Thrive Internet Marketing Agency

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of a boutique investment bank.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

Another group managed our website but didn’t attract the expected amount of activity. We needed another provider to set up a new website. Also, we wanted to improve our SEO initiatives to support the platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Thrive built a new website on WordPress beginning the process with a template. Essentially, we had the content ready to go. Their team now hosts the platform.

They continue to provide SEO services to increase the site’s visibility. Their team tries to rank for certain keywords. They set up content to be more easily read, but they’re not creating it.

What is the team composition?

In total, we’ve interacted with six different people from Thrive. I have a day to day contact who focuses on our SEO efforts.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

I previously used their services when I had a different firm. As I knew Thrive and had decent success with them, I pulled the project over to their team.

How much have you invested with them?

The website cost about $9,500, and we spend about $1,000 a month on their SEO services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking around April 2020, and it took about a month and a half to complete the website. Thrive continues to manage SEO initiatives for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Compared to our previous vendor, Thrive has already gotten better results. Their team’s knowledgeable. When I give suggestions, they present the pros and cons. This allows me to make informed decisions.

The website’s young at this point, and the market’s awful at the moment. Frankly, it’s hard to expect much right now.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicate via phone, email, and Zoom. Thrive managed the website development well. The person who directs our SEO initiatives also performs well. Their team’s organized.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s easy to work with Thrive. Their team delivers what was promised when promised; that’s a unique characteristic. I’m pleased. When talking to other web agencies, I felt that their teams were creative but flaky. Unlike them, Thrive’s professional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In terms of improvement, it’s too early to tell. They market themselves well. I’m hoping that knowledge translates to my business.

Once the website was developed, we had a quick training on how to manipulate WordPress. Their team then provided a bunch of videos. Not all of us love watching videos. They could better distinguish the difference between clients who want videos and those who prefer hands-on training.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As with anything, you’ll get out of a partnership what you put into it. If you want them to be timely, you need to provide their team with the necessary materials in a timely manner. Thrive will deliver, but you need to do your part.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO for Petersen Games. We’re a board game publisher in a niche market. Our founder is also a renowned designer for video games. Now we so board games with the same motifs and themes as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

When I started, we didn’t have much of a marketing program. Bringing Thrive Internet Marketing Agency was part of my initiative to organize and grow our marketing initiatives.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired them for their social media expertise. So we have a representative that manages our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We provide content and graphics, and they set up the campaigns. They try to get our fans to engage, or they direct them to our website to make a sale. They plan all of that, implement the strategy, and then we discuss the performance after the fact to continue to drive sales.

What is the team composition?

We work with one project manager.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

Our fan worked for Thrive Internet Marketing Agency and he reached out to us. I was already moving in that direction anyway, so we decided to work with them.

In the past, I’ve worked with various social media groups. I liked that by bringing in Thrive Internet Marketing, I don’t have to worry about anything. I don’t have to babysit them and I’m confident they’re always doing what I need to do.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $2,000 per month (approximately $50,000 in total).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in May 2018 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I just printed a report from early on in our engagement, and our most recent report. Looking at the difference, impression has increased from 179,000 to 499,000. So we’ve seen a big boost in reach. The links clicks went from 936 to over 6,000.

When we started working with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, we were making about $5,000 in website sales, and now we’re making between $20,000–$30,000. Clearly, we’ve seen a big increase in sales, which I attribute to the consistent attention we receive from them and their ability to grow our followers on social media.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always on time. If our project manager ever has a conflict, is sick, or is on vacation, he always lets us know and we can reschedule. We have a personal rapport. When our team was in his area, we were able to meet up for lunch or dinner. It’s been a great working relationship.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our project manager is also very professional. He gets everything done when he says he will and reports on it. Sometimes he offers new ideas for us to try and think about. He wants to do his job well and is dedicated to helping us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re always looking for ways to grow with them. We recently launched a YouTube service and that’s actually a different service. So he said he could bring more people in, but it’s outside the terms of our contract so it would cost more. That has just been a matter of us not having the budget to bring on more services.

