We analyzed 10,000 reviews on Clutch to understand how clients discover digital marketing agencies.
After applying our selection criteria, our final dataset comprised 4,000 reviews from 800 US-based marketing companies, focusing on responses to the question "How did you find this agency?"
We used AI to analyze and categorize unstructured responses, as some reviewers chose from a predefined list of options while others provided free-form answers. For this study, we excluded reviews that didn't answer the acquisition channel question and those posted before 2020.
Key Takeaways
- Referrals are the top source for finding agencies, accounting for 34.20% of responses.
- Online search is the second most common method, with 20.55% of clients using this approach.
- The top two methods (referrals and online search) account for over half (54.75%) of all agency discoveries.
- Competitive analysis (7.03%), previous relationships (6.04%), and agency comparison sites (5.78%) are the other most common methods for finding agencies.
Which Are the Most Popular Client Acquisition Channels for Digital Marketing Agencies?
Twenty-two client acquisition channels were mentioned across 4,000 reviews, with referrals emerging as the top method, accounting for 34.20% (1,478) of the total reviews.
The analysis also shows the importance of a strong online presence, with 22.91% (990) of agencies being found through online searches and search engines.
| Source | Number of responses | Share | Comments and typical responses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Referrals | 1478 | 34.20% | “They were recommended by a friend” and “They were referred to us by someone we know.” |
| Online Search | 888 | 20.55% | Reviewers that either selected the “online search” option or responded like “We found them online”.
Note: We assume that most were referring to search engines, but we lack the necessary context to confirm this |
| Competitive Analysis | 304 | 7.03% | “We interviewed multiple agencies to find the most suitable one” and "We put out an RFP." |
| Previous Relationships | 261 | 6.04% | “Worked with them on a previous project” |
| Agency Comparison Sites | 250 | 5.78% | Clutch is mentioned in most of the responses in this group. Note: Since Clutch is the source of these reviews, this may introduce some bias in the data. |
| Other | 233 | 5.39% | |
| Personal Connections | 116 | 2.68% | “I personally know the owner of the agency” |
| Cold Outreach | 103 | 2.38% | Most responses mention cold emails as the primary method, but some also include calls, direct mail, and LinkedIn messages. |
| Search Engines | 102 | 2.36% | Unlike in “online search” option, these reviewers clearly stated that they found the agency in Google. |
| Portfolio and Case Studies | 98 | 2.27% | “I’ve seen what they did to other businesses in my industry”, “I liked their portfolio”. |
| Social Media | 77 | 1.78% | LinkedIn is the most commonly cited platform, though some reviews also mention Instagram and Reddit. |
| Inherited Relationships | 71 | 1.64% | “I inherited the agency when I joined the company” |
| Freelance Platforms | 57 | 1.32% | Most reviews mention Upwork, with a few also referencing Freelancer.com, Fiverr, and Dribbble. |
| Online Reviews | 50 | 1.16% | The most common response is something like, “We looked for vendors with good reviews.” Some also mention checking reviews on Google, Yelp, or testimonials on YouTube. |
| Events and Speaking Engagements | 48 | 1.11% | Most reviews mention they found the agency through a conference, networking event, or trade show. |
| Local Presence | 42 | 0.97% | “They’re a local firm, and they do lots of different work around our area” |
| Software Platform Partnerships | 39 | 0.90% | Most reviews mention they found the agency via platforms like Shopify Experts, Wix, Amazon Services, or Hubspot. |
| Partner Networks | 34 | 0.79% | “We had heard about them through a partner organization.” |
| Professional Associations | 28 | 0.65% | “We met within a professional development group” |
| Content Marketing | 26 | 0.60% | Most reviews mention they found the agency via the Founder’s book, agency blog, or appearance on podcasts. |
| Advertising | 14 | 0.32% | |
| Alumni Connections | 3 | 0.07% | “We met them via their involvement with the alumni association.” |
Special Note: Some responses don't directly indicate how the reviewer found the agency (e.g. "we conducted competitive analysis" or "RFP"). Despite this limitation, we've included these responses in our research as they represent the available data.
How Client Acquisition Channels Differ by Company Size
Clients from larger companies use acquisition channels differently than those from SMBs.
