I can be a believer at times. Running a small agency over the past two years has given me a new perspective on terms like “overhead”, “profitability“, and “% of billable time”. The model really does need to be changed. Does free work here? How can we change our structure to take just a little % of a brands “win”, or ROI if you will, and still allow us to continue to innovate, share, and grow. I like the concept of the true win/win. The closer you can align your agenda with that of your clients almost ensures a strong finish… If not at least a great attempt. So how do you translate that into revenue? A small % of the total unearned/earned impressions generated from your activities? A “fee” for the number of successful conversations that you have enabled through the use of your tools, platforms, or communication medium? How about a small commission for each new product sampled, believer made, or actual conversion to purchase? I’d be happy working towards that goal. It is in effect the goal that we are always working towards. The difference is how you create a compensation structure that rewards mutual success and is ultimately track-able. Tracking keywords is one thing. Picture tags are another. I’ve seen more tools try to capture this only to not deliver the “real picture”. That picture is something that changes – with each new client and each new business objective.