Why Your DIY Partner Program Is Tanking Your Agency’s Growth (And How to Turn It Around)

Running a digital marketing agency is no walk in the park. With a low barrier to entry, no state licenses or regulations, wildly varying pricing and quality standards, and thousands of competitors in the U.S. alone, it’s a jungle out there. Having run a digital marketing agency for 13 years, I’ve seen it all—the scope creep, the burnouts, and the way projects can drift further from their vision the longer they go on. Every time a client asks for something new, the knee-jerk reaction is to say, “Of course, we can handle that!” even if it’s outside your sweet spot or lacking standard operating procedures. I mean, why would you pass up more revenue when yes, technically you can do it, right? And this brings us to the DIY partner programs many agencies are grappling with. It often starts with a client asking for a one off podcast appearance, an influencer post for $50, or sharing a UTM link with someone. It’s fine, but it’s scattered, unfocused, and frankly, just spaghetti at the wall. Let’s get real about DIY partner programs: they truly are like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks, but more often than not, nothing sticks. Many agencies dip their toes into partnerships, snagging a partner or two here and there for their clients, but without making it a core focus, the whole thing just fizzles out. It’s treated like an afterthought, not given the love and attention it deserves, and certainly not incentivized properly. The result? The program remains stagnant, underwhelming, and doesn’t deliver the big wins it’s capable of. Partner programs need to be more than just an add-on; they need to be a strategic priority with clear goals and incentives. Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for a mediocre outcome. Put in the focused effort and watch how a well-oiled partner program can become a powerhouse for growth. When I set up a sphere of influence for a client, I start by choosing a single type of partner program—channel partners, content partners, influencers, etc. Focusing on just one category allows for dedicated resources, clear strategy, and measurable success. It’s about picking the right partner category, defining what they need to do, how it benefits them, and plotting out growth as things go as planned. For instance, here’s a quick win from a recent sphere of influence that I worked on: A healthtech product was initially pouring resources into partnerships with pricey fitness influencers. While the results were decent, they were constrained by a tight seed budget and the limitations of a small founder led team. So, I suggested a strategic pivot—targeting gym owners across the U.S. instead. Let’s break down why this shift was a game-changer. There are approximately 61,000 gyms in the U.S., with 1,450 of them located in Colorado alone. Each of these gyms has hundreds of members who could benefit from a healthtech product. If my client were to engage with just 10% of these gyms in Colorado, they’d be reaching around 145 gyms. Assuming a modest conversion rate where just 5 members from each participating gym sign up for the subscription at $50 a month, that’s 725 new members. At $50 per month, this translates to an additional $435,000 in annual revenue. Compare this with the standard approach of running ads—where the average cost per click (CPC) is $3.37 and the conversion rate is around 2.7%. To generate the same amount of revenue through ads, you’d need to invest significantly more in ad spend, with far less targeted impact and engagement. By focusing on gym owners and their extensive member base, my client tapped into a much more scalable and cost-effective growth opportunity. This example illustrates how finding and targeting untapped markets can yield far better results than sticking with familiar but limited methods. So, I ask you: Who has a customer base that mirrors your ideal audience?