Chatterkick

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Director at a non-profit cancer center.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our previous website was out-of-date and not user-friendly. Being new to the Cancer Center, I also wanted previous analytics looked at to help determine what our viewers were spending time on and looking for. This would help determine navigation. Goals included better user experience and increased traffic.

SOLUTION

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

I was looking for a partner who would help create a new website that was both functional but looked great. Having someone who would help with continued expansion and possible issues was important. Cost also was a factor.

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

Their process was ideal! A kick off meeting to set goals. Proposal came back. We finalized and agreed upon responsibilities and a timeline. The process was followed and updates communicated - I could always pull out the initial document to see where at in the implementation process, but I also had one point of contact telling me what they would need next.

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

Project Manager, Designer, and a couple other team members. What I liked the most is the project manager is who I dealt with. One point of contact!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We loved the new design and navigation. Analytics show traffic increased and while people are spending less time on the site, we think it's a positive because they find what they need quickly/easily.

As the back-side user, the platform is so easy to use. This saves me time and money. Chatterkick has assisted as I wanted to make new changes/updates or had ongoing questions. I am very pleased with the result of this project!

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Weekly email updates. Calls when needed more communication. In-person meetings when we need to strategize issues or new ideas.

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

Chatterkick gave us a professional, patient-friendly website that is easy to update. They provided thorough training. And they continue to provide support with team consistency when I bring new projects to them which is great for me because do not have to "reteach" them about my organization.

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

I wanted a special feature included on our site which is an additional program added that has bugs sometimes. Not Chatterkick's fault, but that is what I would change.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of Jolly St. Nick, a startup that provides virtual Santa visits, elf craft parties, and jolly gift bags to families with kids below the age of eight. Our goal is to help people celebrate and enjoy the holidays, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chatterkick?

We were in our first year of business, so we needed someone to help us shape our brand based on our objectives and identify our target audience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chatterkick provided an overall strategic plan to help our brand get started. We had several brainstorming sessions with their team where we discussed our goals. Then, the team talked to some of our target audience through a focus group. 

Based on their understanding of our target audience and what we were trying to achieve, Chatterkick then created a unique proposition to help us execute our vision. It detailed how we could roll out our brand, taglines and promotional pieces we could use, a potential look and feel, color palette, and so on.

What is the team composition?

We worked with six people: the founder, a principal, and four other individuals who helped us with design, social media, and advertising. They came together to create the strategy for us.

How did you come to work with Chatterkick?

We found them through one of their online ads, and we also talked to someone they had worked with, who said that Chatterkick did an outstanding job. We called them and hit it off. Their ideas were also excellent, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

It cost approximately $10,000. It was a relatively small project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from March–April 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were looking for out-of-the-box creativity and strategies, and Chatterkick helped us get to that level. They put together a solid plan for us that tackled all various aspects, and their work helped us go forward in the best way. The team went above and beyond what we asked from them.

How did Chatterkick perform from a project management standpoint?

The team did an excellent job. From the moment we reached out to Chatterkick, they did an incredible job of getting back to us and going out of their way to update us. We communicated via email and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Chatterkick exceeded our very high expectations. The level of creativity they brought was fantastic, and they were a pleasure to work with. Every time we talked to them, they had a new, unique idea. It was evident that they put a lot of energy and effort into the project. We were really impressed with their ideas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything bad to say about them — they did an incredible job. The project went well, and we intend on working with Chatterkick again. They’re the first team we would call if we need more help.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I serve as the communications and marketing lead for the Des Moines Airport Authority. The Airport Authority manages the daily operations of the Des Moines International Airport.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chatterkick?

The DSM Airport has never had a robust social media strategy. We hired Chatterkick to build a playbook of best practices for current strategists to use while also creating a living document for succession planning.

SOLUTION

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

We reached out to several agencies to partner with us on developing a social media strategy that was tailored to our staff structure. Chatterkick took the time to understand the needs of our organization while delivering a proposal that fit within our budget.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After the initial meeting, they identified key areas the Airport staff should focus on to build our social media presence. The playbook included an overview of the platform and the audiences we could reach, suggested content for each platform, and when and how to use hashtags to expand reach. Chatterkick guided us in subscribing to SproutSocial, a social media management tool, which has streamlined our social content and made it manageable.

