Firebelly Marketing

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing coordinator at Whish Beauty, an all-natural skin and body care line.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We needed help with digital marketing. Just the owner of the company and I were doing our marketing activities, and we were struggling to create high-quality content. I was responsible for finding and managing influencers, and doing so was very time-consuming.

We had tried a couple of different platforms to identify influencers, but this wasn’t as effective as reaching out in-person and finding the people that fit our brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Firebelly Marketing manages our social media platforms. They oversee our Facebook ads and help us navigate influencer marketing. The team also creates and maintains our content.

What is the team composition?

I only work directly with Taylor (Social Media & Influencer Marketing Manager, Firebelly Marketing). Once in awhile, Duncan (Founder, Firebelly Marketing) joins a call.

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

The owner of my company found them, but I’m not sure how.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Firebelly Marketing has helped us to grow our following, engagement, and social media reach. We’ve seen a considerable shift aesthetically. The content is of a much higher quality than what we were producing internally. We also have a steady stream of influencers.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate daily. Taylor uses a platform to pull statistics, which we go over during weekly calls. We go through our social media and determine whether an influencer is someone we want to pursue or not. If we give Taylor the go-ahead, she has influencers sign contracts. Taylor serves as the middle-man, and she keeps everyone on task.

If we’re not on a call, we’re definitely emailing. The team meets deadlines. I can always get ahold of them; they’re super consistent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Other companies I’ve worked with haven’t been as transparent as Firebelly Marketing. We talk every day, and we’re super open and honest with each other about what we’re looking for, what we need, and what we like or don’t like. Our partnership is more like a friendship; I trust Taylor, and she trusts my judgment.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have no complaints. There isn’t a single thing that they could do better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As long as you’re open and honest about what you’re looking for, Firebelly Marketing can definitely deliver it. Everything we’ve asked for, they’ve delivered.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president of the retail chain, Jack’s Pizza.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We needed somebody to manage our social media, generate our content, and expand our digital audience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Firebelly Marketing walked us through the process of finding our voice and presenting ourselves digitally. Now, they manage our social media accounts, including Facebook and Instagram. My team provides them with photographs of our locations, our pizzas, and our employees. Firebelly Marketing uses these photos in the content that they create for our social media posts.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Lauren (Senior Social Media Manager, Firebelly Marketing). She manages all of our social media interactions. We also work with Duncan (CEO and Strategist, Firebelly Marketing) on various projects. Both of them have been fantastic.

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

I Googled social media management agencies in the Indianapolis area. I spoke with two companies, and Firebelly Marketing seemed to know what they were talking about. When we met in person, I could tell they were going to be a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent $52,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in May 2017, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we hired Firebelly Marketing, we had around 3,000 followers on our Facebook page; now, we’re approaching 10,000. We also didn’t have an Instagram before working with them, and they’ve helped us establish an Instagram presence. Having such active social media gives customers a way to interact with us. Firebelly Marketing’s work has been very beneficial to our company.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Firebelly Marketing is excellent in this regard. They often sit down with us to garner a clear understanding of what our goals are, the direction we want to move in, and how quickly we want to do so. We have a lot of meetings to touch base. Our teams primarily communicate via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Firebelly Marketing truly listens to the voice that we want to create, and they make it happen for us. They’re friendly and follow through on their promises. Their desire to form a personal connection is what distinguishes them. They want to have face-to-face meetings, rather than just emailing, calling, or text messaging. We feel valued as one of their clients, and that goes a long way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so. We’ve been very happy with Firebelly Marketing for the last two years. I’ve asked around my office, and all of my team members are thrilled with their work. There’s nothing they could do differently.

Any advice for potential customers?

To get the most out of working with them, tell them exactly what you want. Firebelly Marketing wants to hear you and help you reach your goals. Be willing to collaborate with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a beverage analytics firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We needed to clarify our message and brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Firebelly Marketing developed a clear pitch about what we did and why we were relevant. Then, they created compelling use cases in visual format using text, still imagery, and video. The team created a social media presence on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube to reach our target influencers. Finally, Firebelly Marketing created a series of pub tracks that fed a content calendar.

What is the team composition?

Duncan (CEO and Strategist, Firebelly Marketing) was our main point of contact. We worked with 3–4 other Firebelly Marketing team members.

