A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER
The world of marketing is as bold as it is full of gray areas.
The typical story we’ve heard from our clients is that they need a website. They work with a marketing agency to create their website, and they are tied to them for the rest of their lives without getting the support and training needed. Making changes is time-consuming and costly as they may not have access to the backend. They spent time, money, and resources on making the website happen, but their website is out of date after a year or two. Is it easier to start building a whole new website? Should we take on that cost of time, energy, money, and more resources?
A similar story is that clients come to a marketing agency telling them they just need social media. If they had the perfect Tik Tok account, they would be able to get the word out about their business and make millions. They spend a fortune on getting the account started and content created, hoping the money will just keep rolling in. They are gaining a following, but their ideal clients aren’t actually on Tik Tok, so there is zero ROI. So now what?
The craziest story we’ve experienced is that our client’s previous agency owned their domain. It was “easier” if the web developer owned the domain so he could make sure everything stayed up to date. This client spent a fortune to build their brand, create a site, set up their email, get their business going, and then come to find out they can’t switch companies or they will lose their URL completely. This isn’t a single instance. This has happened to several of our clients with the same terrifying outcome. If the client wants to move their domain away, they can pay a hefty fee to do so, or they can take Option B and purchase a new URL for their business, change all their emails, and potentially lose a ton of business because they didn’t have control over the most important part of their business.
These stories are unacceptable in this day and age. Clients should have full access to their email, domains, website, email marketing accounts, ad accounts, and social media accounts.
I founded Rockstarr & Moon as the anti-agency marketing agency.
At Rockstarr & Moon, we understand that businesses need results, and they need them fast. We don't believe in tying our clients down with long-term contracts - instead, we work hard to get the job done right and then teach your team how to keep the systems going (if you want).
We believe in working smarter, not harder. That's why we use proven systems to work, so you don't have to waste time and energy experimenting. And our turn-key approach means you can hit the ground running and see results quickly.
This way, our clients aren’t stuck with us forever - they can update their websites, send email campaigns, and start and manage ad campaigns (if they choose).
We have a wide range of services, from branding through websites, product marketing through sales enablement, and everything in between. Our team comprises experienced professionals who know how to do the job correctly and be by your side at every step.
We're passionate about helping businesses grow and succeed, and our rockstarrs have a wealth of experience and knowledge in marketing and business growth.
Ready to Join the Revolution?
Let’s chat about how we can help your business maximize its impact
with turnkey solutions that you own.
How to Take Your Assets Back Without Burning a Bridge
Most agencies will hand things over when asked properly. The people are rarely the problem. The setup is.
Send one calm email. List each account. Ask for ownership to be transferred to your company, with the agency kept on as a user so nothing breaks. Give a date two weeks out.
Start with the domain. Everything else points at it. Then analytics and ad accounts, then the website, then social pages and the email list. Change nothing else while the transfer is underway.
Do it while the relationship is good. Asking for the keys on the day you fire someone is the hardest way to get them.
The Ownership Audit: Ten Minutes, Six Logins
You do not need a lawyer to find out who owns your marketing. You need ten minutes and a list.
Try to log in to each of these yourself, right now, without calling anyone:
- Your domain registrar. Is the domain registered to your company, on an account you control?
- Your website. Do you have a full admin login, and do you know where it is hosted?
- Your analytics. Is your company the owner of the account, with the agency added as a user?
- Your ad accounts. Were they created under your business, with your payment method?
- Your social pages. Is someone at your company a full admin on every one?
- Your email list. Could you export your contacts today?
Every one you cannot get into is something another company is holding for you. Most of the time nobody set it up that way to trap you. It was simply faster on launch day, and nobody went back. Fix it now anyway, while everyone is on good terms.
What Lock-In Costs: A Worked Example
Say you have spent three years running ads through an account your agency created under its own name. You decide to move on. You get a spreadsheet of results on the way out, and the account stays behind.
Now the new team starts from zero. No audience data. No record of which ads worked. Say it takes four months of testing to get back to where you were, and you were bringing in ten leads a month. That is 40 leads you paid for twice.
Then the website. It was built on a system only the agency can edit, so you rebuild it. Three more months.
The numbers are hypothetical. The pattern is common. Lock-in rarely shows up as a fee. It shows up as the seven months you lose when you leave, and that is why so many business owners stay in arrangements that stopped working a year ago.
Five Questions to Ask Before You Sign With Anyone
Ask these of every marketing partner, including us.
- Whose name will the domain, website, ad accounts and analytics be under?
- If we part ways, what do I walk away with, and how long does the handover take?
- How long is the commitment, and what does it take to end it?
- Will you show my team how to make basic updates ourselves?
- Who do I talk to when something breaks, and how fast do they answer?
A good partner answers all five in plain words, in writing, without flinching. Vague answers before the contract become expensive answers after it.
Frequently asked questions
What is an anti-agency marketing agency? An anti-agency is a marketing firm that works without long-term contracts and makes sure the client owns every asset, including the domain, website, ad accounts, social pages and email list. The client's team is trained to run the systems, so staying is a choice and leaving costs nothing.
How do I find out who owns my website and domain? Find out who owns your website and domain by trying to log in to your domain registrar and your website admin yourself. If you cannot, or the account is under another company's name, you do not control it. Ask whoever set it up to transfer ownership to your business.
How do I switch marketing agencies without losing my accounts? Switch marketing agencies safely by getting ownership of every account transferred to your company before you give notice. Start with the domain, then analytics and ad accounts, then the website, social pages and email list. Keep the outgoing agency on as a user until the handover is finished.
What is the biggest mistake businesses make when hiring a marketing agency? The biggest mistake is letting the agency create the domain, website and ad accounts under its own name. It is quicker on day one, and it means you lose your data and history if you ever leave. Insist that every account is created under your business from the start.
When should I check who owns my marketing accounts? Check who owns your marketing accounts before you sign with any agency, and again once a year. The best time is while the relationship is going well, because transfers are simple when everyone is cooperative. The worst time is the week you decide to leave.