Sociallyin

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the marketing director of a business services firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sociallyin?

We hired Sociallyin to manage our Linkedin ads from creative to the placement and ongoing oversight.

SOLUTION

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

When I came onboard in my role, they had already been in talks with leadership in our company so I carried that through to hiring and onboarding Sociallyin.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

I briefed them on the details of our business and waited for them to present their ideas for how to reach our audience on Linkedin. When I signed off on that strategy, I then waited for them to present creative I could sign off on. We didn't get to the point of activating our ads before we pivoted away from Sociallyin.

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

I interfaced with three people throughout the process. A partner, an advertising strategist, and a marketing manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Unfortunately, we never go to the point of launching our ads.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The process of pitching to us promised a timeframe of two weeks in order to prepare ads after briefing. Two months later, we had not been able to sign off on any ads because they did not listen to our feedback or follow their own strategy that I had signed off on.

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

It's hard to tell what went wrong. Maybe we should have been given more experienced people for our account? I would have said perhaps they just aren't experienced enough in our industry, but that doesn't explain the lengthy periods of waiting without communication or delivery. They are nice people and I'm sure they excel in marketing more mainstream products like CPG. We are B2B consultants serving the US government.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a startup company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SociallyIn?

We hired SociallyIn to help us handle our social media needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us with content production, strategy, and execution. Everything was Instagram-focused, so they created posts and stories after helping to identify a target audience. We collaborated on coming up with a creative direction for these posts. The content was a mix of paid advertisements and organic pieces. 

What is the team composition?

We had one dedicated project manager who had several people working under them. They were our main point of contact. 

How did you come to work with SociallyIn?

We found them online and spoke for a while. They had the best proposal and their capabilities fit our needs the best. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement ran roughly from June 2019–January 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Based on the KPIs we were tracking, we saw a definite increase in engagement. When we began working together, we had around 300–500 followers and when we finished we were at 1,500–1,600. Based on that, they certainly increased our following and improved general brand awareness. 

How did SociallyIn perform from a project management standpoint?

They were good—everything went easily. Basecamp and Sprout Social were used to manage the efforts. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The content they delivered makes them unique—everything was pretty creative. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes, even though the content was good, the inspiration behind it wasn’t clear or as original. We would typically provide the creative inspiration and they’d execute, but I’d have liked to see more creative inspiration come from their end. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set creative guidelines very early. Make sure that you give them creative guidance and stay on top of the ideas they’re coming up with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. We represent manufacturers and their suppliers in the off-road equipment industry. We run some of North America’s largest trade shows, and I’m the communications manager for our trade shows.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SociallyIn?

We hired them to work on our social media accounts in anticipation of CONEXPO-CON—North America’s largest trade show for the construction and aggregates industry. Looking to elevate our social presence, we wanted them to create engaging content and run advertising campaigns.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SociallyIn works on our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram accounts. They create content, graphics, and videos as well as augment our in-house articles and e-books. As far as creative direction goes, we have a collaborative partnership. Their team provides monthly content planning, and we provide feedback based on industry insight.

We initially pointed them in the right direction for our target audiences, and they’ve since created similar lookalike audiences based on what’s been performing well. They’ve also helped us target a specific audience of the type of attendees we want for our trade show. Their team pays attention to our trends and responds to our social media comments and inbox messages.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with Aubrey (Account Executive, SociallyIn) and a paid advertising analyst. They internally provide direction to their art and community management team.

How did you come to work with SociallyIn?

I found them through a Facebook ad and reached out because they were offering a free account review. After performing an audit of our accounts, they gave us feedback on what they could help us with.

We had also put out some RFPs, but didn’t feel that the other agencies could deliver what we were looking for. We wanted someone to provide flashy content, and other agencies seemed too focused on paid advertising.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $4,500 on onboarding, and now spend around $3,500 a month for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2019 and have an ongoing partnership. We have plans to onboard them to a couple of our other trade shows. I don’t see an end date of our relationship with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen significant growth on our social media channels. Our number of Instagram followers went from 4,000 to 11,000. SociallyIn launched our LinkedIn page and it already has just under 6,000 followers. Our Facebook and Twitter accounts have seen similar growth. We’ve had overall fantastic engagement and performance.

