The Evolution of a Digital Agency

What started as a conversation with his brother and cofounder Tristram in his mother’s living room seven years ago has grown into a global remote agency. Ben, co-founder of Webtopia, has scaled the company from its initial focus on Meta and Google ads to a comprehensive digital marketing agency with team members across the Americas, Europe, Australia, and Asia. “COVID obviously played a massive part,” Ben reflects. “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t – so many things moved online, but COVID magnified what we were doing; accelerated it.”

The Foundation of Client Relationships

When asked about the most valuable lessons in building client relationships, Ben emphasises authenticity and transparency.

“This is such a dog-eat-dog world, more so than anything I’ve ever worked in before,” he notes.

“Your work is always being scrutinised, not only by brands you work with but by other agencies trying to poach your clients.”

Rather than using industry jargon to mask poor results, Ben advocates for clarity and trust: “Some people like to bamboozle their brands with three-letter acronyms like CRM, CPM, CTR… But what we tried to build on is trust.”

This approach becomes particularly crucial during challenging periods. “Growth doesn’t look straight up and to the right. There’s ups and downs, and that clarity and trust really comes into play when stuff is on the downwards.”

Navigating Remote Work in Client Services

Building a global remote agency comes with unique challenges, particularly in client communications.

Ben shares an interesting insight about cultural nuances: “Irish humour is very unique. It doesn’t transfer very well, especially to the USA. When you say a common saying here in Ireland like ‘What’s the craic?’ to an American, they look at you funny!”

The team has adapted by:

1) Being mindful of cultural differences and local holidays

2) Managing time zones effectively across global teams

3) Organising regular team meet ups every 2-3 months

4) Embracing the flexibility that remote work offers their team

Embracing AI in Agency Operations

For Ben, AI isn’t about replacement, but enhancement. Webtopia has integrated various AI tools to improve their service delivery:

1) Using AI for creative insights that previously took hours to generate

2) Implementing safety nets for ad spending monitoring

3) Leveraging tools like Kaizan for relationship management

4) Focusing on tools that solve specific business problems

“Work smarter, not harder,” Ben quotes his mother, explaining how AI tools help achieve this mantra.

Their approach to adopting new technology is methodical: “We put a business case together… We see what problems they can solve outside the problem we originally searched for.”

Advice for Emerging Client Service Professionals

Ben’s key advice for those starting in client service is refreshingly straightforward: “Just be you. Don’t try and be someone else because it will come out eventually. People will buy into you for you and the team that you have.”

He also warns against the trap of comparison: “Comparison is just the thief of joy… If you try to keep up with what other people are doing, you end up drowning.”

The future of client service, according to Ben, lies in finding the right balance between human relationships and technological advancement.

As AI continues to evolve, the focus should be on using these tools to elevate, rather than replace the personal touch that makes client relationships successful.