Black Propeller

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner/founder of an escape room business with two verticals - team building (B2B) and an escape room board game (ecommerce).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Black Propeller?

We were in the midst of a really bad experience with our previous advertising agency. They were wasting a lot of money, not approaching our problems with data, and overall not able to discuss our account intelligently. We were looking for a new agency that would take an analytical look at our campaigns, set up multiple types of tracking, and right the ship.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I interviewed probably about six agencies and it came down to this agency and one other. They pointed out some interesting changes they would make in our ad accounts (some of them mentioned by other agencies, but also some fresh ideas) and I liked the fact that they rely on AB testing, data, and have a very analytical approach to campaign optimization.

Ultimately, between the final two agencies, it came down to the fact that they do the creative in house rather than outsourcing (and I was able to see examples of the creative work in advance).

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

On the team building side, they manage our paid search and social. They dug into keyword research and were able to set up our campaigns in a way that made more sense (we saw results immediately!). They set up tracking so that we know as much as possible about the customer journey AND have revenue tracking in place so that we know exactly which campaigns are profitable.

On an ongoing basis we are constantly analyzing the data and adjusting the strategy. They design landing pages for us and creative for social. We have AB tested elements on the page as well as an entirely new landing page. We also recently launched a direct to consumer product that is advertising heavily on social and requires a lot of creativity to find the right approach.

What was the team composition?

We have an account manager, a paid search specialist, a paid social specialist, and a graphic designer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The improvement has been tremendous. The truth is that I didn't fully realize how poor of a job the previous agency had been doing until this team got to work (and that is saying a lot!). They got tracking set up quickly so that for the first time we were able to attribute revenue to each campaign and make strategic decisions. They built out new campaigns that were far more successful than any of the campaigns we had been running previously.

Within a few months were able to eliminate the campaigns and keywords that were wasting spend. With them we have been able to scale our advertising up profitably. They also go above and beyond to investigate and find solutions to items outside of just the "paid ads" scope (since it all works together) and have even found and fixed organic issues by SEO team didn't notice.

Most important, they approach problems thoughtfully and make decisions with data. They are consistently optimizing. The graphic designer also won some awards with our landing page! We have the highest google quality rating amongst our competitors, which we all believe is due to the strength of our landing page.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It has been working well. We have weekly touch-base calls and bi-weekly calls with the broader team. Our project manager consistently updates me regarding how the accounts and campaigns are performing, what changes she recommends, and present creative ideas for the future. At my last agency, I had to do the heavy lifting to come up with ideas.

With BP it is a true synergy - they come up with the ideas and optimizations from a marketing perspective while I contribute what we are seeing internally and from our customers. The graphic design team is efficient and very good.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

With BP (and I truly mean this), I feel like I'm not just another account for them. The team legitimately cares about doing the best they can for my company and with our spend. Of course it's good business for them if they are able to grow our ad spend profitably, but they are truly invested in our growth.

When we launched our new product line, our account manager even went to a game store to do some market research (all her own idea). And this type of investment shows in what they have been able to do for our ad accounts.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

This is an ongoing relationship and we are constantly learning and growing and optimizing. I can honestly say for now that the synergy is tremendous and I am excited to see how my accounts continue to grow with their help.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a Reputation Management company. I am the CTO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Black Propeller, and what were your goals?

We hired Black Propeller to help us with our PPC campaign and to make sure that our ROI was being attributed properly to help us scale our business.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Reviews were a big part of our selection process. We found BP's review to be stellar. Also, we found their Ads very engaging when doing searches for PPC companies in the space.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

From start to finish Mary, Nick and Brendan were very focused on getting our campaign cleaned up and tracking properly. Their high level of experience with HubSpot and CallRail helped us get to a point of being able to track our spend and ROI more effectively.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with multiple account managers and landing page designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Across the board, all of our campaigns have higher click-through rates and conversions than we have ever had. Their attention to detail has allowed us to hit our highest revenue goal to date.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Seamless. Very punctual and precise communication at all times, can't applaud Mary and the team enough for this excellent level of communication.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The prompt communication and overall expertise in the field was impressive, to say the least.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

None that come to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Metropolitan Bath and Tile; we renovate bathrooms. Our average sale is about $30,000–$35,000, and it can take over three months to evolve.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Propeller?

In this day and age, many people do digital advertising. We were working with another company but weren’t completely satisfied with them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Black Propeller does digital advertising, PPC, and SEO. They also help us revise our website. Initially, we provided them with the monthly feedback from the previous service provider. We went through those and looked at the advertising campaigns and landing pages. They asked us what we were looking for and put together a strategy.

