Social Driver

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the global recruitment marketing director for Accenture Federal, a management technology consulting company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Social Driver?

We had high hiring targets in a hard-to-hire market, so they helped us reach out and engage with highly skilled candidates.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They put together a recruitment marketing strategy for the European market. They also examined how we could engage with candidates at a US-based event. They developed the creative for social media and handled the strategy for our digital advertising campaigns.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 3–5 people and my main point of contact was Anthony.

How did you come to work with Social Driver?

I mentored them during a training capability program for diverse suppliers. Their services aligned with what we were looking for and I had seen their work, so I recommended them to my internal team.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $110,000 on both projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work spanned three years from April 2016– April 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As experts in their field, they brought creative and innovative ideas for how to reach and engage our candidates. In doing so, they exceeded our expectations. They created an effective strategy and delivered an exceptional output.

How did Social Driver perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. Their client service was impeccable. We generally communicated via phone calls and emails. It was delightful to work with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They came with fresh ideas and were very accommodating. As a result, they were very easy to work with. I knew that we would get results by working with them. The entire team was smart and creative.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think they need to improve anything. They’ve been great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When working with any agency, it’s important that you create a really strong brief that outlines what you’re trying to achieve. With a proper brief, they’re going to come back with some really great ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and CEO of a global event management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Social Driver?

We were developing a WordPress website for the Indo-Pacific Business Forum.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The website had several different pages. The home page was able to support Vimeo videos, pictures, and graphics. We also had an “about” page, a page for our agenda, and different pages for our partners, speakers, and media. We linked the site to our registration platform as well as our virtual event platform.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three or four of their team members.

How did you come to work with Social Driver?

They were a recommendation from a former colleague. I spoke with Anthony (Chief Strategy Officer & Co-Founder) and he sent over a proposal for the project. We liked their company vision, how they work with new clients, their past performance, and the pricing they offered. We spoke with several companies, but we were most impressed with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent approximately $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We didn’t track their performance with specific metrics, but we’re very pleased with their work. The website is great from both an aesthetics perspective and a functionality perspective. I would definitely work with them again.

How did Social Driver perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a strong system that they use for project management. Their communication was great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were able to come to the table with ideas for how to improve the website. We came into the engagement with a vision, and by combining this vision with their ideas we were able to successfully complete the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything specific that they would need to improve upon.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to their ideas. Work with them to come up with a project timeline so that every deliverable can be met in a timely manner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and CEO of Fathom Creative, a DC-based brand strategy and creative company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Social Driver?

Their services complement ours, so we partner with them for engagements that require a broader set of capabilities.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with them on about 13 projects so far. They support digital marketing and often help us with creating specific digital assets, such as videos. They’ve helped us create and execute social media strategies, SEO strategies, and PPC campaigns. They also help us develop messaging for our clients. They’ve even designed and developed UX and information architecture.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with 6–7 people directly, but my team has worked with many more. Over the years, we’ve probably collaborated with 10–15 people on their team.  

How did you come to work with Social Driver?

Their company culture is very similar to ours. They’re very professional, hard-working, smart, and dedicated to client success.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $200,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The first project we collaborated on began in February 2016 and we’ve been working with them ever since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Most of our clients are very happy with their work. As a result, they’ve returned to us to work on additional projects.

How did Social Driver perform from a project management standpoint?

Their interpersonal communication skills have always been excellent. They're also responsive and they communicate clearly through email. They use Asana, which helps them stay organized and meet their deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been impressed by their enthusiasm, intelligence, and creativity. I trust them with my most important clients.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to fresh ideas and enjoy the process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief research officer for a research association.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Social Driver?

We engaged in a multi-phase initiative a few years ago, doing research to highlight the role associations play in delivering value to society. We needed to develop a website to display the findings of that initiative.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the website and were involved in marketing and content development as well. While the data was collected through interviews by another partner, they brought the information to life on the webpage.

