Brain Bytes Creative

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief marketing officer of erwin, Inc. and we are a data governance software company. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Brain Bytes Creative?

We were looking for a new digital marketing solutions partner. The scope of our search was somebody who could do SEO and PPC optimization, content management, and consulting — basically, the overall website journey optimization. More often than not, we also give them smaller and more boutique-intensive projects.

What was the scope of their involvement?

For SEO, they take care of our on-page and off-page efforts. They've been building organic content that can help us with Google and other search engines, targeting keywords that are most important to our business and helping to bring the right visitors at the right time.

At the same time, Brain Bytes Creative has also been providing PPC activity services so at the end of the day for critical key terms such as data governance solutions, we can get the leads we want to generate. They also create compelling ads that bring traffic and conversion to the company. Currently, we are actually talking to them about expanding their services to email marketing.

What is the team composition?

We have a project manager and content people. We also collaborate with those in charge of PPC and SEO. Lastly, we also have people working on analytics and other technical related work. 

How did you come to work with Brain Bytes Creative?

We did an RFP and Brain Bytes Creative was recommended to us by somebody that we know. Five vendors responded to our RFP and just after reading the vendor's proposal, we thought we needed to shortlist them because they really understood our project.

They demonstrated immediately that they know our business and that they did a great job of interpreting the RFP. They didn’t simply respond to it but they showed us how it would be like when we work with them. In the end, when we met at the initial meeting, we immediately knew in the first 15 minutes that they were the ones that we wanted.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started collaborating in September 2019 and since then we have been working on an ongoing basis.

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

The team’s successes are measured in a number of different areas including keyword rankings, overall visibility, website traffic, average visitor engagement, new traffic compared to returning traffic, and conversion rates.

Currently, I could say that my team is extremely happy with them as all their results have been positively trending upwards. Since coming on board, they have helped us significantly optimize the website in terms of the navigation of the website and the UX flow.

Brain Bytes Creative's really big contribution to our overall marketing presence has been helping us dramatically increase search engine rankings for key terms. That's why, for us, the biggest win is our SEO results where we have addressed important keywords that were not there before. We consider Brain Bytes Creative as our strategic perspective as they give us insights on how we should be positioning the company. 

How did Brain Bytes Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a weekly meeting with them where they go through the prioritization of projects. At that meeting, we talk about who can deliver things on specific dates. Additionally, we also tell Brain Bytes Creative what we need from them and in exchange, they tell us what they need from us — that’s our core methodology.

We also have a quarterly meeting where they present a series of results which is driven by Google Analytics and other things. They also use Google Docs, Google Sheets, and other similar tools to share things about our project.

We've also got an overall project manager who is amazing, who does a great job of both understanding and marshaling the forces on our team as well as theirs. They also have an employee who lives and breathes the PPC world and another who really is focused on SEO, ensuring a smooth workflow in the engagement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a tremendous ability to understand a customer’s business and be able to make recommendations for growth. Though that’s what every company should do, that’s not what always happens. There are a lot of agencies that really take a long time to grasp what a certain business is all about, especially for an enterprise software company like us. Brain Bytes Creative's methodology for learning a business is awesome. 

Further, they have a great sense of urgency. They are fast on their feet, they think quickly, and they discuss things immediately. When they say that they’re going to do something, they overdeliver. Overall, Brain Bytes Creative always does what’s best for us and they show their capabilities well because they know it helps us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Early on, we already knew that they are a well-run shop and they have diligent project managers. As such, they have a solid methodology in their company. However, as a software business, things can quickly change for us and at the start, Brain Bytes Creative struggled with our changing priorities because they already had an action plan for a particular direction.

Knowing how to navigate that shift can definitely help them when they work with other big software clients in the future.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the marketing director at Resurgens Orthopaedics. We're the largest orthopedic provider in the Southeast region.

What challenge were you trying to address with Brain Bytes?

