Lean Partners

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Demand Gen Manager of a software company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our product lets you run any procure-to-pay process, and Billy, your AI employee, operates it.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Lean Partners to accomplish?

• Improve paid search ROI
• Improve paid search cost efficiency
• Identify & execute on account-level optimizations

SOLUTION

How did you find Lean Partners?

Referral

Why did you select Lean Partners over others?

• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Lean Partners were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Comprehensive strategy to balance our growing opportunity generation needs – while also testing messaging, positioning, and ERP campaigns   
• Dedicated CSM to run daily keyword analysis, maintenance, bid optimization, and exclusion keywords to further optimize performance
• Advanced persona and buyer stage targeting capabilities
• Platform-level and GA4 reporting/insights
• Creative strategy & testing

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Paid search efficiency improved significantly. Cost per opportunity decreased from an early-2023 average of ~$3.6K to ~$1.9K and remained mostly stable over the next 18 months, while opportunity volume and lead-to-pipeline conversion both increased.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Mostly delivered on time with swift responses and turnaround times, despite the time zone difference. There were some instances where communication via Slack was difficult due to their schedule on certain days, which sometimes made it tough to get deliverables out the door quickly.

What was your primary form of communication with Lean Partners?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The dedicated CSM was only distributed across 3-4 accounts, rather than 10+, which is a major differentiator.

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

• Upfront expectation setting or SLA for response times, which is vital with fast-growth startups that move quickly
• Proactiveness to step outside of just platform-level/GA4 metrics and own HubSpot pipeline reporting as well

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CMO of a retail company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The compamy is an ecom site selling rugs and homegoods.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Lean Partners to accomplish?

• Scale Acquisition
• Improve ROAS

SOLUTION

How did you find Lean Partners?

Previous relationship

Why did you select Lean Partners over others?

Prior expience with them has been 5 star

How many teammates from Lean Partners were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

LEAN was tasked with assessing the current state of the paid media program, recommending a course of action to improve ROAS and scale the program, and implementing it. Key deliverables included a comprehensive audit, a strategic road map, daily and weekly reporting, and attending internal meetings.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

LEAN hit all the assigned targets, from scaling to ROAS improvement.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

LEAN deliverd everything on time - in fact, they were often prompting us for more "action."

They are incredibly responsive, 24/7. In fact, spent many weekend evenings working with them. 

What was your primary form of communication with Lean Partners?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I cannot say enough good things about Lean. They are incredibly smart, very good at what they do, and ethical. They will do the right thing for your account. Always. 

They will integrate with your in-house team seamlessly and produce results. I have hired them 4x and they have never, ever disappointed.

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

Not really. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Manager Performance Marketing of Shippo

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Shipping technology for every business

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire LeanSEM to accomplish?

• Improve Paid Marketing Performance

SOLUTION

How did you find LeanSEM?

Referral

Why did you select LeanSEM over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from LeanSEM were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

LeanSEM was driving our Performance Marketing for over a year. They supported us with all major channels like Google Ads, Bing Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads and more (e.g. Capterra).

They helped drive the strategy, monitoring / reporting, creation of ad creatives and continous optimization.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

They were successful in scaling channels and hitting goals. As a result they managed more and more of our performance marketing budget.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

We worked very closely with them. A shared Slack together with a daily standup made alignment easy. Communication and deliverables were great.

What was your primary form of communication with LeanSEM?

Virtual Meeting

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

LeanSEM really cared about our business success. They did not try to appear "busy" or focused on improving some vanity metric - instead they were constantly thriving to impact our core business metrics and move the needle there.

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

It took us a while to find a good rhythm for Paid Social. Sometimes reporting could be even more action oriented - instead of just presenting data focus on what the data means and what next steps can be derived from it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Performance Marketing Manager of Sophia Learning

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Online education company 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire LeanSEM to accomplish?

• Drive Subscriptions
• Drive Free Trials
• Drive Awareness

SOLUTION

How did you find LeanSEM?

Other

Why did you select LeanSEM over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from LeanSEM were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

LeanSEM is our media advertising agency that supported our online education business. They also provided creative strategy and asset creation as needed along with ongoing media reporting and optimizations. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

+20% YoY growth for our business 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes, the team was always able to meet any deadlines and give us what we asked for in a timely manner. They also worked to adjust work styles when members on our team changed 

What was your primary form of communication with LeanSEM?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The LeanSEM Team was fantastic at building out our agency media plans from scratch. Before them, we had only been running some ads from our internal team. They were able to set us up in various systems, start running on multiple media channels and help us get us from the ground up. They have always extremely cared about our business. 

I don’t think you could find a more affordable agency for the work they provided. From trafficking in an extremely timely manner, getting things live, and providing that support  - You can think of LeanSEM as an extension of your group. They are lovely people and I have enjoyed working with them.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Consumer Marketing of an online learning company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're an online learning platform that delivers impactful and cutting edge tech education, enabling individuals and organizations to unlock their potential.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire LeanSEM to accomplish?

• Scale our paid search and paid social programs within a healthy margin
• Develop a cohesive, full-funnel paid media strategy
• Leverage a/b testing, competitive analysis, and user research to drive insights for positioning, messaging, and creative direction.

