LYFE Marketing

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the building manager for a large commercial builder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Lyfe Marketing managed and grew our social media presence. This included daily posts, interaction with prospective tenants, and updates about building events.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to find potential clients for our building and give it a great online appearance.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had met the owners through mutual business contacts.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Lyfe Marketing would update our social media on a daily basis and communicate with potential leads. They would then send our in-house leasing staff leads for the business.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager who handled all elements of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We obtained several leads through social media. I was excited to have an additional channel to grow the real estate business without having to hire internally for the position. This definitely helped increase our revenue.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Once they were up to speed on our needs, communication and workflow were pretty seamless. They updated me weekly and reached out via email with any very specific questions potential clients were asking.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were consistent with their work. I think that is key when working with anyone. Some firms come out of the gate strong and slowly fizzle as months go on. Lyfe continued its strong performance.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. I am a happy client.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership is an international nonprofit organization. Our mission is “to advance the awareness, understanding, and practice of servant leadership by individuals and organizations.” As the operations coordinator, I’m in charge of many tasks. In this instance, I focused on marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired LYFE Marketing to redesign our website and produce four high caliber email newsletters per month.  

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to use email newsletters to engage our current members and acquire new ones from our warm email list. The website redesign aimed to facilitate a better UX and goal-oriented focus.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My team and I researched and contacted many companies. I ultimately chose LYFE Marketing due to their fair pricing and contracts, knowledgeable sales team, and positive reviews.

Rather than treating me as just another new client, they genuinely listened to my pain points. They helped me choose services that would bolster the most business growth instead of encouraging me to sign up for ones I don’t need.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Soon after signing on, they sent us a questionnaire to fill out. My director and I met with their staff per service to conduct an onboarding call. We made introductions, asked questions, and established an overview of next steps. Just a week later, they sent my deliverables for the email newsletters. As is reasonable, I had a few edits which they gladly changed. They’ve continued to build on my vision since we’ve worked together for over a year.

For our website redesign, we outlined the scope in the initial questionnaire and refined the design during the onboarding call. They completed my homepage first and then executed on the rest of the site after I gave approval. LYFE Marketing helpfully discerned the best ways to give our website a competitive edge. They adeptly identified the most useful plugins, layout, and copy to include.

What was the team composition?

They assigned us a specific team lead for each service to work with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I saw an immediate improvement after starting the email marketing campaigns. My open rates and click-through rates increased overnight. LYFE Marketing created a caliber of content and design that our organization simply couldn’t match it in-house. 

After launching the newly redesigned website, we also saw a marked increase in click-through rates to our membership page. Our bounce rates have improved as well. A good number of members have emailed us about how much they appreciated the new site. They’ve praised how easy it is to find what they need, which was our number one goal.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They always made themselves available to us and provided constant new content and frequent updates. We value them as a trusted resource. LYFE Marketing even offered digital marketing recommendations outside the scope. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciated their vast knowledge of digital marketing as a whole. They took a holistic view rather than limiting our project to just the services I signed up for. I regularly came to them with questions about optimizing work we had in progress. 

They assisted a few efforts I was conducting internally, as well. I much appreciated how responsive they were via email. They always made an effort to ensure I understood everything they did.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No agency is perfect. When there were hiccups in the campaign, though, LYFE Marketing took ownership and made a solid game plan to fix it

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own a CPA firm that offers accounting, bookkeeping, and financial services to small businesses and high-income individuals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We have traditionally acquired our clients through word-of-mouth. We hired LYFE Marketing to grow our business through digital marketing. They have redesigned our website, optimized it for SEO, and launched a social media marketing campaign.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main goal was to increase leads for our business.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred to LYFE Marketing by a friend who is currently their client. We interviewed a few other agencies, but LYFE Marketing was the best option for us.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The overall scope of work aims to increase leads and build awareness of our CPA firm in the local market. LYFE Marketing develops strategies to help us reach our market. Their graphic designers and copywriters produce content that educates our audience about our services. 

What was the team composition?

