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How to Pitch Your Services to Advertising Agencies and Clients

By Daniel Cooper

Published: December 16, 2022 Last Updated: December 19, 2022

Bouncing from videography gig to gig is a slog. Try a few tips and tricks for getting in on that steady and lucrative advertising work.

Having worked in and out of freelance production for years, there are definitely some industry trends that are worth sharing with those just starting off on their film and video journeys. One piece of advice that comes up often has to do with simply finding consistent work.

For many film and video professionals, a career can feel like a constant grind from one project to another. However, if you can get partnered either as a freelancer (or perhaps as a representative of your own small company) you can ensure that you have a lot of consistent—and often very exciting—work to bank on.

So, taking a look at advertising agencies in particular, let’s explore some of the specific things these types of clients look for in terms of video work, and how you can best position yourselves to land these lucrative clients.

Showcase Your Talents

First and foremost, the trick to getting in with the best and most creative advertising agencies is to be one of the best and most creative artists in your own field. Whether that’s honing your cinematography skills and versatility with different cameras, or building up a repertoire of cool and creative motion graphics and animated creations, having talent and showing it off are steps 1a and 1b.

There are a few occasions where advertising agencies will be looking for large amounts of boring, bulk work from freelancers to help fill the gaps. But in general you want to spend as much time as possible building your value and creativity, not undercutting yourself by doing busy work at the cheapest rate possible.

Stand Out in a Niche

Taking the advice above a step further, by far the best way to get noticed and integrated with a high-end advertising agency is to stand out in your own specific niche or field. For example, while there might be a lot of great DPs in your area, if you’re the one who works best in lighting and shooting dark and moody scenes and sequences, you’ll be the first call when an agency needs that particular look for a project.

This is also true with editors. If you’re already honestly drawn to a specific niche or style—take comedy for example—and you have a rich catalog of experience and examples to share with an agency when they need a specific skill set, it will help you stand out above the rest.

Stay Up With Creative Trends

While you might want to cement yourself as a go-to creator for specific styles or looks, you also want to stay on top of industry and creative trends both within your niche and overall. As another example, if you’re one of the best documentary filmmakers in your style and want to stay that way, you should absolutely keep up with what’s happening in the world of documentary filmmaking in terms of cameras, technology, editing, and even how the documentary form is evolving across different streaming and content mediums.

Advertising agencies do a lot of work internally to keep their creative energy fresh, so you should too if you want to make sure that your relationship is set to grow and expand for years to come.

Make Connections (and Keep Them)

Also, for better or worse, advertising is just like any other industry in that it’s all about who you know. And for those who might not have been born with the connections and introductions to big agencies directly, getting your name, face, and talents in front of the key agency decision makers is tough work.

However if you’re persistent and not afraid of rejection (which often comes early and often) you can find opportunities to share your work and pitch your services for various projects. And, once you do make a connection, you should absolutely do whatever you can to keep it healthy and strong. After all, their recommendations will often be your best way in with more agencies and clients.

Always Be Open to New Opportunities

Finally, in the advertising world in particular, there’s always ups and downs and lots of turnover. Just because you’ve done a bunch of work with one agency this year doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed next year. And conversely, just because you were shut out on one project today, doesn’t mean that same agency might not need you tomorrow.

It’s always great advice to stay open and active to finding new opportunities in the advertising world. Even if it feels like you’re jammed packed with work for one month, you never know what’s around the corner for the next—so keep your skills up, check your email often, and try to always stay open, eager, and positive.

For more industry and career development advice, check out some of these additional articles below.

Cover image via Gerain0812.