Socium Media

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the senior marketing manager at a craft meat provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FWRD Digital?

We hoped to scale with efficiency and increase our new customer acquisition volume through SEO and SEM.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They organize our online advertisement campaigns. In addition to SEO and SEM, they utilized Google Display Network ads and YouTube ads. FWRD Digital also took the initiative to set up a Google Smart Shopping campaign that has performed well. We tend to let their team handle the keyword research. I give some direction, but by and large, we’re pretty hands-off.

What is the team composition?

I only communicate with Sam (Founder/CEO, FWRD Digital).

How did you come to work with FWRD Digital?

My predecessor in this role decided to hire them.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay FWRD Digital on average $3,000 a week, an amount that reflects a percentage of our weekly ad spend.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in April 2018 and remains ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We sometimes believe that they are a small shop that would benefit from some more resources. They seem overwhelmed at times, but lately, our metrics have improved.

How did FWRD Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly calls to recap our progress, but otherwise, email is our primary mode of communication. There are degrees of proactivity, though. Most times, we have to reach out to check on our status. We’d like to see them challenge us a bit more and try to be our strategy leader.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The knowledge and experience present in their office are evident.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are times when we want to scale at the expense of efficiency, and sometimes the opposite is true. They don’t always have that context, so it took a while for them to understand what we’re emphasizing at different times.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the former director of digital marketing of a legal advertising firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FWRD Digital?

We had just lost an opportunity to capture a large marketshare almost overnight, so I was tasked with spending an extra $10,000 per month to generate leads.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FWRD performed an extensive analysis of our competitive space, taking their time to understand our business and complex model, as well as our budgets according to geographies, personas, and how to package certain keywords. They then developed a plan for generating leads, set up an ad campaign and SEM strategy, and helped us track incoming calls to our call center.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Sam (Founder and CEO, FWRD Digital), but he managed others on our account as well.

How did you come to work with FWRD Digital?

They were referred to us and it was evident right away that Sam was very knowledgeable in his field and would be sensitive to our financial model.

How much have you invested with them?

Our ad spend was about $10,000 a month, so it came out to about $60,000–$75,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from September 2017–February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

FWRD implemented effective solutions that drastically increased our incoming leads. We were able to increase our ad spend month to month based on the results they were bringing in. If we would've had an enterprise system, I'm certain we would've been able to double or triple our ad spend.

How did FWRD Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. Sam was very responsive and sent daily and weekly reports. I continue to work with them in my new position at a different company based on my previous experience with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their focus on return on ad spend (ROAS) sets them apart. Other companies couldn't care less about what happens after they generate more traffic, but FWRD's dedication to ROAS is unmatched.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really, but it would make things slightly easier if they had their an in-house landing page developers, so we wouldn't have to outsource that part of the creative process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Define your expectations, have systems appropriately set up for high volumes of traffic, and make sure that FWRD is aware of the company's business model.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior vice president at MyCloudUnion, a loyalty marketing program that supports global retailers and brands. Consumer members earn points when they shop with one of our merchant clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FWRD Digital?

We wanted to raise our brand awareness with merchants to increase our sales and traffic.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped develop our SEO/ SEM strategy. Their team also implemented a system that tracks where clicks come from so we can better understand our traffic.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact was the founder/CEO.

How did you come to work with FWRD Digital?

I met the founder at an event with professional connections. We met again to discuss my company’s digital marketing needs, in which they helped us understand our audience and goals. They then presented the cost estimate for their services. After these meetings, I decided to hire them because I knew what I’d be getting for my money.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $40,000-$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in December 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Customers can now find us through Google searching for “loyalty marketing programs.” We now have a better understanding of where our leads are coming from and how to access them.

How did FWRD Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very responsive and capable, so I don’t need to be overly involved in the process. We communicate through email and, occasionally, the phone; the communication between our teams is solid.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve followed through on what they promised to do, which stands out. All of the work they’ve delivered fulfills our expectations. Additionally, they have been knowledgeable and helpful during the process, and they thoroughly understand our business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the senior director of online marketing for a nonprofit education company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FWRD Digital?

We approached FWRD to help fine tune our SEM campaigns. Our original goal was to increase our conversions by 30% this year.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FWRD presented a plan of action to help us decrease our CPCs and increase conversions through SEM. Initially, they conducted an entire health check of our accounts free of charge and then developed a proposal for the scope of work. They also focused on both branded and non-branded terms, as well as an optimization on both Google and Bing.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with Sam (Founder and CEO, FWRD Digital).

