Ernst Media

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder, owner, and CEO of an online platform that connects freelancers with healthcare-related jobs and projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ernst Media?

As a small startup, we needed more resources to promote our new product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ernst Media was hired to develop and execute a viable digital marketing strategy, but their involvement expanded to cover all of our web needs. In addition to making sure our product aligns with sales and marketing efforts, they manage our Google Analytics, Google Ads, Data Studio, website, and PPC keywords. They also give us recommendations to improve our metrics. Most recently, they built wireframes for our graphic design vendor to implement on our site.

What is the team composition?

We only interact with their founder and CEO.

How did you come to work with Ernst Media?

We reached out to them after seeing their profile on a third-party website. Several companies were interviewed, but Ernst Media stood out due to their professionalism and years of experience.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent a little more than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

They began working with us in June 2018, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s too early to measure the impact that their work has on our business, but we can confirm the positive influence that Ernst Media has on our business development. We have avoided countless mistakes and saved a lot of time with their guidance.

How did Ernst Media perform from a project management standpoint?

It would be hard to find a company that can compete with Ernst Media’s efficiency. They’re always transparent about what they can accomplish within our time frame and budget, so we’re never unsatisfied in the end. They’re always communicative of deadlines to make sure everyone is on the same page. Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Previous marketing companies struggled to offer solutions that were practical for a company of our size, but Ernst Media is excellent at molding their strategies to accommodate our reality. Their team takes the time to observe the project with a wide lens and break it down into small, manageable steps. They always deliver what we ask for, and they never pressure us into getting expensive add-ons that we don’t need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everyone and every business can improve. There’s nothing in particular that stands out. Of course, I wish that I could spend more money and get more of their time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s helpful to have a list of short- and long-term project goals, but being able to articulate those ambitions clearly to their team is the true key to success. Clients who don’t have a digital marketing background can also benefit from using Ernst Media as an educational resource.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Nitrogen Express. We supply liquid nitrogen to clients in California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ernst Media?

Previously, a different company was handling our social media and digital marketing campaigns. We hired Ernst Media to take over that role and also help with web design and development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have several different websites—all built using WordPress. Ernst Media redesigned, rebuilt, and optimized each of our platforms. They improved our load times and installed additional widgets and features to increase engagement.

Currently, they act as our web administrator. Writers submit weekly blog articles for us to publish on our website and Ernst Media manages that process. They’ve taken over our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts as well, posting written and visual content to promote the articles and our company.

What is the team composition?

We have one main point of contact who is responsive, helpful, and dependable.

How did you come to work with Ernst Media?

If I remember correctly, we found them via Upwork. They were responsive and professional, so we offered them a small project. We like the results, so we expanded their role.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent between $5,000–$10,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2018, and it’s an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Internally, our staff is very happy with the design.

How did Ernst Media perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly interact via email, with phone calls as necessary. The team is very responsive, even during off hours and weekends. Generally, we can expect a response within an hour.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciate our level of communication. The time difference is minimal, which has been a huge help.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be sure to clearly communicate expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

ReputationX is an online reputation management services company. I’m the chief strategist.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ernst Media?

We needed a firm to help us navigate the complex intricacies of Google Analytics and set up custom reports, dashboards, etc.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They set up our Google Analytics dashboards. Previously, we didn’t have super clear insights into what our various web properties were performing for our company. Evan (Strategist, Ernst Media) created various, separate dashboards so we could see how our blog was doing, versus the site, versus various reputation management tools.

What is the team composition?

We only interacted with Evan.

How did you come to work with Ernst Media?

We chose Ernst Media because they had good reviews. We interviewed them and Evan seemed quite competent—it seemed like a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

Less than $1,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May–June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The dashboards have given us a lot of clarity into what we need to know to optimize our various tools and properties. One of the big problems with analytics is attribution to keywords. They figured out a way that we could have a better view of how keywords were performing in our analytics. The clean analytics help us make better business decisions.

How did Ernst Media perform from a project management standpoint?

We used email and phone to communicate. They performed quite well. They kept up with deadlines and one of the things I liked was that they were very proactive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very competent at what they do. Most agencies I’ve worked with fall more on the incompetent side. Ernst Media do what they say they’re going to do. They exceeded our expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They did exactly as we expected.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Understand exactly what your objectives are before executing the project. Have a very clear idea of that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Head of Marketing at Silvertrac, which is a software guard management and reporting solution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ernst Media?

I hired Ernst Media to consult and oversee our venture into paid marketing on Facebook and Google.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was, and remains, to get our cost per lead (CPL) down to $10 or less, cost per demo down to $50, and customer acquisition cost (CAC) down to $1,000.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We felt comfortable selecting Ernst Media because we believed they could help us achieve the results we are after and help teach us about the process. We were put in touch with Evan, a strategist, that takes the time to discuss the advantages and pitfalls of certain methods or approaches.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

I meet with Evan once a week to review funnel and ad metrics and make any necessary adjustments. We finish each call with clear action items and work together to quickly execute what's needed. Evan coordinates our Google Analytics, AdWords, and Facebook accounts while I work with our internal copy editors and designers to create the ads and other content. Evan also oversees our organic SEO strategy.

What was the team composition?

