Marketing Outpost

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Carolina Blinds, a retail window coverings company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Marketing Outpost?

Our company has been in business for 30 years, and we didn’t think too much about our website and our marketing when we first started. Back then, we used other means of advertising such as newspapers and yellow pages. But as times changed, so did advertising. We realized that we needed someone who could take care of our advertising and marketing initiatives for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Marketing Outpost developed a website with an interactive virtual showroom. We worked very closely with them to help them understand what we were looking for, and they provided us with different options in terms of the site’s layout and design. They’re now in charge of maintaining the site and making sure that it stays relevant and up to date.

Marketing Outpost also handles our overall marketing and advertising initiatives. They manage our social media channels, which involves creating content, setting a posting schedule, and interacting with our customers and followers. Additionally, they create marketing collateral such as business cards and brochures and take care of our billboard and magazine advertisements.

What is the team composition?

I work with Mari (Owner & Founder) and her assistant.

How did you come to work with Marketing Outpost?

Mari was a customer of mine originally. She told me about her business and let me know what she could do for me. They seemed like a good fit for what I needed, so I decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $15,000 in total so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Marketing Outpost’s advertising efforts have been incredibly effective — we’ve had record sales over the past three years, and we’ve seen significant increases in our site traffic, lead volume, and social media engagement. I also constantly receive positive comments about our website and the marketing collateral that they’ve created.

How did Marketing Outpost perform from a project management standpoint?

Marketing Outpost has performed excellently in terms of project management. They’ve delivered everything on time and within budget, and they regularly follow up with us to make sure that we’re on the same page and that we’re aware of what they’re doing. We also have regular meetings to make sure that we’re prepared for upcoming events or sales.

We primarily communicate through phone calls and text messages. We also meet every month or two in person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re really impressed with Marketing Outpost’s commitment to understanding how we operate as a business, what we provide, and what our goals are. They have a creative approach to advertising and they really make an effort to deliver materials that match our branding and offerings.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an associate broker with RE/MAX Town and Country, which is based in Clayton, Georgia. We have a boutique market consisting mostly of vacation homes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Marketing Outpost?

We engaged Marketing Outpost to help with the typical issues that come with boutique marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Marketing Outpost provides us with full-service marketing services. They look after our print media, including our billboards and other outdoor advertising. Their team also manages our radio advertisements and other promotional items.

Prior to these marketing activities, Marketing Outpost did a complete analysis of my business and of all our existing advertising outlets. They didn’t do this for a particular service; they simply looked into the possibility of forming new relationships out there. 

What is the team composition?

There are four people on the market analysis team.

How did you come to work with Marketing Outpost?

I was using a creative agency out in Colorado, but I was no longer able to meet with them in person and stay involved in the activities. I started looking for an agency that was closer to home — someone whom I could connect with on a more personal level. 

I was happy to find Marketing Outpost through social media. Besides having tiered programs and in-house services that are hard to find anywhere else, they’re also based in Asheville, North Carolina, which is only an hour and a half from my office. That’s why I decided to go with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

The cost so far is $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around January 2021. The work we’ve done is coming together into its final phases, and we’ll continue on.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results of our work are hard to measure at the moment since we’re a bit of a seasonal business; I’ll be able to get more numbers in the coming year. We have, however, received positive feedback from our small community of 50,000 residents. I’ve gotten really good comments through text messages and small social interactions around town. 

In over 16 years of doing this, I’ve learned how people notice an advertisement, and I can tell that people have really taken note of our new billboards and printed ads. I was initially a little timid about Marketing Outpost’s approach, which was more thoughtful and in-your-face than any of the approaches that I’ve done with other marketing companies. 

How did Marketing Outpost perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m super impressed with how they communicate and track things. They set up tasks and alerts for me on Monday.com. I’m really happy with the app because messages, calls, and emails can be tough to track. With this setup, I’m instantly alerted on tasks that I need to do right away. It makes the sharing of listings, facts about houses, and other material easy to deal with. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing about Marketing Outpost is their attentiveness and ability to be physically there with me. They’re on-site, accessible, and able to do exactly what I ask for. I don’t know of a lot of companies that will happily meet with me in Clayton and provide their services here. In the past years, I’ve had to go out of state to get that level of professionalism.

It seems that a lot of providers in the service industry are very scattered and smothered right now, but Marketing Outpost is just absolutely put together, consistent, and responsive. That’s really what makes the difference to me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing for them to improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend that you set up an interview with the team. It’s a thoughtful approach, for you, since you have to determine whether they’re a good fit, and for Marketing Outpost, since they’re selective about their clients.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Vice President of Team Billy Taylor Real Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. I have a background in Marketing/Advertising and Public Relations. Billy Taylor is a real estate developer. Team Billy Taylor sells land, residential homes, and commercial property.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were launching a new campaign to market several subdivisions and needed an encompassing platform to track a digital advertising campaign and a client relationship management platform for the sales team. Our goals were to track sales and leads from our marketing efforts.

SOLUTION

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

We've had a long term personal relationship with Mari and value her skills, talents, and abilities.

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

We started with competitive research, the planning and development, then coordination and implementation, and then through launch and tracking.

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

We working with Mari and her team and our outside vendors for technology/platform creation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our constant lead generation and the ROI has been very successful and we are continuing to add subdivisions to the custom created platform.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had zoom and phone meetings regularly as needed and monthly. As well as super responsive email communication.

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

I admire their creativity and knowledge of all things marketing.

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

The team at Marketing Outpost is perfect and you should call them right now!