Our primary contact is our account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With heavy online advertising during tax season, they have helped us increase traffic and leads by over 400%. Social media engagement is up 1145%. We have built a strong follower base.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We schedule monthly calls. However, they're flexible and accessible if we need to talk about the campaign during the month.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most impressive thing about this company is their ability to generate results. When we worked with other firms in the past, we couldn't generate any favorable outcomes. LYFE Marketing caught on to our business quickly. Their consistency and proactivity results in more sales.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a real estate company that helps people buy and sell homes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired LYFE to provide weekly email marketing services to clients in our database.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to better sustain our relationship with clients in order to increase client awareness.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them via a google search for a "local digital marketing company".

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

LYFE was hired to help with our email marketing and Facebook PPC ads.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a digital marketing manager, social media manager and other team members. LYFE had some internal turnover during the short period we worked together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We didn't see any positive results. When I asked for my money back, they refused and called it "services rendered". I feel swindled and very disappointed.  

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their project management was poor. Most notably, the team promised bi-weekly meetings which they never scheduled or even followed up about.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I found their work unimpressive and think that—of the hundreds of other digital marketing companies—this is one I would rather have avoided working with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would recommend they work more meticulously when forming email marketing campaigns, particulary when it comes to something as simple as spelling.

Company Responses

This comment was provided by Sherman Standberry, COO and Co-founder of LYFE Marketing, on June 18, 2018. 

We are sorry to hear about the referenced experienced. Within 60 days, we cut this client's acquisition costs in half through Facebook ads and they received over 30+ conversions within 60 days. There were minor errors that were detected in advanced and did not affect the overall status of this campaign. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CEO of Generation Genius, a startup that produces captivating science videos for children.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LYFE Marketing?

As a two-month-old startup, our online presence was nonexistent. We supposed it would be beneficial to partner with a social media management firm who could strategically use our thrilling video content to build up our brand’s awareness.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The objectives were to set up our social media profiles, grow our online audience, and post engaging content five days a week. When they created the Instagram account, underscores were awkwardly placed at the beginning and end of our company name, making it impossible for customers to find us on the platform. They always obscured our site name with URL shorteners, so our followers were skeptical of clicking our links.

We spend millions of dollars to produce our videos in Hollywood. Instead of utilizing our high-quality content, they simply post blurry, indecipherable screenshots of the videos. Their other attempt at engaging content included mundane information copied from the FAQ section on our website.

Their marketing strategy entailed following hundreds of accounts with the expectation that a good portion would follow us back. Although this isn’t against the terms of service, it’s not an effective way to generate quality leads for our business. On Pinterest, we’re following 10 times more accounts than we have followers. It’s a similar case for Instagram, but the ratio isn’t as steep.

What is the team dynamic?

I worked with two individuals directly.

How did you come to work with LYFE Marketing?

We found LYFE while reviewing the top-ranking social media firms on a ratings and reviews site. Their reviews led us to believe that they were competent in their industry, so we hired them.  

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $10,000 on their social media marketing.  

What is the status of this engagement?

After a two-week delay, they started working on our accounts in February 2018. The partnership ended in May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

LYFE’s work had no positive impact on our business. We occasionally received two likes or comments on a post, but overall no one interacted with the dull content that they posted. They also failed to target the appropriate audience, so no leads were gained while working with them.

How was project management handled?

They delayed the project for two weeks, which was detrimental to the product launch we planned for March 2018. Red flags regarding their professionalism are present throughout the contract. Clients who exceed two hours of phone discussion per month are subject to additional fees, and those who fail to pay on time will be charged a $250 inconvenience fee.  

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

We never experienced any communication issues with their team.

In what specific areas can they improve?

Social media management is an art skill that their team does not possess. When we expressed our issues with them, they refused to hold accountability. 

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

Their positive reviews should be evaluated with skepticism.

Company Responses

This comment was provided by Sherman Standberry, COO and Co-founder of LYFE Marketing, on May 29, 2018. 