This also isn’t his fault, but he isn’t as familiar with our product as an in-house team member would have. So we have to provide the information that he needs to support the post.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You get what you put into the project. So you’ll get a better result  if you remain engaged with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I oversee marketing and finance for a hospitality management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

We needed an expert to improve our SEO initiatives. When we brought on Thrive, we weren’t positioned well online.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Thrive began by tackling our on-site SEO challenges. They addressed any technical issues and rewrote copy, optimizing for keywords. Their team identified new keywords to target and created a blog, which they continue to oversee. Thrive tracks the campaigns as we go.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact’s Caroline (SEO Manager), who’s fantastic.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

We found them on Clutch. They specialized in SEO and had many reviews with high ratings.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $1,200 a month on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the partnership around November 2018, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I track the campaigns' results using SEMrush. Since the start of the partnership, we’ve dramatically improved our rankings.  After 7–8 months, we began to rank first in our market for target keywords. Out of all of our competitors, we rank in the top three results for most of our keywords. Our sales have definitely improved too.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re fantastic. We meet twice a month on Zoom to discuss projects and address any questions. We review the latest results and create plans for the next two weeks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The effectiveness of their SEO campaigns certainly stands out. Their customer service is also notable. Their communication with our project manager’s excellent.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could better follow up on new projects. We discussed additional e-commerce projects and after one meeting, their team didn’t follow up. Their competitors, however, wanted to tailor a solution to us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to have a baseline understanding of your project. Learn about SEO and what you want. You need to understand the practices to communicate with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a plant-based cooking school in Los Angeles.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

A majority of people search and find cooking classes through Google and Yelp. In the past, I hired a couple of SEO freelancers who built my rankings but not in my area.

My business involved people attending in-person cooking classes. I wanted to work with a larger team that could provide local SEO services and eventually help to rebuild my website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Thrive focuses on building my website rankings in local searches. Their team’s rebuilding my website too.

My website started as a blog, featuring about 300 articles and recipes. Now, Thrive helps with my content marketing efforts. Their team creates a monthly list of content topics based on what’s trending. As my business is strong in my voice, I then create the content. 

What is the team composition?

I work with a couple of people from Thrive’s team.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

I found them on Clutch. I reviewed profiles and narrowed my list to 5–6 companies based on their work experiences with small businesses. I talked to each of the companies but Thrive gave the best price and appeared to be the best fit.

They specialized in SEO and clearly knew more than I did on the topic. With the other companies, it was clear that SEO wasn’t one of their main service lines.  Thrive was also honest about what would benefit my business, unlike other agencies that tried to sell me on additional services.

How much have you invested with them?

I have them on a retainer for $1,000 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

I hired them around January 2019, and the engagement’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My website climbed local search results tremendously. Before COVID-19, I received a significant amount of traffic and calls.

The growth happened quickly. I already had a web presence, but Thrive took that presence and focused it locally. Their efforts were effective.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team’s attentive and nice, which is a big deal. It’s pleasant talking with them. They’re able to take technical topics and translate them into layman’s terms. When ideas become too technical, they explain them in a way that I understand.

Thrive’s also patient. I’m usually the bottleneck. While I may feel guilty, their team ensures that I take my time. They want to get the website right.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Thrive’s good at what they do. They have a lot of expertise, which makes them effective. I’m busy because I’m a small business owner. It’s nice to have an agency to take care of the projects that I don’t have the time to manage. While my previous experiences with vendors helped, Thrive’s a full-service agency that has built my rankings.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’ve been pleased with everything so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

This is general advice: be clear about what you want and what you need. Through trial and error with other vendors, I learned what I did and didn’t want. When I interviewed other companies, I could understand from their presentations whether or not it would be a good fit. Understand your needs and goals to mitigate miscommunication.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations for a fitness company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

We have an online fitness club, which we hired Thrive to help market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Thrive manages social media advertising for the challenges that we run every month. We write the content that their team promotes.

Their team initially ran a 10-day ad challenge. We started with a low-cost basis to make sure that we all gelled.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact’s Alyssa (Social Media Manager) who fits well with our team.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

I found them on Clutch. In all of their reviews, I read that they delivered and attended to details. We also wanted an agency that had experience working with small businesses. We needed a partner that was willing to start at an affordable rate.

How much have you invested with them?

