Different Digital

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Coldsmoke Creative. We’re an e-commerce design and development agency.

What challenge were you trying to address with Different Digital?

We struggled a lot with content creation. The partners that we’d used in the past either didn’t create content on time, or they gave us something that wasn’t usable, so we had to start from scratch.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Different Digital has helped create a couple of long-form content pieces that we can use to attract leads, as well as case studies that can help feature our work, highlight our partnerships and clients, and we can use in our sales cycle. They’ve also helped us improve our organic traffic.

To jumpstart the project, they led a broad discovery process with us. It was collaborative, which was helpful because we don’t have time to do this type of work. Overall, they’re pretty efficient with both our times. They do the most to get what they need for the content.

What is the team composition?

I’m not 100% sure how many people work on our account. We work directly with Richard (Founder & CEO). He has a couple of writers working for us, but we haven’t interfaced with any of them.

How did you come to work with Different Digital?

We came across them through an agency-coaching program we were in. We put out an RFP, and they seemed like a good fit based on what we were looking for. We’d worked with some agencies in the past, so we knew what not to look for.

How much have you invested with them?

It’s been between $5,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Different Digital a few months ago, in April 2021. Since then, we’ve done a couple of projects with them, and we have an ongoing partnership.

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

We’ve shared their work with Shopify, which’s one of our partners, and they’re going to support us to market some of their pieces. Their work is past Shopify’s quality bar, and that helps us to increase leads.

How did Different Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate on Slack all the time. They’re thorough, and they have a fast turnaround. They’re incredibly quick to respond to comments and feedback. We’ve also had a couple of Zoom meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I would say it’s their turnaround time and the final product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Overall, I highly recommend Different Digital. However, as with any content marketing service, you want to be able to effectively communicate your goals so they know how to tailor the content.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of global brand marketing at LeSportsac, a manufacturer of lightweight nylon handbags.

What challenge were you trying to address with Different Digital?

We’re working with Different Digital for our SEO purposes.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Different Digital’s research team assisted us with auditing our site's SEO. They were able to provide a comprehensive roadmap to improve our site from different approaches like keyword optimization, meta tags, landing page optimization, and everything else involved in SEO and digital marketing positioning.

What is the team composition?

Richard (Founder & CEO) is my main point of contact, but I believe that two other people are working for us on copy and content creation, so I assume that there are three people involved in total.

How did you come to work with Different Digital?

Richard was recommended to us by another vendor.

How much have you invested with them?

I prefer not to disclose that information, but we’ve been working with them on a retainer contract since we engaged.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around April 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

The major metrics that we’re tracking are keyword optimization and organic traffic improvement.

How did Different Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Different Digital is very organized, and Richard’s reports are very detailed. Many of our high-level management members are not digital natives, so Richard and his team were able to assist with onboarding. They also helped us with communicating the point for organic search and helped us understand why we needed to implement it.

Richard has also offered continuous communication, especially with recent Apple iOS and Google updates. He has very well-organized methods of letting us know when we need to optimize our site or update any type of product.

I don’t know the tools that Different Digital uses for project management, but we usually receive a deck. We communicate via phone, email, Zoom, and Google Hangouts, and Richard used to come into our office before COVID-19. When we email Richard, he responds within 12–24 hours or even less than that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Different Digital is very thorough in their proposals. Richard gave us a free service to audit us, and he was able to provide enough entail to have our team and management approved the retainer. He’s also very excited about what he does — we can tell that there’s a spark to his work.

Different Digital is very professional and timely, and they have recommendations for everything our team needs, even outside SEO. Additionally, if Richard isn’t able to provide suggestions, he would know someone that could help us in that particular service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the beginning, I felt as if Richard was the only one working for us, but I think that his team is growing. By the amount of work that I assume he’s taking and the quality of that work, I have nothing to complain about. He has been able to grow his business and scale up while assisting us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know exactly what you need. Richard can provide a lot of different services, so understanding what your company needs from a deliverable standpoint and what goals you’re trying to hit is important.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Co-Founder of Strategy Maven

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

We have been working together on an E-Commerce Email Marketing Project. The Goal has been to grow the account's revenue opportunity through testing different variables and segments.

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

We felt Richard and his company's mission and vision aligned with ours along with the attention and time he and his team put into the outcome of his clients.

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

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss the overarching objectives. From there we started laying out what the next steps would be and began adjustments and measuring.

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

Just one worked with us. CEO.

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

The customer has been transitioned into an ESP that better fits their needs and we were able to prep them, and help guide them. They are already seeing huge ROI.

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

The team implements project management tools so that everyone is on the same page.

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

Their team is patient and trustworthy.