Is strong client communication really that important? Absolutely. Over 90% of the digital marketing agencies we collaborate with dedicate at least an hour per week on reporting for every single client.
We’re focusing on reporting here – not account management, not optimizations. Just reporting. Allen Iverson wasn’t saying famously said practice wasn’t a big deal in his role as the Philadelphia 76ers’ star player. Now, I’m not saying reporting is insignificant to your role in managing clients’ online advertising. However, you should be maximizing the value you extract from all the time spent on reporting – by ensuring you effectively communicate the value your agency delivers to each client. So, how do you communicate with clients and customers the right way? To help you do just that, I had a chat with three of nexus-security’s in-house account management pros: Holly Niemiec, Scott Mesite, and Mike Emiliani. Each member of our marketing services team consistently drives positive ROI for their clients. I picked their brains about what it takes to communicate effectively with clients. We distilled their insights into five core pillars of client communication:
- Transparency
- Empathy
- Self-awareness
- Context
- Flexibility Let’s break down each quality and explore how they work together to cultivate stronger client relationships.
1. Transparency
We’ll start with transparency because it’s the bedrock of this list. If your client communication embodies one thing, it should be transparent. “You always, always, always have to be upfront with your clients,” Mike emphasized. “Good news or bad news – it doesn’t matter. Tell them what they need to know, when they need to know it.” Transparency is important for two key reasons. First and foremost, you’re partly responsible for the success of someone else’s business. You’re handling their hard-earned money, and they deserve to know exactly what’s working – and perhaps more importantly, what’s not working.
Something to talk about. Secondly, transparency provides long-term security. “Bad news always finds its way back to the source,” Mike says. “If you mess up, address it openly and quickly. You’ll be better off for it.” The good news is, transparency isn’t complicated. “When discussing performance metrics,” Scott advises, “share your screen with the client. Letting them see exactly what you see leaves no room for ambiguity.” While there are countless marketing buzzwords, one you’ll hear often in account management is granular. It usually describes well-structured ad groups, but it applies to transparency, too. “Don’t just show your clients overall account spending,” Holly explained. “Walk them through spending on different initiatives at various points in the marketing funnel. Be thorough. Make it a conversation.”
2. Empathy
There’s a hilarious It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia scene where Dennis asks Mac if he remembers feelings. “Dennis, I have feelings every single day of my life,” he retorts. “Do you – do you not have feelings?” While no one should aspire to be like any Always Sunny character, if you had to choose between those two, be Mac. Empathy for your clients is crucial for account managers. “If you see yourself as just an external contractor, everyone loses,” Holly points out. “Consider yourself a true part of the team for every business you serve. You’ll be more invested in the work, and you’ll drive better results for your clients.” Why? Because seeing yourself as part of their team puts you in their shoes. This allows you to align with their ultimate goal: growing their business.
Performance data is more than just numbers in a spreadsheet. Understanding your clients’ perspectives also informs how you present results. “I have some very involved clients, but many just want a high-level performance overview,” Scott shared. “I know they’re busy running their businesses. I don’t want them bogged down with digital marketing details.” That distinction between running a business and mastering digital marketing is at the heart of our third pillar.
3. Self-awareness
Of all the pillars, this one seems to be lacking most in everyday life – at least from my experience. The other day, a woman on the train spilled oatmeal on my pants. Did she apologize? Nope. She didn’t even notice. Now that’s a lack of self-awareness. (And no, I didn’t say anything. I’m working on being less passive.)
In client communication, self-awareness means recognizing and respecting each other’s roles. Like transparency, it’s fairly simple.
Your client runs their business. You manage their online advertising. That’s it.
Let this distinction guide your interactions. “You’ll never know their business or industry as well as they do,” Holly states. “Even though you’re the digital marketing expert, sometimes you have to defer to their judgment.”
However, Mike highlights a crucial difference between deferring to their judgment and letting them micromanage their accounts: “I respect my clients’ business acumen, but it’s best if they limit their direct involvement in the accounts.”
The consensus: While you’re the expert, be open to collaboration and new ideas. Scott says it best: “I listen to what they have to say and incorporate their insights into my strategies.”
4. Context
Contextualization is all about framing the challenge or question within the bigger picture. This came up twice in my conversations with Holly, Scott, and Mike. Firstly, it relates to responding to client frustrations about things beyond your control. Both Mike and Scott mentioned this while discussing self-awareness. “As an account manager, you can only do so much,” Scott explained. “Sometimes, clients will blame you for problems you can’t control.” So, how do you handle that? “Contextualize the problem,” Mike suggests. “Don’t deflect or get defensive. Validate their frustration, then frame the issue in its broader context.”
Offer ads can only do so much for a brick-and-mortar. Via Adweek. For example, if a client is unhappy about a new experiment’s slow start, Holly suggests emphasizing the long game: “Ebbs and flows are normal in digital marketing. Nothing happens overnight. You and your clients need to be aligned on expectations.” Secondly, consider seasonality. If performance dips unexpectedly, Scott recommends a historical context. “Instead of the typical month-over-month comparison,” he says, “use a year-over-year comparison to make sense of below-average performance.”
5. Flexibility
The fifth and final key to healthy, effective client communication is adapting to different personalities. Some clients will befriend you, taking an interest in your personal life and expecting the same in return. Others are strictly business, wanting you to skip the personal anecdotes and get straight to the point.
Holly, Mike, and Scott all connect this back to acting like part of the team. “Sure, every client is different,” Holly acknowledges. “But generally, the more personal engagement you have, the healthier the relationship.”
Mike cautions against forcing it, though: “You can’t force a specific dynamic. If they want to be friendly, they will. If not, they won’t. Just be flexible.”
Clients also differ in how much they want to know about their accounts. Again, flexibility is key.
“Some clients are happy with a high-level performance review,” says Scott. “Others want me to dive into specific campaigns and metrics. Regardless, you have to give them what they need.”
Approaching client communication strategically
Communicating with clients can feel daunting and disjointed. After all, there’s not much overlap between “Talking to Humans” and “Grouping Keywords.” However, your effectiveness as a digital marketing account manager – even your agency’s success – hinges largely on your ability to report and collaborate effectively. If you can’t implement these tips from Holly, Scott, and Mike, retaining clients will be a struggle. That, in turn, makes securing those crucial referrals difficult. On the other hand, if you strive to be more transparent, empathetic, self-aware, context-minded, and flexible, you’ll see a positive shift in your client relationships in no time.