Leadership & Strategy
Article
We were first in our market, but struggled to define our service
The problem
When London-based advertising agency Mighty Social started it was one of the first social media agencies to emerge in the UK. However, as an early player in the social advertising niche, it struggled with how to frame and communicate a relatively unfamiliar offering to a wider audience. Mighty Social knew the concept was good, but sales suffered from this lack of definition.
The solution
Rather than struggling with the problem internally, co-founder Sharon Baker realised that she needed an external perspective. As the business grew, there were more problems cropping up that she didn’t have the experience or expertise to solve – as she put it, it’s impossible to be an expert in everything.
Mighty Social worked with a business coach on how to communicate its message and help the sales team frame the advantages of social advertising.
Using the advice gained from the business coach, the firm also realised it was important to make use of staff expertise outside of the management team. Mighty Social arranged regular informal meetings to encourage the team to share opinions, stand up to management decisions and get a better perspective on internal challenges. This also allowed Baker to get insight on areas with skill gaps – for example, HR and legislation – and seek expert advice.
The results
Two years after starting up, the company used its clearer and more concise market proposition to raise £150,000. Mighty Social are now one of Financial Times’ fastest-growing social advertising companies, but Baker stresses that its work with external coaches to improve the business and define skills gaps is “ongoing”.
“When you first start out, you try to do everything yourself. There comes a point where you realise you need external help, but it’s important to take a step back, plan the direction for the business and define precisely what specialist help is going to have the most impact,” she commented.