Symbol Syndication

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-owner of Vested Interest Group. It’s a coaching firm for business owners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Symbol Syndication?

I wanted to appear in a video podcast. Symbol Syndication had a video podcast that I appeared on to help brand my business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team provided everything. They gave me what to wear and supplied the lighting, background, and venue. They managed the audiovisual setup and camera equipment.

What is the team composition?

There was an interviewer, Jonathan (Founder), and three others behind the cameras.

How did you come to work with Symbol Syndication?

I knew Jonathan in the community. I’d seen his work and thought it was good. He’s reliable and I trust that he’s got a great work ethic.

How much have you invested with them?

It was free.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in June 2019 and ended in July 2019. The video was published later.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I published the video to social media accounts like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. I’m very active on LinkedIn, and people watched the videos. There have been significant responses to the content across the board.

How did Symbol Syndication perform from a project management standpoint?

I appreciate Jonathan. Everything was done on time. The commitment was exactly what he said it would be.

What did you find most impressive about them?

He’s very good at responding to your needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always room for improvement. I think he could work on preparing the interviewees a bit.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be crystal clear in what you want. It’s difficult for him to figure out what to do if you walk in wanting to be famous. If you give him something to work with, he can bring a sense of clarity.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a waste management company called Cully’s Junk Removal Services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Symbol Syndication?

When I first started, I was having trouble getting clients and needed to establish my Internet presence. Symbol Syndication came on to develop my website and has managed my SEO ever since.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Their team has really helped set up our online visibility, working to show off our various services in an easy-to-understand way. 

They’ve built my website and continue to update it as my business changes courses throughout the year. For example, one season, we might focus on junk and waste removal, and the next we’ll go more into landscaping. 

In terms of digital marketing, we know that our customers are searching for services online, so they promote our site through SEO and Google Ad campaigns. They provide analytics reports, too.

What is the team composition? 

Everything goes through Jonathan (Owner). Since day one, I’ve gone to him whenever I needed my pictures or information changed. He then forwards everything to his team, and we all coordinate via email or phone.

How did you come to work with Symbol Syndication?

I met Jonathan while in a business group called BNI. He did a presentation one day on services that I was looking for, so I asked him if we could sit and talk. Things took off from there. 

How much have you invested with them?

It ranges between $15,000–$20,000 CAD (approximately $11,000–$14,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since early 2017. Since my business is always changing, I rely on them to update my site to match my services. Nothing stays the same, and you just have to go with the flow.

Currently, our engagement is paused due to the coronavirus, and we’re closed ourselves. But, we expect to resume work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve gone from zero web presence to the number one waste management company in Lethbridge, Canada. At least 35%–40% of that is due to Symbol Syndication’s work. The website looks glossy, says exactly what we do, and matches the way we hold ourselves.

We also keep track of the volume of calls and emails we get in. I’ve noticed a significant increase in client inquiries since Symbol Syndication started working on our SEO and Google Ads, and it continues to go up year after year.

How did Symbol Syndication perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve got a good working relationship. Every time we need to modify the site, I contact Jonathan, and he gets the ball moving through his guys. They get back to me straight away if I phone or leave a message because they know it’s good work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re thy only company I’ve worked with for web development and digital marketing. In fact, I always give Jonathan’s number to my colleagues whenever they say they’ve been ripped off from other service providers. 

That just speaks volumes to our relationship. I don’t need to go anywhere else for this type of work because I’m happy with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve done everything that I’ve asked them to do. Before, I’d go with the ideas that they’d proposed because I didn’t know much about their field. But, now, it’s more collaborative as I’ve seen how they work, and I bring my own ideas to the table.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you want to set up your presence online, go in with a budget and try to stay within that range. Things can get out of hand when you’re first getting started with the technical stuff, but take your time. You can reassess your costs six months down the road to see where you are.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of The Marketing Girl. We provide services around branding, social media management, content development, and SEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Symbol Syndication?