SOLUTION

How did you find LeanSEM?

Referral

Why did you select LeanSEM over others?

Good value for cost

How many teammates from LeanSEM were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

LeanSEM is responsible for owning and operating our entire paid media program, from building strategy and quarterly/annual forecasts and budgets to executing day-to-day campaign management, optimization, and testing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• LeanSEM drove $$ in incremental bookings while reducing our marketing margin by %%.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project management is high quality, they feel like a member of our internal team. Very proactive and transparent, and also available to react with high urgency when needed.

What was your primary form of communication with LeanSEM?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

How well they embed with our team and function as a strategic partner, as opposed to an agency that blindly executes. They add a lot of value as a strategic thought partner, and we benefit from the seniority and experience of their team members.

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

Nothing that jumps immediately to mind. Because we've worked with them for a few years, one thing we talk a lot about is to continue to be creative and diversified in our approach and not get too stuck in our existing paradigm.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Monti Kids

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We manufacture and sell educational toys online

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire LeanSEM to accomplish?
Drive ROI positive revenue through paid search & paid social

SOLUTION

How did you find LeanSEM?

Referral

Why did you select LeanSEM over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from LeanSEM were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We hired LeanSEM to become an extension of our marketing team and to lead the strategy, implementation and optimization of all performance marketing efforts across paid search and paid social. Our primary goals for this partnership was to drive profitable revenue through paid channels and create a paid marketing strategy that could scale.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

LeanSEM did an exceptional job at creating new strategies for us that achieved our goals for profitable revenue growth. Within the first 3 months, they were able to deliver positive return on the spend and by the 6th month, they were exceeding our expectations.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The LeanSEM team are some of the best professionals we've worked with. They were effective communicators, proactive problem solvers, and approached the relationship as true partners. We appreciated their ability to see out in front for us and bring us new ideas and solutions to problems we'd not even internalized yet. They were also extremely good in urgent situations. In digital business, the internet "never sleeps" and whenever an issue surfaced, the team were extremely responsive and supportive.

What was your primary form of communication with LeanSEM?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

This team's ability to quickly discern problems and offer solutions, their ability to nimbly pivot, and their creative approach to the partnership made them an invaluable part of the team.

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

LeanSEM rose to every one of our challenges. I can't think of anything they could have done differently.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Marketing & Sales of Tomorrow University of Applied Sciences

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Tomorrow University offers Bachelors, Masters and MBA degrees aligned with the UN’s Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) so people can become change-makers and have a positive impact on the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire LeanSEM to accomplish?

• Scale learner enrolment
• Higher # of SQL
• Lower CAC

SOLUTION

How did you find LeanSEM?

Referral

Why did you select LeanSEM over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from LeanSEM were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

LeanSem serves as an extension of our marketing team, being in charge for our performance campaigns for all of our degree programs. Lean develops and executes the demand generation strategies for our program portfolio in terms of SEA and Social, from market research, to campaign and creative development, to optimization, analysis, reporting and planning.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

better ROAS, higher # of SQL, higher # of enrolled Customers

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Lean is a true extension of Marketing Team and offers great support 24/7. Our partners, and especially our manager Andrej respond immediately and collaborate with us whenever we need it in a timely and prompt manner. I absolutely appreciate Andrejs strategic mindset, his data-driven, realistic & concise approach to performance marketing. I also love Sara, our creative leads, fresh ideas and awesome copy and creative proposals. 
Our Lean Team supports us not only with ongoing campaigns launched by them, but also with existing optimization efforts. They always have an open eye for any request for support, and come up with innovative solutions. They are very very out of the box, open and willing to try new stuff, whatever generates value for our brand. Lean is not like a normal performance marketing agency, and I collaborated with many before, Lean is personal, open eared, part of your team, deeply data driven, and has an honest intent of doing the best work for you, with you. 
Our Team, Andrej, Sara and Jovana, are really experienced, and bring assets we do not have internally. They are highly proactive, which is not that common across agencies, and bring new proposals across different channels.Andrej is extremely strategic, and has a broad experience with accounts such as ours, I feel we are in the best hands.

What was your primary form of communication with LeanSEM?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The fact that Lean does not feel like an agency, Lean feels part of the in-house team. And the fact that the team is very senior.

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

No, not atm.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Director of Digital Marketing of a software company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

B2B SaaS

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire LeanSEM to accomplish?

• Improve MQL quality
• Create reports and distribute actionable insights
• Increase MQL volume

SOLUTION

How did you find LeanSEM?

Referral

Why did you select LeanSEM over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from LeanSEM were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Manage and optimize all PPC programs, including create complete advertising assets (display ads) to launch new campaigns. Also create, as spec'ed, detailed reporting to identify actionable insights for continued optimization

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Improved quantity and quality of leads for the business, as well as data to help continuously improve our programs.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

like a true extension of our team, they are very quick with their responses and are always thorough in all that they do. very strategic mindset to help us deliver on the results we were looking for. each team member we worked with came with tons of experience and felt like we were working with very seasoned experts in their respective domain.