We ended up winning an award from the Construction Media Alliance. They named us Best Social Media of 2019. It’s a great honor that peers within our industry found our social media to be the best of the best.

How did SociallyIn perform from a project management standpoint?

Aubrey is absolutely fantastic. She is responsive, on top of everything, and is super detail-oriented. I trust her judgment with everything. She’s a pleasure to work with and is an extension of our own marketing team. We use Basecamp and Sprout Social for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Despite being a small company, they’ve provided top-notch service to us. They’re agile and don’t get bogged down by red tape on their end. Their team is flexible and open to our ideas, and their art department is noteworthily creative.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s been a bit of a turnover in their paid advertising department, so we’ve had three account analysts within a year. Obviously, that’s not ideal, but they’ve continuously managed it well from a customer service standpoint.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Jokingly, I don’t want anyone else to work with them so they can just stay with us forever. In all seriousness, they’ve been a fantastic partner, and I’d recommend them if you need social media marketing or paid advertising help.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the practice manager of Forefront Dermatology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SociallyIn?

We had been trying to manage our social media presence with our in-house team, but it wasn’t going as well as expected. We hired SociallyIn to help us create relevant, timely content for our platforms to improve our presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SociallyIn began by helping us understand what our customer-base needed. They looked at our business and came up with a strategy. From there, their team took professional photos and videos of our staff and coordinated with our in-house team to make all of our materials match. They helped us with our email campaigns, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platform postings. When we received comments and interaction on our accounts, their team handled the responses.

What is the team composition?

We worked with between 3–4 SociallyIn teammates, along with others behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with SociallyIn?

I believe someone on the SociallyIn team was a patient at our business, and we made a connection from there. After we explained our needs, they showed us the best approach and we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent in the $50,000–$200,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2018–May 2019. We’re now transitioning to a different, internal marketing team because we sold our business recently, so our work with SociallyIn has concluded.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our online presence has doubled or tripled since working with SociallyIn. If we could track where our new patients were coming from, we could more accurately measure the project. However, we feel it was a successful campaign and helped us grow in our visibility.

How did SociallyIn perform from a project management standpoint?

The process was streamlined between our teams. They always kept us informed on their progress and we knew what posts were being created. Their team established plans on a regular basis and updated us on any specials they were posting about.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Compared to previous vendors, SociallyIn was more professional to work with. They provided a personal touch and ensured they were involved in our office environment. The work they produced showed they had a clear understanding of our business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there is anything they could have done differently for us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking to increase your social media presence and do it in a professional capacity, SociallyIn is a great choice.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Birmingham iPhone Repair. Initially, we only focused on Android devices, but we’ve expanded into the iPhone repair market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SociallyIn?

Since we recently moved into the iPhone sector, we hired SociallyIn to help generate quality leads in our area for repair services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SociallyIn created a website for our iPhone repair services. They handled all of the design and development for the platform, including the frontend features and user interface. Once the site was finished, they began making ads and supporting our social media efforts. They primarily focused on Instagram and Facebook for advertising services. Various technologies were used, including GTmetrix, SEMrush, and they performed A/B testing.

What is the team composition?

Two teammates were managing the project, and Keith (Founder & CEO, SociallyIn) was our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with SociallyIn?

I had a past relationship with SociallyIn, and I knew they had relocated to Birmingham, so I called them to talk about my needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $2,000 per month on their services. Including the website, we spent around $25,000 total on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March 2018–February 2019. We’re open to working with them again in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw a gradual increase in calls and solid leads after we were working with SociallyIn. Our website’s performance has greatly improved. From the reports to the interest from potential customers, I could tell their efforts were working.

How did SociallyIn perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a solid job of managing the work—their skills improved as the project went on. As they hied more teammates, the pace increased and we felt more prioritized. Their responses were always timely, and every question got an answer.

