Firebelly Marketing

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of a company that makes award-winning bourbon and rye whiskey based in Los Angeles. A couple of teammates used to be screenwriters, and we combined our passion for bourbon and movies together to create this company. 

Our bottles are unique because we create an original script for every one of our products and a poster for each script that becomes the bottles' label. The labels also include characters' headshots, a synopsis of the movie, and information about the award-winning liquid that is inside the bottle.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We needed someone to take over the content creation, management, posting, and data reporting for our social media accounts with the goal of increasing our followers. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Firebelly Marketing took over our Instagram account, and then we expanded to include Facebook. Firebelly Marketing creates different types of content, including organic posts specific to each platform. The team delivers around eight monthly posts, consisting of still images, carousels, and video reels. Firebelly Marketing also posts content for our stories and reposts stories where other users tag us. 

We then asked Firebelly Marketing to create posts that promote in-person events since we do a lot of bottle signings and tasting events. The team creates several of these posts monthly. Firebelly Marketing manages our accounts using their publishing tools to post content. The team gathers reporting data and meets with us every month to review our goals and performance through the reports they design. The team discusses actions that have worked and aspects to improve for the next month. 

We've expanded our engagement to include a funnel advertising campaign that targets audience growth, engagement, and conversion. Firebelly Marketing also creates paid ads with image and video content.

What is the team composition?

We work with Jessica (Organic Social Media Director), Bryce (Director of Content Creation), and Austin (Social Ads Director). We've also worked with 1–2 other teammates on technical assistance to set up Google Analytics, although I'm unsure how many teammates work on our project besides them.

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

I searched on Google for small agencies because, at the time we engaged with Firebelly Marketing, we were still raising our initial funds and had a small budget. I reached out to Firebelly Marketing through their website and submitted a contact form. I let them know we were looking for a social media agency and shared our budget, and the owner contacted me immediately. The team's website stated they worked with all-level budgets, and I was very specific about our budget when I emailed them. 

We had a Zoom meeting with Firebelly Marketing's owner and then connected him with my head of marketing. The team agreed to work with our budget and made me feel confident in their ability to meet our needs. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Firebelly Marketing in August 2023, and our engagement is ongoing. We keep expanding the scope of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Firebelly Marketing's work has yielded excellent results. Our Instagram following has increased by 10 times in 10 months. When we started working with the team, we had 400 followers on Instagram, and we now have 4,400, and that number keeps increasing every month by almost 10%. Initially, we didn't focus on Facebook and started running ads at the end of May 2024. In a month, our Facebook followers have increased almost 800%, from a few hundred followers to nearly 2,300.

We had previous bad experiences with other social media companies and decided to engage with Firebelly Marketing through small projects rather than let them take over our social media entirely from the start. Firebelly Marketing knocked it out of the park right away, and over the next 4–5 months, we kept expanding our work with the team and handing them more control of the project. 

Firebelly Marketing meets and exceeds our goals and continues to help increase our followers and conversions on Instagram and Facebook.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

I can't say enough nice things about Firebelly Marketing. The team is always ahead of the game; if anything, they wait for us to respond. Firebelly Marketing always delivers content in advance, so we have time to provide comments and feedback. The team reacts quickly when we have unusual needs or need something at the last minute. Firebelly Marketing is good at reporting and analyzing data. We communicate through emails, phone calls, and Zoom meetings. However, the team prefers Google Meet.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Jessica communicates fantastically and is very service-oriented. Bryce is very creative, and I love the content he creates and having him on the team. Austin seems brilliant and understands how social media advertising works and how to use it best to achieve our goals. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Firebelly Marketing delivers the work they commit to and meets our goals. The team is very flexible and adapts to our needs. We haven't had to ask them to figure out why something isn't performing the way we want it to because they've already addressed it by the time we bring it up. Firebelly Marketing is on top of work and creates great content for a reasonable budget. The team is resourceful and works with what they have and does great with it.

I've rarely been this satisfied with a vendor. I've learned a lot from the team, the most valuable thing being I can trust Firebelly Marketing's creativity, and letting them do their thing is the best way they'll succeed for me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything Firebelly Marketing can improve. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Other social media agencies we had worked with wanted to dictate how we should sound and didn't understand our voice. Firebelly Marketing takes their time to understand our voice and helps us understand how to adapt to better take advantage of social media to achieve our goals. The team has built a level of trust to the point where I have my team review the content they create. I used to review every piece of content in the past, but now I know the team understands our brand. 