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

We worked with the CEO, a creative experience manager, and a social media strategist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The playbook allowed our small team to organize content, target specific audiences, and deliver more information messaging to the community.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The Chatterkick team was very responsive and proactive in reaching out to ensure they delivered on the project.

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

The Chatterkick team was very knowledgeable in all things social. They made the experience efficient while meeting our expectations. As the organization is growing, they have managed to maintain the level of customer service you would expect from a boutique firm.

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

We were delighted with our experience and wouldn't change any part of the process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of Greene County Development Corporation, the economic development unit for Greene County and the surrounding region.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chatterkick?

We hired Chatterkick to work on three different projects, including digital marketing and online training.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Once we contacted them, we had several meetings. Then they provided a proposal for each project. Once we reviewed each proposal with the board and accepted it, we started working on our first project.

First, they developed an online survey for the establishment of a coworking space. Then they created a county-wide marketing plan. Then for our third project, they provided online training for our local retailers. They hosted Zoom training sessions to teach them online best practices.

What is the team composition?

In total, we worked with about four different people. We worked with Beth (CEO & Founder) on each project and 2–3 other people.

How did you come to work with Chatterkick?

They were recommended to us by another company in the community.

How much have you invested with them?
We’ve roughly spent $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them from June 2010 and wrapped up around September 2010. We started working with them again in March 2021 and are now nearing the final step of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered everything that was in the initial proposal. Due to their support, we were able to open the coworking space in our community, and it’s doing very well.

The training they provided has also been very successful; our retailers were able to implement the information Chatterkick provided, and sales have already improved.

How did Chatterkick perform from a project management standpoint?

They did an excellent job managing the project, meeting deadlines, and sticking to our budget.

They provided ongoing updates, were responsive, and were available for questions throughout the project. We used email, phone, and Zoom to communicate with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re familiar with current internet options and processes. They know how to deal with different platforms.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we are happy with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend them. They’re experts in their industry. We felt like we could rely on their recommendations and suggestions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of Siouxland Human Investment Partnership, a nonprofit organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chatterkick?

We needed help with social media management.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chatterkick handled our Facebook account. They created two posts every week based on the content we sent them. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with 6–7 people. 

How did you come to work with Chatterkick?

I used to work with the founder of Chatterkick.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from February 2014–January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Chatterkick, we secured an increase in engagement, impressions, and likes. They created a solid online presence for us.

How did Chatterkick perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a good job. We mainly communicated through email or phone calls, and they were very accessible. Additionally, we had yearly meetings to talk about their strategy for the coming year.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team was really open to whatever we wanted to do. Chatterkick seemed invested in our success, so we appreciated that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could’ve helped us more with the content. In the end, most of the content was supplied by us. It was also quite inconvenient that our point of contact also changed a lot throughout the years of the engagement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief insights officer at a consumer engagement agency that uses merchandise solutions to drive impact for brands and consumers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chatterkick?

We started working with a marketing agency for the first time. We had done all of our marketing in-house previously. We didn’t feel that we had the ability to stay current and understand what was going on in the marketplace and create growth opportunities. We worked with a small marketing agency that helped us get off the ground. It became apparent that they didn’t have the resources to help us continue to grow.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chatterkick helps us on two major fronts; they help us around social content and making sure we’ve got good conversations in the marketplace going on LinkedIn and Facebook. Chatterkick helps us with a lot of the content work. We give them the raw materials and they can get it into the right voice for us. They’ve helped us prepare for some ad spend that we might deploy as well. 

They also help us with HubSpot as a lead generation and contact management tool. We also use it for our email deployments to improve our practices in that area. The team makes sure that we send the right information at the right time. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Beth (CEO) and half a dozen employees. They’ve definitely shared their philosophy around having a pod of people with different specialties. It was a much more helpful set up than the last agency. 

How did you come to work with Chatterkick?

One of our executives happened to meet Beth at an industry event. He was impressed with her and we decided to do some due diligence. We brought them on to do some initial discovery and project work in December 2020. 

We were all very pleased with that experience, and we decided to put a retainer in place for the rest of 2021. We loved their approach to things. They were friendly, engaging, knowledgeable, and willing to listen. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $100,000–$200,000 so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2020, and our work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen tremendous gains in the basic metrics of followers on LinkedIn and Facebook. The level of engagement is up too, especially around the number of people on our posts. 