Their team sent me reports and tracked the progress through several tools. I received their performance updates in PDFs and knew what stage we were at throughout the engagement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their youthful team and great enthusiasm set them apart from others in the industry. I enjoyed working with people who were excited about the work they were doing. Whenever I went to their office, I could tell I was working with the right group of people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

For someone who is new to SEO, I would have found it helpful if they explained more of the concepts throughout the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared to move quickly and get started with their team. SociallyIn is determined to get you toward your goal and are on a mission.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Two Brothers, a restaurant in Mississippi.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SociallyIn?

We hired SociallyIn to help us appeal to our local student population through social media networks. We needed them to provide digital marketing services to raise awareness for our restaurant.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To start, we met with SociallyIn to give them an idea of our restaurant’s personality and brand. From there, they created a plan and got our approval to move forward with it. Their team creates content to post across social media channels, primarily using Facebook and Instagram. They handle all online interaction, including likes, comments, and other forms of engagement. Their team also produces graphics and other creative work to post for us.

What is the team composition?

I have direct contact with Adrian (Partner & Creative Director, SociallyIn), but they provide their whole team at times.

How did you come to work with SociallyIn?

Adrian and I were peers in college and he approached me about what SociallyIn could do for me. Their pitch coupled with the confidence I had in Adrian’s abilities led me to hire them for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their services falls in the $10,000–$50,000 range for us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2016, and the engagement is ongoing, though they’ve moved to a different location.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m always impressed with the amount of engagement the posts they create earn. Compared to when I was posting on my own, the new content performs much better with my audience. The weekly metrics show positive progress in our visibility on social media.

How did SociallyIn perform from a project management standpoint?

They manage the work excellently. I’m kept in the loop on their progress. It feels like they’re working and available around the clock, which I appreciate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creativity helps them stand out from others in their industry. Additionally, their constant dedication is great. Even if they’re just having a meal at our restaurant, they’re always planning and brainstorming for our project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Aside from wishing they didn’t move away, I can’t think of anything they could do better for us. In fact, they’ve helped me more than I originally expected.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them as much information as possible because they’ll use it your advantage. If you explain your business and goals, the content they create will be more relevant and effective.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the marketing director of a packaging company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SociallyIn?

As our business grew, we didn't have as much time to devote to managing our social media, paid ads, or SEM, so we were looking for a vendor to manage our digital marketing efforts. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SociallyIn manages our paid ad campaigns for our four websites. They also create blogs and about 5–6 Facebook posts for us each week (based on topics we supply) that we approve before posting.

What is the team composition?

I mostly work with Russell (Lead Paid Ads Analyst, SociallyIn) and Anna (Accounts Director, SociallyIn).

How did you come to work with SociallyIn?

We found them through an online search and liked some of the case studies we saw on their website. After we met them for lunch and got to know them, we felt they were a good fit. We also liked that they were local and we could meet with them occasionally in person.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested about $18,000, excluding ad spend.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since around January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SociallyIn helped increase sales by close to 20% month over month. We've also seen an increase in engagement on social media, with an increase in followers of 30–35%.

How did SociallyIn perform from a project management standpoint?

They've been great overall. We keep track of projects through Basecamp and don't have any issues reaching their team when we need them. They're extremely courteous and professional.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're friendly, professional, and responsive. They're always readily available to answer our questions or concerns.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. We caught a few bugs in the first couple months working with them, but they've been good about fixing things quickly as needed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of marketing at True North, a software development company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SociallyIn?

We needed a company that could provide content and manages our social media accounts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SociallyIn creates and schedules content for regular posts on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. They also manage paid advertisements across those platforms. I build campaigns that focus on certain topics, and they create the specific social media content for those campaigns. SociallyIn accounts for our keyword strategy when creating content for social posts.

What is the team composition?

SociallyIn provides us an account manager, content creator, and an ad manager.

How did you come to work with SociallyIn?

They were recommended to us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2018, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their efforts yielded a 60% increase in site traffic this month, specifically around an event campaign. They’ve been doing an amazing job, and we’ll plan to increase their scope as we move forward.

How did SociallyIn perform from a project management standpoint?