We contracted them at $1,000 a month, and then we pay for Facebook Ads on top of that.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our partnership in the beginning of April 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we run a campaign, we review our club memberships. We also assess the Facebook pixel, which Thrive attached to the back of the ads to measure the ROI. Those metrics have increased every month. They fine-tuned their efforts, so we’re getting a better return every single month.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a weekly conference call over Zoom with our project manager who we like. We review the numbers and talk about future campaigns.

When it comes to spending our dollar, Thrive’s conservative. They don’t spend on advertising without seeing a return. When their team sees an ad performing well, they let us know. Then, we decide if we want to increase our ad spend.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Thrive listens to your needs. Even though we’re a small business, they feel like an extension of us. Their team understands our goals and our company philosophy, which enables them to reach our target demographic. During the first week, they honed their efforts to engage our target audience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’ve been happy so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be organized with your ads and have a plan of action. You have to bring them content and a message. Once you have a direction and goal, then the marketer can run with it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager for a hospital media company. We provide continuous channels to hospitals as an alternative to broadcast and television. Our channels include nature and calming music to help with the noise and help patients with stress and anxiety.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

We were working with another Google Ad firm, but they weren’t performing well, nor were they contacting us regularly. They had a lot of errors in their work, so we wanted to find a more strategic,  hands-on partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re working with us on PPC. Our product is very niche, so I had to explain our product, but they’ll run with anything. They’ve looked into keywords for our new VR product and created a huge list based on the conversations we’ve had. We’ve recently decided to shift our strategy from branded keywords to product-based keywords.

What is the team composition?

I work with Nick (PPC Project Manager) and Lauren (PPC Specialist).

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

I found them on Google and searched best PPC companies , specifically in healthcare. I really liked their mission and how they showed their process on their website.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them $625 per month (approximately $9,375), plus ad spend.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2019 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

 We almost tripled our inbound leads from our Google Ads. The amount of work they’ve done to optimize the new focus on keywords has been very helpful. They continue to keep an eye on how the ads are performing, and I expect a better outcome.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They perform extremely well. They have never missed a meeting. Their approach was much more hands-on than our previous partners. They're also very, very organized, which we love. They constantly stay in contact with us whether that's our ongoing monthly meeting to review or mid-month updates of how our Google Ads are performing. Whenever we want to try something, they’ve been very adaptable while providing a lot of expertise.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re nice and approachable. They’re very easy to work with and it has been a great experience. I really appreciate our partnership.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Originally, we were working with another account manager who wasn’t quite what we were looking for, but Thrive Internet Marketing Agency handled it really well and brought Nick on board. I work really closely with Lauren, and she’s very organized and smart. They made us feel really comfortable for a difficult situation. We had a meeting to make sure the transition went well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Understand what you’re looking for from your partnership with them. If we had been more open and clearer about our goals, the beginning of our engagement would have been better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Residential Under Slab Plumbing Leak Detection & Repair for Existing Residential Homes, Owner

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

Website design, SEO Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Pay Per Click, Forum Design

What were your goals for this project?

Increase brand presence, sales and overall market share of company in dallas Texas area.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Online Research for best companies, looked at BBB, Reviews, Their Website Content, etc. We always look to see if the company is trying to teach us something or sell us something, we look for a company who wants to teach us not sell us.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Multiple online web conference meetings, planning for web design, after design it is bi-monthly progress reports for all things marketing (seo, social, pay per click, etc).

What was the team composition?

Different Teams for Different projects with someone in a team being the dedicated contact for us and they have supervisors/bosses overseeing the, owner is available if problems arise, but not involved in our day to day interactions with this company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Great outcomes, our brand has increased significantly, leads and market share the same, only regret is we did not do this sooner than we did.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective, each member of the team is copied on email so everyone is aware of what is going on.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their customer service and knowledge of the industry stood out.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There have been little disagreements along the way as you would expect in any long term relationship, but nothing major and/or that is not easily handled and quickly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations and co-owner of Local Goat Distillery. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

We needed a team to manage our Facebook marketing efforts because we had grown rapidly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Thrive took our brand and website and then marketed us beyond our local area. Their team creates and boosts Facebook ads to make us more visible.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with three people including Brandon (Demand Generation Content Manager) and Charissa (Web Project Manager).