We’ve seen our website traffic up by 35–40% YoY. We’re even starting to get some email outreach from people we’ve never heard of. Things are working well. On the whole, I’m really pleased with the fit, and I’m pleased with the results I’m seeing. 

How did Chatterkick perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is perfectly good. Everything seems to be on time, especially in comparison to our last agency. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They continue to help guide and lead up in a collaborative manner. At the same time, they’re good at reminding us about our commitments. They seem ready to pivot where they need to be. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Twice a year, we have strategic check-ins where we assess where we’ve gone right and wrong. Sometimes they’re a little overly rosy about their interpretation of the results. There was some turnover as well that led to us having to do more work on our creative posts. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to do the right due diligence. Have those up-front conversations. Be really clear and specific about your needs that will get translated into a statement of work. The team will use that as their roadmap and deliver on it. 
 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

President/CEO/Founder of a heavy civil/industrial construction company and professional services engineering/surveying construction firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chatterkick?

Initially websites. Then marketing materials. Then social media and other marketing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Had other marketing firms in the past, but not satisfied. Was familiar with them as they are local.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We are a growing family of companies in the EPC world that needed marketing. We have no in-house marketing and looked to outsource. We initially hired them for websites. We were pleased with the results to it grew into marketing materials, then social media campaigns, and now email marketing campaigns.

What was the team composition?

I've worked mainly with Beth and Kristy but also Allison. They seem to assign a main contact person but then branch out for specialized services. For example Kristy was more involved with video capture...Allison did more interviewing of me.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are definitely getting more notice by people. I've had clients and others comment they did not know we do all the scopes of work we do "like what do you not do??". I do think they help get the message out with respect to our capabilities.

I also use the marketing material often they provided us. I don't know I can point to any one project that we landed due to their involvement. However I think it is only a matter of time before that changes.....mainly they are giving us exposure and brand awareness. Which i like

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their workflow is good. They are more responsive than we are :-) If there is an issue we bring it up, they address it, and it is resolved.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Probably their responsiveness. If I am irritated--not that that ever happens ;-)--I know I can shoot a text to Beth or Kristy whenever (after hours, etc) and I more than likely will get a response. We had some issues with the tone of some of their writings initially--I was just frustrated with their tone. It wasn't bad, just wasn't my/our style. They listened, pivoted, and fixed it.

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

Not that I can think of immediately.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the marketing manager for Cowgirl Up for Jaci: Roping in a CURE for ALS. Jaci was a young woman who was diagnosed with ALS. Her twin sister also suffered from ALS. By the time Jaci had an illness, there was an experimental drug that she could use. As a result, we needed to raise money quickly and get the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the drug for her to take during that timeframe.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chatterkick?

An ALS national nonprofit organization had given us an amount of money to promote and market Jaci’s story to help her raise funds. The drug’s cost was $600,000. Apart from raising the money, we wanted to get her story out to the world so that the FDA would approve of it quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chatterkick provided digital marketing services. The team specifically created Facebook Ads. The whole premise of the campaign was to get people to donate to GoFundMe, so we needed a clickable link on our ads. They wrote down everything that they were going to do as well as the posts that they had in mind. On top of that, they gave details on the people they were going to target and I just had to approve it. Once their strategy was approved, they gave us a breakdown of the total people they reached and the total donations that were made. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with Beth (CEO & Founder) and two other employees from Chatterkcik. 

How did you come to work with Chatterkick?

I built Jaci’s Facebook page. When the ALS nonprofit gave us some funds to promote Jaci’s story, I mentioned the possibility of Chatterkick helping us. I told them I had already worked with the team in my past job; they used to help us with social media campaigns for specific shows for the local theater and arena. I also loved their content because they shared free tips with marketers.

When I finally reached out to Chatterkick, they were happy to help once they found out about Jaci’s story. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement happened in April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In one week, we received $38,000 worth of donations on Jaci’s GoFundMe page because of Chatterkick’s work — our investment with them was worth it.

We highly appreciate that they were very supportive even after our project ended. They made videos for Jaci, and they helped us create some of the graphics. Their passion and care to enable Jaci in receiving the drugs she needed were impressive.

How did Chatterkick perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated through email and phone calls. They were so thorough, and they kept us updated on the project’s progress. They showed us all the metrics we needed to know.

