Weidert Group

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is DfR Solutions. We’re the global leader in electronics for liability consulting and software for high-reliability applications. I’m Senior Vice President.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Weidert Group?

There were a few of them. Primarily, it was the implementation of the HubSpot marketing automation platform. They’re a HubSpot value-added reseller, but they’re an inbound marketing firm. We wanted Hubspot implemented, content development, and lead nurturing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did content for the website, social media, and blogging. They helped us develop content and graphics for a new website for a software we’re offering. They’ve also helped us do blog writing and social media posts for LinkedIn and Twitter. They run two blog posts a month and work very closely with our senior team. I think we probably do four other social media posts monthly.

How did you come to work with Weidert Group?

They were referred to me three or four years ago by HubSpot as a HubSpot partner at a previous company. They were at the top of my mind when we decided that we were going to implement the comprehensive inbound marketing program in 2015. Weidert Group was one of three companies that we put through a really rigorous evaluation process, and they came out on top.

How much have you invested with Weidert Group?

Without being terribly specific, our expense with them over the course of this year will wind up between $150,000 and $200,000 for a 12-month period.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have a month-to-month arrangement for content, and then there is a relatively long list of other things that we have them do for us that are all on a project-by-project basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We’ve seen an increase of about 14% on site visits to our Sherlock site, which is significant. Our conversion metrics are all higher than they were before we had Weidert Group on board. It’s directionally positive in terms of visitors to the Sherlock site, and positive in terms of conversion rates at every stage of the funnel. We’ve also seen a pretty dramatic increase in bookings and revenue in our business this year. We’re confident that it is, in large measure, due to the work that they’ve done.

How did Weidert Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Weidert Group has done very well from a project management standpoint. They are extremely well-organized and follow-up consistently at the right time. We get intermittent non-scheduled emails from our project leader and from the senior consultant, and we also have a regularly scheduled weekly catch-up call. We’re never more than six days away from knowing exactly what’s going on.

What did you find most impressive about Weidert Group?

Weidert Group’s quality of work is always really high. The creativity they provide, in how we can modify things to improve, has all been great and proactive. I also think that they’re one of those rare firms that genuinely cares about the outcomes, not just for their own statistics but in terms of the outcomes for our business, its typical metrics, and for the people who work here. It’s a level of care that we think is frequently missing in businesses we deal with these days.

Are there any areas Weidert Group could improve?

The only thing I wish is that they were a little bit less busy sometimes. I don’t always get my calls responded as quickly as I would like, but that’s probably more a function of my impatience and their success as a business.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work for Continental Properties. We are a national real estate developer that builds, owns, and operates 38 apartment communities throughout the United States. We also do some retail development and some hotel development.

What is your position?

I am the marketing manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Weidert Group?

We were in need of content marketing services from an agency. Additionally, last December [2015], we used Weidert Group to rebuild our corporate website.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We started just doing the blogging and social media posting all guided and downloadable content pieces with the guidance of Weidert. We did a test on a couple of communities, and we're pleased with the results, so we've been growing ever since.

How did you come to work with Weidert Group?

Several years ago, we started because the owner of Weidert Group asked me to speak to him about what they do as a marketing agency. They were a natural fit for us to use them for content marketing for our apartment communities.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We're spending close to $15,000 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We launched our efforts with them in 2013 and have grown what we've done with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Right now, we're producing about 30 blog articles a week for several different blogs. I have 10 active blogs that they're helping produce content for. It is definitely getting visibility for our apartment brand throughout the United States. I probably have 30 leads a week directly attributed to our content marketing efforts with the downloadable pieces and the blogging.

We built the corporate website on HubSpot and has been tremendous in how much more visible it has made us. The important keywords that we want to rank for we've gone from being not visible at all to being on the first page in six months. This is a testament to what a great site that Weidert Group helped us rebuild.

It was a great experience, and it continues to be just because every day we're finding new ways to use it to achieve our corporate goals. One of the most important things we use the website for since we're growing so fast is attracting talent.

How did Weidert Group perform from a project management standpoint?

When I first spoke to them, I didn't know what content marketing was. They taught me a ton about what it is and how to employ it for our company's benefit. They're always a phone call away and very responsive by email. I don't feel like I have to wait to hear back from them if I have a question. They're always open about project timelines and estimated costs. If there's something that comes up that's going to cost extra, they're the first to pick up the phone and say this is what's going on. They're patient and very hands on in helping me explain what we were trying to achieve.

What distinguishes Weidert Group from other providers?

I've spoken to many companies that don't feel right. I've always felt that Weidert Group is being honest with me. They're excited about what they do, and they like what they do. I never had problems voicing my concerns either. They're down to earth and easy to work with.

Is there anything Weidert Group could have improved or done differently?

Not that I can think of.