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

Firebelly Marketing responded to an RFP. Their proposal seemed more substantial than the other ones we received.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $250,000–$350,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

My company started working with Firebelly Marketing in late 2012 and continued the engagement for nearly four years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Once Firebelly helped us articulate our value to our target market, we were able to streamline our sales process quickly. They effectively generated new business and marketed qualified leads.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Their deliverables were on point. One of the greatest values of their work was that they simplified our processes. Firebelly Marketing did exactly what they said they would. They provided weekly project reports via email. We had standing conference call team meetings, and we met bi-monthly face-to-face. The team was always available.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Firebelly Marketing had a demonstrable understanding of strategy. They linked the overall strategy to the context of our business and our social influence. They had a structured approach that was as much science as it was art.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were definitive in their approach, but they could’ve pushed back more on their convictions. Sometimes, we disagreed with their way of thinking, and I wish they had resisted more. They were the professional marketers, not us.

Any advice for potential customers?

Know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish. If you can’t articulate this to yourself, you’re going to struggle to articulate it to them. Before reaching out to an agency, your internal team should know why you want this work done and how you’re going to measure success. Then, be prepared for Firebelly Marketing to take a different approach than yours. Keep your bias in check.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was a digital marketing director for Finance of America Reverse.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We wanted to reach people 62 years of age and older, educate them about reverse mortgages, and ultimately sell them our products. However, there were many misconceptions about this demographic, such as that they weren’t on social media and only used desktop computers. Also, we needed to meet stringent compliance guidelines.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Firebelly Marketing led audience growth and channel management. They also did some lead aggregation and content creation. They made sure third-party content and all of my team’s content met the compliance guidelines, then executed all of this throughout the three social media channels. They did reporting and analytics.

What is the team composition?

Duncan (CEO and Strategist, Firebelly Marketing) was our main point of contact. Chad (VP, Social Media Services, Firebelly Marketing) oversaw channel management. We also worked with 1–2 part time project managers.

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

I've known Duncan for a long time. Firebelly Marketing is a staple social media marketing agency in Indianapolis and the greater Midwest.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent $160,000–$180,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project took place in January–December 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve learned a considerable amount about the behavior of the 62+ age demographic on social media. For instance, we discovered that most seniors use mobile devices to engage in social media. Because of Firebelly Marketing, we found a lot of success in growing our audience and understanding them.

Earlier this year, I attended a major industry presentation about this very topic, which I already knew about through my work with Firebelly Marketing. They were a step ahead of an industry leader.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly meetings, often in-person, and communicated via email. Any challenges were due to our highly regulated industry, not Firebelly Marketing’s performance. I’m sure Firebelly Marketing is quite skilled at things like influencer marketing and out-of-the-box content creation, but we couldn’t use such services. However, they accomplished exactly what we expected from them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their channel management stood out to me. They created a content and social media calendar each month. Because we’re in such a compliance-driven industry, Chad had to have every calendar and all content approved by a busy internal legal team that did not prioritize our social media agenda. Firebelly Marketing navigated these time and content restraints well. They were very skilled at executing content and then reporting on the results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This is a more general challenge and not necessarily something Firebelly Marketing can improve upon, but it’s hard to connect revenue directly to social media.

Any advice for potential customers?

I’ve found that it can be challenging to decipher an agency’s strengths. Social media encompasses many attributes, including content development, channel management, reporting and analytics, and paid media and influencer media. Most agencies are stronger in a couple of these areas, but not all of them. It’s important to align your organization’s objectives with the agency’s strengths. However, Firebelly Marketing seemed to be strong in all of those areas.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Toula Inc. manages a number of women's apparel brands, including Misook and Ming Wang Knits. As the marketing director, I oversee the branding and creative marketing strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Firebelly Marketing?

We did not have the internal bandwidth or expertise to keep pace with our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts, so we hired Firebelly to manage daily organic social marketing for both Misook and Ming Wang. We also needed assistance in planning our social marketing calendars.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to maintain a consistent social presence across all platforms. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We considered six different companies. During the selection process, we assigned each vendor “test” social media posts, which we then compared along with their cost. 

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Firebelly was responsible for a host of tasks, including: reformatting our existing editorial and e-commerce imagery for social media; producing copy for all of our social media posts, including relevant hashtags; creating Bitly links; tagging products to our website to stream the customer shopping experience; and providing monthly snapshot reports for various metrics.

They also planned monthly content calendars for both brands based on product availability. We provided our monthly brand initiatives and product offerings, and Firebelly scheduled content posts and responded to customer messages and comments.

What was the team composition?

A social media and influencer manager served as our primary point of contact and was responsible for the entire scope for the duration of the project. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since engaging Firebelly, audience growth, brand visibility, and engagement have increased across all of our social media platforms.

