Keep it Real Social

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a sunglasses specialty retailer that has four locations. Two of our stores are seasonal locations that sell sunglasses only, while the two other stores sell sunglasses and optical services. The sunglasses-only stores are called Sunglass Shoppe, while the other two are called Sunglass Shoppe: Unique Optics. My husband and I are the owners of the stores.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Keep It Real Social?

Prior to our engagement with Keep It Real, I hired another vendor for strategic financial planning that didn’t include social media marketing. After utilizing their resources, they left me with plenty of good materials that I could use for marketing. Then, I reached out to Sommer (Founder & CEO) to use Keep It Real’s services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Sommer analyzed all aspects of my business and gave me a report card grade of C. Since then, she’s done many things to push that grade up to A. For one, they've used Pinterest to grow my social media numbers on Facebook and Instagram. They’ve also redesigned my website to make it more user-friendly and easier to understand. That way, people can get the information they need from the website. They’ve also done photoshoots for me. 

They’ve also done some radio campaigns for us and designed plenty of things for me, such as giveaway materials. On top of that, we’ve conjured up corporate events even though we’re a retail store. For instance, doctors and dentists’ offices give their employees about $300–$500 budgets and let them go to us. I fit them all with eyewear, and then we turn the event into a party where we have food and drinks. The party effectively becomes somewhat of an employee appreciation event. Sommer helps me cultivate such relationships.

What is the team composition?

Apart from Sommer, I’ve also worked with Haley (Executive Assistant). Sommer handpicks the group of people she’s working with to mimic her thoughts and beliefs, overseeing them all as we work together.

How did you come to work with Keep It Real Social?

I met Sommer at our local community, where her name was a buzzword since she served as a marketing guru. That was how I found her.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $2,000 a month on their services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2019, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve achieved 100%–300% growth on social media platforms. Our SEO performance has also been so much better. I’ve also received plenty of emails from Google My Business, congratulating me for my website’s performance. We’ve also received good feedback from people who’ve seen our business on Facebook and Instagram. On top of all that, our website’s report card is now A. 

How did Keep It Real Social perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re responsive. If I want to contact Sommer, I can pick up the phone and call her. I can also text or email her. Moreover, if we want to change anything, they do it.

For instance, Sommer hired another person to do photography for my products, and I didn’t like the way that person was doing it. I asked Sommer to change it, and she changed it. 

Overall, Sommer is always available to give great inputs and ideas. In fact, she’s taken notes about the glasses that we sell. That way, she doesn’t have to call me and ask questions about the products, which can take a lot of our time. She’s dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve achieved consistency in my business’ messaging. The information they provide is good all the time, and that’s true for all the channels that I have from Facebook and Instagram to Pinterest. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust Keep It Real, because marketing is what they do. If you don’t have time to do marketing, you have to relinquish it. If you want to feel comfortable with the person you’re turning it over to, choose Sommer. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a real estate agent with North Harbor Christies International

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Keep it Real Social?

I needed someone/company to take my social media marketing to the next level along with new clients.

SOLUTION

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

A couple other local companines had been using KRS and raved about what they had done for their business and I had been struggling with using a couple other media marketing places and just wasn't seeing the results I wanted, so I gave them a try.

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

After a meet and greet and discussion on what I was looking for in my social media marketing, they got to work and put together a cost-efficient marketing plan for Facebook/Instagram and Google my Business. With schedule posts like my Weekend Warrior DIY projects, posting my listing and my sales. Tracking what how well each is doing and tweaking where needed.

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

1 and they are a marketing specialist

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have seen quite a bit of traffic to my pages and actual interaction. People wanting more information

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It is awesome. They are so responsive to all my crazy ideas and make it all work somehow!

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

The owner Sommer Poquette has so many years of marketing experience, she is an author and all around knowledgeable person. Her hand picked staff are like minded and extremely good at their jobs.

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

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Keep it Real Social has been the best thing to happen to my company.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Luxury real estate company and I am the office manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Keep it Real Social?

We hired them to run all of our social media platforms and to do marketing for our company. We wanted to customize our brand and create a personal and professional look that will stay constant for our company.

SOLUTION

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

We searched for a long time and tried trial runs with many people. We finally found Keep it Real Social and it's a great fit. It is so refreshing to find a social media expert that ACTUALLY knows what they are doing and is incredibly professional. Finding the right social media expert can be quite the headache so it was wonderful to have finally found our match.

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

Ongoing projects

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

I have worked with a few people from the company all have been great interactions. They also introduced us to our new website manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have gained more followers across every platform and received more views on google my business of our photos. I believe their strategies are working and that our company has gained more exposure.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We work great together. They are very easy to work with.

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

They have a high level of creative vision! I am really impressed that they have done such an amazing job creating a cohesive look for our company on point with our luxury brand.

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

I let them know if I am not satisfied with something and they correct it fast. Once they get a feel of your vision they do a great job making it a reality. Another thing to love about this company!