LeadLab Media is Transforming Agencies into Digital Marketers
I had the pleasure of interviewing Sara Johnson, owner and founder of LeadLab Media– a digital media consultancy that specializes in paid search, paid social, programmatic ads, and anything that uses ad dollars to get more revenue and customers for your business. She started the business 8 years ago, after working at some of the largest agencies in Chicago managing the paid search campaigns of some of the top advertisers, such as Allstate and P&G. She has over 17 years of experience in digital media and a degree in media planning, so she considers herself classically trained in the art of media planning and buying. She now has a team of 15, with expertise in digital media buying and marketing performance analytics.
Thank you so much for joining us!
What motivated you to launch your startup?
While working at the large agencies, I was also paying off some student loans so I began freelancing on the side, helping out some smaller agencies around town. I recognized right away that mid-sized agencies and companies were struggling to transition to digital. Digital was technical, data-driven, and the platforms did a terrible job of teaching you how to use their tools. It inspired me to make my part-time job my full-time job and I began freelancing full-time. I wanted to be the digital director of every agency I worked with, and they wanted to hire me. So I figured, why not start a company and help them all!
What is it that excites you about what you’re building?
Everything we do is about how we can do things, faster, better, and more efficiently. At my previous job, I worked long hours just to keep things running, and I never got to actually optimize or do anything strategic that moved the needle. I was just racing to do what I had to do everyday. At LeadLab, we use the principles of SCRUM to work as a team when planning our projects so teams can work together. Nobody works after 5pm or on weekends to get it all done. We automate everything manual, including budget pacing and performance monitoring for quick analysis on what is working and what isn’t. We have an extensive training program so people with little experience can quickly become an expert, and our hourly model means that we can focus our time on what is best for our clients. It resulted in a team that is expert-level, rested, and getting results for our clients, all because we have a strong process to make it happen. We are able to be more strategic, more thoughtful, and like our jobs a lot more because of this focus. It amazes me how much we can accomplish, while getting great results and feedback, when we work together and focus on strategy and results, not just getting it done.
What has been your biggest challenge when growing your startup?
I was not prepared when I started this agency how hard it was going to be to scale and grow it. I thought that a good idea, good process, and good work would be enough to be successful. However, slow and steady growth is how to build a sustainable business. It took several years before I was ready to hire our first employee. There was so much development needed in building project management systems, finding people with the right skills, and training new team members that meant that each level of growth required time and effort to make sure it went well and we maintained our high standards of service. Many of the profits were invested back into building new tools and systems that will help us in the long term, which means that I’m making way less than I would have in a traditional job. Every phase is a new list of lessons learned the hard way. But what keeps me going every day is knowing that we’re building something that is ready for the future of marketing, and that is something I couldn’t say confidently about other agencies I worked for.
What are your future plans for your startup?
I firmly believe that many agencies are not going to survive the next 10 years of change. Things are becoming more technical, more data-driven, and most agency models are broken. 40% of clients say they are ready to fire their agency due to lack of strategy and emphasis on performance. The agencies that will service are doubling down on technical skills, analytics capabilities, and strategic planning, in addition to quick responses and flawless execution. The future for us is continuing to be part of the change. We are creating a training program to help clients understand the “how” and “why” of planning decisions and continuing to strengthen our expertise of new tools to market a message. Every 6 months something changes, like the introduction of TikTok or the launch of GA4, which means that we have to be deliberate and dedicated to being on the cutting edge of what is working for clients.
If you had to share, “words of wisdom,” with a Founder who’s about to start their own startup, what would they be?
If you believe in your idea, work every day to make it come to life. The idea is the easy part, the execution is what will make it a success. Think about how to package your idea, watch closely to how people receive your idea and be ready to pivot based on what is working and what is not. Many people will try to scare you in the beginning about why your idea is not going to work and it can get in your way of getting started. Just get started working on building it, it will become something as you begin to bring it to life, and then pivot and adjust. It might be something completely different than what you thought it would be, and that’s ok. Also know you’re not alone. Find mentors who have started a business as they will be the only people who will truly understand what you’re trying to do. They will be the ones to tell you, “You’re doing great!” even if it’s not making money yet or you don’t have your first customer. Just keep moving. Everyday.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsonsara/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadlabmedia/
This was very insightful. Thank you so much for joining us!