In the retail industry, we face regular issues with inventory and stock, such as when a product sells out. Not only did Firebelly meet all deadlines, but they remained cognizant of our product availability, ensuring the item was in stock before posting any content.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Firebelly had a great project management flow. They responded quickly to all communication, which as conducted via email and worked well for us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were collaborative, positive, and easy to work with, and our expectations were met consistently time and again. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were satisfied with our partnership with Firebelly and have no improvement suggestions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I serve as the head of marketing and e-commerce for a snacks manufacturing company. We sell products in traditional retail, our own branded site, and other e-commerce channels.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Firebelly Marketing?

We needed a partner to manage our social media accounts as well as deploying our Facebook and Instagram ad spend.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a strong brand presence on social media, increase engagement and reach, and increase awareness of the brand.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were selected before I joined the company.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Firebelly Marketing manages the day-to-day posting, scheduling, and comment monitoring of our social channels. They also manage our paid social budget and deploy ads.

What was the team composition?

We have a main point of contact who handles all of our communication.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a much tighter brand presence on our channels, which has allowed us to experiment with new targets and audiences. Firebelly Marketing has found some success in playing with new ad formats.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow is quite effective. Their team is organized and communication is good. Our main point of contact is very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re efficient and will not hesitate to go the extra step for their clients.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They could be more proactive about new tools coming to market, but that is a small nit.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the director of marketing for an online company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We had a Facebook page that we used to target our small business customers. We hired Firebelly Marketing to increase our engagement on the platform and generate leads.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Firebelly Marketing created a Facebook advertising strategy to help us sell small business products.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Chad (CEO and Strategist, Firebelly Marketing) and Duncan (VP, Social Media Services, Firebelly Marketing).

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

We received a reference from one of their previous clients. Additionally, I had met Duncan at a conference was very impressed by his knowledge.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $30,000–$36,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March 2011–March 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The number of Facebook followers increased from fewer than 1,000 to more than 10,000 within a couple of months. We achieved ROI because they were ahead of the social media game.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

The reports and metrics positively impacted our business. Likewise, we readily gained insight into the different aspects of our company. We communicated via video conferences and 1–2 annual in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They had a forward-looking approach. During conversations, the team tied everything back to the business. As a result, we did not overspend or do ineffective vanity campaigns.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be a larger organization, but Firebelly Marketing did do right by their customers by not expanding too quickly. They were conservative with growth, which enabled them to provide quality service to their existing clients.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’ve already recommended them to several people looking for an integral marketing partner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the marketing director at NW Rugs & Furniture, managing all digital aspects of our business. We have retail stores all over the West Coast, and we mostly focus on rugs, but furniture is becoming a staple of our business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Firebelly Marketing?

Before hiring Firebelly, we lost our internal social media marketing team. We decided to go with an outside agency with more expertise.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase audience growth and sales on social media platforms. We also wanted to engage with our current community and drive more traffic.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I researched online and interviewed about five agencies. The strategy Firebelly presented felt perfect for the company.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Firebelly ran our entire social media strategy. The strategy relied mainly on Facebook advertising, but their team also managed daily activities on Twitter and Pinterest and performed a little Instagram advertising.

They devised a monthly post plan for Facebook based on answers to questions they supplied. Those questions were based on promotions, events, and other information that could be crafted in a post. Firebelly devised a calendar, and I reviewed it in detail. During that planning stage, we also examined the advertising campaign, approving new images and confirming budgets.

What was the team composition?

Lauren (Social Media Manager, Firebelly Marketing) was my main point of contact.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We achieved continuous audience growth throughout the entire campaign. We never experienced a bad month while working with Firebelly. Traffic fluctuated, but we were happy with the amount. We never had a significant sales volume or ROI during our time with Firebelly. This doesn’t fall squarely on their team though; the rug game is tough, prices are high, and competitors are everywhere. We recently decreased our social media marketing presence.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Lauren performed all aspects of executing the strategy. She resolved conflicts, skilled at social media marketing, and put in extra effort when we had special requests. As a small business, sometimes our timelines are blurred, but Lauren worked around those obstacles. I was involved in the process and always knew what their team was trying to achieve.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Lauren was the piece of the puzzle that kept us together. I also felt the pricing was right for a small business.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Make paying online easier. Most companies allow payment through a specific link, but we communicated with their accounting guy on every transaction. It was burdensome, but not a deal breaker.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing manager for Bozzuto Management Company. We specialize in creating extraordinary experiences for our multifamily, nationwide properties. I focus on our Pennsylvania and Baltimore communities.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We brought Firebelly Marketing onboard to assist our communities with social media marketing (SMM) and content creation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Firebelly Marketing creates a monthly content calendar for us, which contains 30–31 days of material for each property. Once each property manager approves the materials, Firebelly Marketing's team posts on our social media accounts. Along with these SMM efforts on Facebook and Instagram, they develop social media advertisements and compose blogs. For the blog content, Firebelly Marketing works with each property’s team to create local, relevant material, ranging from restaurant reviews to holiday events. Their team also boosts certain content to increase reach.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact is Duncan (Founder, Firebelly Marketing) and he assigns social media marketing managers to each property.