I was looking for an SEO partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They've been providing SEO audits and SEO management for my client. They provided structural changes to the website and follow-up analytics.

What is the team composition?

I've worked with two members of their team, including Jon (CEO).

How did you come to work with Symbol Syndication?

I liked Jon. He seemed honest, hard-working, and dedicated. We shared a lot of the same values.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The following month, my client’s site had grown in SEO just from the backend work that they'd provided. They said that whenever they need SEO work from now on, they'll come to my company.

How did Symbol Syndication perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication was always on point and they delivered on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're authentic, down-to-earth people. In SEO work, that's hard to find. They say what they're going to do and follow through. There's no smoke and mirrors with them,

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you're looking for good quality SEO, you should work with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of WinRep Windshield Repair Inc. We do mobile and windshield chip and crack repairs. Also, we provide fleet work and have 10 kiosks we operate from.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Symbol Syndication?

Our challenge was obtaining a good online presence. We wanted to drive more traffic to our website in efforts to receive more online booking appointments.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Symbol Syndication handled our social media management, photography, and videography efforts. Instagram is our main social media account, but they also created Facebook posts for us. Their video production work culminated in short videos posted on our Instagram Stories. The photographs they shot are featured on our website and social media posts.

In a prior engagement a few years ago, they built our company’s website. Our former website had been hacked so it was shut down. Symbol Syndication came in and built our new platform from scratch. They handled its design and development work. I gave them ideas of how I wanted it to look, they made some additional suggestions, and then they built it. It’s our current website, and we haven’t had any issues since.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact was Jonathan (Owner and Director). I’m not sure how many people he had working on the project. I’ve met people who work for Symbol Syndication from watching them do other projects, but I don’t know how many specifically worked on ours.

How did you come to work with Symbol Syndication?

I met Jonathan through networking events. After seeing a lot of the work he’s done with local companies, I figured they’d be a good fit for us. He showed me their past work and videos. A big highlight was reading the web series where he interviews local businesses. After seeing their quality of work, it was a no-brainer for us. Additionally, the initial website project went extremely well, so we brought them on for social media management.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $3,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement lasted from July–October 2019. Unfortunately, we had to downsize quite a bit over the winter season. Our social media has been slow. And now with COVID-19, we haven’t picked back up as we usually do in the springtime. If it was a regular season, we’d have them back without a doubt.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I wanted more traffic coming through our online channels instead of just phone calls. The goal was to have people book appointments online. With Symbol Syndication’s work, we saw an increase in online activity. Our number of online booking inquiries tripled in size and that was a huge success.

How did Symbol Syndication perform from a project management standpoint?

The team I worked with was nice and available when I needed them. Every time we had photoshoots, they were punctual and delivered on time. I saw our scheduled social media posts and had the freedom to make changes on the fly. I had full confidence in their work and really appreciated that as well as their flexibility.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There was an ease of communication with everyone I worked with, and I found this to be relieving. Nothing was ever delayed, nor was I ever told that they’d have to get back to me. Their responses were really immediate when I had concerns or questions.

If someone didn’t have an answer, they’d connect me with someone who got back to me right away. In my past experience with other companies, it could be five days before I receive a response. The ease of communication was the number-one thing that stood out to me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they bring their costs down, that’d never help. But outside of that, I can’t think of anything they could’ve done better. Everything was smooth and ran pretty well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take the time to sit down with Jonathan and let him know the vision you’re trying to accomplish. Also, be willing to apply their feedback. Based on their past work, they're experts who know how to help you accomplish your goals. Take their feedback into consideration as opposed to just demanding your way. Symbol Syndication’s feedback and experience definitely help with getting the results you’re looking for.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a graphic designer and I’m the sole proprietor of my design agency, Violet Art and Design.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Symbol Syndication? 

I hired Symbol Syndication to assist with a project for one of my clients which was a local coffee shop. I was redesigning their website, and we decided that having a video to showcase the space would be a great addition.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team took care of the whole videography process, from pre-production and shooting to editing. It was fairly straightforward. They came to get footage of the space during regular business hours so that we could highlight the community. 