We were rebranding our practice, so we were looking for a company to lead a full media campaign and manage digital marketing for us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They oversee both our traditional and digital marketing efforts. On the digital side, they’ve created custom videos meant for our client distribution and provided SEO, graphic design, and copywriting services. In addition, they managed conversion optimization programs for our website. They help us with both strategy development and execution.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with their CMO and one strategist.

How did you come to work with them?

We were referred to Brain Bytes by our other partner and they were ready to jump in and tackle the project head-on. We saw that they could be a real partner to us, so we gave them a chance.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

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

We've seen an increase in appointment requests, which was our primary objective. The traffic to our website and our call volume are also on the rise. Both our internal team and our patients love the videos, which are creative and visually appealing.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They're incredibly smart, flexible, and easy to work with. They worked with our tight turnaround times and haven't missed a deadline. Also, they're very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They surpassed some of the best agencies in the world I had worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could develop their account management skills a little bit better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them as much information about your company as possible. The more information you provide, the better the final product will be.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the chief marketing officer of North Plains. It is a company that specializes in the manufacture of digital asset management software. We help clients create, organize, and distribute visual content assets for global marketing purposes.

What challenge were you trying to address with Brain Bytes Creative?

Brain Bytes handles content creation, helps manage our website, and does our outbound marketing. That entails creating content and updating our website with that content. They also distribute new content to social media and engage in paid advertising with folks like Google AdWords. They also coordinate with Capterra, a software ranking company that's similar to what you do. They help us in those areas.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We collaborate with Brain Bytes on the development of campaigns. They interview our subject matter experts. Using this information, they then write everything from e-books to white papers to case studies. BBC will then load that content into our website and distribute that information across social media for us. The effectiveness of the campaigns is measured through Google Analytics and Act-On. That's our marketing automation platform. BBC will also verify that the analytical information on customer engagement flows to our CRM [customer relationship management] – Salesforce. That way, our sales team can act upon the data and nurture leads into actual customers.

How did you come to work with Brain Bytes Creative?

They were hired by my predecessor at the firm. When I came on, I elected to stay with them. I had no previous awareness of Brain Bytes but quickly grew to like them and their level of commitment to my business. I needed somebody that knew their way around the market sector, so I elected to move forward with them.

How much have you invested with Brain Bytes Creative?

We have invested $250,000 with Brain Bytes in the last two years.

What is the status of this engagement?

I believe Brain Bytes has been working with North Plains for about two years. In contrast, I've only started with the company in the end of April of this year [2016]. I've only been about 100 days into the job.

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

We get a quantitative report every month from Brain Bytes. It takes Google Analytics and other analytical data and distills the effectiveness of the engagement. The report tracks what content engaged successfully with visitors to our website. If we sent out an email campaign, the report also shows how people engaged with it and the specific content that they were interested in. Then, they measure that information against our spending on AdWords. This lets us determine the effective cost per lead. Brain Bytes also counts all the leads. They determine who's engaging with the company, the company they're from, and their job title. They also tell us what topics the lead is specifically interested in. This information lets our sales team tailor the conversation to the customer's interest level.

How did Brain Bytes Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

I think Brain Bytes does well in terms of project management. They like to engage on a regular basis and they take copious notes. They listen very well. They don't mind pushing back when they disagree, which is something I always appreciate. They've managed to meet deadlines, so I would say that the project management has been a positive experience.

What did you find most impressive about Brain Bytes Creative?

One of the nice things about Brain Bytes is that I've got good access to the most senior people, including one of the owners of the company. That gives me comfort knowing that I have access to the best minds of the company. I've only spent a very limited amount of time at their space. But, I think Brain Bytes is highly collaborative, even though we are not in the same location. They get the right people in the room, and we talk about the pertinent items. They have great attention to detail. The Brain Bytes team captures your ideas and translates them into marketable content. They're super enthusiastic and have proven to be a good partner. They are dedicated to what we do and they've been flexible.

Are there any areas Brain Bytes Creative could improve?