Each month, Firebelly Marketing sends a Google document with links to the content they've created for the upcoming month, and I'm always excited to review their work and see what they'll do next.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-owner of Mimi Blue restaurant. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We didn’t have much of a social media presence, so we hired them to help us develop one.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Firebelly Marketing’s first campaign involved making the marketplace aware of our presence. As our relationship has continued to grow, we’ve gotten more specific with our message and the culture of our brand. The team has also run programs that require responses based on promotional giveaways to understand how well-distributed our name and brand is. 

Firebelly Marketing manages our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; the team also sends postings through our database. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $50,000–$100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in October 2018, and we’re still working with them.

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

When we were looking for a marketing company, we asked a few other businesses for advice, and Firebelly Marketing’s name continued to come up. We also looked online for someone in our local market and decided to bring them in for an interview. We felt they had a unique understanding of our company, and ironically, the owner of Firebelly Marketing regularly ate at our restaurant. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since beginning our engagement with Firebelly Marketing, we’ve seen growth. We’ve also seen improvements in our customer’s experience and the level of engagement we get from customers.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

The team always completes everything on time and delivers on their promises. If there are any issues or budget changes, they always come to us before doing anything. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve been extremely impressed with their communication, and the team is highly available. We’ve watched them grow and improve throughout our engagement, and Firebelly Marketing is continuously providing us with a better experience. The team is committed to our business, understands our culture, and is perceptive about what we need. 

We appreciate that Firebelly Marketing is willing to embrace ideas and is transparent about what they think will work for our company. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing we can come up with. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They will genuinely care about you as a customer and won’t just be interested in you as a means for financial profit. They won’t do something out of convenience because Firebelly Marketing is invested in your company. You’ll get what you put in from this experience, and you need to be consistent. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CMO of R-C Ranch

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a Texas-based ranch that sells the highest quality Wagyu Beef.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Firebelly Marketing to accomplish?

• Expand our brand awareness through our social platforms
• Build and expand our brand presence on Pinterest

SOLUTION

How did you find Firebelly Marketing?

Online Search

Why did you select Firebelly Marketing over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Other

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

Social Channel Management

• Channels: Facebook, Instagram
• Plan, write, and edit custom monthly content calendar: 3 posts per week
• Publishing posts at optimal times for engagement
• Post promotion to reach more people with content.
• Monthly Social Media Snapshot report with key performance metrics and insights Pin Publishing
• Implementing a smaller Pinterest program focusing and creating 2 Top pins a week will boost awareness and name recognition

Pinterest Ad Program:

• Audience discovery: Pinterest ads allow you to target based on gender, location, language, and device.
• Run 1-2 promoted pins per month
• 1 for brand awareness, 1 for shopping/traffic Monthly Engagement Strategy
• On Brand interactions Management
• Manage interactions / respond to appropriate comments based on FAQ or brand knowledge
• Escalate more detailed questions to brand team

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Audience Growth Metrics (monthly outlook)
• Audience Engagement Metrics (monthly outlook)

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

Firebelly has always delivered on or ahead of the project deadlines and they've always been open to our needs and wants as a customer.

What was your primary form of communication with Firebelly Marketing?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They are very personable and understand the needs of our brand. We don't just feel like a customer of theirs, but we feel like they genuinely care about our brand.

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

Not that I can think of. Anything that needs improvement is talked about on our monthly calls and then improved afterward.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief experience officer (CXO) at Distance Learning Systems. Our company offers online college courses, and part of my role is overseeing all marketing and technology operations. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We needed assistance with our social media marketing (SMM) strategy to attract lead generation.  Before the COVID-19 pandemic, our sales representatives traveled to different states to attract leads and host educational seminars. After the COVID-19 pandemic, we needed to change our lead strategy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Firebelly Marketing has created and managed our lead-generation campaigns on Facebook and Instagram. Before working with them, we used to manage our SMM and had the past campaign results, which Firebelly Marketing reviewed and optimized. We also set a specific cost per lead (CPL) goal for them to meet. 

Moreover, Firebelly Marketing creates our ads' content, including graphic design and copywriting. They send us the ads for approval and adjustments before publishing them. Firebelly Marketing manages the different campaign details, including location, demographics, A/B testing, and website destination. 

Although Firebelly Marketing offers social media management services, we already have an in-house team that handles our strategy. 

Additionally, I’ve worked with Firebelly Marketing on a similar project for a different company I’m a part of. This is a mortgage company, and Firebelly Marketing also manages our lead-generation campaigns on social media. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with different teammates from Firebelly Marketing. Initially, I worked with Duncan (Founder & CEO) and another teammate, from who I don’t recall their position. After we signed the agreement with Firebelly Marketing, I worked with Austin (Senior Social Ads Manager) for about 90 days, and more recently, we’ve worked with Arnelle (Marketing Manager). 

