

This does nothing to answer the question,
How can you help grow my business?

Add testimonials.
It will help visitors to connect with your current clients and add credibility for your agency.

EXECUTE YOUR
POSITIONING STRATEGY

WEBSITE

CONTENT CREATION
STRATEGY

LEAD
QUALIFICATION

Complete a content audit.

After you document the offers you have, bucket them into the
proper buyers journey stage and buyer persona.

With your new positioning strategy

in mind, do you have content that
speaks to your ideal client?

Develop your content strategy with your

positioning in mind.
Any future content you create should be specific to your agencys positioning.

ULTIMATE
Universities

Turn general content offers into more specific offers

that will resonate with your audience.

Take a look at
your blog.
By creating a blog that aligns with
your positioning, you will establish
your company as the authority and
attract potential clients.

EXECUTE YOUR
POSITIONING STRATEGY

WEBSITE

CONTENT CREATION
STRATEGY

LEAD
QUALIFICATION

YOU NOW KNOW WHAT

QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR
IN A LEAD.

Look at the forms.

You want to make sure youre
asking the right questions on your
forms so that you can pass quality
leads to your sales team.

EXECUTE YOUR
POSITIONING STRATEGY

WEBSITE

CONTENT CREATION
STRATEGY

LEAD
QUALIFICATION

THANK YOU.