I would like to see Brain Bytes expand their strategic offering. They tend to focus on the execution and the implementation, which I think are their strengths. If they expand their services in the strategic area, that would drive an even higher level of execution and implementation. That would benefit them. It's a positive cycle that I think that they need to take to get to the next level. It's an evolutionary process, and they are a young, energetic group. I believe they will get there.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president and CEO of Theravent, Inc. We make an over-the-counter medical device that treats snoring. Our device is sold online as well as in retailers like CVS and Walgreens.

What challenge were you trying to address with Brain Bytes Creative?

The first thing we were trying to address was our direct response in e-commerce synergy. We had an e-commerce website up. We were using television advertising to create more awareness. We were trying to drive customers to the site, but our conversion rates were not optimized. We went to Brain Bytes for better traffic generation opportunities. We also needed help with converting that opportunity into more business.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Brain Bytes works on tasks that complement our strategic objectives, which change over time. We started as a direct-response e-commerce company. Eventually, we've expanded into retail and other channels of operation. It's a bit difficult to say they do this one thing because they've done a number of things for us. Brain Bytes has redesigned the website and optimized user experience. They've handled content generation to address specific objectives for search, SEO [search engine optimization], and organic. Brain Bytes has conducted test-and-learns in social media to bring more quality traffic to the site. They've also done e-commerce, conversion metrics, and ideation on various Internet marketing strategies.

How did you come to work with Brain Bytes Creative?

I was introduced to Brain Bytes through Jason Sirotin. I think he's their CMO. He also works in the media industry. We were introduced to him during our first television commercial. We chose Brain Bytes because of that conversation and the work that they did in the commercial.

How much have you invested with Brain Bytes Creative?

We engaged Brain Bytes on a monthly retainer basis. We have probably spent $50,000 to $200,000 at this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Brain Bytes in Q3 or Q4 of 2013.

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

Overall, we've been very happy with the results. I don't have anything right off the top of my head. I would actually have to go back and look, but I can give you high-level numbers. Our reporting is focused on month-to-month metrics or month versus the previous year. We've significantly increased traffic during the last two and a half years. We've certainly grown the business overall from a revenue perspective. The feedback from my board of directors has been very positive in terms of the enhancements to the website and user experience. All of those things have been very positive. Most importantly, Brain Bytes is very accountable. If there are situations where the results are not meeting expectations, they don't just walk away from that. In fact, they will take accountability for it and try to work through that.

How did Brain Bytes Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

Brain Bytes has been more structured during the last couple of years. I think when we first started working together, they were still a new shop. Many things were going through a single point of contact, and there may have been some challenges of how information was disseminated. Now, they've got the team on Slack. We have a monthly meeting, at a minimum, to review the plan. At the end of the month, we get back together to review how we performed against that plan. I think they've definitely made steps to work with us, try to understand what our needs are, and then deliver those things.

What did you find most impressive about Brain Bytes Creative?

For me, one thing that differentiates Brain Bytes from many of the other vendors that I've worked with is that they don't look at our device as just a widget. They take the product and look at it as if it were their product. They own it, no matter how the product is doing in the marketplace or how it's being received. That's both from an Internet marketing or a digital footprint perspective. I think that's very unique.

In many cases, you can end up with organizations that have many clients and lots of diversity. They look at each project as, "Which template can we apply to this?" I never feel that way with Brain Bytes. They are invested in the success of the product, and they believe in it. Brain Bytes acted as if they were my internal digital marketing team versus being an external vendor. That is certainly what I look for in my vendor relationships. That's definitely an impressive quality.

Are there any areas Brain Bytes Creative could improve?

It's hard to say since we have open communication with Brain Bytes. When there are things that I'm frustrated with or need to be changed, they are addressed quickly. There's not anything at a high level that I would like to see them change. I think that's probably it.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My current company is called ControlScan. We're a cybersecurity company. I'm the senior product marketing manager, and I work with a team of four. I own the strategy whenever we launch a new product or do any kind of win-loss review. I figure out better ways to do things that our customers are going to respond to, such as different kinds of positioning and breaking into new markets.