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

We found Firebelly Marketing through an online search. We came across a national ranking that included them, and we contacted Firebelly Marketing because they were located in our area. 

We chose Firebelly Marketing because of their online reputation. They also gave us a list of previous projects they had worked on that were similar to ours, we contacted some of their previous clients, and their feedback helped with our decision as well.

How much have you invested with them?

We invest around $5,000 monthly with Firebelly Marketing, which is over $100,000 for the time we’ve been working together. This cost includes our ad spend budget.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Firebelly Marketing in February 2021, and our partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our main goal for this project is to have an additional lead stream for our sales representatives. One of our objectives was to reach a low CPL. We set a specific target, and Firebelly Marketing has met and exceeded our expectations by 150%. 

Moreover, our campaign results have been stable throughout our engagement with Firebelly Marketing. They guide us to overcome the challenges we’ve encountered, and with Firebelly Marketing’s advice, we’ve met our cost per revenue (CPR) and conversion rate goals. 

We recently optimized a campaign to adapt to the iOS 14 updates recent updates. Firebelly Marketing gave us a step-by-step document on how to do the campaign, and as soon as we followed their advice, we met our goals. 

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate closely with Arnelle. She takes feedback very well and is always monitoring and optimizing our campaigns. Arnelle also sends a weekly report with our campaigns’ results, and I can rely on her sending it on time since she knows I use these reports with our stakeholders. 

We also have a monthly Zoom meeting and communicate through email. Arnelle is consistent and very helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

My only constructive criticism is that our monthly fee also includes our ad spend. We’re a small business, and I’d like it if we had a performance-based rate instead of a monthly fee. However, I believe the cost is proportional to the client’s ad spend budget. 

Following this idea, there was a point where I didn’t feel Firebelly Marketing was offering enough value for this administrative fee since there wasn’t a lot of campaign maintenance. However, I felt much better when Arnelle took over our project — she communicates frequently and keeps us posted. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend laying off your project’s expectations from the beginning. Firebelly Marketing is honest and straightforward; if you have expectations that are hard to meet, they’ll work with you and do their best to accomplish your goal. 

Moreover, I’d also recommend considering which budget model is best for your project. Analyze your cost opportunities and the budget for ad spending you have available. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the shopper marketing manager for T&G Global, and I’m in charge of managing the digital marketing campaigns for a couple of our brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We hired Firebelly because we wanted a US company to manage our social media marketing efforts. Previously, we worked with an Australian firm that managed our US social media efforts. However, we wanted a US-based vendor so that our campaigns would be more relevant to the country. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve onboarded Firebelly for social media marketing, content development, social media listening, and ad management. They’ve worked on knowing our brands so that they can speak for us on social media channels. We’ve discussed our goals to increase engagement and make sure that the content they create is relevant to our US audience and to other brands in our category. 

What is the team composition?

I directly work with two people from their team. Other people work with them, but they don’t talk to me directly. 

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

I found Firebelly through Google. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $150,000 or $10,000 per month. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the partnership in February 2021, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To date, Firebelly has increased our engagement rate by 5.8% for one brand. For another brand, they’ve increased that rate by 3.7%. On top of that, our audience size has grown by over 10,000 followers. 

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Firebelly’s project management is excellent. Our account representative makes sure that everything is done on time and within budget. They recommend ways for us to optimize our projects. We communicate via email. I usually use Outlook, and we do Zoom calls every week. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their personal touch is rare — they make sure that our representative is a good fit for us. On top of that, they’re highly responsive and provide great social media expertise. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. In fact, they have an excellent selling process for us, and their pricing is highly competitive. They beat every other vendor we’ve considered. I don’t see any way they could be better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend Firebelly to anybody interested in social media marketing. They’re one of the best vendors I’ve worked with across the board. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work for a chocolate manufacturer. We make and sell chocolate chips, bars, and wafers for baking. I am the marketing team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Firebelly Marketing?

We needed someone to handle our social media accounts for us from scheduling posts to creating paid ads. Our goal was to create/increase brand awareness and drive trial and sales of a new brand.

SOLUTION

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

Firebelly had a good track record with food products. After meeting with them a couple times we could tell that they knew our industry and could provide us with great service and good recommendations.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

This is ongoing for us. They helped set up our accounts, create ads, and using reporting tools to provide us with analytics we can use to tailor our content. We have monthly calls to discuss new and upcoming campaigns. They also manage our influencers and giveaways. They are a one-stop shop.

