HawkSEM

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the COO of Launch My Book, Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We help authors with all aspects of the book publishing and promotion process--from copy editing and cover design to self-publishing set up, distribution, websites, marketing campaigns, and more--while providing personlized guidance every step of the way.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire HawkSEM to accomplish?

• Restart our Google ads after a nose-dive in performance following a "google ads expert" consult resulting in a disaster
• Optimize and manage our ads on a monthly basis
• Help us secure qualified leads at a monthly spend we can afford

SOLUTION

How did you find HawkSEM?

Online Search

Why did you select HawkSEM over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Like the approach -- seemed like they could be a long term partner

How many teammates from HawkSEM were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

We have been running google ads to our website for authors searching for relevant services with the goal of receiving lead form fills that turn into phone calls which eventually (hopefully) become clients. We wanted to promote our self-publishing services most specifically in order to secure leads who were earlier on in their book publishing journey. This is proving to be a good strategy, although expensive due to the competition, which is outspending us dramatically. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After a very rough start with a different account manager, we began to see a significant up-tick in leads shortly after Justin took over the account in April/May. So that was the first measure of success: Leads entering our funnel! Then, as he analyzed our data and started refining the quality of the leads, our quality of leads has improved. Although we still are not earning back in revenue the amount we are spending in ad spend or management fees, we are seeing a very positive trend. (1) Quality Leads (2) a managable quantity of leads. 

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

Justin is amazing. He is responsive, he is simple and yet thorough in his communication style, he is clear about what he needs from us and about what he is going to do next. It is very clear that he is attending to our account, that he is thinking creatively about it, that he is staying on top of the data and managing the keywords and negative terms. We love working with him. 

What was your primary form of communication with HawkSEM?

Virtual Meeting

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

This is a tough question to answer. We had such a rocky start, and we felt underwhelmed by the response we got initially following the 5 months of management during which we had almost no leads despite an ad spend that was double what we normally had spent in the past. When HawkSEM notified us that our account manager was no longer at the company, it wasn't a shock but it was also shocking, as we had invested already 5 months and $7,500 in management fees, and $12,000 in ad spend (and maybe 3 confirmed leads to show for it). So we basically had to start over with Justin. We were given 1 free month of management to allow him to come up to speed. Two months later, I got an email from HawkSEM's customer success team, checking in to see how things were going. When I expressed my disappointment at the company's thin response to what had happened before Justin took over, we were given the opportunity to sign a 12-month contract and receive 3-months gratis in acknowledgment of what we had experienced and to mark our joint commitment to a long term relationship. 

This helped, certainly, but the residue of that tough start lingers (as we have not yet recovered financially--being a small business, it was an expense that we have not yet been able to replace with new clients). That said, we are ADORING working with Justin. He represents what we had hoped would be our experience with HawkSEM from the beginning. His attitute and his skill level are reflective of what we were drawn to in the first place in our decision to work with HawkSEM. 

One thing I especially appreciate is how Justin keeps track of our meetings from month to month. I always know what we covered last month, I get a write-up of our monthly meeting, and I get clear next steps from him. And he can easily refer back to what had happened the previous month for reference. It's clear. It's simple. It's helpful. And he always has an action step to propose--he is never passive, never looking to us for direction, but offering us guidance and support. He is exactly what we need.
HawkSEM has created a great plan for companies like ours to be able to have a chance at running google ads. We love our current account manager and plan to work with him as long as he'll have us!

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

Please see my earlier response about the rocky start, the first 4-5 months took a big toll on our business. I think that it would have been good if someone in management had been more attentive to our account, and intervened when we were repeatedly asking for solutions and begging for response. I also think it would have been more appropriate for HawkSEM to waive more of our monthly management fees to compensate us for the almost $20K we lost during the November-March failure under Houston's watch, and to have received some sort of explanation of what had happened. While the internal workings are not any of our business, it did feel like we could have been given some sort of more human response to what happened, and some acceptance of responsibility. It's clear now, since we're working with Justin, that those initial 5 months were a big loss for us that could have been avoided. 