The website highlights different case studies that describe work associations do in different industries, showcasing how associations help make society better stronger, safer, and smarter. The highlighted stories led to broad societal impact, which goes beyond the boundaries of the sector they represent. 

What is the team composition?

There were three main team members. Anthony (President) worked with us throughout the entire project, even though Social Driver’s portion of work didn’t come into play until later. There may have been others who interacted with us at different times as well.

How did you come to work with Social Driver?

They were recommended to us by a colleague association who had worked with them previously. They felt Social Driver would be a good partner to meet our objectives due to their high-caliber work.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $20,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2018–June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can’t provide specific metrics but know my colleagues were always pleased with the work they performed in all capacities.

They paid attention and were active participants through the whole project, being present for our conversations during data collection, seeing the challenges we encountered, and more. They contributed constructive suggestions and recommendations for modifications to the project plan, especially as we approached rollout.

How did Social Driver perform from a project management standpoint?

They did an excellent job. There was always at least one person from their team present in our team meetings.

As we approached milestones involving the release of data, there were more meetings, some of which were led by the Social Driver team. They were always well-prepared and brought a valuable perspective to conversations, reflecting the diversity of thought amongst their staff.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate their attention to detail as well as their commitment to our work. Their commitment was demonstrated by their presence throughout the lifespan of the project, and their active participation.

They brought innovative mindsets, displayed their understanding of our community objectives, and were fully invested in helping us achieve our goals. They never acted like they were only there to do their portion of the work, but wanted to fully participate in the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There isn’t anything I could point to that stands out. We addressed any small issues that may have been there, none of which were detrimental to completing the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take time to get to know them and let them get to know your organization. They can bring a high-quality product, and you can learn their expertise and the diversity they bring to the table.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the social media monitor at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. We serve healthcare, Medicare, as well as individual and group health insurance options to everyone in Michigan. In my role, I manage all our social media channels. There are quite a few on every major platform. I also help moderate comments to social listening and help with our overall strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Social Driver?

We brought them on to be our social media and digital marketing partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When I first joined the team, the first objective was to update and automate our social listening practices. Previously, our organization was using Excel sheets to track comments. That’s not the most effective way to track and manage comments.

As a first step, Social Driver did a situation analysis to help understand what key themes our customers were saying. We outlined 15 or so different fields that were being tracked in the Excel sheet. We knew we could track them more efficiently, we just had to figure out how to do that.

We explored all of our options and moved over to Salesforce. One of their products is Social Studio so we transitioned to this platform. Collaboratively, we enabled macros and programmed together. We created topic profiles so we can use passive and active listening.

The research aspect was the next step after figuring out what the needs were. After diagnosing, we created different mechanisms to help track and record all the themes we identified and those deliverables. From ideation to completion, that project took about seven months. We really transformed the way we listen to our customers and deliver the best service possible.

Additionally, Social Driver runs a lot of our social ads, helps with our SEO, and assists with a lot of our big reporting on giant topics such as COVID-19. They continue to deliver weekly reports that encompass all of the passive and active listening functions so our executive leadership can make the best decisions possible to meet the needs of our customers.

What is the team composition?

I work primarily with Britney (VP of Social & Digital Media). We also work with Chelsea (Social Media Specialist), Halle (Content & Social Media Specialist), Alexandra (Social & Digital Media Assistant), and Justin (Senior Social Media Specialist).

How did you come to work with Social Driver?

I was hired after Social Driver was selected and right at the time they were being onboarded.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started around January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything exceeds expectations. Our social media performance has definitely been enhanced. Their ads helped improve our click-through and bounce rates. Our overall impression rate is really high and so is building our audience. All of our major KPIs and vanity metrics are doing very well.

However, for me, it goes beyond the hard metrics. Social Driver does an excellent job of responding to our clients and providing thoughtful responses. They implemented active listening, which I really appreciate. It’s really nice to see an agency valuing what we value in our organization by doing things a certain way.

How did Social Driver perform from a project management standpoint?

