Red Flags to Look For When Bringing on a New Client

Is your social media marketing agency ready to take on new clients? Hold on! Before you dive headfirst into a new partnership, it's essential to keep your eyes peeled for those pesky red flags. In the world of social media, identifying potential pitfalls early on can save you from headaches down the road. 

Picture this: by spotting those sneaky red flags and speed bumps early on, you're not just saving time and effort, you're securing the foundation for an epic client relationship. It's all about valuing your team's precious time and ensuring you've made the right call when bringing clients on board. Get ready to decode the warning signs with us, and discover the secrets to onboarding the RIGHT clients for YOU. 

In the changing landscape of social media marketing, time is of the essence. As a dedicated team, your expertise, effort, and resources are valuable commodities that deserve to be invested wisely.

It can be a slippery slope, especially in the beginning. When you look at the grand scheme of your marketing goals, it is easy to get wrapped up in trying to scale your business quickly, and bring on as many clients as you can in a short period of time. Now we’re not here to say it’s a bad thing to be ambitious, but instead we urge you to assess your expectations and take a hard look at your workload, coupled with your goals. 

If you were to make a five year plan of where you want to be with your business, do you know what type of client can help get you there? Do you know how many?

These are questions we still ask ourselves, and you should too!

While you have this moment of self reflection, make sure you are valuing yourself as well. Instead of thinking of how much your client is investing in YOU, you should make sure you set appropriate expectations for what you can invest in THEM.

Here are a few examples of speed bumps we’ve encountered with client discovery calls and how we’ve handled them to set ourselves up in the best and most successful position:

Lack of clear goals: If the client doesn't have specific, measurable objectives or struggles to articulate their goals for social media marketing, it could be a red flag. Clear goals are crucial for designing an effective strategy.

This type of red flag is a sticky one for a few reasons. First, many times a client isn’t able to separate a goal from a dream. Sure, we’d all love overnight virality and enough revenue to retire tomorrow…but that isn’t a reasonable expectation, and it is not a goal.

Through our discovery calls, we make sure to pick apart this question and dissect the pieces. Is it sales? Is it conversion? Do they care? We try our hardest to make sure that a client is not only excited about the prospect of bringing in business, but also that they have the manpower and energy needed to do so. Does the client know what a large following would mean for their business? Are they equipped to bring on X new patients? Do they have the staff? 

This leads us to our next bump in the road, do they understand what it will take to get there?

Unrealistic expectations: Clients who have overly ambitious or unrealistic expectations without understanding the time, effort, and resources required for social media marketing can be problematic. Ensure expectations are aligned with the realities of the platform.

Unrealistic expectations truly are the gifts that keep on giving, aren’t they? They won’t only bite you once, they will bite you every single time until you lay out the framework and help your client to reevaluate their mindset. This is a red flag that takes two to tango! You have GOT to be upfront with your partners, and your team members about what is doable, and then it is crucial to help your client meet you halfway. If these issues are not addressed face on, from the get go, they will grow legs and run out from under you, often ending in blow ups and soiled relationships.

Within any agency, communication is crucial…and that communication does not begin and end internally. Speak to your clients, let them speak to you!

Inconsistent or inadequate communication: Poor communication from the client, such as delayed responses, difficulty in reaching them, or lack of clarity in their instructions, can lead to misunderstandings and hinder progress.

Now this goes both ways, again, but you can only control so much. Having a client who respects your boundaries while also maintaining open, fluid communication is unparalleled. We’re talking about clients who give feedback, but can also hear a “no!” We’re talking about clients who WANT to give feedback, clients who WANT to have a say! Partnering with businesses or brands who are truly hands off is a difficult process, and like we said, can lead to misunderstandings and hinder progress. Let’s be a team, let’s join forces!

Coupled with the understanding of teamwork and partnership, you want to align yourself with clients and partners who know what they are getting themselves into financially.  

Limited budget or unwillingness to invest: Social media marketing requires financial investment. If a client has an insufficient budget or is unwilling to allocate resources for advertising, content creation, or other necessary expenses, it could impede your ability to deliver results.

Listen, marketing isn’t cheap. And GOOD, QUALITY marketing is no exception. We’ve spoken before about the importance of pricing yourself with value and consistency against industry standards, so it is important to stand firm in your ask price. However, some clients do have a stricter budget, and that’s okay! If you are willing, you can work hand in hand with the client to modify your packages or offerings to find something that aligns with the scope of their financial resources. 

BUT, if you do this, make sure the client is fully onboard with what they are getting in return. Too often we see social media managers bending the rules to make room for a client who turns around and expresses frustration that they are not receiving what they had assumed they would. 

Unreasonable demands or scope creep: Watch out for clients who consistently request additional services beyond the agreed scope without a corresponding increase in compensation. This can strain your resources and negatively impact profitability.

Most of this boils down to explicit contract limitations as well as *cough* *cough* BOUNDARIES. It’s how life goes sometimes, you give someone an inch and they take a mile. Make sure you stay on guard for clients or brands who consistently ask for more, breaching contract expectations and in turn do not value your time. This can be undone, or reset with careful check-ins. Value yourself, you attract the energy you put out!

Sometimes these demands are due to the client’s misunderstanding of what social media marketing entails. “Why am I not viral, I used all the trending sounds!”

Lack of industry knowledge or unwillingness to collaborate: Clients who demonstrate little understanding of social media marketing or are resistant to collaborative efforts can hinder the success of your campaigns. It's beneficial to work with clients who value your expertise and are open to suggestions.

We all know that social media, social media trends specifically, change on a dime. Clients who don’t understand the evolving landscape are surely going to have frustrations when their ROI takes a bit longer than expected. Again, this goes back to setting proper expectations and eliciting the understanding that this is not only a work in progress, but also a whole team effort. 

As much as we give them, we should be sure to specify what they give us. If we are putting in the work and the effort, only for a client to turn around and disrespect our work, or disrespect their clients…then we have a problem. 

Negative online presence or reputation: Conduct research on a potential client's online presence and reputation. If they have a history of engaging in unethical practices, negative reviews, or controversies, it may be wise to reconsider working with them.

Our relationships as social media managers are full of pride and collaboration, we are both a direct reflection of each other. That being said, do your research! Do you want your name in fine print associated with your client? Do you trust them?

As a tight knit agency built highly on trust, but also inventiveness, creativity, mindfulness and compassion, we like to look for businesses who emulate similar values as us. 

Now remember, red flags may vary depending on your agency's specific goals, values, and niche. It's crucial to trust your instincts and conduct thorough research before entering into a new client relationship. These are generalities of speed bumps we have seen while working in the industry, but they are not under every rock! Do your research, set your expectations, and COMMUNICATE!!

XO, TJ Team