Evan is our main point of contact. I have worked with two other individuals from Ernst Media but in a limited capacity.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our CAC and CPL have both reduced by 50% over the past four months. In that time, we've dramatically increased our ad spend and have seen ourselves steadily growing. We have quickly seen bottom-line results.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication is quick and seamless. Evan has lessened our learning curve with his patience and knowledge.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

There was not a long ramping-up period. Evan knew what he needed, asked the right questions, and quickly got to work. They take pride in their work, and as a result, we’ve gotten closer to our goals. I'm confident we'll achieve and sustain those numbers within the next few months.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, not at the moment. We've stayed in constant communication and have settled on a workflow that works really well for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of DNSFilter, a company that offers a cloud-based solution to protect users from online threats and inappropriate content.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ernst Media?

We needed help with our digital marketing and media strategy. Our Google Analytics and Ads were a mess, so we needed a partner to make them better.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ernst Media cleaned up our Analytics data and provided custom reports from Google’s Data Studio. They integrated Google Tag Manager onto our website and app and organized all of our reports to make them much easier to access. They walked us through the different events we should have and the data we should be collecting, and then our internal team did the development to make those triggers occur. Together, we built the entire funnel and reporting to improve our digital marketing strategy.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a strategist.

How did you come to work with Ernst Media?

We found them on Upwork. We posted the job, saw Ernst Media’s past work, and decided to hire them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–April 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Google Analytics isn’t an easy tool to use, but they were able to centralize all the information, so we could see it in one view. Their reports helped us visualize the data and understand where to make strategic changes. They helped us invest more into the digital marketing strategy and better measure it.

How did Ernst Media perform from a project management standpoint?

We were extremely busy during the engagement, but Ernst Media pushed things forward and made sure we stuck to deadlines. We mainly communicated via Slack, and they made themselves quite available. They were even willing to have meetings on short notice, which we appreciated.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We expected a lot from them without giving much direction. However, they did a great job and stayed on track without having to ask for specific instructions. They knew what they were doing and only asked questions if they really needed something. I don’t think many firms could’ve accomplished what they did with as little oversight as we gave.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A project management tool to log updates and track progress could help everyone stay on the same page.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and president of the small non-profit Zaggo, Inc. We provide guidance and assistance to people navigating the healthcare world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ernst Media?

I needed someone to help me take advantage of the generous offerings from an ad grant program to drive more traffic to our site and increase sales.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had an Ad Grant account through the Google Ad Words program for nonprofits. However, that account—along with many other nonprofits—was shut down because I didn’t have a high enough click-through rate. Ernst Media significantly improved traffic to the website. Additionally, they suggested improvements to the design of the website that should hopefully increase sales.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Evan (Strategist, Ernst Media). I’m not sure if he had a team supporting him.

How did you come to work with Ernst Media?

I searched Upwork for a company that had experience with both Google Ad Words and Ad Grants because of the rules and limitations imposed on Ad Grants accounts. I narrowed down my options based on resumes and letters of intent that I had received. After interviewing the remaining candidates, I decided to go with Ernst Media because they had the most relevant experience and Evan's strong marketing background.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent $900 to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in July 2018 and the project is on pause now while we work on re-doing the landing page for our product.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Prior to working with Ernst Media, our website had 700–800 visitors a month, but now we’re close to 4,000 visitors a month. We definitely increased the number of people that go to the website, but we weren’t necessarily increasing sales, which is why we are now shifting directions to focus on the landing page.

Google gives non-profits a monthly budget of $10,000 as part of their Ad Grants program to spend on advertising. However, even after going to several Google help sessions, and speaking to help desk specialists, I wasn’t able to spend more than $500–$600 a month because the ads weren’t appearing or being clicked on. It was frustrating to only be spending 10% of our budget. I hired Ernst Media to help me reach the $10,000 monthly spending allowance. Since Ernst Media improved our ads, we now spend roughly $4,100 each month.

How did Ernst Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Evan kept us up to date on the project’s progress, responded to our emails and questions quickly, and kept the project on the established timelines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team we worked with was competent, excellent at communication, and made sure the project stayed on schedule.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The most important thing to remember during this process, regardless of the vendor, is to make sure there is a partnership. Don’t just hand over the project and send them on their way. There were many phone conversations and email between Evan and me making sure that we were on the same page and that the project was going in the right direction.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the creator of Powersbeing, a health and wellness blog.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ernst Media?

I hired Ernst Media to help with a variety of technical and aesthetic issues I was experiencing with my website. These ranged from redesigning the layout and fixing plug-in glitches to general optimization.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted a  sleek, navigable, and visually appealing blog with a responsive design and visible prompts for newsletter subscription. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Because of my inexperience and tight timeline, I needed help immediately. Ernst Media was one of ten Upwork candidates I considered, but their responsiveness, knowledge, and creative ideas for improvement set them apart from the rest. 

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

We began with an overall redesign of the menus, captions, fonts, and pictures. I had already identified some glitches with plug-ins and site backups that Ernst was able to repair expeditiously. They were also responsible for a range of other tasks, all of which they were capable of completing. They even offered additional consulting and bug fixing services to streamline the platform.

What was the team composition?

Though I only had one contact throughout the project, my needs were completely satisfied. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The results far exceeded my expectations. Ernst Media heightened my website’s professionalism and produced a thoughtful design that included several plug-in recommendations for an enhanced user experience. They also improved the overall efficiency and increased the loading speeds. I was delighted with suggestions that I would have never thought of myself and that truly enriched the site. Their work has strengthened my blog’s message for a stronger, clearer impact.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Ernst Media did more than meet my deadlines; they consistently completed tasks ahead of schedule, which was especially appreciated regarding glitch repairs. Their effective communication via email or phone simplified task discussions and facilitated immediate solutions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Proactive, professional, and trustworthy, they went above and beyond to produce fantastic work. 

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I do not see any areas of improvement.