Not every client is going to be perfect and there are a lot of challenges there. However, that’s what makes them so great. Social Driver is able to work with a client that may have a lot of challenges. Healthcare is almost political in a way because of how it functions. There are a lot of different factors and variables that can change in an instant because we’re heavily regulated.

Social Driver keeps up with those different changing priorities and deadlines. They work in an agile manner and fluid approach to their project planning and management. That way, they’re able to keep up and anticipate some of those changes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re always hungry to know what they can do to support us and get our numbers up if an ad didn’t go very well, which hasn’t happened yet. They’re hungry to be the best partner and push us to do better as an organization.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve done a great job. Britney drives their team to be innovative, collaborative, and exceed our expectations; Chelsea does as well. We don’t get that same level from the other team members. I’d recommend Social Driver continue to look at those strong players in their organization and utilize their best practices when it comes to client interaction.

Other team members could learn to use the same active listening that Britney employs when it comes to taking client feedback, being agile, and not being afraid to make recommendations — even though it might not be what the client likes to hear. Britney does this in a really professional and profound way. It’s hard because the other team members aren’t doing a bad job, I just think it’d be beneficial for them to learn from Britney and what she’s done as the main driver.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The engagement relies heavily on you. Social Driver can only meet you as far as you’ll meet them. They can try as hard as they can to deliver on your products but if you aren’t willing to give direction or help when they need it, then the partnership isn’t going to work. It’s a partnership, and you need to work together.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the communications director of TAC. We’re a small nonprofit consultancy that focuses on government policy at the intersection of disability and low-income housing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Social Driver?

We had an outdated website that was not responsive and difficult to navigate. We wanted to redesign our site to make it more functional and accessible to our users.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At first, Social Driver did a discovery process with us. We had a pretty clear idea of what we wanted to do and what the limitations were, but we worked with them to figure out the scope of the project. That included deciding we would change our CMS as well as redesign the frontend of the site. 

After that, we had a whole process of working on the design and structure of the site. We have two interactive features on our site that are database-driven, and we wanted it to be easier to make the updates to those in house, which they figured out a way to do. 

The team switched us to WordPress from our previous platform, and they implemented a plug-in to allow us to have more control over our data. 

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with a project manager, a web development expert, a web designer with particular expertise in information flow, two graphic designers. This core team was backed up by programmers and other staff who joined the effort as needed.

How did you come to work with Social Driver?

For the first pass, we informally consulted colleagues, and also pulled several firms based on presentations their staff had led at Nonprofit Technical Educators Network (NTEN) events.

We refined this list based on reviewing their websites, then contacted the remaining firms with a brief description of the project and asked if they would like to receive a Request for Information (RFI).

From RFI respondents, we selected the strongest, and sent them an RFP. Based on these responses, we conducted interviews and made a final choice. Social Driver came with strong recommendations, including from organizations with similar missions to ours and that shared our high priority on accessibility.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was $81,700.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June 2020–January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've seen an immediate boost in visits from phones and other devices. We now have a much easier and less error-prone CMS interface that is well-tailored to our specific needs, meaning that real-time updates to content on the site are easy to make. It’s a little too soon for solid metrics, and we’re still working out a few of the last kinks. However, we’ve seen improvements already and we’re happy with the result. The site does all the things we wanted it to do, and it looks great. 

We’ve received great feedback from our internal team and anyone who’s visited the site. People like it.

How did Social Driver perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is an area where Social Driver really excelled. I had never been part of a project that had been managed so seriously, and I felt like I was learning the whole time. Their communication was great. 

They used Asana for project management and communication throughout the project, a good tool that was implemented well and consistently. I was very impressed overall.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The communication experience and their project management were outstanding. Social Driver was always timely, met all of their own benchmarks, and stayed in budget. When we needed to adjust the deadline, the team rolled with it really well. Our own designer was involved in the project throughout, and this was a very positive and productive partnership.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were some areas where I felt like they could’ve been more careful or tested more aggressively. Things aren’t always perfect though, and they always worked to make things better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask all kinds of detailed questions, even if you feel like you’re showing your ignorance. Don’t assume anything; this team will meet you with good answers and the project will only be stronger.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was a senior public affairs specialist at the American Honda Motor Company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Social Driver?

