Are your agency’s systems and processes providing you with optimal results? If you’re running your agency, big or small, on the same old spreadsheets you’ve always run it on, you’re missing out on the efficiency and accuracy that an ad management solution can provide you with.
You may not realize it, but there are a number of challenges that your agency is facing by using the old system. Let’s take a look at the 5 challenges you are most likely dealing with by not having an ad management solution and how your results can be improved with an omnichannel advertising management solution.
Disconnected Systems
You may think that it’s fairly typical for agencies to have multiple systems to collect and store data. The sales reps manage products in a CRM system or on spreadsheets while the Ad Ops department manages products across a number of delivery channels, social media platforms, exchanges, and even multiple ad servers. Maybe you have systems for expenses, and invoicing as well.
Hopefully, all of these systems are integrated so that data flows seamlessly between them. However, more often than not, a pieced-together system like this still requires manual data tracking with spreadsheets. What you end up with is individual pools of information throughout your company. A fragmented system like this is prone to error as we all know.
The good news is, a modern inventory management system can become your single source of truth. Replace outdated spreadsheets with cross-functional records. Store all your pricing and rate information alongside past orders in a multi-functional CRM with integrations to external systems that allow booking and automated data syncing.
Unable to get a 360-Degree View of Your Agency’s Data
Without ad management software, agencies don’t have a 360-degree view of all their client campaigns in one place. This poses a real challenge as media buyers can’t adjust in real-time to increase performance success where needed. Without this ability, a client’s campaign can’t be adjusted quickly and accurately in order to avoid failing.
When all agency media buying and planning operations are under one dashboard, an accurate and real-time data pool allows you to pull reports, analyze, and adjust campaigns for optimal results. An advertising management system uses reporting tools to automatically predict digital and traditional advertising results. There’s no need for agencies to be wasting their time inputting tedious calculations with the risk of human error.
Ineffective Processes
In order to scale any business, you have to have effective systems and processes. This can be difficult when you are working with multiple software systems. If you’re using one system for your CRM and another for invoicing, agency growth becomes constrained.
This can cause your agency’s various departments and even individuals within the departments to work separately without a seamless flow of communication.
A system that allows consistency and an unconstrained flow of data allows your team to work seamlessly. Seamless systems make room for agency growth and improves accuracy.
Planning Can’t be Done in Real Time
Planning ad campaigns for clients takes a lot of time and effort. From strategizing, creating designs, and approving them with clients, to implementation, an effective and well-run campaign doesn’t happen by accident. When manual processes are involved, the process is time-consuming and very difficult. Inventory availability can change often as advertisers reserve, book, and cancel campaigns.
Ad management software can simplify your agency’s processes. A record of progress can be kept and important information is conveniently housed in one, easily accessible location. This allows changes to be made in real time. Having a seamless workflow with minute-by-minute data makes less room for mistakes.
Ad management software gives you and your team a clear picture of available and sold inventory. Sales reps can confidently update clients on speeding up the sales process, discussing unsold inventory, and increasing overall customer satisfaction.
Omnichannel Advertising Campaigns are More Difficult
If you want to grow your agency, you need omnichannel advertising campaigns in order to stay competitive in the market. However, without an ad management solution, this can be difficult due to the points we’ve made so far. Media organizations need to be able to vary their sales channels to make room for growth and to give prospective clients what they’re after.
Prospective customers are looking for an omnichannel experience that begins at the point of order. Advertisers want the opportunity to purchase omnichannel inventory via a single order with one invoice for their campaigns. Without an ad management solution, your agency is left creating individual orders for each media channel or inventory item. Needless to say, this process is tedious and time-consuming for the sales team, the ad operations, and the finance department.
An ad management solution unifies your order capabilities allowing you to boost sales, productivity, and customer satisfaction across the board.
Why Your Agency Needs an Ad Management Solution
From fixing your disconnected systems, giving you a birds-eye view of agency data, and allowing you to plan in real-time, an ad management solution is the cure for your agency’s struggles. If you want to boost your team’s productivity, simplify your processes and sell product bundles, an ad management solution can help.