From there, they’ve provided analytics every month. Black Propeller works on Google Ads and keyword research, and we streamline it together. They manage the website and sometimes edit the copywriting and pictures. The team also does blogs, and we’ve started local PPC. 

What is the team composition?

Annie (Director of Growth) is our lead person, and Bill (Project Manager) works on SEO. Additionally, we’ve worked with three other people; the team changes depending on what we’re reviewing.

How did you come to work with Black Propeller?

We were looking to change companies, and someone recommended Black Propeller.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$199,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2021, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our leads and all of our numbers keep going up consistently. Although we’ve gotten fewer visits to the website, the people coming to our site are our customers, so we’ve gotten excellent results. Regarding SEO, everything is up in the number one spot. We have four locations; one goes back and forth between the first and second placements, but most are in the first position.

How did Black Propeller perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is excellent. They’re always available, and the team keeps us informed of what’s happening at all times. We mainly communicate through email, but we also text or call depending on the situation.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their biggest strength is their outstanding service. Black Propeller always goes above and beyond; they’re willing to do anything we need. Moreover, they understand our business, clients, and process. I don’t think anybody’s had such a strong vision about who we are as they’ve had.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there isn’t anything to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend them to anyone.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

OPTEX is a world leading manufacturer of high-performance sensing technologies. For over 40 years, OPTEX has been trusted by thousands of customers worldwide for the accuracy and reliability of our detection systems. As the Vice President of Sales & Marketing for OPTEX America Entrance Division, I manage the business development, sales and marketing strategy for North America on all Entrance Sensor Sales.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Black Propeller, and what were your goals?

The goal in mind when we hired Black Propeller was to increase OPTEX brand recognition, support new product launches and provide our team with the tools and resources to do so. Marketing initiatives such as landing page development, search engine optimization and social media graphics helped drive results and helped accelerate sales during our product launches.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Our President/CEO of the Americas decided to move forward with Black Propeller because of their enthusiastic and professional approach to digital marketing and PPC.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

MailChip is used to provide data analytics and insight to our recent launch of the OPTEX America, Entrance Division Newsletter email campaign. Google tools are used for lead sharing, communication and monthly meetings. Calendly is used and integrated on our landing page for supporting real-time product test + demo schedules

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We have worked with several key Black Propeller members - all instrumental to our marketing and PPC success. Just to name a few: Jessica, Paid Media Specialist supports our marketing team often on landing page updates, lead sharing, company newsletters along with a webcast series we plan to do for the industry on a quarterly basis. Annie provides our team support on the overall goals and objectives we would like to see for marketing project we partner with Black Propeller on. Bill, Project Manager provides us data analytic insight on a monthly basis

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The Entrance Division Digital Newsletter results have been phenomenal with an open rate of more than 24% and increased our website traffic substantially.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our workflow has seen tons of progress since we kicked things off early on in 2021. We now have an internal "digital marketing group" attend each Black Propeller meeting on a monthly basis. Each call always provides us with actionable items for each project, along with expectations to ensure deadlines are met. All in all, the communication flows well and it helps drive results at the end of the day, month and year.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The Black Propeller team impresses me because teach member on the team brings the (3) three A's. Black Propeller's.... Attitude is always positive. Adaptable when plans change Aptitude of service

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Every meeting focuses on how to improve and bring bigger results!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Hectic, an educational company and freelancer tools provider. We create productivity tools for freelancers, which help them with project management, proposal and contract writing, invoices and online payments, time tracking and scheduling, and client portals. We also provide free and academy-based educational resources for freelancers as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Propeller?

We worked with different agencies to manage our ad campaigns over the past three years. However, they didn’t do a great job of telling our story in a meaningful way for freelancers. Thus, we wanted to find an end-to-end agency that could help us with our creative content and campaign management. Our ultimate goal was to create campaigns that were very reflective of our brand, so we wanted this agency to act as an extension of our internal team in the sense that they had a deep knowledge of our overall marketing strategy and understood our audience to ultimately increase our conversion rates.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, We provided Black Propeller with briefs and internal guidelines, including our style guidelines, brand guidelines, and ideal customer profiles. We also had a virtual meeting with their entire team to tell them more about our vision and overall strategy. The discovery process also included some asynchronous collaboration.

Since then, Black Propeller has been helping us create and manage our paid advertising campaigns. They write all the copy and develop the creative assets needed for display ads. Additionally, they give us insights and direction on different areas of improvement. For example, they let us know if they see an opportunity for us to create organic content and provide us with insight into campaign performance so that the content we’re working on is aligned with what they’re doing.