At the time, we had no social media presence for public policy issues nor for engaging with legislators or regulators. I connected with Social Driver to work on our strategy and launch our social presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They handled our social media, targeting primarily Twitter at that point. We also didn’t have much of a digital footprint generally in 2011, so we worked with them for content on a public policy website I also worked on that year. The site was built on WordPress.

What is the team composition?

I worked closely with Anthony and Thomas (Founders). I also had an account manager and two people who worked on producing animated video and infographics for us — they were great.

How did you come to work with Social Driver?

We met at the National Press Club at a seminar they spoke at. We started talking and I trusted Anthony and Thomas as they were smart, educated, and engaging.

How much have you invested with them?

I think it was $9,000 annually.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in January 2011. Although I left, I believe the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From a social perspective, we were starting at zero. We gained qualified followers, our main metric there. For the web, we were also looking at video views and completion rates on the videos they produced for us. They were very solid.

How did Social Driver perform from a project management standpoint?

They excelled at communication and deadlines. We were on tight deadlines, and they kept my team at task and made sure we were getting the right number of reviews out. Similarly, they kept the social calendar running actively and reacting in real-time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They do a tremendous amount of work and a great job at ensuring that the right stakeholders in the market understand information. They’re constantly challenging and evolving their offerings, which sets them apart.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They do excellent advocacy and association work, and I wish they’d expand to the corporate sphere.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of marketing at an association that represents the manufacturers of generic and biosimilar medicine. We advocate for affordable, accessible medicines for patients. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Social Driver?

During the pandemic, our face-to-face advocacy is limited. We were looking for ways to interact with lawmakers about our mission in more creative ways. This year was the 10th anniversary of legislation that set the framework for biosimilar medicines in the US today. We pulled them in for help creating a virtual anniversary card.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team recommended an augmented reality (AR) lens greeting card to mark the 10th anniversary of the government creating the regulatory pathway for biosimilar medicines. They helped us every step of the way, figuring out what the creative should look like and executing the strategy. 

They also worked with our digital partners to advertise the creative. Social Driver even developed a promotional video that we could use to promote the event on social media.  

What is the team composition?

I reconnected with one of the partners, who later put me in touch with an account manager. In the end, I worked with about three people on the project: a developer, an account manager, and a marketing creative. 

How did you come to work with Social Driver?

We worked with them on an advocacy campaign in the past, so I already had a relationship with them. Our team was referred to them by one of our consultants. They created a landing pages and many motion graphics videos. That campaign did very well on social media.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $10,000–$50,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We collaborated on the campaign from February–March 2020. The campaign will run through the end of the year. We’re planning on pulling them in for another campaign that we’re launching next year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They exceeded our expectations on the first day of launch for metrics like views, shares, and screen captures on social media. We were blown away.  

How did Social Driver perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent at meeting communication expectations. For instance, when we had questions that would technically fall outside the scope of the project, they would jump in right away to fix the problem free of charge. Their customer service was amazing. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They think creatively and outside the box. Additionally, they have a solid understanding of advocacy through social media and digital channels. They add value by offering new and unique ideas.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d love for them to provide more information about all they can do. It would be great to see them offer up their services to help in other areas. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come to the project with an open mind and be flexible. Let them use their expertise to come to you with solutions— they have the creativity to be successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a communication and digital specialist at the National Disability Rights Network. We are the largest provider for disability rights and legal services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Social Driver?

