First Spark Digital

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a department director at Talentfoot

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Talentfoot Executive Search specializes in future proofing organizations by securing forward-thinking leaders across sales, marketing, eCommerce, product, data, operations, finance, and technology who have a proven track record of success.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire First Spark Digital to accomplish?

• Lead Generation

SOLUTION

How did you find First Spark Digital?

LinkedIn Post

Why did you select First Spark Digital over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Knowledge

How many teammates from First Spark Digital were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We partnered with First Spark Digital to enhance our online presence through a comprehensive redesign of our landing pages and a strategic overhaul of our Google Adwords account. Our goal was to improve the user experience on key landing pages, increase conversion rates, and maximize ROI from our paid advertising campaigns.

The First Spark Digital team took a highly collaborative approach, working closely with us to understand our brand, audience, and objectives. They delivered an impactful redesign, creating visually compelling and user-friendly landing pages that reflect our brand’s values and messaging. Additionally, they conducted a thorough audit of our Google Adwords account, identifying areas to refine targeting, keywords, and ad creatives for better alignment with our goals.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their expertise resulted in a significant boost in quality scores and a noticeable reduction in cost-per-click, while our conversion rates saw a remarkable increase. Overall, First Spark Digital’s insights, innovative design, and data-driven ad strategy have made a substantial impact on our marketing effectiveness. We couldn’t be more pleased with the results and their ongoing commitment to our success.

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

First Spark Digital’s project management was exceptional from start to finish. They set clear timelines for each phase of the redesign and Google Adwords optimization, and consistently delivered items on or ahead of schedule. Their team provided regular progress updates and held weekly check-ins, keeping us in the loop on every detail.

What was your primary form of communication with First Spark Digital?

Virtual Meeting

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

What impressed us most about First Spark Digital was their unique combination of technical expertise and a genuinely customer-centric approach. Their team didn’t just deliver a project; they took the time to deeply understand our business goals and brand identity, tailoring their strategies accordingly. Their attention to detail and proactive approach—particularly in suggesting creative solutions we hadn’t considered—set them apart from other agencies we’ve worked with.

Additionally, their data-driven mindset was evident throughout the project. They continually monitored and optimized our Adwords campaigns and made data-backed recommendations that immediately improved our performance metrics. This commitment to measurable, impactful results and their dedication to our success made working with them an exceptional experience.

Are there any areas for improvement or something First Spark Digital could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the co-founder of an online job search platform. We have a combination of a job board and an AI resume and cover letter optimization tool. We target the B2C market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with First Spark Digital?

We needed support to manage our performance marketing campaigns with the goal of increasing our sales.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First Spark Digital manages our paid campaigns on Google Ads, Meta Ads, and TikTok Ads. During the first month of the project, First Spark Digital analyzed our business and set up our Google Ads and Meta Ads campaigns. The team started with a small ad spend and scaled the budget over time. First Spark Digital also started with a small number of ad creatives and increased the number of assets over time. The team constantly tests different campaigns across Google, Meta, and TikTok. 

First Spark Digital designs most of the creative assets and uses user-generated content. Our internal team also pays social media creators to create content for us, and the team uses and edits that material for different campaigns. 

What is the team composition?

We work with five teammates: an account manager, an analytics specialist, a creative assistant, and both founders.

How did you come to work with First Spark Digital?

I found First Spark Digital on Clutch.
How much have you invested with them?

We pay a $5,000 monthly fee. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with First Spark Digital in February 2024, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

First Spark Digital's support has continuously increased our sales in a profitable way. Before engaging with First Spark Digital, our paid campaigns yielded around 20–30 sales, and now we achieve around 200 sales, resulting in a 10x improvement from our original paid campaigns' sales. The team has been continually increasing ad spend across all of our platforms.

