Onboarding a New Client: My Approach to Success

When I onboard a new client, my goal is to drive meaningful growth by not only increasing traffic but also generating high-quality conversions that lead to real sales. To achieve this, I follow a structured approach that ensures a deep understanding of the client’s brand, optimises their existing efforts, and builds effective, data-driven campaigns. Here are the key steps I take when onboarding a new client:

1. Understanding the business and its goals

The foundation of a successful lead generation strategy is understanding the client’s business inside and out. This step is crucial because, without a deep understanding of the company’s goals and target audience, even the most well-executed campaigns will fall flat.

Here’s what I focus on:

• Who are the clients? Understanding the customer persona is key. What motivates them to seek out your services? What problems do they need solved, and how do they prefer to engage?

• What are their pain points? Every successful campaign connects with the audience’s needs. I ask the company what specific pain points their products or services solve for customers.

• Competitor analysis: Who are the key competitors in the market? What are they doing right (or wrong), and how can we differentiate the company from them?

• Company’s unique selling proposition (USP): What sets this company apart? We dive deep into what makes the company different in the marketplace and how that can be communicated effectively through lead generation efforts.

2. Auditing website tracking

Once I have a clear understanding of the business, I move on to audit the existing tracking systems. Accurate tracking is the backbone of any lead generation strategy, and without it, we’re essentially driving blind.

Here’s what I check:

• Testing existing tracking: I’ll test the company’s current tracking setup by sending test leads through the funnel to ensure everything is being captured properly.

• Google Tag Manager (GTM): I’ll dive into GTM to verify that all tracking codes are firing correctly. Any gaps in tracking can lead to missed conversions, and I make sure that’s not an issue.

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4): I review how tracking is set up in GA4 and whether it’s accurately reflecting user behavior and conversions.

• Conversion goals in Google Ads and other platforms: I check how the conversions are set up in each advertising platform. For example, if multiple primary conversions are set, it dilutes the algorithm’s ability to optimize for the most important goals. I’ll adjust the tracking to align with the client’s real objectives.

3. Auditing existing campaigns

Next, I perform a full audit of the existing paid campaigns. Many times, I see issues in the way campaigns are structured or how ads are set up. A poorly optimized campaign not only wastes ad spend but can also fail to deliver the right leads.

• Performance: I assess how the campaigns have been performing. Are they meeting the business’s expectations for lead volume and quality?

• Campaign setup: This includes looking at the account structure, bid strategies, and how the budget is allocated across campaigns.

• Keywords, copy, and visuals: I review the keywords the client is targeting, the ad copy, and the visuals used in the campaigns. If these elements aren’t speaking directly to the target audience’s pain points, they need to be adjusted.

• Common errors: A few common mistakes I often find include turning on search partners for Google Search campaigns, using Display extension for search ads (which is usually not effective for lead gen), or auto-applying recommendations without reviewing them. I also find accounts where several primary conversions are set up, confusing the platform’s optimization algorithms.

4. Developing a media plan and campaign strategy

Once I have a full understanding of the business and its current marketing efforts, I move on to create a customized media plan and campaign strategy. This plan will include:

• Budget proposal: I provide a recommendation on how the client should allocate their ad budget for maximum return. This includes determining how much to invest in each platform and campaign type.

• Campaign structure: I lay out how the campaigns should be organized—whether they should be segmented by product, service type, or audience—to ensure a clean and manageable account.

5. Campaign creation and setup

Now comes the fun part: building the campaigns from the ground up. With a solid strategy in place, I start creating highly targeted and engaging campaigns.

• Audience research: I identify the right audience segments for the campaign, based on factors like demographics, behaviors, and intent.

• Keyword research: For search campaigns, I conduct keyword research to ensure we’re bidding on the most relevant terms that will drive qualified traffic.

• Copy and visuals creation: I craft compelling ad copy and pair it with strong visuals that will resonate with the target audience. The goal here is to create ads that are not only eye-catching but also address the needs of potential customers.

6. Campaign launch and monitoring

Once the campaigns are set up, I launch them across the selected platforms and immediately start monitoring performance.

• Search terms: For search campaigns, I review the actual search terms that triggered our ads and add negative keywords to filter out irrelevant traffic.

• Keyword and audience refinement: If the campaign is not delivering the desired results, I adjust keywords and refine the audience targeting based on the performance data.

• Budget and targeting adjustments: I monitor daily budgets to ensure we’re spending effectively, making adjustments as needed to avoid overspending or underspending.

• New ad variations: I regularly create new ad variations to test and optimize the ads further, continually looking for ways to improve the performance of the campaigns.

7. Reporting and monthly review

The final piece of my lead generation process is transparent reporting and regular client communication.

• Reporting: I provide detailed reports that break down campaign performance, lead quality, and ROI. These reports are designed to be clear and actionable, so clients can see exactly where their money is going and how it’s working for them.

• Monthly review meetings: Every month, I meet with my clients to discuss results and propose adjustments to the strategy. This is a critical step because it allows us to stay agile, adapting to changes in the market or business priorities.

By following this step-by-step process, I ensure that my clients receive a tailored lead generation strategy that’s backed by data, continuously optimized, and designed for long-term success.

If you’re ready to improve your lead generation efforts with a focused, data-driven approach, get in touch to see how I can help you grow your business!