Payani Media

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of an organic clothing label for babies and toddlers. I manufacture the products overseas and sell them through an online shop as well as retailers such as Amazon and boutiques.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LookinLA?

I managed marketing initiatives due to my limited budget. This year, however, I decided that I needed help. I sought a marketing agency that could help a small startup reach people and grow sales.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the beginning, I had a discussion with LookinLA given my limited budget. Their team agreed to take over my SEO, Google Ads, and social media ad initiatives.

They initially updated my website, spending a month to improve the UX. Their team changed the buttons’ colors, rearranged elements, and made necessary changes to support better sales.  

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with three people from LookinLA.

How did you come to work with LookinLA?

I found them through an acquaintance who used their services. I interviewed a few marketing companies but chose LookinLA based on their flexibility working with a small budget. Their team was also small and happy to work with a startup.  

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent around $20,000, including ad spend.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with LookinLA in March 2020, and I’m still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since my company’s small, my initial goals are to gain brand awareness and more website clicks. I’m quite happy with LookinLA’s work. They’re driven by numbers, which is great for a small company with a small budget.  However, their team can have trouble explaining quantitative results to someone unfamiliar with crunching numbers. I’m super happy with them overall though.

How did LookinLA perform from a project management standpoint?

As I worked in management consulting for years, I know all about project management. LookinLA had a great business manager. They communicate and manage timelines well. When I send emails, I receive replies within a few hours and know with whom I’m talking. Their team’s honest and direct, which I appreciate. They also create monthly reports.

What did you find most impressive about them?

LookinLA’s quantitative analyses are impressive. Quantitative results are definitely their strong suit. Their hands-on approach is better for a small company because numbers don’t lie. Their team changes audiences and ads month to month to make them better. They look at the smaller aspects.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I like them overall and will keep working with them. However, they’re not the smoothest design team because they’re driven by quantitative results. However, they’re increasing my numbers by a lot.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If you want to collaboratively work on every ad, LookinLA may not be the best partner. This process involves crunching a lot of numbers, so I have to trust them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Educational Testing Institute (ETI). We’re a small business in Massachusetts that does test prep for the state teacher certification exam. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LookinLA?

For the past 20 years, I’ve been working this business part-time and didn’t have the bandwidth to do marketing. It had always passed me by, and digital marketing was especially hard to keep up with when working full-time and supporting a family. As a result, I hired LookinLA to help me build my digital presence and reverse my company’s trajectory.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

LookinLA has provided extensive services — more than I’d originally imagined — to create a digital footprint for my business. 

The first thing they did was redo my website from top to bottom to be 100% modern. A big part of that involved fleshing out my library of video classes. I’d only done live classes up to that point, which posed some restrictions. People wanted to be able to take classes on their schedule, and we had to respond to that market need.

LookinLA is now recording, editing, and uploading classes to our website for purchase. We’ve been trying different things like tweaking the prices to ensure that we have another channel to bring in cash flow and residual income. The team has also developed video ads from student testimonials and currently run my Facebook and Google Ads campaigns. 

What is the team composition? 

I have a main point of contact who’s very knowledgeable about both the tech and marketing sides. I also meet regularly with one of the programmers. He used to go to our weekly check-ins during the site development and now attends the monthly meetings. 

What’s most impressive is that their CEO has been involved in every monthly meeting since the beginning. If I have a major issue or a pressing question, he’ll field them so that we can discuss them one-on-one. 

Beyond those three, I’ve also met with two copywriters who support our blog and content.

How did you come to work with LookinLA?

I found LookinLA on Clutch and interviewed them along with 6–8 companies. Out of all of them, LookinLA seemed to really understand where I was coming from and could meet my budget, too. They were all engaging people to work with, which hasn’t changed at all.

How much have you invested with them?

The startup costs for the website, videos, and ads were about $10,000. Going forward, I’m spending $2,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2020, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The increase in traffic and interest has been significant but not as much as we’d hoped for. Again, we working on adjusting my program to see how to make the most impact in terms of sign-ups. That means experimenting with different times, finding other ways to deliver services, and looking to our competition. 

