Tim Burke
If you’re an agency owner who has engaged a white-label service provider, chances are you’ve heard pitches promising a “done-for-you” approach. All you have to do is sit back while your white-label provider does the work. Eventually, you will make so much money that you sail off into a Caribbean sunset sipping a cocktail with an exotic name.
Cue the record skip.
At Conduit, we’ve been working with sophisticated agency owners like yourself for over a decade, and we’ve learned a thing or two along the way. For starters, you’re an entrepreneur at heart. You’re fueled by your business. You care about your agency. You care about your clients. And you care about your team.
The done-for-you model might seem like an easy route. But expectations rarely meet the delivery. A done-for-you white-label provider promises to handle everything – communication, project management, closing new deals, onboarding, training – while you focus on…whatever else you need to focus on after all of that. But here’s the rub:
Loss of Control: Handing over client communications and project management can (and will) lead to misalignments and misunderstandings. Those relationships you and your team built on trust? They’re in someone else’s hands now.
Risk to Reputation: The reputation and credibility your agency has worked hard to foster has now been transferred to an outsider. Reputations take years to build and minutes to destroy.
Churn: Your clients were hoping to work with you and your team, and now they feel as if they’ve been baited and switched. Loyalty is not easily earned, especially by proxy.
Strategic Partnerships: Your Secret Weapon
I won’t lie to you. Conduit is a white-label provider. All we do is work with agencies every single day.
So why does it seem we’re cutting off our nose to spite our face?
Simple. Because we believe in a different approach – strategic partnerships. This model is all about collaboration and alignment, giving you and your team the support you need while keeping you rightfully in the driver’s seat.
How do strategic partnerships differ from the “done-for-you silver bullet?”
Enhanced Communication: Your team should be the point of contact with your clients. This maintains the trust and rapport you’ve built, ensuring nothing gets lost in translation. A good strategic partner should equip your team with the information they need to help your clients succeed, making your team look good and ensuring the satisfaction of your clients. We don’t need the credit. We just want you to be successful.
Work Smarter, not Harder: A strategic partner should integrate seamlessly into your existing workflow. Chances are, you have an onboarding process. It’s not our job to fix what isn’t broken. We seek to amplify the good processes you’ve already built.
Satisfied Clients: A good strategic partner should focus on what they do best instead of moonlighting in your agency. Whether they are doing SEO, paid ads, or programmatic, they should be focusing on strategies that deliver the desired results, keeping your clients happy and loyal.
Mitigating Risks with Strategic Partnerships
Unlike the done-for-you approach, a strategic partner reduces risks. Here’s how:
Consistent Quality: When you and your team maintain control over client interactions, you can ensure consistent, high-quality service based on the values, mission, and communication style of your agency.
Shared Expertise: A strategic partner enhances your offerings by bringing specialized skills to the table, not double-dipping on the skillsets you already have in-house. We focus on what we do best so you can focus on what you do best – running an agency.
Scaling: A good strategic partner should help you streamline the accounts you already have, upgrade your current clients by identifying opportunities, and ultimately help you scale your agency by allowing you and your team to say yes to bigger opportunities. You should be involved in every step of that journey so your white-label provider is firing to your goals, not the other way around.
What To Do Next
Here’s how to ensure you are set up for a strategic partnership:
Evaluate Your Current Provider: Are they truly meeting your needs, or are you encountering the pitfalls mentioned above?
Seek Out Partners, Not Vendors: Look for a white-label provider that values collaboration and shared success, not control. Be wary of hyperbolic promises.
Communicate Your Vision: Make sure your partner understands your goals and works with you to achieve them.
The future of your agency doesn’t lie in handing over control. It’s about forging partnerships that promote collaboration and client satisfaction.
The Conduit Digital Difference
At Conduit Digital, we’re more than just a service provider — we’re your strategic partner. Here’s how:
Proven Methods: Our streamline, upgrade, and scale methodology is designed to boost your processes, performance, and client base.
Comprehensive Support: Our holistic support every step of the way educates and empowers your team to succeed.
Expert Team: Our team of specialists navigate complex, multi-channel campaigns, delivering the results that move the needle for your clients – and your agency.