What is the team composition?

Our core team from Black Propeller includes Brendan (Account Director), Dalton (Account Manager), Delaney (Paid Social Manager), and Alexandra (Paid Media Specialist). Additionally, they have an extended team of people who join on an ad hoc basis, specifically for creative engagements.

How did you come to work with Black Propeller?

We found Black Propeller on Google while looking for boutique digital marketing agencies. We wanted to find a partner with experience with both B2B and B2C mid-market companies. Ultimately, we chose them out of the 12 agencies we interviewed.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $100,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged with Black Propeller in May 2021, but we didn’t launch our efforts until June 2021. Our engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Before Black Propeller took over our PPC efforts, we were averaging a 7% conversion rate on our PPC campaigns and paid channels; now, we’re averaging a 17% conversion rate on the same channels. As a result, we’ve had a 45% increase in our ad revenue directly attributable to those channels.

Additionally, thanks to Black Propeller’s increased targeting and the way they’ve built our audiences, we’ve also seen a 30% increase in our retention rates. Overall, we’ve seen a great difference in working with them versus our previous agencies. They not only focus on first-touch conversions, but they actually provide a very strong funnel conversion rate which ultimately impacts our revenue.

How did Black Propeller perform from a project management standpoint?

Black Propeller’s project management is great. Thinking about our collaboration with them, I can’t remember a single time when a deadline was missed; they usually deliver earlier than expected.

We have weekly calls for governance on project management, during which they give us updates on how projects are progressing, which are the new campaigns that we’re launching, which campaigns are working well, and which aren’t. They also give us insights into their side of the analytics, and we give them our insight as well.

They use project management tools internally, but we don’t have access to them; they always provide us with data via Google Docs or Excel spreadsheets instead. Additionally, we communicate via Gmail, Slack, and Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Black Propeller’s ability to understand and align their campaigns to our overall brand objectives is impressive. They’ve been very willing to focus on full-funnel conversion, as well as on developing and creating campaigns that resonate with our audience.

Additionally, they’re probably one of the most collaborative agencies that we work with. We work with SEO and PR agencies, but Black Propeller stands out from them by being very collaborative. They are very curious and willing to understand and talk to our users, which is a unique advantage of working with them.

Furthermore, Black Propeller is very flexible, agile, and responsive. For example, when we’ve seen certain campaigns or keywords not performing well, we don’t have to wait months to solve the issues. We always collaborate quickly to figure out what might be affecting the performance of those campaigns and keep working to get the results we want.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be great to have access to Black Propeller’s designers; seeing them and talking directly to them in our weekly calls would add more value to the project. However, this isn’t something that I’ve told them, and I’m sure that they would do it if I asked for it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Lean on Black Propeller as a partner and be collaborative with them; they respond very well to their clients. Making them feel like a part of your team and providing them with as much data as possible will help them do an incredible job and collaborate with you in a meaningful way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of DirectMail.com, a direct marketing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Propeller?

Our in-house team manages our SEO and PPC ads, but we wanted professional help to better handle them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Black Propeller currently manages our SEO and PPC campaigns. For the SEO portion, they work closely with us in conducting keyword research.

What is the team composition?

We work with four people from their team, including Annie (Account Director), a graphic designer, and an SEO expert.

How did you come to work with Black Propeller?

When we interviewed them, we were very impressed with their pitch, which was led by Annie. Based on the strength of their presentation, we decided to sign a contract with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $75,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2021, and our engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We’ve seen improvements in our keyword rankings and are very satisfied with their PPC efforts. Their team has managed to target the right keywords that meet our price points and feed us new leads. We’ve also expanded our daily ad spend due to their good performance.

How did Black Propeller perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been superb in this regard. They communicate really well and make sure that there’s constant dialogue between their team and ours. We interact mainly through bi-weekly video conferences and email.

They also use different kinds of project management tools, but I can’t remember the names of those tools.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They do everything well and have been exceeding my expectations — that’s all you can ask for from a services company.

Are there any areas they could improve on?

At the moment, no — as I said, they are exceeding my expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I encourage any company that’s looking for digital marketing services to interview Black Propeller.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of a flooring retailer and wholesaler business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we set up a call during which Black Propeller walked me through the services they could offer for my business. I really liked their offer, so they immediately started to get involved in the project. From the start, they’ve been managing my Google Ads campaigns entirely, providing me with weekly reports. They also offer digital advertising services on other platforms, but I don’t need those services at the moment.

What is the team composition?

