CSTMR

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of sales at a company that sells a loan origination platform for lending institutions specializing in the government-guaranteed lending program for small business administrations. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CSTMR?

We brought on CSTMR as our marketing partner. We were looking to increase awareness of our product brand in several ways, including our event presence at trade shows. Digitally, we wanted to maximize reach through our blog posts and our LinkedIn profile. Lastly, we wanted to ensure that when potential customers searched in Google and other search engines, our SEO was maximized to bring forward our product’s homepage. 

Our number one goal was driving more revenue. In order to do that, we needed to influence both customers who weren't in the market for future purchases and customers who were in a buying mode. We wanted to ensure we were showing up in their searches and top-of-mind throughout their buying process. Therefore, we wanted to create influence long-term with brand awareness and more immediate influence to drive revenue in the quarter.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After entering into our agreement with CSTMR, we took a couple of months of intensive workshops and meetings to bond as companies. From there, we collaborated to translate that discovery phase into an intensive review of our current blogs and website to update them. The team has helped us refresh our existing content while working on new content. 

Since September 2023, the team has also helped us with paid advertising through LinkedIn and SEO through our Google accounts. CSTMR has also led the creation of organic LinkedIn posts. The team tracks engagement metrics and statistics, especially the number of handraisers and high-intent leads produced from that activity. 

Additionally, CSTMR has used sales, CRM, and marketing automation tools to help us run automated email campaigns. We’ve also requested some video production work. CSTMR has created some pieces for us, including a conversation between our company’s CEO and Rory H (Founder & CEO) at a film festival. 

What is the team composition?

We regularly engage with five teammates. We first reached out to Rory H, who’s remained involved in our project, and we’ve worked with Hollie (Senior Project Manager). Brendan (Senior Content Strategist) is responsible for reviewing our blog and has worked with a copywriter. Whitney (Director of Social Media & Events) is responsible for a larger team behind the scenes that I haven’t personally engaged with. Rory B (Marketing Operations Manager) has assisted us with automated email campaigns. 

Additionally, other CSTMR teammates work behind the scenes on SEO and the mechanics of the project. 

How much have you invested with them?

Between the base fees and the paid advertising, we've spent about $210,000 throughout the project.

How did you come to work with CSTMR?

Our company is a spinoff of another company that had a relationship with CSTMR. Since that relationship and awareness existed, we reached out again to CSTMR. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We formally entered a partnership agreement in February 2023, and the engagement is ongoing. We’re currently in the project’s winddown phase, which will end in July 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to CSTMR’s work, we’ve effectively doubled our website traffic and tripled and quadrupled the number of demo requests we’ve seen through the system, depending on the month. On average, we’ve seen a tripling of high-intent handraisers. Paid LinkedIn advertising and SEO have also increased traffic. 

Determining whether revenue results can be directly attributed to the project is challenging. Although we’ve grown our company significantly in the same period we’ve worked with CSTMR, I wouldn’t attribute direct revenue to the project. 

Our project ending doesn’t reflect CSTMR’s work; we need to remove some expenses from our business, and the project with CSTMR was strategic work that had its time and place, so we’re drawing that down. However, if those funds open back up, we would look to reengage CSTMR. 

How did CSTMR perform from a project management standpoint?

They provide great communication. We use monday.com for project management and hold weekly touchpoints in a stand-up meeting for half an hour every Tuesday using Scrum style. Additionally, we use emails back and forth when there are questions. Since we had content-related activities, we used Google Sheets for presentations and discussions.

I’ve often been the gatekeeper from a timing perspective since CSTMR relies on inputs from my team for deliverables. As a startup, we’ve faced some challenges regarding focus since we’re trying to build a plane while flying it. Throughout the project, I’ve assumed some marketing responsibilities, and there have been times when CSTMR has been waiting on blog post reviews from me. However, when they have the necessary inputs, CSTMR delivers on time every time.

Our project manager has been phenomenal in ensuring their team and I are on point with deliverables. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Rory H’s attention to detail and presence during each and every weekly call are some of the reasons we went with CSTMR. They haven’t just assigned us to an account manager; instead, we get to sit with one of the company’s founders every week and glean his wisdom and insights. He provides an analysis of what he’s seen and offers a chance to think about the future and our goals. 