How did First Spark Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

First Spark Digital delivers work on time and on budget. We communicate daily via Slack and have biweekly meetings on Google Meet to discuss results, goals, and deliverables. We share creative assets via Figma and Google Workspace.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Alyssa (Account Manager) has done a great job testing campaigns and helping our team recruit creators for paid campaigns. She's very helpful and responsive. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

First Spark Digital has very analytical and scientific approach. The team runs different tests and constantly tries new things based on the data. First Spark Digital is ROI-focused and is aware we're trying to make a profit, which is something we were looking for in the firm we hired. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of any areas for improvement for First Spark Digital — they've done a pretty good job. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I suggest having a clear idea of your goal and target customers to help First Spark Digital create the right structure for your paid campaigns.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sr. Marketing Manager of National University

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Harmony SEL, as an affiliate at National University, is a social and emotional learning program for Pre-K-6 grade students, accessible online and at no cost. Harmony fosters knowledge, skills, and attitudes boys and girls need to develop healthy identities, create meaningful relationships, and engage productively by providing SEL learning resources, tools, and strategies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire First Spark Digital to accomplish?

• increase reach of our digital product
• increase conversion rate
• lower cost per acquisition

SOLUTION

How did you find First Spark Digital?

Marketing Partner

Why did you select First Spark Digital over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from First Spark Digital were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

With a new ad strategy, campaign structure, and funnel with optimized landing pages - in our first month of running ads in August we were able to reduce the cost per registration across paid media channels by 78%. This has saved thousands of dollars in ad spend in month one, and will continue to compound MoM as we continue to spend. 

We created new conversion-optimized landing pages with a better user experience, signup flow, and messaging, leading to our conversion rate increasing from 5.5% to 25.45%, resulting in a 5X increase in the number of Harmony sign-ups that happened from people who clicked through an ad and landed on the website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Pre FSD - Cost per acquisition = $47.05... since working with FSD Cost Per Acquisition = $18

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

Yes. They are always on time with deliverables and responsive to all of our requests.

What was your primary form of communication with First Spark Digital?

In-Person Meeting

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

I am most impressed by their ability to lower our cost per acquisition and increase our digital reach on a very short timeline.

Are there any areas for improvement or something First Spark Digital could have done differently?

Not that I can think of at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Komuso Design

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Komuso is an e-commerce business that designs, manufactures, and sells the world's first breathing tool as a wearable.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire First Spark Digital to accomplish?

• Increase website conversion
• Scale revenue/sales
• Create and scale email/SMS marketing campaigns
• Manage ad creative campaigns and increase CTR
• Manage and scale SEO shopping and organic search

SOLUTION

How did you find First Spark Digital?

• Referral

Why did you select First Spark Digital over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Other

What was the size of First Spark Digital’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

As an e-commerce start up, Komuso needed to create a comprehensive marketing solution to scale and manage our growing business. First Spark created a smart ecosystem of ads + landing pages + media strategy that was cohesive and fit our brand style.

The deliverables are as follows:

• Analytics of creative through split testing
• Summary of results through Google Analytics helping us understand campaign wins/losses
• Creative options and copywriting suggestions
• Full management of evergreen and nurture email/SMS campaigns through Klaviyo (creative and scheduling
• Creative ideation for supporting media (radio, billboards, direct mail, and UGC marketing)

First Spark was critical in building the entire infrastructure which helped us scale 4x in 2 years. This would not have been possible without them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Scaled ROAS/MER on Meta advertising immediately
• Introduced and built our email marketing flows reaching 20%+ of total revenue
• Managed all SEO advertising with key word research and testing to scale high intent conversion with specific campaigns

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

FSD has always been reliable which is rarified air for agencies who normally take on too many clients. They deliver monthly reports on time, respond within Slack right away, and helped settle fears after the iOS14.5 changes. We've been with them for 5 years and highly recommend them. They feel like partners.

What was your primary form of communication with First Spark Digital?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

I never felt like I was "on some ticking clock" when I talk to them. They genuinely care about my business which is evidenced by their commitment to solve problems. E-commerce requires constant pivoting and adjustments which is why we've been able to grow with their help.

Are there any areas for improvement or something {provider_name} could have done differently?

I have no complaints thus far.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing manager of Oscilar

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a cybersecurity/fintech product – a risk decisioning platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire First Spark Digital to accomplish?

• Lead generation
• Demand generation

SOLUTION

How did you find First Spark Digital?