What challenge were you trying to address with Brain Bytes Creative?

We're a small company, so we find ways to utilize agencies and contractors to expand our team and our reach of knowledge. When I came to this company, they had an agency that they were very unhappy with. They were supposed to be an SEO [search engine optimization] agency. Because my experience has led me to realize what a full digital agency is, I knew why it wasn't working. They were calling themselves an SEO agency when SEO was all about digital, optimizing keywords, understanding a business, taking content, and finding ways to repurpose and reposition. That's where product marketing comes in.

The problem we were trying to solve was how to continue to grow our website, which was launched a year ago. The current agency projected a 2 percent annual growth. We didn't think that was acceptable, given where we were. We're a cybersecurity company, so there was really no reason why we wouldn't be able to play better than that. I was like, "Look, we need to call Brain Bytes. Let's talk to them about digital marketing. They offer a full marketing solution. They have everything from graphic designers to whatever it is that we're going to need. I've got a good relationship there."

We had Brain Bytes come in and do a pitch for us. What was cool about it was they did a lot of research about our company and our site. They pointed out things that we could quickly fix on our own. This was before we signed a contract with them, which was a show of good faith and lots of candor. We had them come in and look deeper into our website once we signed with them.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Brain Bytes worked with us on the analytics side of our business. They strategically looked at where we were in the digital marketing area. They analyzed how we were promoting our website and our services on search engines. They also provided direction on pay per click, and they worked with us to create a full-spectrum program. The program would, of course, include many different kinds of campaigns. We would take one of our products and say, "OK, this month we're going to focus on this product." Brain Bytes would then give different kinds of strategic campaigns, from social to content to email marketing to web marketing to PPC. The campaign would be multipronged. Then, we would work closely with them, using our internal resources as well. They were driving the strategy because that's something my team didn't have. They just have a lot of know-how and strategy. Brain Bytes also helped us with technical fixes for our website. For example, they helped us increase page speeds and understand Google Analytics. This allowed us to look at our web pages, optimize them and position them differently. They also offered much more strategy around social sharing and boosting.

How did you come to work with Brain Bytes Creative?

I worked with Brain Bytes at a company before this. They handled all of the digital marketing there.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with Brain Bytes for about three or four months now [as of August 2016]. Our retainer allowed us a certain number of hours for whatever we needed. We could customize depending on how our business changed throughout each month. We may want to run one program one month and then run something different next month.

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

Since we've started working with Brain Bytes, we've seen a huge increase in our page speed as well as the number of leads that have come in. That's not just from a paid perspective. It's from a full digital scope, so it could be content and all the other items I've talked with you about. It's increased significantly enough that we brought it in front of our executive leadership team and that they were pleased with it.

I've had many agencies miss a deadline and not let me know until the next day. I had to follow up with them. Keep in mind, I'm paying them hourly based on the retainer that we decided. Brain Bytes does not do that. We decide together on what we think is a good deadline for things. In contrast, our contact person at Brain Bytes makes sure that he has all the resources possible to meet deadlines. If it looks like the deadlines are going to shift for whatever reason, we get notified way ahead of time. That seldom happens. They usually deliver on what they say they're going to deliver, when they say they're going to deliver on it. That's huge for me.

In the past, other agencies I've worked with would say they're creative. But, they were not. They would just re-churn the exact same thing that one of their other clients did. They would spin it to suit whatever company I work for, but it's the same thing. It's churning out something that's not unique. I like that the output from Brain Bytes is unique. They are always trying to up it and make it better. We're in the cybersecurity world, so that is very complex. They've been able to pick things up so quickly to help us in that space. I've been here about nine months now, and I am just now figuring it out. The fact that they've been able to come in after three months and perform well is a huge plus.