We often miss the forest for the trees; we get lost in the details of what we’re trying to accomplish, forgetting the bigger picture of growth and expansion necessary in a startup’s early phases. We’re thankful that Rory H’s involvement has helped with this. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

CSTMR’s domain expertise in the financial services industry is quite good. Another strength of CSTMR is leading teams that are going down the marketing route for the first time. Our company doesn’t have marketing assets, and this is the first time we’re running marketing in a meaningful and pointed way. CSTMR brings a unique voice that helps shape the content from a future brand awareness standpoint. 

On the digital front, CSTMR is highly attuned to the realities of our technologies, which aren’t the most expensive or leading tools. Our CRM and marketing automation platform have limitations, and CSTMR has been quick to point out what we can and can’t do. 

Tactically, they’ve told us how to be successful with what we have while aligning strategically and offering recommendations for technologies that would allow us to do more as new dollars open up. Overall, CSTMR has been a great partner when it comes to thinking about growth and future opportunities. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their timeliness in video production, which comes down to balancing cost and time. I came into the project wanting to do a lot of video production, which can be tremendously expensive and time-consuming. Ultimately, video production can be two of the following: well, quickly, and cheaply—it can’t be all three.

The film festival conversation production took longer than I had hoped. Part of that was due to CSTMR’s rebrand and not wanting to release something new with the old branding. Although I get why there were some delays, that’s been the only deliverable I’ve been a bit frustrated by. Still, Rory H shared my frustration. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

CSTMR is an extremely capable and willing partner ready to be an extension of your team, so you have to invest in them as much as they’ll invest in you from a time perspective. With agencies, you must put a ton in to ensure that what you get out is good; providers need to be informed. 

The team at CSTMR doesn’t want to put out generic, bland material. They want their work to represent your company authentically, and that requires a lot of input and time from you. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a communications specialist at Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority, a public entity risk pool.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CSTMR Digital Marketing?

We needed to develop a new website, member portal, and CRM. We also required additional communication and digital engagement functionalities.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to replicate our existing member engagement tools while also enhancing in-house capabilities and member experience.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were suggested by a consultant that helped us identify our needs and potential vendors. We considered three proposals and selected CSTMR based on the agility of their proposed solution and our chemistry. We felt that they would be a true partner and not just a service provider.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

After an initial discovery phase to fine-tune the project’s scope and parameters, we’re now in the development phase. Final deliverables will include a website, member portal, and CRM/database. 

What was the team composition?

Approximately 10 people have worked on our project thus far.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Though we’re still in the development phase, we’re looking forward to having a much easier, more beneficial platform for both our team and users.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They’ve executed very well. We have regular communication and weekly Zoom meetings to coordinate, answer questions, and get updates. Basecamp allows us to share documents and monitor daily tasks.  

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re accessible, easy to work with, and committed to our organization. Rory (CEO, CSTMR Digital Marketing) and Jack (Co-Founder, CSTMR Digital Marketing) have been true partners every step of the way. They and their remote team invested time to understand our needs and the tools we wanted. They’re an extension of our team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Thus far, I have no suggestions for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP and director of marketing at a financial institution. We provide loans primarily to individuals who can’t obtain financing from traditional sources.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CSTMR?

We’re in the process of addressing a challenge around our brand. We needed help with branding and website development to bring all the parts into one.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have three separate affiliates that head different product lines. We’re working with CSTMR to streamline how we take those products to market. The most evident output of that work will be a new, search engine optimized website that represents our three brands.

We started with brand exploration. They helped us refine our market positioning. We then started on website architecture. That phase of work is complete. We did wireframes and information architecture for our new site. As a parallel process, they’re helping us on our verbal and visual brand.

What is the team composition?

We have a primary contact who pulls people in as needed. We’ve worked with three other people who are marketing and SEO strategists.

How did you come to work with CSTMR?

They emailed me. Usually, I would’ve deleted it, but they contacted me exactly at the right time. I had this project on my mind as the email arrived in my inbox. I went to their website and learned about their work and saw that they were a credible firm via their case studies. I had a couple of intro conversations with them. We looked at multiple firms, but I chose them because of the relationship we built during the vetting process. They were very eager and interested in collaborating with me in solving problems. I told their CEO about a current issue we were having with our website, and he offered to have his team think about it and get back to me. I wasn’t even a client at that point. That showed me that once I was a client, his team would go above and beyond to make sure that my team had what we needed to do our jobs. That’s been the case in working with them since day one.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re spending $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve been a delighted customer since we started working with them. Their work on information architecture delivered what we wanted as a client but also helped us see things in a new way and see opportunities we may have missed. As marketers, we should be able to do information architecture by ourselves, but bringing in external perspective is helpful to get out of our comfort zone. The work has been really collaborative. They’re plugging into our team and adding resources. I’ve been really pleased with that as well.

