Do you know that the more you go after new clients, the more you lose the ones you already have?
According to the book "Marketing Metrics," businesses have a 60% to 70% chance of selling to an existing customer, while for a new prospect, it’s just 5% to 20%.
It’s a bit of a tough pill to swallow, but throwing more campaigns, ramping up paid ads, or trying out a bunch of new marketing tricks isn’t the solution. What matters is focusing on strengthening the relationships with the clients you’ve already got.
If you’re hoping to find a quick fix to scaling your business, I’ve got some bad news: it doesn’t exist. What really makes a difference is sticking with it and being patient — those are the things that will pay off over time.
In our latest podcast episode, we chat with Anthony Shop, the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Social Driver.
Here’s what we discussed:
- Why overnight success is a myth and resilience is your only path to lasting growth
- Why emotional intelligence is the secret sauce to building unbreakable client loyalty
- Use AI to enhance, not replace, human creativity
Who Is Anthony Shop?
Anthony Shop is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Social Driver, a top digital services firm specializing in branding, social media, web development, and advertising. Known for his work in digital and social strategy, Anthony also chairs the National Digital Roundtable, fostering collaboration among tech and policy leaders. Recognized as an “OUTstanding LGBT Role Model” by The Financial Times and listed in the “40 Under 40” by The Washington Business Journal, Anthony's leadership has earned Social Driver accolades as one of the fastest-growing agencies and the leading LGBT-owned business in D.C.
"The future is bright, all progress is social, and the drivers make history."
These words aren’t just a mantra for Social Driver — they’re a rallying cry. Anthony explains what this belief means for their team: relentless optimism, a commitment to driving change, and a vision where every project pushes the world forward.
As he puts it, "We’re optimists," and this bold outlook keeps Social Driver at the forefront of what’s next.
Almost every leader tends to look for quick wins, but here’s the truth: success isn’t built overnight, and shortcuts don’t last.
Check out our interview with Steve Hartert for some golden tips on developing the right marketing strategy that fuels lasting growth:
Success demands two key things: persistence and resilience. Growing an agency is a marathon, not a sprint, especially now, with new tech and AI trends emerging daily.
A strategic partner can help businesses stay ahead of the competition and adapt to the evolving market. To achieve their goals, businesses should carefully select a partnership agency that understands their needs and recognizes the long-term path ahead.
To keep moving forward, you need to have a flexible mindset that embraces change and challenges — and that starts with creating a supportive, open environment with your team.
“Our journey with Webflow began nearly 10 years ago when a member of our design team suggested we experiment with this emerging technology. At the time, no one had heard of it, but we embraced the opportunity to innovate.
This led us to develop a solution that met the needs of a Fortune 500 company unable to use our usual tools. Over the years, we’ve successfully implemented Webflow for several Fortune 100 companies, demonstrating its effectiveness.
Additionally, our collaboration with Webflow has opened doors to opportunities with large enterprises, showcasing how it can be the ideal solution for clients.”
Companies with Diversity Earn 45% from Innovation!
Great leaders lead by example, staying strong and motivating their teams to keep going, even when things get shaky.
Companies with top-quartile gender diversity on boards are 27% more likely to financially outperform those in the bottom quartile, while those with high ethnic diversity are 13% more likely to excel.
Research and Markets report that diverse companies see 2.5x higher cash flow per employee, and inclusive teams are over 35% more productive, highlighting the clear advantages of high diversity and inclusive cultures
When an agency builds a reputation for embracing genuine, impactful innovations instead of just chasing trends, it naturally attracts more clients and creates stronger partnerships.
"Listen to the experts. Listen to people who are innovative. You might experiment with a new technology that may not go as far, but that's okay. I mean, you have to try things to get a good result.
Innovation is all about taking those new ideas, but then building a business plan around them that's scalable."
In a nutshell, trust is a brand value that not only pulls clients in but also keeps them coming back for more in the long run.
So remember: you can either persist and lose or persist and win. Embrace diversity as a catalyst for growth and watch your agency thrive.
Anthony echoes this, "Clients love working with a winning team that they're part of the recognition. They love getting recognized for the projects that they collaborated on... it's great for your clients."
And yes, we can’t really talk about innovations without mentioning AI, right? I know it’s starting to sound a bit cliché, but we are forgetting something: AI was created by humans, which means it only knows what we know and what we've been taught. It can’t actually invent anything independently (at least, not yet); it’s just there to support our creativity. Innovation comes from our minds.
“Technology's great, but let's make sure that it's there to serve people, and let's make sure that we look at both the positives and the negatives that come along with any technology that we're adopting,” says Anthony.
The secret to getting the most out of AI is about the questions we ask. When we ask better questions, we get better insights, which help us tailor our services and build stronger client relationships.
Anthony thinks leaders should take a more thoughtful approach to using AI to save time. It’s really about connecting with people and improving the customer experience rather than just relying on automated replies.
Let’s make AI work for us, not the other way around!
“As AI is integrated into more of the technology that we already use, it's really important that we keep in mind, you know, there's bias that comes along with it. It's been trained by humans and on the data that we've created and we've already put out into the world.”
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Social Driver’s success with Webflow shows just how much new tech can make things easier, boost team performance, and improve client results while keeping quality high.
When leaders remember this, they can use AI smartly to build more inclusive and accessible products and services.
Is Artificial Intelligence Killing Emotional Intelligence?
Over time, we’ve turned marketing into a strategic chess game. But we often overlook the real MVP. While the King may seem like the main piece that can end the game, it’s actually the Queen who determines the outcome. In marketing, that Queen is our client relationships.
We need to put people at the center of our strategy and build everything around them without overcomplicating things. Too often, we fall into a “check-the-box” mindset: “Press release? Check. Ad campaign? Check. Microsite? Logo? Check, check!” Then, surprise — our campaign flops.
When we step back and ask ourselves what went wrong, the answer usually boils down to one thing: the audience. We might have checked all the boxes on our channels, but we didn’t really think about what would resonate with our audience. What do they actually want?
“We said, let's take a look at all these tactics, but why don't we reorganize them with people at the center? And we came up with what we call the three dimensions, which are attention, intention, and mention,” Anthony says.
It’s simple: we’re drawn to brands that feel personal to us. Gallup found that brand choices are 70% emotional and only 30% rational.
With so many options, the brands that stand out are the ones that make a real emotional connection.
So, we should definitely consider how we can change our approach to prioritize people.
Anthony shares that "One of the things that we're really focused on, and this is just a natural outgrowth of putting people at the center, is translating that complexity into clarity for our clients."
We all crave simplicity and convenience because, at the end of the day, we’re not as complicated as we think. And that's where leaders need to seize the moment to dominate the marketing game.
“If they rethink their marketing through the three dimensions, attention, intention, and mention, it's much easier for them to put people at the center and it's much easier for them to come up with strategies that are going to help them move things forward because it all comes down to people."
Finally, you need trustworthy sources to back you up. That’s where glowing reviews come into play! Like DesignRush’s features can boost your credibility, encouraging testimonials can make all the difference.
So, get out there and start building that trust!
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