How did LookinLA perform from a project management standpoint?

LookinLA is good at honoring what I’ve been doing for 20 years while modernizing the business to meet the new market. They haven’t missed any significant deadlines. If an issue does come up, they’re good about telling me what to expect. All questions I send through email get an immediate response, and they take care of errors within hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really partner with you, taking what you believe in and using it as a lens to do their work. It’s not like they’re imposing their ideals on me. Rather, they know how I want to do things and work within those constraints to help me modernize. That’s a remarkable relationship. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t say that I have any negative feedback for them. Anything that I’ve wondered about, they’ve taken the steps to discuss with me. Their team gets how to frame things in a way that I’m going to understand and appreciate, so we work things out with ease.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be honest with them about your work preferences and budget so that they can work with it. If you aren’t sharing information, then they’ll try to figure out what you want. But, they can’t read your mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and owner of a direct to consumer electric bike company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LookinLA?

We needed support in digital marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they identified issues, fixed bugs, and installed tools on our website to get everything ready for the marketing campaign. Since then they’ve formulated ideas and have analyzed performance to improve our overall marketing strategy on a monthly basis.

They create content and manage the advertising on social media, specifically on Facebook and Instagram. They also create Google Ads, Google Display ads, and YouTube ads. They do manage and track SEO for our site, creating two blogs per month.

Finally, they create both educational and marketing-focused content for our email marketing efforts. To manage that process, they’ve automated that process using Omnisend.

Recently, they started helping us with PR.

What is the team composition?

We interact with five people — Ali (Co-Founder/CEO), Miles (Business Development Manager), Kimberly (Marketing Project Manager), Yannina (Public Relations/Corporate Communications Executive), and another team member who works on the backend of the ads and IT.

How did you come to work with LookinLA?

One of my partners had a shared office space with them. They’re smaller and tech-savvy. We felt they would enhance our presence digitally, and have a high level of personal engagement.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $24,500 in total. We paid an initial $6,500, and there is a monthly retainer of roughly $6,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June 2019 – February 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any statistics yet. We have a long-term strategy in place, and while we haven’t seen any increase in sales yet, we know it takes time. They have put a lot of effort into making our campaigns successful. We’re happy with their strategy and responsiveness.

How did LookinLA perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re performing well, and have a good structure in place. We have monthly reviews, use Monday, and communicate primarily via Slack. They’re available, even outside of normal business hours, and responsive. They’ve met all deadlines so far.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciate that they are hands-on and are extremely accessible. They’ve answered us on weekends and late at night.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not right now. We hope they continue to provide creative, out-of-the-box ideas, and new content as the process continues.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure their experiences match your business needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of Spinlister, which is a bike rental company. We started in the peer-to-peer spaces but greatly scaled our relationships with retailers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LookinLA?

When I took over Spinlister, one of their best assets was their blog. It wasn’t touched for almost a year. While we got a lot of organic traffic, we weren’t leveraging our assets to their fullest potential. We also didn’t funnel all of this organic traffic into customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LookinLA initially focused on our blog and SEO campaigns. They wrote blog posts, optimized the blog, and updated highly trafficked blogs. Given their success, we’re bringing them back on board to not only manage SEO but also paid marketing efforts.

What is the team composition?

We mostly worked with Ali (Co-Founder & CEO) and Miles (Business Development Manager).

How did you come to work with LookinLA?

I met Ali at WeWork where we became friends. In fact, I was on his podcast. I meet agencies all the time that pitch their skills. However, I liked Ali and his philosophy, so I went with LookinLA.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $2,000 a month on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between September 2019–January 2020. We only stopped the engagement because of COVID-19. However, we’ve actually seen higher traffic than ever on the peer-to-peer side of the business.  It seems like a good time to bring them back to capitalize on the traffic.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In just a few months of working with them, we definitely saw an increase in our rankings on Google. We immediately got back onto the first page of search results for keywords.

