How this Digital Marketer Built an Agency by Putting Strategy Before Sales
My latest podcast guest Rob Curtis built Pursuit Agency by putting strategy before sales. Great conversation about AI, marketing, and business growth.
Rob Curtis founded Pursuit Agency in 2022 with a simple but radical idea: stop selling services first and start with strategy. After seven years in digital marketing, Curtis was frustrated watching clients get burned by agencies that prioritized sales over making an effort to target what businesses actually needed. His solution was to flip the traditional agency model entirely.
Diagnose Problems Before Solutions
Curtis’ begins his unique approach by developing a strategy with the client and it takes about a month before any service commitment is agreed to by either side. It’s not something larger agencies would even consider. "Let's not put you under pressure as an agency, selling you a service forever," he explains. "We should just sit down, spend a month together and figure out what we actually want to do and what works with you."
This process often reveals insights that weren’t expected. Sometimes a company's biggest opportunity isn't launching expensive ad campaigns but optimizing an underutilized email database that's been sitting around underutilized. Other times the opportunity involves focusing on content creation rather than pay-per-click advertising or some other method. The key is diagnosing each business's specific situation rather than applying generic solutions.
Rob's team of five currently works across SEO, pay-per-click advertising, social media marketing, and content marketing. But the services are always secondary to the strategy. "We can work with our clients one-to-one, with our content writers, with our video creatives. What can we do to give this content as much opportunity as we can?"
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Solving Real Business Problems
Curtis identifies two major challenges plaguing businesses today. First is the "I don't know where to begin" paralysis that strikes companies who recognize they need digital marketing but feel overwhelmed by options. After that he identifies another big challenge: "How do I keep up with all these changes and movements?"
Marketing in modern times involves so many platforms that it’s hard to keep up. Whether it’s TikTok, LinkedIn, email, websites, or other emerging channels, people try to be everywhere at once. Curtis says a more reasonable idea is to build content efforts that are sustainable in the long run. "It's about making sure we're doing it right, still staying aligned to who the business are, who their customers are and what they need."
Many business owners have experienced a “light bulb moment” where they experience overwhelm but eventually begin figuring out how to move forward, especially when it comes to marketing. Curtis says he tries to help entrepreneurs find that moment. "You can really feel the weight come off their shoulders," he says. "There's a moment when we're working with businesses, you'll see that light bulb moment and they'll just relax."
The AI Revolution in Marketing
Like many who work in marketing nowadays, Curtis uses AI to help enhance creativity and efficiency. His team uses AI for the tedious tasks that can be automated, such as compiling data or creating content outlines. It frees up time for higher level strategy work and problem solving that needs creativity.
Curtis warns against some common pitfalls that inevitably come with AI. Simply asking ChatGPT to "write SEO content" without proper context produces mediocre results. "Do you have the knowledge to train them? Do you have the knowledge to educate what you want?" He recommends creating AI workflows that are specific to your situation, brand voice, audience insights, and strategic objectives.
One of the biggest powers that AI gives you is personalization. Instead of one-size-fits-all messaging, businesses can now communicate with individual groups of customers based on their behaviors, purchase history, and preferences. He told me, "Rather than just a one-to-many platform, I can talk to you, John. I can understand based on how you've interacted with our products."
The Evolution of Authentic Marketing
Curtis sees the marketing landscape shifting away from expensive celebrity endorsements toward authentic micro-influencers who genuinely understand their industries. "Somebody's living and breathing the industry they're in, talking about something. It's going to be so much better than high value celeb talking about another product."
This authenticity extends to content creation. Curtis’ team helps clients develop content that you can switch up depending on the channel while keeping your actual voice and the perspective you bring to the table. It’s not that important for you to be “everywhere.” The true goal is to be as helpful as possible wherever you happen to be.
How to Build Systems for Success
According to Curtis, if there’s an area where you’re struggling, that’s where you should surround yourself with people who excel. He readily admits that organization isn’t always his strong suit, so he’s hired a VA named Hannah who keeps him organized and accountable. On top of that, his team handles operational details that don't align with his strengths. This type of self-awareness can be found throughout his business philosophy.
"It's about giving them the permission to feel confident to say, you haven't done that, I need it," Curtis says. This more collaborative approach encourages an environment where people can focus on what they do best while still supporting the team's overarching success.
The Future of Digital Marketing
The future of marketing is all about personalization and authenticity, according to Curtis. AI will continue to take on more of the routine tasks while actual marketers will be able to focus on creativity and strategy. Making a genuine connection with the audience will stay as important as it ever has been, and companies must embrace the AI tools that get the job done.
If you’re an entrepreneur trying to navigate the difficult digital world, Curtis has a clear message:
Start with strategy
Embrace helpful technology
Build systems that amplify your strengths
Success comes not from trying to do everything, but from understanding what actually moves your specific business forward.
You can connect with Rob Curtis on LinkedIn or visit thepursuitagency.com to learn more about his team and how they can help you create the right digital marketing strategy for your business.
John Boitnott is a journalist and digital consultant who has worked at media companies for 25 years and has advised startups since 2007. He writes about emerging companies, marketing and leadership at Entrepreneur, InsideBitcoins, Jotform.com, and his blog.