I work with two people from Black Propeller: an account director and a media specialist.

How did you come to work with Black Propeller?

When I was looking for help with my advertising, I met with a few different firms, including them. While others came to me with very generic presentations, Black Propeller took the time to research my business and provided me with a much more tailored presentation. Their presentation included research on other companies in the market and examples of how other businesses had been able to scale with their help.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent over $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2021, and our engagement is ongoing.

SOLUTION

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Our sales have increased by 43% since I started using Black Propeller’s services.

How did Black Propeller perform from a project management standpoint?

Black Propeller’s services are very customized and tailored. We have biweekly calls to review the project, and they constantly walk me through it. They’re also very open to feedback. Still, I trust their advice because they’ve done nothing but grow my business. In addition to our calls, we communicate via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The tailored experience I get from working with Black Propeller is impressive. They’ve done a great job studying and understanding my niche market, helping me expand my business on it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust their advice.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the administrator for PR and marketing at a secondary-only school district.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Propeller?

We were trying to raise awareness about our new school and our district as a whole. Additionally, we wanted to increase our enrollment numbers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Black Propeller helps us with PPC advertising. They primarily work on optimizing our Google Ads efforts. Additionally, the team writes ad copy and creates landing pages for us.

What is the team composition?

I've worked closely with John (CEO), Mary (Paid Search Manager), and Annie (Account Director).

How did you come to work with Black Propeller?

We did some research and came across them. We looked at multiple vendors, but we liked that Black Propeller had comprehensive services. Our team is small, so having an all-in-one solution was very helpful to us.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in July 2021, and it's ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We've been able to fill our new school very quickly. Although we did have some other advertising efforts, a significant number of leads came in through the team's PPC advertising efforts.

In terms of creativity, they do a great job of thinking outside the box. Their work is truly valuable to us.

How did Black Propeller perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is excellent. We typically communicate through phone calls. They always get back to us quickly whenever we have a question. 

In the beginning, we had weekly calls. Since our strategies are more established now, we only meet on a biweekly basis. Additionally, we have quarterly meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service is fantastic. Everyone has been extremely helpful to us, from the CEO to the people we interact with every day. They're willing to work closely with us, and they've taken some of the load off our team. We've learned a lot from them in terms of advertising.

It's been a learning process for both of us since it's their first time working with an educational partner, and we don't have any experience with PPC advertising. That said, working with them has been a great experience. Black Propeller is very helpful — they make an effort to take a good look at our strategy and see how they can best support us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don't think there's anything they could do better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don't be afraid to ask questions. That's been key to us understanding what they're doing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work as a Digital Marketing Manager in a manufacturing-based non-profit organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Black Propeller?

We hired Black Propeller to assist us with setting up social, search, and display advertising to promote various products and services that our organization offers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We vetted several vendors, and the presentation provided by Black Propeller was the most comprehensive and provided the most specific detail as it related to our organization.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Black Propeller initially began their work by auditing our existing ads and adjusting them to increase performance and reduce spend where necessary. On a bi-weekly basis we meet with Black Propeller to review existing ads and provide any new information on new campaigns that need to be built on. Black Propeller has done a great job on both fronts.

What was the team composition?

Black Propeller's team consists of various individuals that ensure our ads run smoothly - from graphic designers, to social media ad builders, to search and display ad builders, etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have seen an increase in ad performance year over year which shows a clear success on the part of Black Propeller.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our bi-weekly meetings ensure constant communication between teams and has proven effective for both parties.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Despite being a small team, they have been able to handle our large scope of work and continue providing results.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

I think a formal tool for input of campaign material would be beneficial.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Junk Rescue is a junk removal and dumpster rental company in South Jersey (NJ). My name is Nate and I am the VP of Sales & Marketing for Junk Rescue.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Black Propeller, and what were your goals?

We were looking to hand off our Google and Bing PPC Advertising to a credible company, and after reviewing many during the process, Black Propeller had the best conversion rates and industry experience.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We searched for companies that had direct industry experience, knew that we weren't just looking for incoming calls but also form fills, assisted with graphic design, and all for a reasonable cost.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

BP managed our PPC accounts and helped grow and maintain them throughout all of 2021.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We've had a multitude of resources help out on our account in different areas, ranging from Account Executives to Graphic Design Artists.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We've nearly doubled the number of leads that we were bringing in YOY while maintaining the same spend.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication is very efficient and effective. No complaints.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I am impressed how they're able to do such a nice job in both paid social and paid search for service based local and enterprise-level businesses.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

At the moment, I have no complaints about the services that they provide.