We don't have any feedback for Justin regarding things that could be done differently -- he has been nothing but kind, professional, responsive, and, most of all, successful with our account. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Managing Member of Check Depot

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Check Depot is a reliable provider of high-quality business checks and banking supplies dedicated to meeting your business needs at the lowest cost.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire HawkSEM to accomplish?

• Enhance Google and Bing PPC ad campaigns
• Optimize website SEO

SOLUTION

How did you find HawkSEM?

Online Search

Why did you select HawkSEM over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from HawkSEM were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

HawkSEM conducted a thorough technical audit of my website and tracking, analyzed and enhanced existing ad campaigns, and introduced new campaigns for improved performance. Their work led to tangible growth for our company. Additionally, HawkSEM has been instrumental in optimizing our SEO strategy by addressing technical aspects, onsite errors, and creating relevant content to boost brand visibility and engage potential customers effectively.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project has yielded a remarkable 50% rise in new customer conversions and substantial cost reductions in our branded campaigns, marking clear progress and success. We couldn't be happier!

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

The project management team at HawkSEM is both friendly and professional. They always deliver on time, and I genuinely look forward to our meetings—it's always great to review the progress being made!

What was your primary form of communication with HawkSEM?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

One aspect that truly stands out is everyone at HawkSEM's dedication to our company's success. They are interested in helping us grow and possess an obvious passion for their work. They enjoy what they do!

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

I really can't think of a time when they didn't meet my expectations. If there ever is, it's easy to reach out to them, and I trust they'll do their best to address any concerns or preferences I have.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Director of the company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Healthcare Staffing and Recruiting Agency offering per diem, contract, direct hire, and comprehensive workforce solutions for healthcare organizations across the US.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire HawkSEM to accomplish?

• SEM
• SEO
• Analytics and Conversion Tracking

SOLUTION

How did you find HawkSEM?

Online Search

Why did you select HawkSEM over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from HawkSEM were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• SEM - Maximize budget, restructure campaigns, increase relevant traffic, and overall enhancement of our Ad Peformance and Paid Search Strategy.
• SEO - Move us from not ranking to appearing organically for non-branded keywords within the top of organic search results. Help develop a strategy and priorities in line with our top revenue drivers / opportunities. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team that has been with us since adding SEO services to our Hawk contract in Jan-2024 dramatically made a difference on our marketing goals and provide much-needed relief to our small scrappy team. I find it difficult to describe the trust, confidence, and ease they have brought us in the partnership.
Before 2024, we felt things were slipping, there were some fractures in the SEM development from account management turnover, and we were not feeling confident we were getting the value of the partnership. Our current hawk team brought some of that to our attention, while becoming acclimated with our account. For everything I brought to their attention, they were diligent and successful in resolving everything, almost immediately.
The level of trust we have in them now is what everyone deserves in a marketing partnership. It's why I fought so hard to outsource these important funcitons of marketing. They educate us when needed, they keep us on track of deliverables to hit our goals, they leverage many tools, tracking sheets, and provide layers of transparency. They make recommendations that show they truly know their trade AND our goals and business.
I am tremendously grateful for Austin, Linda and Joe. They heard us, took the time to learn our goals, and then applied strategies with cross-pollination that helped us do more than get back on track – they helped us develop larger targets and goals. We are excited to continue this partnership! Thank you so much. 

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

explained all in other section

What was your primary form of communication with HawkSEM?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The resolution. Things break, relationships get strained. But as soon as I brought my concerns to them, they turned them around so quickly. I have no reason to believe we'll be in that position again. I have full faith now in the team and company 

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

nothing that we didnt address 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Director of Integrated Marketing and Brand Identity of an education company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We offer a vibrant array of high-quality master’s and doctoral degree programs and professional development training geared toward shaping the future of education across preK–12, higher education, and workforce learning.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire HawkSEM to accomplish?