What was your primary form of communication with LeanSEM?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

their responsiveness to inquiries/messages/emails. their expertise in all things digital marketing, and their strategic recommendations for growth beyond the tactical PPC work.

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

none that i can think of

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Performance Marketing Manager of Outschool

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We spark kids' curiosity with interactive online classes, connecting them with passionate teachers in a world of learning that's both fun and educational.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire LeanSEM to accomplish?

• Setup, optimize and scale our Google Ads account

SOLUTION

How did you find LeanSEM?

Online Search

Why did you select LeanSEM over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from LeanSEM were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Outschool collaborated with the agency LeanSEM, leveraging their expertise to set up, manage, and scale its Google Ads account effectively. The partnership was marked by full-fledged support from LeanSEM's team of friendly and like-minded professionals, including Gabriela, Irma, Nenad, and Stefan. 
This team played a crucial role in providing Outschool with continuous creative iterations, comprehensive campaign optimization, and detailed analytical insights. Their efforts were aimed at helping Outschool meet its CAC objectives, all while managing a significant monthly investment, ensuring the advertising strategy was both efficient and scalable.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The measurable outcomes from the project between Outschool and LeanSEM that demonstrate progress or success could include: Reduction in CAC, Customer Acquisition Cost: A significant decrease in CAC would indicate that the campaigns were optimized effectively to attract more customers at a lower cost. 

• Increase in Conversion Rates: Higher conversion rates from the Google Ads campaigns would show that the targeted ads were reaching the right audience and effectively persuading them to take action. 
• Growth in Customer Base: An increase in the number of new customers acquired through the Google Ads campaigns would demonstrate the effectiveness of the advertising strategies and market reach. ROI Improvement: An improved return on investment (ROI) from the Google Ads campaigns would indicate that the financial resources invested in advertising were generating more revenue. 
• Enhanced Campaign Performance Metrics: Improved metrics such as click-through rate (CTR), quality score, and ad engagement would show that the ad content was relevant and appealing to the target audience. 
• Achievement of Predefined KPIs: Meeting or exceeding the key performance indicators (KPIs) set at the beginning of the project would be a clear sign of success and progress. 
• Market Expansion: If the campaign goals included market expansion, success in entering new markets or demographics as a result of the Google Ads campaigns would be a significant outcome. These outcomes, among others, would be quantifiable indicators of the success and progress of the collaboration between Outschool and LeanSEM in managing and optimizing their Google Ads account.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The following characteristics were evident in their project management: 

• Timely Delivery: The agency adhered to a structured timeline, delivering milestones and project components on or ahead of schedule, demonstrating efficient time management and reliability. 
• Responsiveness to Needs: LeanSEM showed a high level of responsiveness to Outschool's needs, adapting strategies and tactics based on feedback and changing objectives to ensure the project’s success. 
• Communication: Effective and regular communication was a key aspect of their project management, with clear updates, reports, and meetings to keep Outschool informed of progress and to discuss any adjustments needed. 
• Problem-Solving: They demonstrated strong problem-solving skills, quickly addressing any issues that arose during the project to minimize delays and impact on the overall goals. 
• Collaboration and Teamwork: The project was marked by strong collaboration and teamwork, with LeanSEM working closely with Outschool to understand their business goals and tailor their approach accordingly. These aspects underscored the successful project management approach that LeanSEM brought to the partnership with Outschool.

What was your primary form of communication with LeanSEM?

Virtual Meeting

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

What stands out as impressive or unique about LeanSEM in their collaboration with Outschool is their ability to provide full-scale support while fostering a team environment with friendly and like-minded individuals. Their approach to handling high monthly investments with meticulous attention to creative iteration, campaign optimization, and deep analysis to meet specific CAC goals indicates a high level of expertise and commitment. 
Their team, including professionals like Gabriela, Irma, Nenad, and Stefan, exemplifies a unique blend of technical skill and personal engagement, which likely contributed to the success of the project. The personalized and hands-on approach, combined with their ability to scale and optimize Google Ads campaigns effectively, set LeanSEM apart as a company that not only meets but potentially exceeds client expectations in digital advertising.

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

We had a great experience with LeanSEM, and nothing outstanding can be pointed out as areas for improvement. But given the recent acceleration in technology, it's suggested that the agency maintain a Technology Integration: Exploring and integrating new technologies (e,g., AI) and platforms for better campaign management and tracking could enhance efficiency and outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founding Partner of Sales Talent Agency

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Sales and Go-to-Market Recruitment from c-level to front line

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Lean Partners to accomplish?

• Help us better understand our lead flow
• Optimize our search parameters to avoid low-value leads
• Explore the potential of our spend ability

SOLUTION

How did you find Lean Partners?

Referral

Why did you select Lean Partners over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Lean Partners were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The Lean team, headed for our project by Ivana, reviewed our SEM strategy along with website hot spots to help optimize our marketing spend

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Biggest outcome was understanding our spend limitations on Google paid search

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Ivana was always on top of the project and proactively looking for improvements

What was your primary form of communication with Lean Partners?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their commitment to our company goals was impressive, even if it meant a shorter-term engagement

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

None