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

Bozzuto started working Firebelly Marketing before I joined, so I’m unsure.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in July 2014. As our company has expanded into new markets, we’ve grown our relationship with them to engage more prospective and current residents.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Firebelly Marketing’s efforts assist us in achieving our budget and occupancy goals. We can measure our success in the monthly reports their team provides, and we can see the value this engagement has had through tracking in Google Analytics. The properties that use Firebelly Marketing typically achieve higher traffic to their websites compared to others. They've elevated out overall property brand by producing creative and engaging content for us. Thanks to their work, those using their services now have a defined and consistent voice on social media. 

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Firebelly Marketing has done a wonderful job handling each project we give them. Every month, they provide us with a detailed report on engagement levels reached and recommendations for the next period. They’ve are heavily involved in the marketing strategy and have developed a personalized structure for this service—one that is valued across the board within our company. They are proactive and contact each team weekly to review the content.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their detailed reports and capable execution of our plans is highly valuable to our company. They create strong, accurate content with little oversight or direction from us. Additionally, they’re able to produce quality work on short notice and take the initiative in each project. I can trust that Firebelly will execute work within our brand guidelines in an efficient manner. I'm constantly impressed by their high level of customer service and the ability to coordinate on a rotating basis. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve worked with Firebelly Marketing for over four years, and have been consistently impressed by their ability to cater to our ever-changing needs. At this time, I don't feel there is anything they could improve on— I'd rate them five stars so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trusting their judgment is key, and you should provide as much information on your product as possible. Firebelly Marketing is an expert in the SMM field and they know how to make your content and ads be effective. Once you provide them with your information, they'll give you insight and recommendations for your project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations for CMR Restaurants. We’re a restaurant company that operates four Ponderosa Steakhouses and two Qdoba locations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We were getting into the social media aspect of the business but no one within our company had the knowledge or means to be able to handle it effectively.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We partnered up with them and they’ve handled the social media aspect of our business since then, including our monthly content calendar. We have monthly communication about what have coming up, then they put the calendar together and submit it to us for review. We give the okay or ask them to make any adjustments. They’ll look up special event days like National Cheeseburger Day and try to tie those into our business.

They develop content and posts for our Facebook and a little for Twitter. We provide them with information about upcoming events, and they source some pictures, while others are provided by us. They also create contests for us. They’re also the first line of contact for the guests any time they contact us through Facebook; they’re the voice of the company. We hear back from them if there’s anything we need to get involved in more intensively.

What is the team composition?

Our main contact has been Chris (Senior Social Media Manager, Firebelly Marketing) for a long time. In the last couple of months, it became Lauren (Social Media Manager, Firebelly Marketing).

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

I don’t know how we started working with them. The president of our company probably found them and initiated the relationship.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2008 and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a lot of customers interacting with us. We see them in the restaurants and they’ll make comments to us about their Facebook interactions. We’ll occasionally have guests reach out to us with concerns and due to Firebelly, we’re able to execute recovery options with those guests and keep them on board.

We get a monthly report that recaps our highest performing posts, levels of engagement, and community size. We’re really happy with the size of our communities. Our central Indiana page has close to 12,000 followers and all our other pages are in the 3,000–5,000 range. I’m happy with that compared to the statistics that we hear from other Ponderosa and Qdoba pages.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

They do really well. They’re always on top of any requests and anything we need.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re always aware of industry trends, any changes within Facebook, and how to best capitalize on our dollar use. There are times where they say they’re spending the time to push ads but it’s not giving us a whole lot, so they’ll suggest where to spend the money instead.

They take a lot of individual pride in the account. They’re not okay with status quo, they’re always looking to make it a little better and not stick with something just because it worked in the past.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’re pretty happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to communicate with them; be involved and responsive. They take the ball and run, enabling them to present a lot of great options. Firebelly seems to be more active than agencies that other companies have used.