How did CSTMR perform from a project management standpoint?

We usually communicate on a daily basis. They’ve been excellent. Everything has been on time. I had to get used to working with more free-flowing deadlines, which I’m okay with because deadlines move all the time. Things aren’t late, but it’s a different work style than I’m used to.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very patient. They take the time to understand your problem and find proactive solutions for solving it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

For clients that need or expect more diligence around deadlines, that would be one area of improvement needed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take the time to get to know your counterpart’s work style. In the early phases, any tension or miscommunications may be due to the fact that you’re blending work styles. My main contact is a very indirect person, and I’m a very direct person. We both were feeling tension from that, but once we learned each other’s work styles, it’s been smooth.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the EVP for a small community bank. I’m in charge of retail banking and marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CSTMR?

Although we’re a small bank, we wanted to show our customers that we were just as capable of providing all their services as a bigger bank. As a result, we needed a marketing team with innovative, out-of-the-box ideas to help distinguish us from our competitors. We didn’t want to be like every other bank in the area; we wanted to be different. We wanted resources to develop a new website, create marketing assets, and make a marketing strategy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, they designed our new website around our company’s strategy and overall mission, which involved changing our domain name and site management. After migrating content from our previous site into the new version, they revamped the pages with new ideas to ensure a user-friendly experience. They recommended showing real people on our site to let people know who we were and promote our services. Not only did they include our staff information, the conducted client interviews to get testimonials. Additionally, they optimized our verbiage, modifying our content to maximize our search rankings.

Beyond web development, they expanded our digital marketing efforts. Their strategy featured a marketing calendar to coordinate our outreach, a monthly email communications bulletin, and social media management. They used Constant Contact and Buffer, respectively, to handle our emails and social media accounts.

Over the course of the engagement, they’ve also designed press releases, ads, brochures, and business cards. They currently create all of our marketing collateral and communication pieces on an as-needed basis in addition to refining our site page by page. They plan to implement AdWords in the future.

What is the team composition?

We work primarily with their co-founder, who serves as our main contact, in addition to an SEO specialist and a person who manages our email bulletins. I know that, behind the scenes, they have other people who do their design work.

How did you come to work with CSTMR?

Their CEO reached out ours. At the time, we had interviewed several marketing firms but didn’t feel that any of them had any new, innovative strategies. We researched the company before setting up a conference call with their team and liked their originality. Soon, they sent us a proposal, which we fine-tuned until eventually engaging them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $10,000 per month for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work began in March 2017 and is ongoing. We're on a yearly contract with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been really happy with their work because it helps distinguish us from our competitors. It’s just different from what every other bank in the area is doing. We’ve gained a few customers who wanted to meet us from our staff bios, and our monthly bulletins have a 33%–35% open rate with few lost subscriptions. In terms of SEO, we’ve made significant strides in increasing our rankings. They track all the data for us and provide a detailed quarterly report about our number of clicks and content engagement. I pass the report on to our board of directors so that they can see where we are.

How did CSTMR perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very organized. About 3–4 times a week, we communicate through Basecamp, which allows us to exchange information on our projects, make changes, and approve them. Anytime I need marketing materials, I post the specs on Basecamp, and they design it, keeping the look and feel consistent with our brand. I send their suggestions to our respective business development team to sign off on, and then they implement the changes to the website.

They also conduct a weekly video chat to provide status updates, and after the call, they compile a detailed review of the meeting, including pending projects and any next steps. The calls range from 30 minutes to an hour.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate their design skills because I don’t have to give them a lot of instruction. I mostly give them the ad specs and general details, and they’re creative enough to produce an appropriate ad that hits the mark on the first try.

They’re also very knowledgeable about digital marketing and have helped us navigate the technical side. Their site changes, email marketing suggestions, and responsive analytics tracking are considerably strong.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared to allocate the proper time and energy to the project to make it successful. CSTMR can only do so much, and if the customer isn’t responsive or doesn’t provide feedback on their suggestions, then it can be difficult to move forward. One of the things that keep us on track is the weekly meetings, which provide a clear list of tasks for their team and ours. While CSTMR’s team understands and can accommodate the customer’s needs, the customer must be prepared to put in the work.