10 tips for building strong client relationships
Author:
Categorised In:
Share:
Delivering great results and a fool-proof strategy is important, but creating and building client relationships is the heart of any digital marketing agency. Campaigns will come and go, algorithms will change, but a strong client relationship is what keeps people coming back and choosing to work with you long-term.
Whether you are an account manager, strategist, or part of a delivery team, relationship-building is not a “nice to have”, it is a core skill. Below, I’ve dived into 10 proven ways to build strong partnerships with your clients that will encourage retention.
Show empathy
This is the foundation of any relationship, especially in business partnerships. If a client shares negative feedback, is unhappy with performance, or puts pressure on the team, it is important to take a step back and understand why.
Maybe their internal KPIs are aggressive, maybe they have had a tough board meeting, or maybe there is a personal stressor at play. Without understanding their perspective and putting yourself in their shoes, you will not be able to fix the problem or get the relationship back on track.
Mistake to avoid: getting defensive straight away. Even if you feel their feedback is unfair, showing empathy first helps calm the situation and keeps the door open for constructive solutions.
Listen
Listening is one of the most powerful tools you have. Clients need to feel heard and understood, not only to strengthen the relationship but also to ensure you are aligned on goals.
For more introverted clients, you cannot always rely on them to volunteer feedback, and sometimes silence comes too late. Regular one-on-one check-ins give them a safe space to share how things are going, whether that be good or bad.
Over time, you will pick up on subtler cues such as tone of voice, speed of responses, or how much detail they share. This helps you anticipate how they are feeling before they even say it and can be vital in the above situations.
Advice: at the end of meetings, reflect back what you have heard: “So just to recap, you would like us to…”. This shows you have truly absorbed what they said, but it also creates a fail-safe for you when this conversation is next picked up.
Mistake to avoid: only listening to the loudest voices. Quiet, “happy” clients can be the hardest to read but are often the most important to understand.
Care about their business
Clients want to know you are invested in their business and their success, not just the fee they pay. Yes, it is work at the end of the day, but genuine passion for what you do and who you do it for makes a huge difference. Their wins are your wins, and a reflection of the expertise and effort you have put in.
Show them you are making the effort to understand their business deeply. Asking questions, organising brand immersion days, and staying up to date with industry changes are just a few ways you can show that and encourage the client to have confidence in you managing their strategy.
Example: if a client operates in the fashion industry, do not just focus on their ads. Keep track of seasonal retail trends, sustainability issues, and competitor activity. This helps you bring useful ideas to the table. Most of the time, clients like when you can give advice on their other channels, whether that be with another agency or in-house.
Mistake to avoid: only showing interest when results are good. You should be equally engaged during tougher months and digging into the why.
Be transparent
They say the truth always comes out, and in client relationships that could not be more true. Transparency builds trust, and the trust clients put in us should never be taken for granted.
Many contacts do not have deep channel knowledge (that is why they hire us), so they rely on us to be open and honest. I have worked with clients who admitted they had no idea what their previous agency was doing on their accounts or what the strategy even was and that set off major alarm bells.
Transparency should cover everything, such as:
- Owning up to mistakes
- Explaining why you are pushing back on certain requests
- Being upfront when performance is not looking good
Mistake to avoid: hiding bad news in the hope that performance improves before the next meeting. It is far better to share the issue quickly and talk through the plan to fix it.
Set and manage expectations
Marketing is fast-paced and demanding, and clients often expect incredible results in short timeframes. This is especially true in high-budget channels like PPC, where expectations can be sky-high, so managing expectations is essential.
Remember: sitting close to the accounts and data means it is your duty to keep clients informed about performance, market trends, and challenges. Do not wait for them to email asking why numbers are down. If results are off target, jump on a call, walk them through the data, and explain the wider market context. This helps you prevent having to do damage control with a client, but it also gives the client the tools they need to have internal conversations about overall performance.