I could rave about them all day. They’re very quick to respond to any emails or requests. We’ve really appreciated having a dedicated account manager throughout the engagement. We have weekly calls that are usually 15-45 minutes, and a monthly marketing call with the whole team that usually lasts an hour. They also provide weekly reports on social media metrics.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been extremely accommodating. I can email our account manager about a specific post at midnight, and she’ll publish it right away. I couldn’t ask for a better team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-owner of Colombin USA Enterprises, which is a startup aimed at bringing Columbin & Figlio to the U.S. market in a strong way. Columbin & Figlio is a global cork manufacturer and distributor of wine stoppers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SociallyIn?

Wineries want to know more about their customers, so we wanted to develop a strategy using social media to engage customers through the unique identifiers on cork stoppers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SociallyIn developed hardware and software systems to connect drinkers of wine with wineries in order to provide both sides with more information. They figured out how to mark corks with unique identifiers that can be read by software, for instance on a smartphone. Once that connection is made, the customer will be able to learn more about their wine and where it is made, and will also be able to get wine recommendations and connect with their friends. A database system will also pull information from customers' connected social media accounts and make that data accessible to wineries, so they can learn more about how their wine is consumed. We're aiming to launch in the U.S. within the next 18 months.

What is the team dynamic?

I was in communication with the owner of their company, Keith, and he communicated with several of his employees.

How did you come to work with SociallyIn?

I'm a professor of mechanical engineering at Mississippi State University. I develop products for companies and there's a company in Italy called Columbin & Figlio SpA that manufactures and distributes cork products around the world. We created a small startup company to bring them into the U.S. market in a strong way, and our main selling point was that U.S. consumers use social media frequently when decided when and how to drink. We found SociallyIn because they were a small company nearby the University and collaborated with them to create the product.

How much have you invested with them?

We've given them $50,000 to date, and they also have a certain commissions agreement for when the product launches.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this project in June 2016, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's a great product. We've done the focus group studies so we are confident that it will allow Columbin to expand to the U.S. market is a strong way.

How did SociallyIn perform from a project management standpoint?

They met deadlines and they stayed within the budget. It was a great experience.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They can deliver on their promises. Despite the level of complexity and novelty of this project, they were able to complete the task within the constraints, which is a difficult thing to do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I think they're a great company and they do a good job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Chief Marketing Officer for a specialty foods company called Old St. Augustine Gourmet. I handle outbound and inbound sales and the digital presence of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SociallyIn?

We wanted to develop our brand and also establish an online presence. We lacked the technical expertise required to understand how to establish a brand online and how to reach online customers. We couldn’t do this effectively ourselves so we thought it’d be best to hire experts. In the past, we worked with a company that provided us with initial branding. They focused more on designs rather than digital marketing and we really needed somebody with that expertise.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an initial discussion phase with SociallyIn where they performed an initial brand research on our company. They looked up our competitors and tried to see where we fit in and how we can improve.

For the past eight months, SociallyIn has provided us with a variety of strategies and processes. For example, they have introduced paid advertising on platforms like Facebook. Additionally, they have helped bring our whole brand together. Previously, our images and logos were not consistent. SociallyIn helped our company grasp why it’s important to be consistent.

SociallyIn also utilizes Google Adwords and helped us understand more about SEO. They made it really simple for us to understand the different components of digital marketing and why it’s important. They also taught us about content posting.

How did you come to work with SociallyIn?

I mentioned to a friend that I needed help establishing brand presence and we got referred to SociallyIn. We researched other companies, including SociallyIn, to make sure they were legitimate. There’s a lot of strength knowing that a friend trusted SociallyIn.

How much have you invested with them?

So far we’ve spent around $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started around December 2016 and it’s still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been really impressed with their work so far. Overall, our online sales have been really good. We have also had a good click-through conversion rate from customers that are on our site. Additionally, we have also been getting a lot of wholesale leads. I really think that has a lot to do with us partnering with SociallyIn.

How did SociallyIn perform from a project management standpoint?

They have been awesome. They were very clear on what they were going to do and why it matters to us as a company. Our communication is mostly through e-mail and in some cases in-person. Initially, communication was a lot more intensive. Now as the project progresses, SociallyIn just check-in to make sure that we’re still happy. And, we are.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their energy and enthusiasm shows when they are working. That was really important for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re pretty on point with communication. They do what they say they’re going to do and the results speak for themselves. I’m happy with their services.