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

We work with an account manager and 3-4 other team members depending on what we're trying to do. We've used them for influencer programs as well and they really can handle it all and provide us with great suggestions, reporting, and feedback. They have their fingers on the pulse at all times and are very much a part of our team. We couldn't do this without them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're steadily gaining followers across all platforms and we have them to thank. We create our own recipes, but it's the content they come up with that drives the engagement. We provided little direction overall and they were happy to take it and run with it. We're at about 20k follower on IG and that's due to their work.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It's great. We primarily email throughout the week and meet monthly (more if needed) to discuss the state of our business. They're extremely prompt in responding to our needs. I know they have other clients, but they always make me feel like I'm the only one.

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

Just how engaged they are. They really are on top of everything. I rarely bring anything up that they aren't already aware of. They offer good suggestions and collaborate well. I couldn't ask for a better partner.

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

Honestly, no. I have 0 complaints.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder and CEO of Xtropy, a Google Ads agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We need to have over 40 videos created as part of a personalized video marketing campaign to drive new business for our agency. We needed an agency that could shoot with quality talent, then edit at scale for a reasonable price.

SOLUTION

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

We approached Firebelly and they had great suggestions for talent and location. They helped us tweak our script and deliver a good message. The videos were edited and delivered as planned.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

We shared with Firebelly our idea on personalized sequential videos at scale, as well as a script for each video in the series. They were able to book talent and a location, then shoot the videos, then edit them for our intended needs.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We worked primarily with Taylor and Bryce. Both were helpful, flexible, and communicative.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After getting our ad campaign live, we've driven a lot of leads through form submissions and phone calls--which was our intended goal.

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

Taylor was upfront with the costs and deliverables. We ended up needing some additional edits, which we paid for. She set expectations on timeline and adhered to it.

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

They were willing to take on a type of project that they normally didn't do and ran with it. The price point was right where we needed it to be...other agencies we talked to were much higher. The quality of the work was good.

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

Firebelly gave us a single round of revisions. We could have used an additional round. I think two should be included into the price.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of a financial wellness company. We’ve created an app that helps people with various tasks and provides insights to help them control their finances and financial health. Launched in early 2021, the app is available on the App Store. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We hired Firebelly to help us establish awareness for our mobile app and gain social proof on various social media channels, including Facebook and Instagram. Our company also wanted to grow a community on those platforms. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Firebelly helped us with paid marketing and advertising on Facebook and Instagram. On top of that, we did organic posts. The overarching goal was to generate awareness and expand our reach; the organic social media posts were there to engage people and grow a community around the app. 

What is the team composition?

I interfaced with two people; one of them handled the paid media side, while the other handled our organic postings. 

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

I researched online for companies that specialized in digital marketing with a focus on social media. Then, I narrowed down my search to a number of companies and interviewed each of them. After interviewing Duncan (Founder & CEO), I decided to go with Firebelly. He had a great appreciation of our needs, and his proposal sounded truly compelling. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested over $20,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership lasted from August 2020–March 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To measure success, we checked how many app installs we gained from the campaign. We also checked the cost per install. With that in mind, we were truly pleased with the number of app downloads we achieved; those downloads mainly came from our advertising efforts. Our company also checked how we were growing our social media following. We achieved that in a cost-effective manner. 

Overall, the Firebelly team exceeded our expectations on those fronts. We were truly happy with the metrics we were seeing out of our campaigns. 

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Firebelly was excellent. I was happy with the way they managed the project. To communicate, we mainly used Zoom conference calls and emails. They sent me regular and easy-to-understand reports showing me the results of our campaigns. The team also analyzed those results for me and made recommendations on how we could optimize things.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The people I was dealing with from Firebelly were extremely knowledgeable. Thanks to them, we achieved excellent results. More than that, the company’s overall service was great. The team was highly responsive; they were available every time I sent an email or wanted to discuss things over a call. 

On top of that, they had a full understanding of my needs. It wasn’t too much trouble for them to spend time and explain things to me. They ensured that I was kept informed about our campaigns every step of the way. 

Finally, their customer service approach was impressive. Their communication was great, and they made sure I was happy throughout the entire process. Overall, they were an incredible team with great customer service ethics. They were easy to deal with, and I could approach them on anything I wanted to discuss. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. I was 100% satisfied with their work; in fact, I’d work with them again in a heartbeat — they were all excellent. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have clear objectives of what you want to achieve, and have a kickoff call to ensure everyone is on the same page. This way, you can let Firebelly understand your expectations of how things will roll out.  

