#20: So you want to freelance? "Don't get caught up on launching perfectly."
The founder of Dialogue New York shares her advice for budding independent marketers
Doesn’t it seem like everyone is talking about becoming an independent consultant?
The sentiment is partly driven by pragmatism (layoffs), but also by people unwilling to compromise on their personal values as more companies mandate returns to office, change direction, or downshift budgets. Bloomberg reports more Americans are self-employed than you think. BBC notes that Gen Z is embracing the side hustle.
It’s easy to get a website up and to declare yourself a consultant on LinkedIn. But how do you get those first clients? How do you keep those clients? And, how do you build a sustainable business?
These are the themes we explored today with Julianne Fraser - the founder of digital marketing consultancy Dialogue New York.
How did Dialogue get started?
I fell into a role in digital marketing early, right around when Instagram first launched. My first job after studying fashion marketing at FIT was at a luxury hotel chain, where I focused on social media. The industry was so new, and there was opportunity to test and learn.
I then built my career in-house at Lacoste, and then a startup accelerator.
Five years ago, I recognized three clear approaches to influencer marketing: PR agencies that understood the importance of creativity and relationships in collaborations, but not necessarily guaranteed results. Then, performance marketing agencies that understood the importance of trackability and driving returns. But without a brand marketer at the helm, campaigns often resulted in cringe-worthy content. Then, platforms that evolved that leveraged technology for marketing, but these didn't have the ability to curate the right partners for brands.
I launched Dialogue with the intention of creating a hybrid of all three approaches. We work with corporations like Shiseido and adidas, as well as startups in various stages, like Brooklinen, and Sakara Life.
What problems do you solve for your clients?
One of the strongest tactics in brand marketing is influencer. And what we see is that there's a great deal of confusion around the practice.
We help our clients navigate and develop concrete strategy to grow their business.
What often happens is that a lot of money is thrown at the problem. But it's essential to take the time to create a road map of relationships, to build the layers of a strategy so there's strategic repetition and a halo effect.
You want to create the perception of a brand "being everywhere."
How did you get your first clients?
From the start, my focus has always been to build and nurture relationships in the industry.
My first client was Shiseido, which came as a referral from my old boss at Lacoste, and that initial project turned into a 4-year partnership. Then, I started with Daily Harvest, a referral from a friend I had previously worked with on several projects.
I put a lot of emphasis in my network. Taking the time to grab lunch with another marketer, another agency that could be a partner, it's what has worked for Dialogue.
Is there anything you wish you would have done more or less of in building your business?
I initially had big ambitions to grow the business to 20 people, to have the big office in New York, to also have an office in Paris. My entrepreneurial spirit and the New York culture defined success as upward momentum.
But that's not what happened. I instead took the time to really invest in those first three clients and deliver exceptional work. Slow and gradual growth allowed Dialogue to fine-tune our services and maintain the quality of our work. I don't necessarily wish I had changed anything, I am grateful we did not focus on just growth and instead chose to be a boutique agency.
What's your approach to business development at Dialogue?
My strategy is to think 3-6 months down the line. Though we're lucky to have a long waitlist of clients at Dialogue, I never get complacent, I'm constantly looking ahead. Even with a hundred leads on the lines, unforeseen circumstances happen, like pandemics and recessions, you can never get too comfortable.
Today, Dialogue is a team of nine. In the future, I would love team members to support with business development, but right now it's about taking the time to mentor and delegate the client work, strategy and execution. My focus is to invest in my network.
What's the secret of keeping a client?
Our philosophy at Dialogue is to be a partner that can support on the overall marketing program. In every touch point with the client, we don't just talk about the work, but check how we can help and guide them whether it's with social media strategy, opportunities for press, and more.
It is a fine line of not going out of scope and bandwidth, but we are reliable. We always adapt our work for the client. We want to be great people to work with.
Most of your team is Gen Z, and so are many of the influencers you work with. What is your advice for people hiring/partnering with Gen Z staffers?
I'm grateful for my team. Gen Z brings such innovation and energy and are expecting and balance/flexibility. But with that comes responsibility to show up and do great work. They're demanding the balance they deserve. And they're learning on how to earn that flexibility.
What I try to do is mentor and teach them the power of relationships, having a strong work ethic. But I did come from this world of NY agency life where this reputation is sustained by working on weekends.
I strongly protect our company culture and work-life balance. At the same time, I have high expectations of their work. Our team can work remotely, it's very flexible. I try to teach them to uphold their boundaries while do the work.
What's your advice for anyone looking to start their own agency?
In launching my own consultancy, I had huge expectations about our branding, our PR, our social media strategy. I was putting brand marketing expectations on ourselves. But truthfully, Dialogue didn't have a website until six months in. We didn't start the marketing engine for ourselves until year two, year three.
My advice is: don't get caught up on launching perfectly. Focus on your relationships and the quality of your work.
All we needed was to create one beautifully designed pitch deck with capabilities and case studies. Don't slow yourself down by thinking you have to launch this perfect idea of an agency. Just do the work. Focus on your reputation.
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As always, interviews are edited for clarity/length.
Bonus link: many of us are reeling from the SVB collapse. Here’s a great crisis comms basics explainer for those who want to dust off their old playbooks for a future winter.