Example: if a client has set high targets based on last year’s sales, but the market has shifted, you should flag this as early as possible. Share what is realistic and what steps you are taking to get as close to the goal as possible.
Mistake to avoid: over-promising in order to please a client in the short term. It always backfires in the long run.
Deliver on promises
We have all said “yes” to something only for unexpected delays to crop up. It happens. But repeatedly missing deadlines or failing to deliver on promises erodes trust quickly.
Reliability is about more than just deadlines. It is the foundation of credibility and the reason clients stay loyal. Clients want to know that when you commit to something, you will follow through.
If circumstances change, do not hide it. Be transparent, have an honest conversation, and present a clear plan for next steps. Clients will appreciate the honesty and accountability and therefore that trust is built on.
Advice: under-promise and over-deliver. It is better to surprise a client with faster delivery than disappoint them with missed deadlines.
Mistake to avoid: treating “small” promises as less important. To a client, a quick follow-up or minor task can be just as meaningful as a big project.
Set a clear path of communication
Whilst the delivery teams are busy with the day-to-day, having a dedicated Client Services contact makes a huge difference. This person can be the bridge between performance discussions and wider business needs.
Sometimes emails are not enough. They take time, can be misinterpreted, or drag things out. Personally, I like to give clients the option to pick up the phone when needed. That extra line of communication can go a long way in building trust and partnership.
When it comes to communication style, there are some golden rules:
- Be professional but approachable
- Show expertise without arrogance
- Encourage questions without judgement
Mistake to avoid: overwhelming clients with too much information. A wall of data in an email or a jargon-heavy report can confuse more than it helps.
Be proactive
Clients absolutely want to guide strategy, but they should not be the only ones driving it. Being proactive shows that you are invested, understand their business and are on top of industry developments.
Digital marketing evolves constantly. From how users interact with brands, to Google algorithm changes, to the rapid rise of AI. Part of our role is to stay ahead of these shifts and share insights before clients even ask. That’s why at Embryo, we regularly report on Digital Industry Updates and share with our clients.
Example: if you see a competitor launching a new campaign, flag it to your client with ideas on how they could respond. Or if a new ad format is being rolled out, share your plan to test it before they even bring it up.
Mistake to avoid: waiting for clients to tell you what to do. That makes you a supplier, not a partner.
Adapt to your client
Science has shown that each individual’s personality is complex and in order to build a strong, healthy relationship, you need to understand, at least at a base level, what their style is. MBTI states there are a whopping 16 personality types. Why does this matter? Working at an agency and therefore managing multiple clients at the same time, means that you’ll come across so many types of people. You’re also likely to work with people who don’t have the same personality type as you and this is where you’ll need to adapt.
Example: if a client prefers visuals, present performance in charts and dashboards. If they are data-driven, give them the spreadsheets too. The same information can be packaged differently depending on who you are talking to.
Mistake to avoid: sticking rigidly to your own way of working. It might feel efficient for you, but if it frustrates the client, the relationship will suffer.
Collaborate with each other
Yes, clients pay us for our expertise, but this is not a one-sided relationship. At the end of the day, we are all working towards the same goal: growing their business.
Collaboration is how you get there. Regular face-to-face or virtual strategy sessions are a great way to align goals, generate new ideas, and keep everyone invested. This dedicated time not only sharpens the strategy but also ensures the client feels involved in the process and proud of the wins.
Think of it as shifting from agency versus client to one team with a shared mission. That subtle change in mindset makes partnerships more resilient, especially during challenging periods.
Mistake to avoid: treating strategy sessions as a tick-box exercise. They should be collaborative, not just you presenting slides while the client listens.
Conclusion: At the end of the day, Embryo is nothing without our clients and the accounts they trust us with. The relationships we build are the backbone of the agency, and we treat them as such.
If you agree with these principles and want an agency that cares about your business as much as you do, get in touch with us today to see how we can level up your digital marketing.