• Promote our traditional Master's Degree Programs
• Promote our Executive Format Programs

SOLUTION

How did you find HawkSEM?

Referral

Why did you select HawkSEM over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from HawkSEM were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Hawk launched several campaigns to help us reach prospective students on Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. They developed compelling landing pages for each campaign and helped us craft efficient and effective keyword strategy. We brought in many leads and have seen high conversion to application from the leads who filled out our RFI forms on our landing pages.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have seen (so far) about 11% conversions from lead to applicant, which is slightly better performance than our last digital agency partner, but more importantly, the applicants that have come in this year are more qualified and a better fit for our programs, which means we're doing a better job of reaching the right people.

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

Our HawkSEM team has been so on the ball. They are knowledgeable, strategic, and clearly spend significant time considering our strategy and ways to maximize our budget. They are quick to respond and track our action items closely.

What was your primary form of communication with HawkSEM?

In-Person Meeting

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

I have been most impressed by the team's willingness to teach us digital advertising best practices along the way. I have learned so much from the HawkSEM team and am impressed by their depth of knowledge.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Coordinator of Unmanned Vehicle Technologies

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Serving as one of the largest drone and robotics dealers in North America we equip organizations with the most advanced drone and robotic technology, supported by our industry-leading mission-critical technical and operational fleet support services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire HawkSEM to accomplish?

• Manage, optimize, grow Google Paid Advertising Account
• Manage, optimize, grow Bing Paid Advertising Account

SOLUTION

How did you find HawkSEM?

Online Search

Why did you select HawkSEM over others?

• Pricing fits our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from HawkSEM were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We hired HawkSEM to manage, optimize, and grow our Google and Bing paid advertising tracking CPC, conversions, CTR, impressions, and cost/conversion. Starting with a thorough examination of our accounts, HawkSEM evaluated each of our campaigns, recommending optimization-based strategies based on each identified opportunity. 
The team then implemented the needed changes while continually evaluating performance. After, HawkSEM initiated A/B testing on select campaigns, providing on-going experienced based strategy recommendations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our team has secured more relevant and valuable leads as a result of partnering with HawkSEM and the teams marketing efforts. Our conversions are up 40% YOY with our Cost/Conv staying the same.

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

HawkSEM has delivered all necessary project items on time while providing personalized attention to our needs.

What was your primary form of communication with HawkSEM?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We couldn't be more pleased with our HawkSEM team, Max and Katie. They are passionate about UVT's success and have done a fantastic job of providing personalized recommendations backed by a wealth of expertise, and individualized attention, educating themselves on our unique industry at every opportunity.

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of marketing for an athletic tape manufacturing company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HawkSEM?

We’ve hired HawkSEM for PPC advertising and other paid media. Our goal is to drive awareness and growth for our brand. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

HawkSEM is responsible for running our Google Ads, Bing, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok advertising campaigns. Their team completes tasks such as setting up the targeting for banner ads, handling the budgeting, and then running the ads. We work with them to run paid media campaigns and then assess and analyze the results together to make changes where necessary. 

They are also responsible for providing SEO services; we provided HawkSEM with an initial list of keywords we wanted to focus on. After that, they ran an audit and have been recommending updates and changes. 

What is the team composition?

We work with about four individuals from HawkSEM. 

How did you come to work with HawkSEM?

They initially reached out to us, and then six months later, someone we worked with recommended them. At that point, we decided to move forward with the engagement. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2023, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our cost per thousand impressions (CPM) for our awareness advertising has come down, and our ROAS has increased where HawkSEM is targeting. Anecdotally, we’ve seen a large improvement in the quality and frequency of advertising that goes out. We’ve also seen a definite increase in the quality of our targeting. 