How did Brain Bytes Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

I'm very pleased with the project management. I always feel like things are very organized with Brain Bytes. There's a lot of that kind of communication with them, which is great because I've worked with other agencies that just suck. I hate when I feel like our agency is in this vacuum, and we're not able to communicate with them. I was very skeptical about working with an agency at all because of my horrible experience with another agency. Brain Bytes will be the fifth agency that I've worked with, and they are fantastic.

Brain Bytes has a sharing platform called Slack, which allows us to have constant communication during a project. We are able to ping each other and share all the things that we're doing on our end and on their end. This way, we know what they're working on. They're very good about reporting. There's a lot of transparency with this company, which I love. We also do weekly meetings, which are kind of like our stand ups. We know what projects we've been working on because we've been talking all week via Slack, and email. We often collaborate in Google Docs just to make sure we're focused on the program. In our weekly meetings, we'll bring up what we've decided to do for the current month and what we were planning for the previous month. We would also discuss the things that are within the scope of those programs, who was assigned to them and where they are. They're quick meetings because we talk all week long. We have an account manager from Brain Bytes, and we have someone who takes care of the minutes just so everybody is on the same page. Anytime we have a meeting and there are next steps from either side, that person emails us and lets us know what we need to do.

What did you find most impressive about Brain Bytes Creative?

I love working with the people from Brain Bytes. I feel like they have a nice mix of different generations, anywhere from millennials and up, which is great. It's a full scope of experience. The younger generation that works there is savvy, quick, and smart. Then, they've got the Generation X people who are really experienced. They know how to utilize and take advantage of the skills that the millennials are coming out of school with. It's very different than when I was in school. They know so much. It's good because it's a full-spectrum agency, which I love.

I also love that they are very accommodating. We can shift easily. They're very agile. We can say, "This isn't working," or, "There are changes in the company and we need to refocus this month." Not only are they accommodating, but they also provide strategy when we need to refocus. It's not like we're flying blind. They would say, "OK, we'll do whatever you need us to do. But, based on what you're saying, here's what we recommend. Here's what we think we can provide, where we could fit and help you succeed." It's a nice, tight relationship.

Even though we work with them a lot digitally, they do come into our office and allow us the opportunity to get face-to-face time. That cements our relationship with them. Trust is important when working with an agency, so you have to get going with them and have them earn it. We have to earn their trust as well. They have to know that we're going to pay them on time, give them the right information, and provide feedback. I think those qualities are what make them special.

Are there any areas Brain Bytes Creative could improve?

There are certain items that Brain Bytes could probably report better. But, that depends on the company, what the stakeholders and the executive leadership want to see and how they want to see it. Again, because they're agile, they'll figure it out as long as we're honest with them.

I think there are times when – I hate to say this because it's not even a problem – but Brain Bytes want to please us so much that they do whatever we say. When I worked with Brain Bytes in my previous company, this was not an issue because we had already established trust. There was much more, "Listen, there are things you are doing wrong. We can help you." Before, they were more candid because we had worked together for several months. Now, we've been collaborating for three months and we're just starting to get to that level of trust. I can't even say that there's a fault. I love working with them.

Please introduce your business and what you do there.

Hodges-Mace is a benefits administration software and technology company. We help other businesses organize, automate, and streamline their benefits administration processes. I am the director of marketing, and I'm responsible for demand and lead generation and revenue marketing.

What challenge were you trying to address with Brain Bytes Creative?

When I joined the company, we had not historically made any lead or demand generation or revenue marketing efforts – we had been very much focused on communications. What we needed to do was define our messaging and take a good look at our brand. Once having done that we then needed to relaunch a website that was more of a lead generation tool and less of an online brochure. We initially brought on Brain Bytes Creative with that goal in mind, and then we've continued working with them for all of our digital marketing efforts.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us with the initial discovery work around branding and positioning. They interviewed many of our internal people and became very familiar with the research we had done previously with our clients and partners. They did a lot of deep-dive research to help us put together our messaging and align with where we needed to be in the marketplace, which then obviously rolled into the website.