How did you come to work with FWRD Digital?

A colleague of mine had worked with Sam previously and recommended FWRD to us. After speaking with him and going over the success he's had with other clients, we decided to give their team a shot.

How much have you invested with them?

Since FWRD's team has been able to deliver such great results, we've recently increased our budget to around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We officially started working with them in April 2018 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

FWRD's efforts helped us achieve about 25,000 conversions within just a couple of months.

How did FWRD Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Sam is great at keeping his line of communication open to us at all times. We usually meet once a week, and he sends out an agenda in advance. He's even made himself available while on vacation and out of country. If he ever can't get to something right away, he at least lets us know he's working on it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm most impressed by FWRD's knowledge and ability to deliver results through SEM. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

If anything, they could probably sell us on more services they offer (i.e., paid social campaigns), so we can continue to expand our relationship.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a plan of action in place that includes future engagement, so you can continue to evolve and improve outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a founding partner and CMO of a menswear fashion brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FWRD Digital?

We were going through a big organizational shift, moving away from the traditional model (when we were selling to other retailers) to selling directly to consumers. We were looking for a company to help us take our e-commerce model to a new level and develop a digital strategy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They manage all of our digital marketing efforts. That includes everything from helping us strategize and target our prospects to running our paid social campaigns. In terms of Google AdWords, we had a rudimentary list of words we wanted to target, but it evolved as they helped us identify what is worth investing in and why.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with their CEO.

How did you come to work with them?

It was a referral through my network.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in April 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We get bi-weekly reports as well as Google Analytics reporting, so we can track the progress. We've already seen measurable growth in terms of traffic, conversions, and attributable revenue.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They do an excellent job. They're very organized and have great insights. We usually use Google Docs to keep track of everything. It’s a very collaborative process and I can learn a lot from them (as an entrepreneur and a fashion designer, I don’t have much experience with digital marketing).

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very conscientious and always make sure their client is happy. Also, they have a lot of expertise, so they bring great ideas to the table.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. I've been quite happy overall.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear scope of work and objectives. As they grow, they'll get busier, so it’s good to stay on top of your agenda.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the executive director of the National Stuttering Association. We provide information and support to people who stutter, in addition to workshops, annual conferences, and family fun days.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FWRD?

Our aim was to increase our visibility on Google, getting towards the top for relevant keywords, and generally enhancing any of the results to do with searches for “stuttering”.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We sat down and created a plan to move forward and increase our visibility online. Since we're a non-profit and we're not savvy in terms of Google AdWords or any other aspect of digital marketing, they were tasked with handling this. They took a look of our website in order to see what we could enhance and what we could get rid of—which pages were dead and what titles could be enhanced to improve their search rankings.

They also helped me implement some online forms to go with various applications and scholarship funds. This is still an ongoing process, as those change monthly and yearly.

What is the team composition?

Sam (Founder and CEO, FWRD) was our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with FWRD?

A member of the board recommended FWRD when we were looking for someone.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work has been close to $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Deadlines moved back and forth because of my availability. The work covered a six-week period, but we still have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They've gone over a couple of Google Analytics reports with me, and I've seen an increase in traffic, especially for pages onto which forms were inserted. The end-product was great.

How did FWRD perform from a project management standpoint?

They were meticulous and on-the-ball with anything they were supposed to do. Sam was easy to work with—we had a lot of back-and-forth over email, but if there was something I needed to stress the importance of, I could pick up the phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated their way of explaining the subject matter to people who don’t fully understand it. It was helpful to me, allowing me to inform my board what I’m spending money on and what is being done. I liked that they provided this information in layman’s terms, as well as the fact that they do what they say they're going to do. Attention to detail is important and they certainly have it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It may be because my project was so small, but I haven’t found any downsides to them or the way in which they handled anything.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Enter the project knowing exactly what you want. I believe that this is how I got the best end-result, as I could throw different ideas out there and they caught them all. Once I knew exactly what I wanted, they ran with it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the chief marketing officer at Shatterproof. We are a nonprofit focused on reducing the devastation caused by substance abuse and addiction.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FWRD Digital?