What is the team composition? 

There were two people, John (Owner & Director) and one of his videographers. 

How did you come to work with Symbol Syndication?

I met John when I was working on another project for a restaurant. I painted a mural for them, and he came in to do a videography project. 

How much have you invested with them?

The video cost about $1,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t tracked any site metrics that could be attributed to the video specifically. However, the owners of the coffee shop were thrilled with the video. We were also able to pull some images from the video to use on the mobile site. It improved their perception online and highlighted the community. 

How did Symbol Syndication perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Trello for project management. We also used Google Drive to share files. The process was seamless and their turnaround time was very quick. I was impressed with that. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciated their interpersonal skills and how they interacted with the people at the coffee shop. The production crew did an excellent job filming during the middle of the day. They made sure not to disrupt the customers or employees, but instead made them want to be part of the video. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

No, I don’t have any negative feedback. I was impressed with their work. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It was helpful for us to discuss what our desired outcome was before we began working on the project. They’re accommodating and collaborative, so if you have a specific vision, I’m sure they can help you achieve it. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president for Alberta at an IT service provider. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Symbol Syndication? 

We needed videography for a marketing campaign. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The video was client testimonials. We had come up with the questions internally, so they just provided production services. 

What is the team composition? 

There were three people that we worked with. 

How did you come to work with Symbol Syndication?

We were referred to them by a friend. After asking around, we heard a lot of good things about them, so we decided to move forward. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in August 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We continue to see increased traffic to our website due to all of the work they did for us.  Post COVID, I'm confident that this will be key to our recovery as a company.

How did Symbol Syndication perform from a project management standpoint?

They have good project management skills. Everything went smoothly. I don’t have anything bad to say about their performance.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their turnaround time was great. It was easy to schedule things with them. The product was great, and we didn’t have to do too many rounds of edits which was nice. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that I can think of. We would definitely use them again. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Allow them to do what needs to be done, and to trust them.  You hired them for a reason, so don't get in the way by not allowing them to do their magic.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the VP for Alberta of Fully Managed, and we are an IT services provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Symbol Syndication?

We worked with them to provide video work for a marketing campaign.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The videos focused on promotion by highlighting client testimonials. We came up with the questions for the interviews and they filmed and edited the content for us.

What is the team composition?

There were three people on their team who worked with us on the project.

How did you come to work with Symbol Syndication?

We were referred by a friend who had really good things to say about their services, so we decided to give them a try.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we spent about $7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from around August–October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to post the video to our website and social media, where they gained the traction that we were hoping for.

How did Symbol Syndication perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything went very smoothly throughout the work, so we were quite pleased with how they handled the work as well. It was very easy to work with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their turnaround time is really impressive. It was very easy to schedule things with their team because they were willing to work around us. On top of that, the product they delivered was great so we didn’t have to go back and forth on too many changes or edits.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there wasn’t anything that I wish they had done differently, We would definitely work with them again.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you want so that there isn’t too much guesswork involved in the edits. That will significantly accelerate the post-production process for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the President of TRAK Kayaks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Symbol Syndication?

We needed help with video marketing and multi-channel strategy. We wanted to market with paid social, organic social, and YouTube. We also wanted to make videos for training purposes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They do full-service video production for us, sometimes including the ideation. Most often, they do capture, editing, and production. Our target audience is outdoor-oriented people, 45-70 years old.

What is the team composition?

We work with two people from their team with one main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Symbol Syndication?

I found Symbol Syndication through a contact of mine who had worked with them in the past.

How much have you invested with them?  

We've invested $10,000 – $50,000.          

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in February 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For me, success has been in value for money. They're extremely capable and can churn content out quickly. The cost is pretty reasonable, too. I've dealt with other video marketing companies in the past and we seem to pay more for less, so I like that we get good value.

How did Symbol Syndication perform from a project management standpoint?