We are sorry to hear about the referenced experience and would like to clarify issues within it. This client signed up for a social media management service, which is a not a service that we recommend to clients seeking leads (although the review disputes leads). This service focused on building brand awareness, followers, and engagement. Regarding strategy, there are many moving pieces to our strategic approach that are not mentioned in this client's review. Regarding delays in launching, the only way there would be a delay in a client's campaign is if they signed their contract late, paid late, or did not provide an element necessary for rendering service to us in a timely manner. Our contracts specify this timeline as well. Regarding communication limits, we do impose phone communication limits because we offer our service on a fixed fee basis (and not hourly or on a % of ad spend like some agencies do). However, email communication is unlimited and clients may schedule weekly or monthly calls at no additional charge as long as it fits within the agreed upon time allotment. This limit was set by what we found to be a consistent average throughout our clientele, and 99% of our clients don't have an issue with this. Overall, this client's business was a startup and was with our agency for less than 3 months. This experience is not reflective of our portfolio, as we have several hundred established clients who have been with our agency for a number of years.
 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder and co-owner of an indoor trampoline park called Flight Factory Entertainment. This facility provides a fun option in a rural city without many attractions. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired LYFE Marketing to kick-start a social media campaign for our new company. We simply wanted to drive awareness of our business in the immediate area. However, we aren’t located in a metropolitan city and didn't have the population size to draw a strong audience.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to market our business six months before opening. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We heard about LYFE Marketing through a mutual friend and kept seeing their customers’ testimonials online. We decided to hire them because of their thorough exploration process and attention to detail in relation to our company. They willing to adopt the identity of our company and represent us in the same way that we'd represent ourselves.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

LYFE Marketing built our website, created our entire Facebook and Instagram marketing strategy, implemented the strategy, and directed our ad expenses within those channels. We provided the funds for the ad expense, and they told us where to spend it; they were right every time!

What was the team composition?

We had one social media coordinator and consistently communicated with the owners of LYFE Marketing, who ensured our needs were being met. We felt like our relationship was important to them. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

LYFE Marketing helped attract over 500,000 visitors to our social media in six months and generated over 7,500 likes. This boosted our sales for the opening month and gave us the strong start we wanted.

Our target market was really engaged in the marketing campaigns, which boosted our business. LYFE Marketing is the only reason that our business succeeded initially. They really exceeded our expectations and surpassed our goals.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They communicated clearly. They always did what they promised and responded quickly to our questions about ongoing services.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was blown away by the level of effort that each person devoted. They really cared about the work they were doing and were truly invested in the results. The team seems to get along well, which created a great experience for us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were extremely pleased with our relationship. I wish they’d posted more for the amount of money we spent. But, we knew and agreed to the amount of posts upfront and were still happy. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of Super Lawn Technologies, which manufactures vehicles designed specifically for lawn and landscape contractors. Our patented Super Lawn Truck system has been adopted by landscaping companies in 44 states and Canada. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what reason(s) did your company hire LYFE Marketing?

We focused on traditional marketing for years, but this approach became less effective over time. We hired LYFE Marketing because we wanted to acquire more leads and customers for our programs at a low cost. After doing some research, we found that Facebook advertising was an inexpensive form of digital advertising with powerful targeting options.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to drive website traffic and generate quality leads. Our products are expensive with a long sales cycle, so we needed to get high-quality leads at a reasonable cost. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did an online search for social media marketing services and found LYFE Marketing. We had several calls over a few weeks before we decided to hire them. During our initial conversations, LYFE Marketing clearly explained the benefits of social media and Facebook advertising, which helped us make a decision.

Describe the project in detail.

We hired LYFE Marketing to manage our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn social media profiles. They posted 7 times a day and managed our Facebook and LinkedIn sponsored ads. I shared our marketing videos with them, reviewed all of the social media posts prior to publication, and joined meetings to discuss the progress. The campaign started slowly, but within a few months, we were impressed with the results.

What was the team composition?

In the beginning, I worked with 2 people primarily: a social media manager who handled our posts and ads and a director who helped guide the overall strategy. Since then, we have added more services to our engagement with LYFE Marketing such as Google Ads and website maintenance, which meant more people were involved in our project.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our revenue grew after using LYFE Marketing’s services from 2015 to 2016. We received a steady flow of website traffic and leads, and our sales team converted those results into customers. We obtained exactly the results we wanted through using a skilled digital marketing company.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our collaboration was easy, and we hosted many conference calls. Once I felt confident that they understood our business and brand, I allowed them to handle all marketing activities without us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their team is incredibly professional and knowledgeable. Our business has dramatically increased lead generation using their services. Sean [Digital Marketing Executive, LYFE Marketing] and Sherman [CFO, LYFE Marketing] are redefining what a highly specialized marketing company can be.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I wouldn't review them if I wasn't totally satisfied. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-owner of a small-town restaurant in Kentucky. We do some deliveries depending on how far away clients are from us.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LYFE Marketing?

