Direct Ad Factory

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My name is Heather Armstrong and I’m the owner and director of Scotia Music.

What challenge were you trying to address with Direct Ad Factory?

Basically, I hired Direct Ad Factory to help me run my business.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Direct Ad Factory does a number of digital marketing and consulting services for me, including web design, logo design, and social media marketing.

It started with weekly courses on how to take my business into a digital structure called “Forced to Pivot.” The 10-week course takes place once a week for a couple of hours. I actually booked them again for a new one because I love them even though they’re basically repetitious.

They helped design my website as well. I was in a panic as soon as the pandemic began, and I started putting crazy links everywhere, as I didn’t want to lose it. They actually used my website as an example of what not to do, which was fine with me! They taught me not to be afraid of negative space because it prevents web designs from being messy.

Finally, they redid my logo and surprised me with a new website. They also consult me with how to structure my wording on social media. For example, I was trying to create a Facebook post to advertise my business and had written paragraphs. Direct Ad Factory took a look at my post and told me to be more direct, cutting it down to a few lines to be more effective.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Brian (Creative Director & Owner), Bernice (Idea Generator), and Anne (Graphic Designer).

How did you come to work with Direct Ad Factory?

They reached out to me and invited me to International Women’s Day. I was able to converse my idea with them and they were very welcoming throughout. As soon as the pandemic started, one of the first emails I received was from them. Without sugarcoating, they told me that my business wasn’t going to work anymore, and asked me to contact them for their help.

How much have you invested with them?

In all honesty, they’ve been doing the services for free. The 10-week course is on a pay what you can basis, and they’re doing it to acquire grant money. All in all, I paid $100 as a gratuity for building the website.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our partnership in June 2020, and we’ve been working together since then. They've worked on three websites and continue to support me with my digital needs.

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

Because of Direct Ad Factory, I’m able to get more music students and book and manage more events. Right now, I’m in charge of putting events around the local area and charge what I want. They’re also helping me set up an office space in a studio.

They’re really nice and confident. Every now and then I’d touch the website and make mistakes, but they are able to fix things for me right away. The work they did on my website is really good — I trust them completely with that sort of thing.

They also helped me establish a lot of connections on Facebook. It got to the point where now, I can’t have any more Facebook friends.

How did Direct Ad Factory perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of managing the project, they’re really good. You can schedule appointments with them and they will always update you about deadlines. Since I prefer working with deadlines myself, I like that they work the way I do.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like that they don’t sugarcoat anything when talking to me. They don’t spend too much time conversing with you just to find out you only need to do this one thing. It ensured me what was going to happen without having to put it into a paragraph. They’re blunt, but not in a negative way. It’s just very nice to have people like that in the world.

I'd also add that they have a great way with words. I sing and play musical instruments, but I didn't trust that I could do anything else. When we were designing my site, they'd surprised me by writing a section about my accomplishments as an award-winning musician. It's hard to write about yourself because you never want to boast in that way, but they did it well. It was so kind and sweet that I cried!

Are there any areas they could improve?

I know it’s good to think of ways they can improve, but I can’t think of anything because I’ve just been so impressed with how they’ve handled things so far.

The fact that they reached out to me to let me know about my situation and how they can help is great — they’re really nice people and know their product.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just be truthful and honest. Let them know exactly what you’re looking for because they’re there to help. Pride can also get in the way of running your business, but don’t worry about that — let your pride go.