Moreover, Firebelly has a great understanding of what works on social media platforms. Given that, trust their guidance; this is their area of expertise. In addition, if you like being kept in the loop, the team is open to that. Don’t shy away from communicating with them and asking for explanations of how things are working and how they’re going to improve. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of Top Flight, a manufacturer and marketer of school, home, and office paper products. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We wanted to address our perceived lack of brand awareness. Even though we were a 100-year-old company, there wasn’t huge recognition for our brand in the marketplace. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Firebelly serves as our social media management firm, so they do all of our social media posts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. They post multiple times per week under our name. In most cases, we provide the images to them, and then they provide written content. Their team manages that process by putting it on a content calendar and making sure the calendar gets populated. Moreover, their resources respond to any comments we get on the platforms as Top Flight. When they can’t answer certain questions, they’ll direct them to us. 

This year, we’ve done some outbound Instagram engagement with Firebelly. The team has also helped us through an influencer program, where they research and give us a list of influencers who can work with us for our campaigns during the back-to-school period. They research these influencers and negotiate with them on our behalf. 

The Firebelly team has also done some creative work for us, such as photography. They’ve offered video production services, but we haven’t taken advantage of those yet. Overall, they work to give us what we need, providing ideas and proposals to expand our engagement. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Duncan (Founder & CEO), with whom I negotiated during the kickoff process. We’ve also worked with their internal creative staff, including social media managers. 

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

When our company decided we wanted to be more active on social media, we started searching through a number of social media firms. Our team then went through a number of proposals addressing our concerns. 

Out of all those companies, I chose Firebelly. I felt that they had the best understanding of my business and our needs. The other vendors had a canned approach and didn’t take the time to understand what we needed. By contrast, Firebelly seemed more flexible, responsive, and tailored to our needs than other firms. From there, we negotiated the contract and started working together. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $50,000–$60,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2020, and the engagement is ongoing. At present, we’re negotiating additional services from them, and our teams are in the process of re-upping the engagement for another year. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we started working with Firebelly, we’ve gained many new followers per month; we’re now approaching about 9,000–10,000 new social media followers. We also have over 700,000 consumer impressions on their work, and our posts’ average engagement rate is over 16%, which is high compared to the market average of 1%.  

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Firebelly’s project management is great. They’re always on top of things and consistent with their communication. The team is always accessible and responsible for their work, so I’ve been pleased with them. 

To communicate, we use emails and calls. I have two standup calls with them per month. I’ve also met with the team for an introduction meeting. I’ve gone out and visited stores with Duncan and his staff to give them a better understanding of our business. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Firebelly tailors their program for my company’s needs — they don’t sell me a stock service. On top of that, the team has been flexible in giving me new ideas. They’re proactive in adjusting with us as opposed to making us follow along with their program. Overall, they’re willing to make changes for us to get the results that we want. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Build a relationship with Firebelly, and have an open dialogue with them. Apart from that, maintain a set schedule of contacts so you can remain focused on your objectives. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and director of an e-commerce company that sells high-end health and beauty products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We’ve grown significantly and our workload became more than we could handle. We needed to step up our game and to do that, we needed to bring in a professional marketing agency.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They worked with us to create a social media strategy. They did all of the planning, posting, and engagement for our Facebook and Instagram accounts. This involved creating a content calendar for our posts.

They also brought in a professional photographer who specialized in lifestyle photography to create content. We had a photoshoot every other month to showcase our products. They also expanded our influencer program by recruiting influencers.

What is the team composition?

I work with Duncan (Founder & President) to discuss account management things, but our day-to-day interactions were with the people who managed our influencer program. Our main point of contact also led our social media planning. They also brought on a Facebook Ad consultant.

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

I was familiar with Sprout, the social media management platform, so I reached out to them. They referred me to several different partner agencies that they thought would be a good fit for us. We set up a couple of different interviews with each company, and at the end of it all, we decided Firebelly Marketing would be the best partner for us. Their portfolio impressed us and they were incredibly professional.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $60,000 in total, but we spent between $7,000–$9,000 per month depending on the services we used.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2020 and we’re wrapping up the project now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our audience on Facebook and Instagram grew by 23%. We were able to post more frequently as well. Before working with them, we were only able to post five times a month, but now we’re able to post 19 times a month. As a result, our engagement rate increased from 4% to 11%.

They also made our posts more professional by hiring a photographer. I’d love to keep working with them, but because of our business needs, we need to pause our efforts. I hope we can continue working with them in the future.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

I don’t think they could have done any better. They’re very professional and well-versed in their trade. Overall, they were a pleasure to work with. We had a content calendar and a Google Calendar, so we had to coordinate across different calendars. We also used Sprout to manage the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were extremely professional. They’re good at what they do and they’re nice to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to ask for customization. We certainly changed the scope of the work over the course of the project. For example, we initially wanted to hold photoshoots every month, but after talking to them about what we needed, we ended up doing it every other month.