We wanted to use our Google Ad Grant to drive acquisition of new constituents into our database.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FWRD helped us optimize our Google Grant by restructuring our previous keyword focuses to stimulate customer acquisition. They set up dashboards to manage PPC and track ongoing progress.

What is the team composition?

We worked mainly with the CEO.

How did you come to work with FWRD Digital?

I received a recommendation from a past partner.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent $8,000 so far, but our full contract is for roughly $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed a yearlong contract beginning in February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw our highest rates of grant utilization, email acquisition, and PPC conversions after the first month of using their optimization strategies.

How did FWRD Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

The kept an up-to-date and detailed GoogleDoc that allowed smooth communication between our teams. We scheduled a weekly call to discuss progress summaries and key insights.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team showed a passion for constant improvement.

Any advice for potential customers?

I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for SEO and PPC assistance.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the managing director of marketing and communications for an independent private school network.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FWRD Digital?

We brought on FWRD as an agency consultant and partner to help us overhaul our paid search and paid social approach. We were seeing that we were generating results from paid search and paid social, but we were not necessarily seeing lead quality. We thought that perhaps our previous partner was not on top of the latest trends in the space, so we wanted somebody who would be a better partner for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When FWRD came on they restructured our entire AdWords account and how we executed our campaigns. They also shifted our paid social tactics to target higher quality leads. We usually attack each campaign by explaining what our goals are before FWRD comes back and gives us some strategy ideas.

What is the team composition?

We work with their founder/CEO.

How did you come to work with FWRD Digital?

A former team member of ours had previously worked with their founder.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with FWRD since May 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have seen an increase in our share of leads coming from paid search at a much more efficient cost per. We are spending less in paid social so we are generating less leads, but have actually seen an increase in qualified leads as a result of better execution, implementation, and tracking.

How did FWRD Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

At first project management was perfectly fine. We talked over email and phone regularly. However, we recently moved to Slack and a shared Google Drive which has greatly increased project management on both my end and theirs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What’s nice about FWRD is that they are true partners and they really care. We are not a very large client, but we demand a lot. FWRD really understands that and delivers us the best possible level of service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It is always helpful when people are constantly coming to the table with new ideas. FWRD already does that, but they could do it even more often. Regardless, they are really top notch.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You will enjoy working with FWRD, but you get what you put in. FWRD wants to feel like your partner, so let them be and truly let them in on what you're trying to accomplish.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a department director at Amanda Uprichard, a women's fashion e-commerce company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Socium Media?

We needed help with our digital marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Socium Media manages our paid social and paid search campaigns across Meta and Google. The team helps us scale our media spend across platforms and deliver the most efficient ROAS. Socium Media shares weekly reports on performance and recommendations to improve and adapt. The team also sets up creative assets quickly and efficiently, typically within 24 hours.

What is the team composition?

We've worked with 2–5 teammates from Socium Media.

How did you come to work with Socium Media?

Socium Media has been our ad agency for over five years.

What is the status of this engagement?

I joined AU in July of this year, but the Socium team has been on the account for a while, so all of their historical background on the brand was also extremely helpful in getting me up to speed. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Socium Media's work has resulted in a 23% YoY increase in our scaled media spend, a 40% YoY increase in ROAS, and a 40% increase in paid revenue contribution to our total business.

How did Socium Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Socium Media delivers on time and is very on top of things. We primarily communicate with them through virtual meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Madeline and Josh are great at managing their respective channels and providing thoughtful feedback, recommendations, and context.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think there's anything they can improve on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior growth marketing manager at automotive company. We provide a digital marketplace and data services for wholesale vehicle transactions, enabling dealers and commercial partners to buy, sell, and value used vehicles efficiently using technology and data insights.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SociMedia?

We needed help increasing our leads and online presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Socium Media provides SEM, SEO, and paid digital marketing services. The team has also helped us with paid social media marketing and Google search ads, along with SEO. Their work includes keyword research, campaign management, reporting, and optimization.

What is the team composition?

We work with 2–5 teammates from Socium Media

How did you come to work with SociMedia?

We found them through a referral. We chose them because their pricing fit our budget and offered good value for the cost.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Socium Media work has led to lead growth and an increase in organic traffic to our website. We've also seen improvements in our domain impressions and cost per lead.

How did SociMedia perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via virtual meetings, emails, and messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We work directly with the people doing the work. There aren't many layers, which is helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing they need to improve.