How did HawkSEM perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team hits deadlines and is very timely with our weekly reporting and ongoing needs. We have a weekly call with their team and communicate via email as well. We also use Google Sheets and other tools for tracking. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

We’d like to shout out Dylan (Director of Digital Strategy). He is extremely responsive, knowledgeable, and creative when problem-solving. He is also adaptable, and overall a great partner to work with. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are very up-to-date about the targeting capabilities of each platform and how to get the best audiences built from our data. We’ve been really impressed with how scrappy HawkSEM is; they are interested in finding every way to make an improvement to our account. Their commitment is obvious, and they provide excellent value. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s extremely minor, but we think some of the data visualizations we get for monthly reporting could be stronger. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be really clear about your goals and what you want to focus on. The clearer you are, the more successful they will be. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Strategist of CarShield

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provide vehicle service protection plans

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire HawkSEM to accomplish?

• Increase Organic Presence

SOLUTION

How did you find HawkSEM?

Online Search

Why did you select HawkSEM over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from HawkSEM were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of our project with Hawk is centered on addressing our SEO needs, given our lack of in-house resources for this task. Hawk's key deliverables include creating SEO-optimized content to enhance our organic search rankings, developing and implementing a strategic keyword strategy, taking care of on-page and technical SEO aspects to improve website performance, and providing regular tracking and reporting for performance evaluation. 

By entrusting Hawk with these tasks, we aim to bolster our online visibility, attract more organic leads, and strengthen our position within our competitive industry. Hawk's expertise and commitment makes them an indispensable partner in our SEO journey.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since they came on board, we've seen a 65% increase in blog clicks, 84% more impressions, and a whopping 90% growth in users to our blog pages. Their dedication to organic growth has also generated a rise in leads.

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

Yes, if they ever didn't deliver on time it was because they were waiting on us.

What was your primary form of communication with HawkSEM?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The knowledge of the employees I work with is impressive.

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

Nope

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of sales and marketing for Univera, a medicinal beverage company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HawkSEM?

We hired HawkSEM for their marketing services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

HawkSEM provides SEM services for us on Google and Bing; they also do social media marketing on Facebook and Instagram. 

What is the team composition?

We work with six people, including a social media manager, an SEM manager, and a lead strategist. I deal with their client success manager on a regular basis. 

How did you come to work with HawkSEM?

I interviewed various companies, including HawkSEM. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $40,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2022, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our revenue from paid campaigns has increased by about 300%.

How did HawkSEM perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver on time. Our communications are done via emails and meetings through Zoom and Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have initiative and a great dedication to great decision-making. The team follows their plan and makes good decisions to improve and optimize our campaigns. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. I’m truly happy with their service.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

HawkSEM works fast, so you need to work at their speed. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

LendingPoint is a provider of unsecured personal loans for consumers across the credit spectrum. By combining technology and proprietary algorithms, we’re driving a better lending and borrowing experience by finding more reasons to say “yes.” Now serving hundreds of thousands of consumers, we’ve expanded into small business, and merchant point-of-sale lending solutions to further unlock access to affordable loans. I'm the VP of Performance Marketing. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Paid Search, Remarketing, and Social. The goals of the campaigns were to show that we could have a profitable online marketing program that could scale and grow like the rest of our company.

SOLUTION

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

I started with a list of 15 agencies and based on the RFI responses, I narrowed it down to 5 companies that were required to run me through their capabilities as well as audit and recommendations for a scope of work. The deciding factor was in their presentation. HawkSEM showed they understood the challenges of the industry and how we could overcome these obstacles.

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

Our program only consisted of a few keywords, so this was a start-from-scratch exercise for the HawkSEM digital marketing team. They presented me with an outline of setting up the campaigns, and what the realistic expectations were for the results. After we launched Google and Microsoft, we expanded into remarketing on Facebook.

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

We had an account manager, account strategies, Facebook strategists, and a media manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

HawkSEM exceeded expectations within the first few months of the engagement. HawkSEM demonstrated growth and efficiencies that beat our expectations and kept us ahead of our goals.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had reporting and team calls weekly in order to report on successes as well as provide the necessary assets for our campaigns.

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

Their teamwork is impressive; they're an extension of my marketing team and not just an agency.

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

Nothing.