Referral

Why did you select First Spark Digital over others?

Close to my geographic location, Great culture fit, Good value for cost

What was the size of First Spark Digital’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

The scope of work included:

1. Advertising strategy development
2. Keyword research
3. Ad creative production
4. Ongoing hypothesis testing
5. Creative A/B testing
6. Email marketing automation
7. Technical integrations to make sure platforms and internal tools communicate properly with each other
8. Content production assistance

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The volume of inbound demo requests
• The volume of marketing subscribers

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

FSD team is highly organized and efficient, taking great care to ensure that every step of the project is completed in a timely manner, while also delivering exceptional results. From developing a concept all the way through to implementation and delivery, they make sure that everything is done properly. They are also very responsive and willing to answer any questions or concerns that arise during the process.

What was your primary form of communication with First Spark Digital?

Virtual Meeting

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

We're impressed with their responsiveness, adaptability, and willingness to solve the most complicated problems.

Are there any areas for improvement or something First Spark Digital could have done differently?

Nothing in particular.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Manager of Client Success of Fifty & Fifty

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a digital creative marketing agency for nonprofits and purpose-driven brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire First Spark Digital to accomplish?

• Jump into a project and take over a full paid media plan in an effort to launch a big documentary project
• Support our team and co-deliver a 12 month marketing plan of which FSD would be responsible for paid media strategy, execution, and reporting
• Become a trusted agency partner and continue to provide tangible results

SOLUTION

How did you find First Spark Digital?

Referral

Why did you select First Spark Digital over others?

Great culture fit, Good value for cost, Referred to me, Company values aligned

What was the size of First Spark Digital’s team?

2-5 Employees

What was your primary form of communication with First Spark Digital?

Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

We were looking for an agency partner that could strategize and manage paid advertising across multiple channels including Facebook, LinkedIn Ads, Instagram, and Google Ads. Specifically, we wanted a partner who could infuse their paid media expertise into the current digital marketing campaigns we were executing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• With the support of First Spark Digital we helped a client generate over $150k in donations on a $30k spend
• In collaboration with First Spark Digital, we helped another client decrease cost per acquisition (70%) and scale signups on both paid social and paid search
• In partnership with First Spark Digital we worked with a client to make their film the most downloaded documentary in the history of iTunes at the time of release

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

The team is easy to work with, and they always deliver their items on time. Overall they are efficient, and very responsive through Slack, which is how we primarily communicated with their team.

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

They are very clear in what they can deliver and provide great insight into their strategy behind paid as well as the performance. Their communication with clients is always helpful and they have no problem going above and beyond to ensure the best possible results.

Are there any areas for improvement or something First Spark Digital could have done differently?

I honestly can't think of anything at the current moment.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a manager at Revalize. We’re a B2B software company for manufacturers across different industry verticals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with First Spark Digital?

In 2021 we were a brand new company formed from the merger of ten different brands. Our challenge was to create market awareness for the new company, as well as generate leads for the sub-brands.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First Spark Digital has managed our marketing strategy and campaigns on different channels, including LinkedIn Ads, Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and Microsoft Advertising. Initially, we provided First Spark Digital with a brief of our ideal customer profiles (ICP) for each brand and the general brand. We also shared the campaigns and marketing strategies we had used in the past, and with that, First Spark Digital created a unified marketing strategy across the brand.

Moreover, when we first approached First Spark Digital, we needed to generate leads for one of the sub-brands, and they recommended using LinkedIn Ads to target our ICP. First Spark Digital set up a campaign on LinkedIn Ads, proving that it was a strong channel for our target audience. 

First Spark Digital has also created our ads’ content and assets. They’ve also given us feedback about the landing pages we created to direct those ads.

Currently, First Spark Digital is working on new strategies and marketing campaigns. We passed our revised marketing budget for 2023, and they’ll manage our ad spending across the different channels, optimizing our budget and adjusting strategies as needed.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with four team members from First Spark Digital: the two co-owners, a paid digital strategist, and an account manager.

How did you come to work with First Spark Digital?