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

I searched online for a couple of months, looking at several different companies and their portfolios. Thrive's work had a different and unique look. They also had good client reviews.

How much have you invested with them?

We set a budget of $25,000 this year, which is $1,700 per month. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in January 2020, and our partnership’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We see many customers coming from Facebook ads. When people visit us, they’re tagged on Facebook, which has drawn people to visit — even from out of state. We’ve experienced a drastic increase in the number of likes, feedback, and visibility online. Also, there has been an increase in media interest such as magazines wanting to interview us. 

How did Thrive Internet Marketing Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicate via e-mail and phone. We’ve had video conferences as well. They send us feedback reports, which are made using algorithms. Thrive manages the project well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like that the result of their work is evident in their clients’ webpages. The pages are organized and eye-catching but not overwhelmed by marketing efforts. Their icons and graphics are thoughtful and balanced. Their work’s versatile and fresh — not standardized. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I honestly can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

For such a large company, they’re flexible and reliable with fast turnarounds.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the web designer and developer at an addiction treatment recovery company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

We had a company before that did SEO and PPC, and we had worked with them for a few years. My colleagues and I weren’t enthused with what they were doing. They tried to make us look good in their reports even though our numbers and graphs really weren’t good.

The process wasn’t collaborative because we didn’t have access to the data ourselves; we could only see it in the reports. So, we needed another partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Thrive Internet Marketing Agency manages our Google Ads, and they’ve also recently started working on our Bing Ads. We launched our new website in March and they were there to support us and provide us with input. They made sure that all of the ad copy was aligned with our new website.

What is the team composition?

We work with Caroline (SEO), who manages our Google Analytics, and Igor (PPC Strategist), who does our Google Ads, Bing Ads, and PPC.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency?

We looked at several companies, and we were blown away by Thrive Internet Marketing Agency’s communication and collaboration. Their whole onboarding process was awesome.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $6,500 per month, which doesn’t include ad spend. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in January, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The biggest factor is that we’re able to see what they’re doing in real-time. We have access to their Google Analytics, Bing Ads, and Google Ads. Thrive Internet Marketing Agency has done a great job of tailoring their work to our industry. Our other vendor didn’t understand our industry, and it felt like they were outsiders.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We have at least one Zoom or phone meeting with them per month, usually more. The frequent communication has been key, and it has made us feel like one team. The best part about them is that if they don’t know something, they will say it upfront.

We were having some issues with social media because of the global pandemic and, even though we didn’t have a social media teammate on their side working with us, they allowed us to allocate some of Caroline’s hours to another one of their teammates so that it didn't cost us extra.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Thrive Internet Marketing Agency’s honesty, collaboration, and communication make them stand out. I truly look forward to meeting with them, which isn’t the case with other vendors. They’re always such a delight. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind just yet. They have exceeded expectations in every way. When I want them to do something differently, I’m always able to tell them and they do it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be upfront and do your homework on what you want, and make sure that you bring that to them during the onboarding process. If you’re honest, they will follow through.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and owner of Garners Garden, a natural personal care manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thrive Internet Marketing?

They did our PPC and social media ads, in order to drive more traffic to our site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We advertised on Facebook and Instagram. We mutually decided those would be the best platforms to reach our target demographic. They did PPC with Google Ads as well. We give them access to our content and they choose what they think will work best for the ads.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with two people.

How did you come to work with Thrive Internet Marketing?

I found thrive through Clutch. We chose them based on their reviews and rankings. I interviewed a lot of different agencies, and based on that, I chose Thrive Internet Marketing.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $1,500 per month (approximately $25,500 total).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2019 and we still work together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve done PPC ads before, so that was our baseline metric for performance and effectiveness. We were able to exceed the metrics we expected.

How did Thrive Internet Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

They give me updates every two weeks in a scheduled meeting, so I know exactly where my money is going and what the return on my ad spend is. It has been a very smooth ride.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Whatever they did, it worked. Project management was great, and I was happy with the result.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come in with a baseline assessment so you know where you can grow. Also, continue to produce your own content so they can market it.