We’re fairly new to the environment and were trying to get expand our reach. We didn’t know how to do it, so we looked up social media firms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started the engagement with the management of our Facebook account. We wanted to post pictures regularly but didn’t know exactly what to say in order to attract the attention of college kids. Later on, we added Ad Words search-engine advertising to LYFE Marketing’s list of services.

How did you come to work with LYFE Marketing?

I made a Google search and LYFE Marketing was one of the first results which popped up. I talked to a couple of others, but LYFE seemed to be the friendliest one. Another reason for choosing LYFE Marketing was that they didn’t charge us extra for advertisements.

How much have you invested with LYFE Marketing?

The cost of their services is around $1,000 per month, so the total spend has been a bit over $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with LYFE Marketing around the 4th of July, 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We’ve been working with LYFE Marketing for about a year and have been very happy with the results. College kids are constantly telling us how funny our Facebook posts are. Before working with them, we’d see a couple of people stopping by our restaurant from time to time and we used to go to local college bars and hand out fliers, but that obviously wasn’t doing it.

My husband handles numbers, and he’s been extremely happy with the results. We haven’t lost any money from this.

How did LYFE Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

My husband and I had some personal issues for about a month, and we didn’t have time to call LYFE Marketing and talk about what we wanted to be posted. We told them the situation and they continued to work for us without additional contact and did everything right on top of that. We thought that they would go in a completely different direction, but they did exactly what we wanted when it came to our social media and advertising. It helped us a lot.

Are there any areas LYFE Marketing could improve?

I’ve been very happy with them.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with LYFE Marketing?

In the beginning, their team will ask questions about how the client wants their social media to be seen. I would definitely recommend paying attention to those details, and once that is done, LYFE Marketing will know exactly what you want and bring results from it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a business in Georgia providing all types of massages, including full-body, Thai, and so on. I am the general manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LYFE Marketing?

We wanted to develop our customer base and thought about social media marketing. We were doing well in our city, but we wanted to extend our reach.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LYFE Marketing is helping us manage our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. Starting in 2016, they have also been providing SEO services. They are also managing our website and replying to customer messages. They post on our social media profiles, create fliers, and are responsible for everything else.

We have a meeting every month, during which we discuss our advertising. LYFE Marketing’s team has access to all our accounts, but they get approval from us before doing anything.

How did you come to work with LYFE Marketing?

Sherman Standberry, their cofounder, sent us an email about the business. We found him to be honest, so we had an initial meeting, and decided to onboard LYFE Marketing as our social media team. We have collaborated well so far.

How much have you invested with LYFE Marketing?

The cost of LYFE Marketing’s services is around $1,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with LYFE Marketing in May 2014. The work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We have a landing page in place for customers visiting the store, but the inquiries there are not necessarily equal to the people visiting our location. We receive around 30 leads per month from the site. We have reached top positions in Google search results.

How did LYFE Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

I have been in contact with Sherman [Standberry, COO and co-founder] and his partner. They are very responsible and have a lot of patience. They can provide creative opinions, and have a lot of knowledge on Google search, Instagram, and general social media. They’ve met our deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about LYFE Marketing?

I simply trust their team and have no complaints. Sherman has become a friend, and we talk all the time. I will continue working with LYFE Marketing.

Are there any areas LYFE Marketing could improve?

I don’t have anything at this point.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company does branding, marketing, and strategy. STIRR stands for strategy, tactics, ideation, research, and results. We offer our clients all of that primarily for packaged goods branding. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LYFE Marketing?

