Born Digital

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Founder and CEO of CircleSource, a B2B digital sourcing solution that enables local Aussie business owners to find and source the business services, capability and expertise they need to manage, run and grow their businesses

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WCM Digital, and what were your goals?

CircleSource was a new start up business and we needed to engage a full service marketing and digital agency to workj with us to develop our Marketing and Brand Strategy, prepare to launch the business into the Australian market and provide ongoing marketing and digital support services to manage implementation of the agreed strategies. In effect WCM became our outsourced Marketing Delartment.

SOLUTION

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

We interviewed 3 full-service Marketing Agencies. We were looking for a true business partner who connected with our business model and demonstrated the ability to create, develop and implement our marketing and brand strategies to reach our targeted market segments and grow our business.

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

Facilitate a workshop of the Business Founders to develop our Marketing and Brand Strategy for CircleSource. Create and Develop our Brand Identity including a full market and competitor analysis, SWOT Analysis, Brabd Characteristics, Market positioning, Messaging, Communication guide and tone. Develop and manage Content to engage customer segments Design and Develop Website including creative, SEO etc. Implementation of agreed marketing and brand strategies. Attend weekly marketing meetings and updates Provide and report on agreed marketing performance metrics

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

Our key working relationship was with the WCM Business Owner along with members of her team who were engaged based on specialization and stage of business implementation. Resources from WCM included UZ/UI Designers, Content Specialists, Website Developers, SEO specialists, Graphic Designers, Animators, etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The CircleSource Business was successfully launched into the market. Member growth targets were set and achieved across the 2 years growing from >500 members at the launch of the business to more than 10K members by June 2022. Advertising and Marketing budgets were achieved. Cost of member acquisition achieved targets set.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Over the two year period, we enjoyed a close and productive relationship with the WCM Digital team. Regular weekly meetings meant that all deliverables remained largely on track, accountabilities were understood and the marketing and digital strategy continued to be challenged and evolve as the CircleSource business evolved.

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

Access to the resources and expertise needed. As a small start up business, digital marketing expertise was a key resource we required but could not afford to employ in our business. WCM provided us with a full services outsourced agency that gave us the flexibility to access the expertise we needed at any given point at a competitive cost.

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

CircleSource launched during COVID Lockdowns in Australia, one of the most difficult periods ever experienced by business in Australia. Hindsight would say there would be things we may have done differently but at the time, we believe the right strategy was developed and implemented for the period.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of CocoBowlz. We import coconut bowls and manufacture candles.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WCM Digital?

Our company has been around for five years, and we’ve had many different agencies manage our ads and social media with very few results, so I hired WCM Digital.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WCM Digital provides PPC and social media marketing (SMM) services. First, we went over our target audience demographics and looked at some competitive research. They recommended creating some user-generated content to improve our conversion rates and sales. Once they’d obtained data, the team put together a forecast regarding sales growth. 

Currently, they manage our Facebook Ads and Google Ads campaigns. Next month, they’ll start managing our email marketing campaign. Based on what they’ve seen with our current email marketing provider, WCM Digital has made recommendations about the frequency of the emails. They’ll implement these pointers when they take over the campaign. 

What is the team composition?

At the moment, I work with two teammates from WCM Digital, though we’ve had up to four people on the team.

How did you come to work with WCM Digital?

I hired them based on what they presented to me regarding the results they could achieve. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent a total of $30,000 AUD (approximately $21,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WCM Digital has implemented improvements to our campaigns compared to our previous provider. For example, they're using the budget more effectively rather than wasting money on ads that aren't working. These improvements in spending have led to a better return on assets (ROA) with less budget. However, this is only our second month working with them, so the engagement is in its early stages, and I'm still monitoring their results. Still, they're tracking towards the goals we've set out. 

The team is approachable and engaged in the project. Some companies don't engage with their clients because they have too many accounts. Meanwhile, WCM Digital WCM takes an interest in our business goals and always asks whether they're meeting my requirements and needs. Moreover, they're open to addressing my concerns and are consistently available to us. The team has good people skills, and their account manager is good at helping us navigate things. 

How did WCM Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

For communication, we use Slack, phone calls, email, and Zoom. We have a weekly Zoom meeting where we address tasks. I talk to them every day, and they're very responsive through Slack; I've never had to wait for information. If I ask them for a report, they email it straight away. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

WCM Digital cares about us as clients, and they're responsive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend WCM Digital based on our two months of work. If you want to work with them, see if your product is suited to their company. I've given them a long-term goal, and we had a discussion about that and know exactly where I'm trying to form with the company, and they're on board with what I've put forward.