We also saw an overall increase in traffic to the website. We had about 10,000 unique visitors to the website and over 10,000 to the blog. As a result of their optimization, we’re well over 25,000 between the two right now.

How did LookinLA perform from a project management standpoint?

With a lot of agencies, I feel like I have another employee to manage and push. With LookinLA, it’s quite the opposite. If anything, I blocked them. Their team was organized. From day one, they added us to a project board and made what they needed from us clear. Their team never missed a deadline for their reports or deliverables.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re analytical and data-driven, which I appreciate. Their team made smart decisions based on data. They also got the job done on time. I never had to push them to complete their tasks. Their project management’s one of the biggest reasons that I chose to engage them again.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of any improvements. I’ve worked with a lot of agencies, and there’s a reason I’m bringing LookinLA back on board.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

LookinLA isn’t pushy. They don’t need to give a song and dance to sell because their team knows what to do. A lot of people who over talk underdeliver. LookinLA over-delivers.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a business consulting company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LookinLA?

We wanted to figure out what market areas we should be targeting and relied on LookinLA to provide us with market research.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They took the time to learn about and understand our business, our competition, who we were targeting, and what we offered. From there, they conducted research and competitive analysis. They then provided us a comprehensive market report that showed us potential clients we could be going after. We took on their consulting with market strategy, and they helped us delineate a timeline to adhere to.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Ali (CEO & Co-Founder) and Miles (Business Development Manager). 

How did you come to work with LookinLA?

I saw them online, and a friend of mine had also referred them to me. From the first meeting, I liked that they were informative, experienced, and knowledgeable about different industries. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent somewhere between $5,000 – $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February – May 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their research and strategy were both immensely insightful. We took the results of their analysis and now approach the market differently. It’s given us more access to areas of the market that we didn’t know how to reach. While we’re yet to implement the strategy they suggested for us, we’re considering engaging them for help in rolling it out.

How did LookinLA perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager did an excellent job of staying available and in constant communication with us. They adhered to the timeline without issue and leveraged various communication tools well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re precise, and they know the market well. They listened to our needs and were flexible in their process of addressing them. They truly exceeded our expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know your market and what you want. Ensure smooth communication by providing them with comprehensive information about your business. That will best allow them to take on your challenges.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

PH2 Nutrition is a nutritional counseling firm. We provide testing and diet diagnostics to determine how an individual’s body responds to different nutrients. I do composition testing, metabolic rate testing, and nutrition design.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LookinLA?

I’ve worked with other marketing companies before, and they had great ideas but weren’t able to implement them. What drew me to LookinLA was their analytics and their communication. They’re very hands-on and results-driven.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we upgraded my website to me more integrative and user-friendly, and created a new CRM. We did Facebook and Instagram campaigns in addition to Google Ads campaigns. They also shot explainer videos in my office for a YouTube campaign. They even did some blog writing and graphic design for email marketing.

What is the team composition?

I work with Ali (Co-Founder), Miles (Business Development Manager), and two more team members.

How did you come to work with LookinLA?

I searched Google and found them online. Their main page looked to be exactly what I was looking for, so I sent them an inquiry and had an initial call.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent at least $15,000 not including ad spend.

What is the status of this engagement?

I brought them on in September 2019, and we took a break during COVID-19, and are starting again.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

LookinLA’s ads got me a lot of eyes on my business, but since my service is very high-end, organic search is better for my business. So, I’m definitely sticking with their Google Ad service. They’ve increased the value of my website and the reach of our blogs. Organic search is up 180%, and am featured in several other companies. The return on investment was worth it.

How did LookinLA perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re better than any company I’ve ever worked with. They follow up on emails and are always on time for meetings. We’ve met in our offices and theirs. I’d give them five stars across the board.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been happy to refer them to several other companies. They’re professional and have a lot of integrity. They say what they’re going to do, and they implement it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I know they had their style of operations, but they could take my constructive criticism and use what has already work. I want them to listen to their client’s needs.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Assess the type of business that you have and what you need. We needed quality leads and conversions, but I was targeting CEOs who could afford my program, and who might not scrolling through Instagram all day. Whereas a dry cleaning service might do better targeting on social media. So assess where you are to determine where you can spend your ad budget most efficiently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chairman and CEO of a skin care company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LookinLA?