They do a lot of content creation for us. We have monthly themes, and so they create high-value content, then work with us internally to create blog posts and infographics – things like that. They manage all of our digital campaigns, including Google, AdWords, Bing, Capterra, and other sites where we have a presence. They manage the budget, the actual campaigns and the strategy.

How did you come to work with Brain Bytes Creative?

I had actually worked with them at my previous company. We had brought them on and just had a great relationship with them, so I opted to bring them on here when I started.

How much have you invested with Brain Bytes Creative?

We have spent something in excess of $50,000 working with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We brought them on I believe last September [2015], and we continue to work with them on a monthly retainer.

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

Obviously, leads are important to us, and so we check those monthly. We're constantly optimizing our campaigns to bring in the right people. Brain Bytes is very good about not only focusing on quantity, but also focusing on closing the feedback loop and making sure that the quality is there as well.

From a content perspective, we've put out a ton of great content, and they're great about working with us internally to get the right information. Then, they package that information and take it to the finish line. As a consequence, we're not constantly asking our executives and stakeholders to generate content. Brain Bytes is able to create that content for us, which plays a big part in our nurture and content strategies.

How did Brain Bytes Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They are great. We have a dedicated account manager, and we're in constant contact with the agency. We use email, and they use Slack, so, especially when we're working on a website launch or an intensive project, they're very good about communicating and keeping the project moving. We have weekly calls where we get an agenda beforehand and then have follow-up afterward. Brain Bytes Creative is definitely very good on the communication end of project management.

What did you find most impressive about Brain Bytes Creative?

They made a real effort to learn our business. They do a good job of listening to people who have been either in the industry or with Hodges-Mace for a long time. I've seen them do that now in two different industries. They really immerse themselves in the business, even to the point of becoming experts. They just don't feel like an agency. We are getting a very personalized account management experience based on their knowledge of our company and the industry.

They are very hands-on, roll up their sleeves and get to work. Their entire company is working on the account. We don't have just one guy who is sent to present the results at the end of the month. Everyone is integrated with the account and the account plan.

Are there any areas Brain Bytes Creative could improve?

Honestly, we're just extremely happy with them. There's not a thing I would pick out to put into that box. I've had a great experience with them in two companies now. We are happy with the work we're doing with them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Large scale hemp processing and extraction with retail.

For what projects/services did your company hire Brain Bytes Creative, and what were your goals?

Build custom website. Design branding and marketing structures. Develop digital marketing and commercial advertisements. Helped develop branded packaging for retail arm.

How did you select Brain Bytes Creative and what were the deciding factors?

Great reviews from actual customers. Long history in the industry and run by fair people.

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

Build custom website. Design branding and marketing structures. Develop digital marketing and commercial advertisements. Helped develop branded packaging for retail arm.

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

five to six personally worked along side myself. Various positions.

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

It is still ongoing as we will be contracting with them throughout our development and growth. Their current marketing is helping tremendously with outreach across the country.

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

Great at meeting deadlines and communicating through online meets and over the phone to make sure they are getting everything done in a timely manner. Great management skills as a whole working together on various parts of the scope.

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

Their creativeness and ability to overperform without overpromising while on a modest budget.

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

No.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of The MHP Expert, an advisory group for manufactured housing communities

For what projects/services did your company hire Brain Bytes Creative, and what were your goals?

Develop website, blogs, podcasts, etc

How did you select Brain Bytes Creative and what were the deciding factors?

They were referred by many, has an amazing team with great customer service, pricing was fair and competitive

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

5-7 from all relevant departments, with 1 regular client manager and frequent discussions with CEO

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

Excellent and relevant traffic for my very niche business

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

Comprehensive, easy to use and painless to implement

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

Great customer service, their ability to get my niche understood quickly, budget and timelines were met at cost and on time

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

Very happy with what i received