Alt Title: How Marketing Agency Holding Companies Can Leverage Technology for Growth
Multi-agency holding companies face the challenge of maintaining efficiency and cohesion as they scale their operations. Often, operational breakdowns occur when there’s no strong, scalable foundation. By leveraging specialized agency network software, holding companies can establish a foundation that will support scaling to any degree.
The technology offered by agency network software is unbeatable, and here are all the reasons multi-agency networks should consider using it.
- Scaling successfully requires fixing problems first
First things first. When a company starts to scale, every aspect of the company gets scaled, including its flaws, inefficient processes, and problems. Before scaling to any degree, it’s crucial to fix problems at the root and implement company-wide solutions that will scale smoothly. Otherwise, any problems that exist will only be multiplied with growth.
Implementing an agency network creates a solid, scalable foundation that not only streamlines operations, but maintains visibility into projects, clients, invoices, and even talent across all agencies as the company scales. Once it’s put in place, it’s easy to add newly acquired agencies to the network. The sooner it’s implemented, the better.
- Advanced communication tools enhance collaboration
With agency network software, communication is unified on one integrated platform. Text messages, video conferencing, collaborative document editing, and audio calls all support real-time communication and information sharing, regardless of a team’s geographical location. With smooth collaboration, teams will stay productive, connected, and informed while the company scales. This will greatly reduce the potential for interruptions to client projects during the transition phase.
- Secure information sharing
Agency network software can utilize encrypted messaging and restricted access controls to maintain data confidentiality. This is crucial for maintaining compliance under regulatory laws. As a multi-agency holding company scales, so will its data collection efforts. Collecting a larger volume of data creates more potential opportunities for data to be exposed or targeted by hackers, and this data will be easier to secure when it’s in a centralized location.
Scaling also typically requires integrating new tools and migrating data to new software platforms, which increases the risk of a data leak. However, since agency network software is specifically made to address the needs of holding companies, the need to use numerous software applications is less likely.
Since an agency network condenses multiple software applications into one, it’s easier to address security concerns. Instead of having to secure and monitor five different applications, there’s only one – the agency network. Insider threats and human error will always be potentials, but with one application, the overall risk is greatly reduced.
- Centralized data
Centralizing data with agency network software gives multi-network holding agencies a big advantage when scaling. It creates a unified source of data that all agencies in the network can access. Consistent data reduces discrepancies and supports accurate decision-making, in addition to supporting better collaboration.
Scaling without this foundation in place will only make collaboration harder as more agencies are acquired. Information distributed from the top down will need to go through more of a process to reach its destination, and individual agencies won’t have easy access to reliable, current data.
- Standardized processes
Using an agency network makes standardizing processes easier. Standardization identifies scattered methods for problem-solving and creates a unified solution, which becomes the solution across the entire organization. Whether it’s a security policy or a client onboarding process, it will be more effective when done the same way by every agency. For example, every process that involves using the network can be documented, standardized, and distributed to every agency. Then, added to the holding company’s operational files.
Having this foundation in place before scaling makes it easy for newly acquired agencies to adopt the holding company’s standards. When these standards already exist and the software is already in place, the learning curve for new agencies won’t be so hard.
An agency network creates a solid foundation for scaling
Scaling on a broken or inefficient foundation is a guaranteed way to fail. By implementing an agency network, holding companies can create a supportive foundation that will prepare them for accelerated growth. This approach helps streamline operations, improve inter-and-cross-agency collaboration, and gives agencies access to real-time insights for stronger decision-making.
With the right systems and tools in place, holding companies can scale with confidence, knowing they’re better equipped to meet the inevitable challenges they’ll face along the way.