We needed to make a shift with our digital marketing campaigns.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LookinLA manages a combination of SEO and social media campaigns. They also handle the analytical aspect of these initiatives, analyzing what does and doesn't work. Their team expands upon what works to tailor their efforts towards results.

What is the team composition?

We work with a team from LookinLA.

How did you come to work with LookinLA?

I met the CEO of LookinLA at an event. I conducted more research and thought that their team best fit us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We brought LookinLA on board in February 2020 and hope to work with them for a long time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen a lot of growth and a lot of new customers. We’ve tripled our results from digital marketing efforts with LookinLA.

How did LookinLA perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re responsive and available when we need them. That’s essential to any business, but especially one in the services industry. As we’re in the startup phase, we need to react to different situations, so it’s important to know that your team’s there for you. They definitely come through in that regard. They also delegate tasks well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

LookinLA understands marketing better than most companies I’ve come across in the industry. They also reserve our resources. Their team makes sure that we don’t spend money unnecessarily.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I can think of off the top of my head.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Understand that they’re your partner. They want you to succeed as much as you do. LookinLA also isn’t an agency that takes your money and tries to convince you that your success comes from them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of California Light Works. We make LED-based light fixtures for the horticulture industry. We sell directly online from our website, so we do quite a bit of e-commerce, but we also have salespeople, who call on large-scale operations, greenhouses, and vertical farming operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LookinLA?

We’ve done our digital marketing in-house, dabbling with Google Ads, and blog posts, Eventually, we started outsourcing it and worked with a few companies, but weren’t satisfied with the results.

Digital marketing requires a diverse set of skills, and larger companies had various individuals working on different strategies, and they weren’t well coordinated. I was looking for a partner that could handle everything and communicate with us more frequently.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first thing they did was put together a digital marketing strategy. They created a presentation detailing everything they found out about the market, our digital footprint, where they came in, and how they could help. It was just impressive how well coordinated everything was.

Once they put together a strategy, we agreed on terms to move forward. They did SEO, Google Ads, blog content, and social media.

We had two goals going into the project — first, we wanted to double and triple our online direct online sales. Second, we wanted to increase the number of commercial leads for greenhouses and vertical farming operations.

What is the team composition?

They have a number of people, but I work with Ali and Abud (owners). Both are extremely knowledgeable and come from a technical background. They obviously understand this realm very well.

How did you come to work with LookinLA?

I found them on LinkedIn and I set up an initial meeting. I was impressed with their approach. Essentially, they were exactly what I was looking for. I put together a few slides of what I wanted from a digital marketing agency, and once they saw my presentation, they said that was exactly what they do. It was like a perfect fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March or April 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

 Within the first three months, we started to see results, but in the first six months, we hit our goals. In the first year, they doubled what my goal was.

They planned the budgets ahead of time to gear up for last year’s Cyber Monday, and the blew us away. We did very well online.

Then, right before the pandemic, we had another great month. We couldn’t have planned our project better as more consumers shifted to online shopping. With everything going on, we’re in a great position with our digital presence.  

How did LookinLA perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s terrific and communication is great. We have bi-weekly meetings, in which they give us status updates. Along the way, we’ve used all kind of visual tools to track projects, such as Slack and Monday. It all helps the project come along. Sometimes they need info form my team, and so certain things are put on hold, but communication is terrific and we’ve always made sure things move along.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re always in sync and are good at recognizing patterns. They make sure our money is spent right and messages are coordinated across various channels. Other companies I’ve worked with haven’t been able to put it all together. But when a Facebook ad and a Google ad are coordinated

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. I’ve been very happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Start by writing down your goals and what you want to achieve by hiring a digital marketing company. If it’s achievable, they’ll tell you how much it’s going to cost and how long it will take. Be realistic in what you’re expecting, but it’s okay to have stretch goals. They’ll help you achieve them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

PeopleG2 is a background check and drug testing company. I’m the CEO. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LookinLA?