They're extremely great communicators and are super responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We had one video of our kayak where they used multiple capture devices resulting in a video that was visually stunning and caught people's attention. That unboxing video produced a lot of strong results for our sales and marketing-wise.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Companies can always improve a little bit on the creative side. They're not poor in that area, but there are always more creative ways to capture something.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be organized and provide them with good structure and direction.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of FreshInk Communications, a Canada based marketing firm specializing in Marketing Strategy, Graphic Design, Social Media Marketing and Writing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Symbol Syndication?

We hired Symbol Syndication to work with several clients of ours to produce videos for their websites.

What were your goals for this project?

To have the videos to look professional with good lighting and quality sound, while having our clients feel comfortable with the experience and end up with a product they would be proud to publish.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I met the owner through a networking organization and got to know him over a few years. I started with smaller projects to get a feel for how they work and was happy to keep providing referrals.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Once our client approved a budget for the videos we reviewed the desired goals with Symbol Syndication over the phone and email to determine a go-forward plan and a schedule.

We met with them and the client on-site then reviewed the space before setting up equipment. They aided with lighting, sound and helped coach our clients on how to get comfortable in front of the camera and were always patient with them.

What was the team composition?

I've worked closely with the owner and all members of his team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All clients have been happy with the work and have posted the videos.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team is always easy to reach through messaging and e-mails. Response times are short and messages are clear. I appreciated that they were always concise but friendly!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I really appreciate how they are always willing to work with us and our client to meet their needs. They freely offer creative suggestions and always make the extra effort to be helpful.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of, we're pretty happy with the relationship we have!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My organization is called Harvest Haven, and I am the manager. We are a family farm with an on-site grocery store, as well as a website where we sell water filtration equipment and some other health products. We’ve been 100% organic for 25 years and do our best to help people with help problems.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My organization is called Harvest Haven, and I am the manager. We are a family farm with an on-site grocery store, as well as a website where we sell water filtration equipment and some other health products. We’ve been 100% organic for 25 years and do our best to help people with help problems.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a bunch of content on our website, but it wasn’t terribly organized or keyword-oriented, so their team started by reorganizing the site to help us become more visible. The biggest element of the project-centered around 2–3 major products, one of which was a water filtration system and the other was a health device for treating major health problems like arthritis.

He produced significant amounts of video content and targeted specific keywords, as well as using Google Ads in order to drive more traffic to those parts of the site. He also helped us transition to a Shopify platform and get all of the plugins and resources that we needed to set up there as well.

What is the team composition?

There are a few other individuals working with him on the team, but my main points of contact are Jonathan and Maurice.

How did you come to work with Symbol Syndication?

He did some work for a friend of mine who had a construction company and came highly recommended by them.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost has been around $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I believe we started working with them around March 2016 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As soon as Jon started working on the site, traffic to the targeted pages began to increase, and our sales have doubled year-over-year if not more since then. He regularly provides analytics on the performance of our various pages and efforts and makes sure that he has all the information he needs to ensure that he can properly tailor his work to what is proving to be most effective.

The ROI just on the two products he focuses on has made the whole project worth it, but they really provide a lot of value for our farm locally, as well as just in raising the profile of our work in general. I’m totally satisfied with the work that they do.

How did Symbol Syndication perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of communication, we email directly or make texts and phone calls as we need to. They do a good job of answering any questions that I have and making sure that everything is on schedule and staying where it needs to be in terms of performance to our target timelines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One thing that particularly stands out to me is that they do a really thorough job. They’re not just trying to get a few quick results from keyword fine-tuning. Jon is constantly trying different things to make sure we’re not just getting the low hanging fruit but the harder stuff to rank on as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, I can’t say that I have any complaints about my experience with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Put a little bit of faith in advertising, even though it can be hard to know if it's paying off right away. Just open up and let him know what your issue is, as well as what the value of your product is, because if he understands that he will be able to communicate that and get it the attention and value that it deserves.