When I wanted close captioning done on Jaci’s videos, they were able to help me with that because I couldn't complete it while on the road. They got the job done even though it was already Friday night. They were pretty amazing because they were willing to do something extra for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Chatterkick was a social media marketing expert. I always went back to them for advice, and I kept hiring them because they get the results that I want. On top of that, they were knowledgeable on where we should spend our money to reach the audience we want to reach. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they had no areas for improvement. They never let me down, and they were absolutely wonderful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you want to work with a social media marketing expert, Chatterkick is the best company to work with. Beth speaks at national conventions for marketers — she’s knowledgeable, so do the employees she works with. It’s great to have people like them that support businesses that are not familiar with the world of digital marketing. Overall, having an agency like Chatterkick is critical to your success. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I currently overlook our social media platforms and manage our website, along with anything e-commerce related. I also overlook our review platform as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chatterkick?

We hired Chatterkick to help overlook, manage and create all content for our social media platforms. They also handle all of our email blasts and run ad campaigns.

SOLUTION

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

We knew Beth from working with her at the Chamber. We knew she was very knowledgeable with social media and content prior to starting Chatterkick. We were working with another agency and we desperately needed quality content. We needed a team that was strictly focused on managing our social media content.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Chatterkick has continued to help us throughout the years with the best practices for our Social Media and what new innovative ways we can reach our customers.

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

We've worked with 3-4 main account managers over the last 6-7 years, along with other team members.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We currently have over 20k Facebook followers and are continuing to build our Instagram followers (1600). We continue to have fresh and innovative content through Facebook and Instagram posts, along with Instagram stories.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Each month Chatterkick sends us content and we go through to add any changes or updates for the upcoming month's content. They also are flexible when we have needed to change or update anything.

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

Everyone on their team plays a particular role and gives us the best ideas and information we need to be successful through ads, posts, email blasts, etc.

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

No, we just need to keep coming up with new and innovative ways to reach new and existing customers.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president and owner of a garage door company. We offer residential and commercial garage doors for new constructions and retrofits.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chatterkick?

We work with Chatterkick to update our website and develop all of our social media. They work on content and interactions with people on social media.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we started working with Chatterkick, we had an existing website that we decided to rebuild. We wanted to change platforms since that was a little easier for them to update and manage. They took care of the development and design of the site. After that, they developed our Facebook and Instagram pages.

In the first couple of years, we developed all of those things. From that point on, they’ve been working on managing and updating our social media and websites. They write blogs and work on Google Ads, SEO, and keyword search.

What is the team composition?

I have a main point of contact. That person coordinates with the team that works on my project.

How did you come to work with Chatterkick?

A friend recommended Chatterkick. I researched them online and contacted them. Then, they came up with a presentation of their plan for the project. They were really proactive and listened to what I wanted to develop. I felt like I would have a better time communicating with them and that I would be able to get what I wanted, so I chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

I don’t have the exact number, but we have invested somewhere around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around July 2015, and we have used their services ever since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we started working with Chatterkick, the number of views we had on our website was somewhere around the hundreds per quarter. In our last quarter, we saw around 30,000 views; we’ve had steady growth every quarter for the last five years.

On the Facebook front, we didn’t have a profile, and now we have 33,000 followers. Thanks to Chatterkick’s work on Google Ads, we receive around 50–60 calls a month, which is a pretty big change from the 1–2 that we used to receive. Overall, we’ve seen improvements on all fronts.

How did Chatterkick perform from a project management standpoint?

For communicating, we send a lot of emails, and we also use the Sprout Social system. As far as managing the project, everything is great. Over the years it has gotten better and better. For example, in the last 12 months, we started using a new interface that allows me to streamline my approval of the content that they’re putting out there. 

We have a quarterly meeting that we do through Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and then they have a local office, too. I will occasionally meet with some of their staff in the office.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The fact that they had a tailor-made proposal for me is the most impressive factor of our collaboration. They didn’t use a cookie-cutter approach to their proposal; they showed me what they could do for social media and SEO, and everything was made to be exactly what I wanted and fit my budget. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't know a lot about social media and the statistics that they measure. I would like it if they showcased the impact of their work on social media with more clarity into what some industry standards are and what the benefits are. When I receive a call or an email, that's a more tangible metric than just seeing views and likes.

Any advice for potential customers?

After you set up a meeting, ask them to put together a custom proposal for exactly what you want and then see what they come back with. They will take their time to put it together, and they will show you a program of what they can do for you. That’s what benefited me the most — I felt like I could really tell that the proposal was what I wanted.