I had clients with social media needs, and I provide those services, but I subcontract them. Social media is a specialty. What I do is marketing strategy, and social comes up, of course, as a part of the strategy. If I develop a marketing plan, social and interactive are tied to that, and I'm going to choose an agency that specializes in that, which is how I use LYFE Marketing. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I have worked with LYFE Marketing for at least three of my clients. I recommended LYFE Marketing to one of my clients, and I think they’re still working together. I work in health and beauty aids, so LYFE Marketing worked with two health and beauty aids companies, and then they worked with another customer service company. With one company, they worked directly with that client. With the other two or three, they worked with me, but they were totally responsible for all of the social media. They built two of the three cases from scratch. They took businesses that didn't have any social pages, and they built them some. One of them was a blog with a brand, website, etc. that they built from nothing. In three months, I think they had something like 50,000 followers and visitors. I think the most robust client they worked on was the one I recommended them to, but I don't have those details. That was the largest company, which had existing social; from what the client told me, LYFE Marketing did some nice building of their social pages and website visits, but I don't have those numbers.

With Regrow, LYFE Marketing worked to reface the brand. They gave them totally new packaging and built them a social presence. (They had none, although the brand had been out for probably 7 or 8 years.) I think LYFE worked with Regrow for about 18 months, and then the Regrow guy got sick, and the company closed. I gave Regrow a marketing plan, and they didn't want to spend a lot of money, so I said, “Here’s where you need to spend the money that you're going to spend on the interactive and social.” What LYFE Marketing did was update their look and give them a brand new website. They set up all of their social pages, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. For the monthly programs or promotions that we would execute, I would discuss those with LYFE’s team based on what we wanted to achieve. If we wanted to push a particular product that month—say a shampoo and conditioner or the Regrow product itself, which was formulated for African American hair—we would talk about the product push. LYFE Marketing’s team would come up with some ideas of how to push it through Facebook. They really integrated all of the social efforts. Facebook would integrate with Instagram, and then sometimes Instagram would integrate with Snapchat. LYFE Marketing would create those monthly social executions based on marketing strategy, and we would do monthly recaps with the client, who was always pleased with LYFE Marketing. That’s why I continue to recommend them. Regrow’s new website was developed from scratch and built on an entirely new framework and platform. The website was built either on WordPress or Joomla.

How did you come to work with LYFE Marketing?

I cannot remember who recommended LYFE Marketing to me. What I was looking for was a group of young men or women who were just starting out and understood the landscape better than I did. This was about 8 years ago, and at that point I didn't know much about social. I met with three social media companies, including LYFE Marketing, which had the most infrastructure. The founders are two brothers, and they had a team of people working with them. They had the design elements for all of the creative pieces. Out of the three companies that I met, LYFE Marketing had the best infrastructure. I had the best energy with them, and I thought they were the most hungry, to be honest.

How much have you invested with LYFE Marketing?

I think LYFE’s fee was something like $1,500 a month, and building the website was a separate fee.

What is the status of this engagement?

I think the Regrow project lasted for about a year. I think we started working together in December of 2015, and the project ended around December of 2016. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

I know in the first month with Regrow, LYFE Marketing got something close to 8,000 views driven through Instagram and Facebook, which I thought was phenomenal. Facebook was around 6,000. I thought that was great for the first month for this specialty area. Sometimes, people don't want to address issues like hair loss. But, LYFE Marketing performed phenomenally. Regrow’s following continued to build each month, though not at that rate, of course. To me, that was a good sign. Each month would pick up 1,000 to 1,500 additional views, visits, or followers.

How did LYFE Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

LYFE Marketing is good with project management, which impressed me. They’re young, not that that matters, but they’re also guys, who are not the timeliest or most organized. They were never late for an assignment, ever. I can't ever remember when we were supposed to have something, and they didn't have it ready. They were good on following through.

What did you find most impressive about LYFE Marketing?

I think what LYFE Marketing does particularly well is listening to the client. I work with a lot of social companies, and there’s so much chatter in a room sometimes that I think I'm in the midst of social media. I've worked with two other social media companies, and I think what LYFE does best is listening. They listen, and then they assess. They didn't just say, “Well you need to do this.” I thought that they were good listeners, which led them to be good strategists. Whenever I worked with them, they always delivered what the client wanted.

Are there any areas LYFE Marketing could improve?

No, I don't think there’s anything LYFE Marketing could improve, based on my work with them. I thought their creativity was pretty strong, but they’re not a creative shop. I thought it was appropriate.