For instance, referrals are the top acquisition channel but decrease from 35.01% for small businesses to 30.08% for larger firms. Smaller companies rely more on online searches (20-21%), while larger organizations use them less (17.55%). In contrast, larger firms more frequently use competitive analysis and RFP processes for client acquisition.
| 1-10 Employees | 11-50 Employees | 51-200 Employees | 201-500 Employees | 501+ Employees | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of companies: | 1751 | 1218 | 687 | 249 | 359 |
| Referrals | 35.01% | 35.22% | 33.48% | 30.12% | 30.08% |
| Online Search | 20.39% | 21.02% | 22.71% | 20.08% | 17.55% |
| Competitive Analysis / RFP Process | 5.65% | 7.47% | 8.3% | 9.24% | 9.19% |
| Other | 5.48% | 5.09% | 5.53% | 4.42% | 6.96% |
| Previous Relationships | 4.91% | 5.75% | 6.55% | 9.64% | 10.03% |
| Agency Comparison Sites | 4.8% | 5.42% | 5.97% | 8.03% | 9.75% |
| Personal Connections | 3.43% | 2.63% | 1.16% | 2.81% | 1.95% |
| 2.86% | 2.46% | 1.46% | 0.8% | 1.67% | |
| Cold Outreach | 2.68% | 2.63% | 2.04% | 2.41% | 0.28% |
| Social Media | 2.4% | 1.48% | 1.6% | 0.4% | 0.84% |
| Portfolio and Case Studies | 2.34% | 2.55% | 2.18% | 1.61% | 1.39% |
| Freelance Platforms | 1.83% | 1.23% | 0.87% | 0.8% | — |
| Online Reviews | 1.71% | 0.82% | 0.29% | 1.2% | 1.39% |
| Software Platform Partnerships | 1.54% | 0.49% | 0.73% | — | — |
| Events and Speaking Engagements | 1.03% | 1.15% | 0.58% | 1.2% | 2.23% |
| Local Presence | 1.03% | 0.82% | 1.16% | 1.2% | 0.56% |
| Professional Associations | 0.74% | 0.66% | 0.87% | 0.4% | — |
| Content Marketing | 0.63% | 0.74% | 0.73% | — | — |
| Partner Networks | 0.57% | 0.57% | 1.16% | 2.81% | 0.56% |
| Inherited Relationships | 0.51% | 1.4% | 2.33% | 2.81% | 5.29% |
| Advertising | 0.34% | 0.33% | 0.29% | — | 0.28% |
| Alumni Connections | 0.11% | — | — | — | — |
How Client Acquisition Channels Differ By Project Size
Clients with larger budgets tend to use different channels compared to those with smaller budgets.
For instance, online search becomes more prominent for larger projects, and competitive analysis and RFP processes are more common as project size increases.
| Less than $10,000 | $10,000-$49.999 | $50,000-$199,999 | $200,000-$999,999 | $1,000,000+ | Total number of projects: | 1035 | 1468 | 642 | 180 | 31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referrals | 28.41% | 32.29% | 33.18% | 38.33% | 25.81% |
| Online Search | 18.45% | 20.78% | 18.85% | 15.56% | 29.03% |
| Previous Relationships | 7.34% | 5.18% | 7.63% | 6.67% | 6.45% |
| Other | 6.76% | 5.31% | 4.67% | 2.22% | 9.68% |
| Competitive Analysis / RFP | 5.89% | 8.72% | 9.97% | 12.22% | 12.9% |
| Agency Comparison Sites | 4.73% | 6.13% | 6.39% | 10% | — |
| Portfolio and Case Studies | 4.15% | 2.38% | 1.4% | — | — |
| Freelance Platforms | 3.19% | 1.23% | 0.47% | — | — |
| Personal Connections | 3.09% | 3% | 2.49% | 2.78% | — |
| 3% | 3.34% | 1.87% | 1.67% | — | |
| Cold Outreach | 2.8% | 2.18% | 2.8% | 1.67% | — |
| Social Media | 2.8% | 1.43% | 1.87% | 1.67% | — |
| Online Reviews | 2.13% | 1.02% | 0.62% | 1.11% | 6.45% |
| Software Platform Partnerships | 1.93% | 0.61% | 0.78% | — | — |
| Partner Networks | 1.26% | 0.54% | 0.62% | 1.11% | — |
| Local Presence | 1.16% | 1.23% | 1.25% | 1.11% | — |
| Professional Associations | 0.77% | 0.89% | 0.62% | — | — |
| Content Marketing | 0.68% | 0.61% | 0.31% | — | — |
| Inherited Relationships | 0.58% | 1.5% | 2.18% | 2.22% | 6.45% |
| Events and Speaking Engagement | 0.48% | 0.95% | 1.87% | 1.67% | 3.23% |
| Advertising | 0.39% | 0.61% | — | — | — |
| Alumni Connections | — | 0.07% | 0.16% | — | — |