5 tips to ensure your clients return to your animation studio -

Want to secure future business for your studio? Here’s how to make sure your clients return…

If you’ve started an animation studio, building lasting client relationships is your priority. Succeeding as a business relies on deals with clients who return to your animation studio again and again. This article delves into five tips for start-up animation studios who want to build for the future and forge client connections that last…

1. Provide your clients with a high quality of service

This tip sounds obvious, but it can be easy to forget during the endless production process.

Securing a good client relationship means providing high-quality service every step of the way. Ensuring a consistent quality of service protects your studio as well as your client relationships. A clear, organised approach avoids ‘scope creep’—when a client’s project starts to exceed its original ‘scope’. Using a service such as Frame.io allows for painless collaboration between you and your client.

5 tips to ensure your clients return to your animation studio: provide high quality service

2. Build business rapport to ensure your clients return

5 tips to ensure your clients return to your animation studio: build business rapport

During any communication you have with your client be interested, friendly and professional.

Cutting straight to the business at hand will rarely win you any point. Instead, ask questions about your client’s job role, goals, and the wider ambitions of their business. Keeping the conversation light creates a relaxed atmosphere in which to discuss more sensitive topics, like pricing. Building up long-term business relationships isn’t just a question of money!

2. Build business rapport to ensure your clients return

During any communication you have with your client be interested, friendly and professional.

Cutting straight to the business at hand will rarely win you any point. Instead, ask questions about your client’s job role, goals, and the wider ambitions of their business. Keeping the conversation light creates a relaxed atmosphere in which to discuss more sensitive topics, like pricing. Building up long-term business relationships isn’t just a question of money!

3. Stay on your clients' radar

Your project might be completed—but your business relationship is not!

Rather than moving on to the next client, make the effort to keep in touch. Interact with your clients’ social media, as well as sharing (with permission!) any work you produced for them on yours. Once every few months, consider sending a message or email to your client to let them know the direction your studio is heading in. Share any news of exciting changes or growth in your studio to maintain the business relationship. Ensuring you’re fresh in your clients’ minds could mean you’re the one they think of or recommend the next time they or a colleague is thinking of commissioning an animated video.

5 tips to ensure your clients return to your animation studio: stay on clients radar

4. Provide extra value so your clients return

5 tips to ensure your clients return to your animation studio: provide extra value

A great way to get your clients on your side is to provide some extra value.

Often, clients will ask for material after a project is completed. This could be a quick video edit, some project files or some high-quality stills. As long as the extra service doesn’t cost you more than a few minutes, provide it for free. Although it’s tempting, charging for minor tasks can frustrate your client. It’s worth losing out on some quick, light profit to ensure a larger and more profitable repeat business.

4. Provide extra value so your clients return

A great way to get your clients on your side is to provide some extra value.

Often, clients will ask for material after a project is completed. This could be a quick video edit, some project files or some high-quality stills. As long as the extra service doesn’t cost you more than a few minutes, provide it for free. Although it’s tempting, charging for minor tasks can frustrate your client. It’s worth losing out on some quick, light profit to ensure a larger and more profitable repeat business.

5. Compete on quality, not price

Theoretically, being competitive on price will win you more short-term work. However, to create a service clients will want to return to, focus on quality. High-quality animations which create growth for your clients’ brand and business are worth a far more to your client than a cheap service. Prove your studio’s worth to your client through the services you offer, and you’ll see clients coming back again and again…

Not sure if you’re ready to start a studio? Check out our 5 signs it's time to start an animation studio to discover if you should make the leap!