Firebelly Marketing

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

The videos are incredibly effective. We’ve had thousands of viewers, which is a pretty significant impact. It’s been every bit as impactful as the magazine ads that we used to rely on. Firebelly is continuing to find ways to get people to look at our work, primarily through social media.

We’re starting to see people who are less connected to us take an interest in our services. We’ve also noticed that our yearly downtimes are much less pronounced. I’m very grateful for what they’ve done with our social media accounts. The numbers have increased dramatically.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager is watching over everything constantly, and we hear from her every week via email. Communication happens on an as-needed basis, and they’ll reach out if they ever have concerns. We’ve also had a few large meetings at critical junctures. They couldn’t be more responsive. We feel like we’re getting plenty of attention, probably more than what we signed up for.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve shown me ways to do social media advertising that feel natural yet are still effective. I worry about distinguishing between my voice and our company voice, and I appreciate how Firebelly makes that distinction.

In particular, they’ve done an excellent job with the videos. They’re interesting and fun, which is why people give us so much feedback and engage with them. Also, Duncan, the owner, is one of the dearest, most thoughtful people I’ve ever worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so, I’ve been nothing but happy working with them and don’t have any complaints. They're outstanding, and they’ve been outstanding since day one. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important for clients to be engaged with the process because Firebelly can only build off of what the client providers. Give them photos and thoughts about your business to help them reflect your voice in an authentic way. With longtime business owners like myself, there’s a tendency to feel like that engagement is someone else’s job. That can’t be the case if you want to take full advantage of Firebelly’s services.

Be aware of what you have, and if you don’t have the right information or content, make sure to get it. We were fortunate to have a ton of photography already because it’s part of what we do. That has worked super well for our approach. If you don’t have those kinds of assets, be willing to work with Firebelly to find out what they need.

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

The campaign was considered very successful. Engagement numbers went up 49%, which was particularly significant given the long-term work that the in-house social department had done. We hit that metric hard and were very pleased with that.

Each week, Firebelly Marketing looked at areas they could finetune to increase views. They continued to optimize, and, despite a modest budget, a campaign video generated almost a million views. The client was very happy. Firebelly Marketing really worked against the objectives we put forward.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly phone calls to go over the status of their work and do any finetuning with the programs. However, in the heat of the work, we often spoke more than weekly. They were consistent in their communication. The team was available and responsive.

I liked the way they worked with our team and our client’s team to understand what our strengths were. From a strategic standpoint, they quickly understood where they fit in and how they could enhance the overall project. They created a seamless experience for the client.

Firebelly Marketing knew where they needed to work against the objectives. They integrated quickly, which is a pretty high bar since it can be pretty difficult to integrate vendors. For that reason, we’d look for opportunities to work with them in the future.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed by their initiative to exceed our objectives. A great example of this was how they optimized engagement to drive video views. They looked at the numbers each week and determined what was working and what needed to be adjusted. They were consistently aware of our objectives and reaching them.

The team integration was a great benefit of working with them, as was their industry expertise. Although you might expect expertise, having that with the collaboration on top was great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t. Our only issue is that we don’t always have the opportunities in our budgets to partner with them; it just depends on what our clients need at the time. Given the opportunity, we’d work with them again in a heartbeat. If any social needs come up, we will turn to them.

Any advice for potential customers?

Partner with them strategically so that they understand the scope of the work and can use that strength.

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

When we hired Firebelly Marketing, we had around 3,000 followers on our Facebook page; now, we’re approaching 10,000. We also didn’t have an Instagram before working with them, and they’ve helped us establish an Instagram presence. Having such active social media gives customers a way to interact with us. Firebelly Marketing’s work has been very beneficial to our company.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Firebelly Marketing is excellent in this regard. They often sit down with us to garner a clear understanding of what our goals are, the direction we want to move in, and how quickly we want to do so. We have a lot of meetings to touch base. Our teams primarily communicate via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Firebelly Marketing truly listens to the voice that we want to create, and they make it happen for us. They’re friendly and follow through on their promises. Their desire to form a personal connection is what distinguishes them. They want to have face-to-face meetings, rather than just emailing, calling, or text messaging. We feel valued as one of their clients, and that goes a long way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so. We’ve been very happy with Firebelly Marketing for the last two years. I’ve asked around my office, and all of my team members are thrilled with their work. There’s nothing they could do differently.

Any advice for potential customers?

To get the most out of working with them, tell them exactly what you want. Firebelly Marketing wants to hear you and help you reach your goals. Be willing to collaborate with them.

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

We’ve learned a considerable amount about the behavior of the 62+ age demographic on social media. For instance, we discovered that most seniors use mobile devices to engage in social media. Because of Firebelly Marketing, we found a lot of success in growing our audience and understanding them.

Earlier this year, I attended a major industry presentation about this very topic, which I already knew about through my work with Firebelly Marketing. They were a step ahead of an industry leader.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly meetings, often in-person, and communicated via email. Any challenges were due to our highly regulated industry, not Firebelly Marketing’s performance. I’m sure Firebelly Marketing is quite skilled at things like influencer marketing and out-of-the-box content creation, but we couldn’t use such services. However, they accomplished exactly what we expected from them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their channel management stood out to me. They created a content and social media calendar each month. Because we’re in such a compliance-driven industry, Chad had to have every calendar and all content approved by a busy internal legal team that did not prioritize our social media agenda. Firebelly Marketing navigated these time and content restraints well. They were very skilled at executing content and then reporting on the results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This is a more general challenge and not necessarily something Firebelly Marketing can improve upon, but it’s hard to connect revenue directly to social media.

Any advice for potential customers?

I’ve found that it can be challenging to decipher an agency’s strengths. Social media encompasses many attributes, including content development, channel management, reporting and analytics, and paid media and influencer media. Most agencies are stronger in a couple of these areas, but not all of them. It’s important to align your organization’s objectives with the agency’s strengths. However, Firebelly Marketing seemed to be strong in all of those areas.