First Spark Digital was referred to us. We had talked to other agencies and got pushback and hesitation about our project since it was complex. We chose First Spark Digital because they were eager to take this challenge and show us they could handle it. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested over $200,000 with First Spark Digital.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with First Spark Digital in January 2021, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have two specific cases of success that have really impressed me about First Spark Digital’s work. One of the campaigns they’ve created generated over $100,000 in revenue with an $8,000 ad spend. Another successful example is that during 2022, they’ve decreased our cost per lead (CPL) by almost 60% on LinkedIn Ads. 

Overall, First Spark Digital has generated many leads through LinkedIn and has been easy to work with.

How did First Spark Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

First Spark Digital is quick and extremely punctual. They meet every deadline and always deliver what they promise. There have been times when we’ve asked them for a deliverable with a quick turnaround, and First Spark Digital has managed to fulfill our requests. 

We initially communicated through email, but First Spark Digital suggested using Slack, so we’ve been using that since. They’re extremely responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m most impressed with First Spark Digital’s ease of working with us. Moreover, they’re very competent and have great expertise in the digital marketing industry. They know every channel and stay up to date with all the ad policies and their changes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for First Spark Digital to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend you provide a clear idea of your target audience and a good rundown of your brand when you start working with First Spark Digital. Give them the foundation they need to create your campaigns and find the success you’re looking for.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Communications & Marketing Manager of Curebound

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Non profit - Cancer Research

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire First Spark Digital to accomplish?

• Drive Sign Ups
• Drive Donations

SOLUTION

How did you find First Spark Digital?

Referral

Why did you select First Spark Digital over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

What was the size of First Spark Digital’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

Create advertising content and copy and manage advertising campaigns.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• ROI
• Awareness

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

First Spark was great! They deliver all outputs on time and meet all the campaigns' needs. Easy to work with and dependable.

What was your primary form of communication with First Spark Digital?

Virtual Meeting

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

First Spark was able to always deliver on our timeline and flexible, able to pivot and change course to get our company the best results possible.

Are there any areas for improvement or something First Spark Digital could have done differently?

Can't think of one.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at bedrō Whitening

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We sell an easy to use teeth whitening paste that can be added to toothpaste when brushing teeth.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire First Spark Digital to accomplish?

• Create and optimize Meta ad campaigns

SOLUTION

How did you find First Spark Digital?

• Referral

Why did you select First Spark Digital over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fits our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of First Spark Digital’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

Goal was to set up our Meta campaigns.Set up a budget, work within that budget, update our creatives, suggest new creatives, set up audiences, and test ads. Once we found ads that worked, scale them (within our budget.) Also set up Google AdWords and Google Shopping for when we were ready to expand on them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Campaigns hit 2x ROAS
• Ecomm sales went from $100/day to $400/day avg

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

First Spark always delivered on time. They were extremely responsive, and got back to me within hours whenever we needed to reach out about something. Mitch and his team constantly checked in, and also helped explain anything that my team didn't understand.

What was your primary form of communication with First Spark Digital?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

We were highly impressed with the results of our ads. We used First Spark only a few months after launch, so they were able to 4-5x our ecomm sales within only 2 months.

Are there any areas for improvement or something First Spark Digital could have done differently?

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder of Grow and Convert, LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide SEO focused content marketing for SaaS and service businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire First Spark Digital to accomplish?

• Drive traffic to our content
• Drive conversions to our content

SOLUTION

How did you find First Spark Digital?

Referral

Why did you select First Spark Digital over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

What was the size of First Spark Digital’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

• Send articles to First Spark Digital that needed to be advertised
• First spark would figure out the audience for each of the different clients
• Setup ads on ad platforms that they thought were best for the audience
• Drive traffic to articles
• Report on traffic and conversions

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Increased traffic to key articles
• Increased conversions from articles

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

Yes were always timely with deliverables. Managed projects in Trello

What was your primary form of communication with First Spark Digital?

Virtual Meeting

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

Very knowledgable about ads and different platforms and strategy. They were a small team that focused a lot on each account. They cared about their work.

Are there any areas for improvement or something First Spark Digital could have done differently?

Nope