Sharing Insights Is What Makes You Indispensable

Over the course of 2025, I interviewed a number of agency clients.

Not surface-level "are you happy?" conversations, proper discussions about strengths, weaknesses, where the agency adds value… and where it doesn't. What they wish they got more of. What feels interchangeable. What makes the agency indispensable.

It's one of the most valuable exercises I've seen an agency do.

If you're not regularly gathering this kind of insight, internally or through an external partner, you're operating on assumption. And assumption is dangerous.

The theme that kept coming up

Clients have a real appetite for sector-specific insight.

They want to hear what's happening in their industry. What trends you're seeing across other brands. What competitors are testing. What shifts are coming. What's working. What's not.

And it turns out many agencies assume their clients already know, or that sharing insight isn't "their job." But the moment you start proactively bringing perspective to the table:

"To flag this because it might affect you in six months." "To show you what another brand just tried that could open an opportunity."

That's when you shift from supplier… to strategic partner.

How you share it matters too

• Some clients want this in a quarterly meeting.
• Some prefer a short, sharp email update.
• Others engage far more with a quick video breakdown or industry newsletter.

There's also a commercial angle too many agencies overlook. Sector insight is a natural platform to showcase your broader capability without it feeling like a sales pitch.

• Share a relevant case study from within their industry.
• Reference a campaign you've seen and explore whether it could work for them.
• Highlight a trend that just so happens to connect with a service you already offer.

It opens conversations. It deepens your authority. And it positions you as someone who's thinking ahead, not just delivering what's been briefed.

My challenge to you this week

Take a step back and look at the insight you're currently sharing with clients.

• Is it consistent?
• Is it proactive?
• Is it rooted in your industry or niche knowledge?
• And are you using it intentionally to educate while subtly demonstrating your capabilities?

Because your expertise shouldn't sit quietly in your team's heads. It should be visible. Useful. And valued.

That's where real differentiation lives.

Jo x