We needed to expand our ability to reach people who were looking for our services. We wanted to provide better branding and marketing access to a larger audience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LookinLA provided us with an in-depth analysis and understanding of where we were in the marketplace and what was possible for us to do. They did that in a way that no other company that I’ve ever worked with has been able to do; from an intelligence standpoint, they nailed it right away. We were able to focus our efforts in a much more specific way, instead of trying many things and seeing which one would stick. They developed the site and rebranded it. They helped creatively on that end.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Ali (Co-Founder & CEO), Mahbod (Co-Founder & CTO), and Miles (Business Development Manager). 

How did you come to work with LookinLA?

I met Ali at an event and was impressed with his company. We scheduled a time to talk and went from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend between $5,000–$7,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in February 2020, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We certainly saw a really good impact on what we were executing on. When COVID happened, we shifted the approach, and we’ve had good metrics on that as well. Obviously, some of those metrics are a bit cloudy right now; although we’ve brought on new clients, they’re not necessarily ordering at levels that they normally would. The short term is a bit unclear.

How did LookinLA perform from a project management standpoint?

They move very quickly and have met all of the deadlines. They’re very communicative, and we know what’s going on at all times. I’d definitely give them high marks. Other groups I’ve worked with on similar projects have left me in the dark, but it’s been the complete opposite with LookinLA; they offer high transparency.

They’ve provided us with software so that we can track things on dashboards and things like that. We also have regular meetings to review what the data is saying. They communicate through other programs that allow us to review and approve things. We also have a shared Slack room with them, so we can communicate instantly that way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

With projects like this, sometimes you’re working with one set of people that are trying to sell you, and then once they’ve sold you, they pass you on to another group that you have to start over with in terms of information sharing. That creates a really big disconnect. With LookinLA, I worked with them on ‘should we do it?’ and I’m still working with them on ‘now we’re doing it.’ There wasn’t anything lost in translation, and they didn’t hand me off to some other people to do the work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We always want more clients than whatever we have, but I can’t think of anything constructive that they haven’t been able to do. They have certainly exceeded our expectations on every part of the project.

Any advice for potential customers?

Provide them with as much information as possible, but on the flip side, trust their instincts and the things that they want to do. They seem to be very adept and intelligent in figuring out what the right thing to do is. Sometimes it’s hard when you start a new engagement with someone to have a high level of trust, but they have been dead-on with everything they’ve done so far. I’d recommend hitting the ground running and not putting too many barriers in the way, because the faster they can move, the sooner you’ll see results.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I run a digital health startup that focused on chronic disease in the senior population.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LookinLA?

We were looking to establish an online presence with SEO and create leads through our blogs.

What were your goals for this project?

We basically wanted to raise awareness for our company and generate leads.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched for companies online, looked at portfolios and customer reviews, and talked with multiple companies to understand their process and capabilities, ultimately choosing LookinLA.

Describe the project in detail.

After our initial meetings, we started off with a thorough discovery session with their team. In this process, they helped us solidify our goals and established a mutually aligned timeline. After that, we work different team members to set up our campaigns and monitor results.

What was the team composition?

We mostly worked with our dedicated account manager, but we also met and talked with their founders.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any statistics or metrics that speak to the quality of their work and impact of the engagement?

I can't share specific numbers, but we have exceeded our goals in terms of lead generation and deadlines.

How did the LookinLA perform from a project management standpoint?

This project has been one of the best projects we have done with a third party. Not only do they produce quality work but also rise up to challenges while keeping us informed and helping us understand any problems that come up. They clearly laid out the pros and cons of possible solutions and helped us make the best decisions.

What impresses you about the LookinLA?

Their expertise in different areas and how well they can articulate things for our specific industry is outstanding.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They place great attention to details, and as great as that is, it sometimes affects specific timelines. They would benefit from finding the balance between the two. Regardless of that, they were always proactive and kept us informed.