Behind the Work

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Marketing Communications, responsible for all internal and external communications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Beacons Point?

We hired Beacon's Point to help us come up with an Inbound Blueprint project.

What were your goals for this project?

To improve our systems

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Meet Alex from Beacon's Point at a HubSpot event. He was willing to meet with me and help me discover if HubSpot was something that would help our school. We meet over coffee for months. I gave him one project to start with, and they hit it out of the park!

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

• Campaign build and framework in HubSpot (HubSpot account set up) & HubSpot ongoing management
• Ongoing campaign strategy (1 Campfire Growth Campaign per quarter)
• Landing page design and development
• Content Development (4 content topics per month: content topics create articles, email, website content, social media, video content)
• Interactive lead generation quiz ("mission match")
• Lead generation tactics (blog content, email marketing, campaign SEO, digital advertising and PPC management)
• All Lead nurturing tactics (email workflows, automation, and CRM database)
• Podcast Content (Film/record once per month (4 hours), 4-6 episodes at a time, recording, edit and publishing)
• Campaign graphic design (email, social, blogs, video, website)
• Weekly status call updates Monthly reporting and analysis

What was the team composition?

We have three people we work with consistently.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are still in the midst of our campaign.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

This is probably the best we have with any of our vendors.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The depth of the research they did on our market. They have the ability to translate the information to our team in a meaningful way.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not at this time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for Saline Lectronics, Inc. We’re an electronic manufacturing services provider that does circuit board assembly and box build assembly for a variety of industries including, medical, telematics, oil and gas, aftermarket automotive, and new energy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Beacons Point, Inc.?

We initially engaged them to redesign our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Beacons Point completely revamped our website using WordPress. They were open to suggestions and sharing documentation throughout the design process. Once it was published, they made sure the site aligned with our original goals and could easily be manipulated on the backend. They also helped us design and develop a sales brochure that matched the new branding direction. We’re currently working with them to develop a content marketing plan.

What is the team composition?

Their director of strategy is my sole contact.

How did you come to work with Beacons Point, Inc.?

They were recommended to us by a trusted colleague. We felt they’d be able to deliver exactly what we were looking for, instead of filtering our vision through a standard template.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2015 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website looks dramatically better than it did before. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, they took an early 2000s era site and brought it to the modern age. Designed with greatly improved interactivity, Beacons Point ensured the new site reflected our company’s customer, employee, and technology-oriented approach. We got a lot of positive feedback once it was completed. Our CEO is extremely pleased with the design and quite a few of our clients are as well. Newly mobile-friendly, we're seeing a lot more web-traffic and users engaging on smartphones and tablets.

How did Beacons Point, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They used all the Google-suite tools efficiently and are very communicative. I can always get ahold of someone from the Beacons Point team and they regularly underpromise and overperform. Occasionally, issues will arise and put us a couple of days behind schedule, but they’re always transparent and provide a clear explanation.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication sets them apart from other companies. They’re thorough, open, and don't let anything fall through the cracks. Listening to our requirements enabled them to change their plan of action and deliver a customized final product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I've been pleased with their work and that’s why we expanded our engagement with them into the content marketing sphere.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Outline exactly what you want and they’ll respond to it. Also, they’re great at giving advice, so be open to that process. The more you share your goals, the more creative their solution will be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Office of Awesome, which is a branding agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Beacons Point?

We were looking for assistance in providing brand implementation and digital marketing to our clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After we’ve worked with a client to develop their platform, we contract Beacons to assist us in brand implementation primarily through video content. They manage and oversee production and editing, as well as packaging videos for social media platforms and website publishing. Often times, once we’ve contracted them, we’ll remain a client’s brand advisor, but they’ll take over management of the project.

What is the team dynamic? 

There is typically three to four people from our team working on a particular project, and they’ll bring in several people from their team to join us.

How did you come to work with Beacons Point?

I found them through an industry referral. They have become one of our preferred providers because they’re adhere to our budget and timeline.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve worked with them on four to five projects and have invested around $10,000 per project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in 2015 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their high-quality video services have helped us expand to a clientele that we would otherwise be unable to reach. A few months ago, they produced all the videos for an online training course. The course just recently launched their beta version and reached almost 250,000 people. I believe Beacons was integral to that success. 

How did Beacons Point perform from a project management standpoint?

Our projects often have so many moving parts that they require us to quickly adjust the timeline. Beacons remains extremely flexible and are able to move quickly to meet deadline. They’re also very organized and keep us up-to-date on their progress. We communicate mainly via Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve become our go-to company for video production and editing because their work is such high-quality.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Like any good agency, they scale their prices to your needs, so the clearer you are on your project’s specifications, the better quote you’ll get from them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a communications specialist for the University of California, Office of the President.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Beacons Point?

We are a new IT project for the University of California. We didn’t have a visual way of explaining what we do, why it matters, and the impact on the staff who work for the UC system. We contracted with Beacons Point to produce a couple of videos for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first video was to explain the UCPath project. The second was to highlight the UCPath center, which is a new shared services center for the University of California. There was a camera crew, an audio person, and script writing. Transcription services were required because they interviewed quite a few people. They also had to produce the video in the format we needed and include graphics and music.

What is the team dynamic?

There were at least six people working on the project.

How did you come to work with Beacons Point?

A former colleague at an old company I used to work for either had met them or just knew their work. We brought them in to do some website design, video production, and various marketing strategies, and I was really impressed with their services. So, when I came on board to the University of California, I recommended them when we were looking for a vendor.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2016 to November 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Across the board, it was widely appreciated and accepted. Both videos are constantly being used to explain who we are, what we do, and why we’re doing it. They've received very favorable feedback from our stakeholders and our average UC employee. We also use the videos to help explain to the outside world what our project is, and new hires watch them to get a better understanding of the services we provide.