We had an older platform that we were using for our website, which was getting difficult to use. We engaged Social Driver to help improve the usability of our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Social Driver brought us from the original platform to WordPress. They took everything we had in terms of our website and helped us reorganize it, adding features and functionalities like a navigation bar. The team fashioned our existing content onto different issue pages and other places on our external facing website. They designed a beautiful home page and helped us come up with some copy for it as well as our other pages. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with about 10 people. We were in frequent contact with Emily (Project Manager), Paige (Director of Website Strategy), Alexander (Project Management), Dylan (Director of Web Development), and several others. 

How did you come to work with Social Driver?

My supervisor posted in a networking group for press and communications people in DC. Social Driver was recommended to us from that group.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a little under $40,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2018–April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s hard to give a concrete number because we don’t have a lot of data from the old site to compare with the new one. But anecdotally, visitors to our site can actually understand what it is we do as an organization. Before Social Driver’s work, it wasn’t clear.

With the way they guided us in terms of our header and how we explain ourselves, people are now able to get to our membership agencies, which is our primary function.

How did Social Driver perform from a project management standpoint?

They were a wonder; I really enjoyed working with Social Driver. Emily was always very quick to respond, which was really important to us. The team was really organized, providing Google Sheets and Google Docs and always letting us know what they needed from our side. 

We serve people with disabilities, so we have a lot of accessibility needs on our site. Social Driver met those needs very professionally and respectfully. To have a team of people who were approachable, receptive, and willing to make modifications was outstanding. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their organization, communication, and adaptability to our needs were all exceptional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I can really think of. They’re putting a lot of resources into expanding their diversity and inclusion efforts and learning. Social Driver really walks the walk — it’s a cool part of their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Leverage Asana to communicate really well with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the associate director of digital communications at an education policy and advocacy organization. Our national headquarters are in DC, but we have regional locations in California, Michigan, New York, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Massachusetts. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Social Driver?

We’ve been partnering with Social Driver for more than six years for web development projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When I joined the company in 2014, it had been more than a decade since we’d redone our site. We brought them onto the team to migrate from Drupal to WordPress, which is much more user-friendly for our in-house content management team. That process took about a year. During that time, they updated the platform using mobile responsiveness and SEO best practices.

After that process was complete, we kept them on a monthly retainer to continue to maintain software and updates. We’ve also called upon them to build new functionalities into the site as we’ve needed them. They’ve worked with web tools and data visualization.

What is the team composition?

There have been about 15 people that we’ve been in touch with over the years. We work primarily with their lead developer and director of strategy. They have the institutional knowledge within their company and with ours because they’ve been working with us since the start of our engagement. Over the years, we’ve worked with multiple account managers, the UX team, and the design team.  

How did you come to work with Social Driver?

The organization signed a contract with them just before I started. I wasn’t part of the RFP process. However, my colleagues were considering three different firms. Social Driver’s energy and technical knowledge made us feel confident that they were the right fit for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

Over the years, we’ve spent between $250,000–$500,000 on their work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since April 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Even though they completed the redesign six years ago, we still get compliments on the visual quality of the site. Users always enjoy the web tools that they’ve created. If I was moving to another organization, they’d definitely be a team that I’d reach out to for similar projects.  

How did Social Driver perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a monthly meeting to review the maintenance items my team is requesting. There, I like to get details on bug fixes and overall progress against tasks. In addition to that check-in, we coordinate projects through Asana. Most of our communication occurs in threaded conversations within Asana. They were great about responding to ad hoc requests as well.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re great about talking through the UX and translating that to code. Their technical expertise is impressive. I’m confident in their ability to keep up with the latest trends, and their work is high-quality. If there’s something wrong with a tool, they’re always willing to address it. We’ve found an equivalent commitment to quality in our work with them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve improved on their project management skills over the years, in their switch from Basecamp to Asana. When they were scaling, their project management skills dropped off a bit. After communicating with them about it, I’ve seen them make significant efforts to improve their customer service skills. I think they’re doing a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re great about committing to best practices, which aren’t always attainable on a nonprofit budget. They are willing to work with me to find options that fit our budget and reach as close to industry best practices as possible. They’ve been responsive in making these conversations a general practice.