Honest Marketing

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Trgomen Group is a group of companies that spans various industries like construction, alcohol and spirits, and hospitality. I’m the co-owner of a hotel in the group.

What challenge were you trying to address with Honest Marketing?

We’d just opened a hotel this year but immediately had to face the challenges of COVID-19. That was an enormous hit to our business in terms of cost. People were scared to travel, and we didn’t know how to communicate our services in the right way. That’s why we contracted Honest Marketing to build our brand awareness in the local Serbian market.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Honest Marketing is working to generate brand awareness around our hotel. This consists of two efforts: the first is to communicate all of the efforts we’re undergoing to keep the hotel a safe travel spot, and the second is to improve our brand’s presence month over month.

Their team oversees all aspects of our day-to-day social media, from strategic planning and goal setting to content creation (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn). They design all of our visuals and even work with local influencers to coordinate promotions in our hotel. From there, Honest Marketing also manages our SEO and PPC for Google Ads. 

What is the team composition? 

I work with a social media specialist who’s really invested in what we’re doing. She always responds to my messages and does even more than what I ask her to do. It makes me feel like I’m being taken care of as a client.

There’s also an SEO/PPC lead. I work with him a bit less because SEO isn’t a daily activity, but it’s still a pleasant experience. We mainly set goals and keep track of our results.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $10,000–$25,000 with them across various activities.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2020, and it’s an ongoing project. We might extend the partnership to support our other brands in the future.

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

If it weren’t for Honest Marketing, we’d have a huge problem on our hands. Their social media activity has definitely increased our brand awareness. People are talking about us more, and we’re seeing higher bookings.

On top of that, they’ve been able to communicate our hotel’s offerings well. We have a very specific concept that not a lot of hotels in Serbia do, so it was important for us to convey that idea accurately to the public so that people could connect with our story. 

How did Honest Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

I have no complaints. We work together day-to-day, so we don’t have any issues with missed deadlines. It’s all very punctual. As for communication, they take a personal yet professional approach. We basically use phone, email, and online calls to get things done. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We agree on what has to be done, and then they do it. They don’t make it complicated. With other vendors I’ve worked with, things would get lost in the chain of command because we weren’t a big account for them. But, Honest Marketing keeps it simple, and I like that I just have to work with 1–2 people. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes the visuals could be a bit better, but I can’t complain because they’re quick to make the changes we request.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take an honest approach — it goes with their name!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of The Bookkeeping Loft, an accounting firm for small businesses.

What challenge were you trying to address with Honest Marketing?

We needed a presence online. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Honest Marketing developed my site on WordPress from scratch. I first sent them my content, my ideas, and my logo on a Word document. After that, the team designed the layout and put it all together.

Honest Marketing continues to host the website and even trained me on the basics on the administrative side so I can make edits myself if necessary. Now, I’m looking to contract them for SEO.

What is the team composition?
I worked with Filip (Founder) and one other person.

How did you come to work with Honest Marketing?

I originally saw Filip’s post on Instagram offering websites. He contacted me and we went through what my business was about and what option would suit what I do. We discussed the visuals, the number of pages I needed, and how we’d write content. I’m not very experienced in web design so he had to guide me through that.

How much have you invested with them?

The website was done pro bono, but I will be investing in the SEO side of things, which will be €300–€400 (approximately $330–$440 USD) per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in March 2020 and is ongoing. Filip turned it around in just 3–4 days. 

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

The site isn’t live yet, but it’ll be launched soon. It’ll let me advertise and make my business look more professional. I look forward to working with Honest Marketing’s help in SEO and making my business more visible in Google searches. 

I’m really happy with the site. It’s clean, easy, and user-friendly. Honest Marketing hit the nail on the head with exactly what I was looking for. The people who I’ve shown it to have given really positive feedback. I haven’t gotten to user feedback yet, but over time, I’ll start getting more feedback. 

How did Honest Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Zoom calls for communication. I send emails outside office hours, and Filip still replies very quickly even if it’s late in the evening. He’s very accommodating. Also, I don’t know what the normal length of this sort of project is, but for me it was very, very quick and efficient. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Honest Marketing is very patient with me being a novice at web development and design. Filip went through everything with me from start to finish. He outlined exactly what was needed at the beginning, went through the different options we had available, and made sure I understood exactly how to work basic parts of the website. He was easy to speak with and good at explaining what I needed to know even though it’s not my area of expertise.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t really fault anything he’s done. I enjoyed working with him. I wasn’t expecting him to explain the website to me, but I’m extremely grateful.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be very specific about what you need, but Honest Marketing will get what they need to make sure they meet your vision.