How did Beacons Point perform from a project management standpoint?

They were fantastic; their communication efforts were above par. Beacons Point always went above and beyond to keep in touch and run things by us in an appropriate manner. We had an easy collaboration process with them, and they provided a comfortable style—professional but down to earth. They not only took constructive criticism well, they'd take it to another level that we didn’t even think about.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What they brought to the table was fresh and creative, logical and well thought out. They didn't just throw things against a wall in hopes the client would like it. There was a purpose when they offered their ideas, strategies, and recommendations, because it was based on their experience or data. They had an expert-level knowledge of what the latest marketing trends were or ways to get the message across for the benefit of the client, more so than other vendors who may not have been as keen or had such insight into what was happening in today’s world.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. Anything we gave them, they rolled with. We were probably a more difficult client because of the way our system is created, with all our contracts and obligations. It takes a long time to get things through on our end. Beacons Point was extremely patient.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Deputy Communications Director of Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Government Administration

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Behind the Work to accomplish?

• We deliberately looked for text that we knew needed to be improved and modified with more details and sources. We were aware that the content for this kind of material, regardless of the person we employed, only needed to be decent since we planned to go back and edit it. We also required the content to be timely, consistent in quality, and delivered on a regular basis.

SOLUTION

How did you find Behind the Work?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Behind the Work over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Behind the Work were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Behind The Work Pros offers a user-friendly submission form that makes it simple to input a project's specifications in full. After verifying the purchase, their customer support team starts manufacturing. The material for longer orders (20+ pages) may take up to 2-3 weeks to produce; however, pages are added as they are finished. We may contact them back if there are any mistakes or issues, and they will make the necessary corrections. Usually, we haven't required to use this option for our reasons.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Behind The Work Pros has placed many orders for us, and each time they have been dependable and on time.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Behind The Work Pros has placed many orders for us, and each time they have been dependable and on time.

What was your primary form of communication with Behind the Work?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their ability to provide high-quality content fast and at a reasonable cost has really pleased me.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Behind the Work could have done differently?

The only thing I can think of to make improvements is to work on making conversational English better for the US market. Content occasionally uses terms and phrases that are not native to the United States of America.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Investor relations for RiverNorth Capital Management. RiverNorth is an investment management firm founded in 2000 that specializes in opportunistic strategies in niche markets where the potential to exploit inefficiencies is greatest. RiverNorth is an institutional investment manager to registered funds, private funds and separately managed accounts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Behind the Work, and what were your goals?

We were transitioning our CRM from Salesforce to HubSpot. Our goal was for a seamless transition and onboarding as we had no prior HubSpot experience.

SOLUTION

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

Referral from a friend of the firm combined with a favorable impression during the "interview" and diligence process.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

Assistance with the export/manipulation of Salesforce data. Assistance with HubSpot set-up, including custom properties, etc. HubSpot training

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

CEO and Digital Marketing Specialist

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The measurable outcome was getting our instance of HubSpot live prior to the expiry of our Salesforce relationship. The objective/deadline was met.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. BTW was proactive and also very responsive to any questions we had on the fly, in addition to having periodic update calls.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

We really enjoyed working with Seth on the project, given his responsiveness, knowledge, and professionalism.

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

Nothing comes to mind

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO & President of Clean Technologies. We specialize in application of an long term anti-microbial.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 120/80?

120/80 lead and managed our website creation, CRM, digital marketing and brand management.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

120/80 was a referred to us by another supplier.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

As a start-up, we leaned on Sonny, Seth and team to drive our complete digital marketing campaign, including managing our website, content, digital lead creation and brand awareness.

What was the team composition?

Seth was our project lead and main POC. Numerous other specialists were part of the team with specific expertise.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within a month of start-up, we had a fully functioning, professional website, a fully automated CRM with lead management, order processing capability and financial software integration.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Sonny, Seth and team treated our business as their own. They were responsive and easy with which to work.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The 120/80's ability to quickly understand our business and business needs were most impressive.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

Great team. Completely impressed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

EROY builds luxury ebikes for those looking to turn heads on their commute. Founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 120/80, and what were your goals?

Increase website conversion rates and increase the efficiency of online advertisements. The goal was open-ended but we saw a significant return.

SOLUTION

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

After the first communication with the team, I knew they would be able to properly get the job done in a timely fashion.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

Needed help with Google ads account and FB ads manager, was able to work with the team to get setup asap.

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

2, they were very knowledgeable and helpful.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Before I was wasting a lot of money targeting the wrong crowd now I have significantly increase my outreach while spending a tenth of what I used to.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

email and phone calls worked best for me along with the team

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The understanding of the market and how in-depth they knew the tools they suggested

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

Nothing comes to mind honestly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an online dental products shop manufacturing custom dental appliances.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 120/80, and what were your goals?

We are working with 120/80 for our PPC Adwords marketing. We were hoping to get on Google's first page and they got us there.

SOLUTION

How did you select 120/80 and what were the deciding factors?

We were looking for a marketing company that can understand our business. 120/80 rakes the time to listen.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Every month we set up a web meeting and discuss ROI and our next plans to grow. 120/80 has the analytics down to a science.

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

I mainly speak with the owner Sonny , he has a talented crew behind him.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Sonny and 120/80 has met my expectations. I am looking forward to continually growing with them by using more of their marketing services.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

Web calls are used and highly effective. Time shedules are always met.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Being able to consistently speak with 1 or 2 people from their team was great.

Are there any areas for improvement?

At this time no, it seems like a really solid company.