Ladder.io

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of GLIDR, a B2B software company. We make product management software for product management teams.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ladder.io?

Like many small, growing companies, there’s more marketing work to do than there are hands to do it. So, we were looking for a growth agency that would operate as an extension of our marketing organization. We wanted a partner that could bring in and execute growth experimentation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their scope consisted of any and all growth ideas. We determined a strategy on a pretty regular basis, evaluating various growth ideas and prioritizing them in design experiments.

In practice, we ended up having the work mostly in paid search and social advertising, but they did some non-paid media work as well. For instance, they weren’t writing blogs, but they helped us promote our blog with sponsored ad posts. Within search, they focused on Google and Bing. They used Facebook and LinkedIn for our social efforts.

We recently had to terminate the relationship after reducing our advertising budget, but we fully expect to reengage in the future. 

What is the team composition?

We had one point of contact who functioned as our account manager. Generally, we met with her weekly to discuss progress and upcoming benchmarks. She would then coordinate with the rest of her team, who did all of the production and analytics work.

How did you come to work with Ladder.io?

We conducted an extensive search, and we’d had experiences with other agencies that didn’t work out. So, when we found Ladder.io, we had a good idea of what we did and didn’t want. Their team just really fit the bill.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from April–September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen growth across a number of metrics since starting our work with them. They’ve had a big hand in increasing traffic, free trials, and conversions from trials to paid accounts. 

How did Ladder.io perform from a project management standpoint?

I was impressed with their organization. They’ve mastered project management in ways I haven’t seen from other agencies. Our project manager is in touch with us at least once each week. We also added her to a Slack channel to keep her in the loop more actively.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their attention to detail and the overall ease of collaboration set us up for success. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

My only piece of constructive criticism is that they may have not been proactive enough in alerting us to opportunities and using their expertise to guide us. They were very good listeners and focused on the issues we wanted to tackle, though.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ladder.io is a very diligent group. They’ll have tasks done as assigned, always on time. Because of that, many clients will fail to match their every and urgency around completing to project. Do your best to match their energy level to get the most out of the relationship.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO at a real estate startup. Our property apps for tenants and agents help to streamline the process.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ladder.io?

We needed help with digital advertising.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ladder.io did brand research to determine where we stood in the market. They looked at our website, audience, brand positioning, and competitors. We’d done very few paid campaigns, but they looked at the results of those. They presented a list of things we could do.

Ladder.io oversees our paid ads. They do advertising on Facebook, Apple Search, and Google. We collaborate to create content for the ads. I take most of the pictures, and they put the ads together. They manage the campaigns on a day-to-day basis.

What is the team composition?

At first, someone in the UK managed the project, which was helpful because I could see them on a weekly basis. When they left the business, I worked with a growth strategist; now, I work with a different team member.

How did you come to work with Ladder.io?

We wanted somebody with a lot of experience. I did a Google Search and came up with five agencies. I spoke with Mike (New Business Strategist, Ladder.io), and he ran through all of the work they could do for us.

We compared Ladder.io’s skills and knowledge with that of the other businesses we had in mind. We decided to go with Ladder.io, and I’ve been very happy since. They’ve helped us a lot.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spends $3,500 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ladder.io delivers great results. They’ve grown our app installs by 8% and cut our CPI in half.

How did Ladder.io perform from a project management standpoint?

Ladder.io provides weekly and monthly reports, and we have weekly calls to go over the results. We come up with content at strategy meetings with their creative team.

The first person I worked with seemed junior-level because my questions were never answered right away. The second person was mediocre. However, I’m very happy with the person I have now. She manages the account really well. We have a weekly call, and she answers my questions immediately. If I ask anything that she doesn’t know, she still gets back to me right away. She is the best project manager I’ve had from Ladder.io.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their overall tactics are nice. They have a large database of ways to grow a business, and that’s quite useful. When I have a few minutes, I read through it. They also send a lot of emails with industry and marketing updates that we can try out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Three people changing in a year is quite a lot, but the team member I’m with right now is the best person I’ve had from Ladder.io so far. In the beginning, I complained quite a bit about the changeover. My experience with them would have been perfect if they’d acted sooner.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Push them as much as you can; this really worked for me. You’ll get results regardless, but if you’re constantly speaking with them and understanding how else they can help your business, you’ll only benefit from it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was a marketing manager at Tespo, a startup in the vitamin and supplement space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ladder.io?

We hired Ladder.io to develop a marketing strategy for over 10 product SKUs that each appealed to different buyer personas.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase new customer acquisition and drive down acquisition costs.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We received a referral from one of our investors.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Ladder.io planned a marketing plan that would reach our target customers. First, they audited our paid channels (e.g. Facebook and Amazon), and then they developed the ad creatives and landing pages. They deployed and managed the ads, evaluating their performance. Based on their findings, they optimized the landing pages and reported back to stakeholders.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a dedicated strategist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team's work helped shape our entire marketing strategy by enabling us to run messaging tests for upcoming product launches. We were able to define the optimal creative tone, graphics, language, and audience for our products.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very effective. Our meetings were always productive and focused. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by their expertise and working style. They are the most skilled digital team I've worked with. Also, their company structure always allowed them to take action on our feedback. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can't think of any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of a luxury e-commerce and cashback marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ladder.io?

Ladder leads our growth marketing. The stood up the program and actively run, manager, and optimize all of our growth marketing channels.

What were your goals for this project?

Ladder is responsible for all performance based new customer acquisition. We also work close with them to develop systems, tracking, and reporting to help our business scale.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Highly recommended from another tech startup.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Ladder takes full ownership of our performance marketing. They're involved in ad creation, optimization, reporting, strategy and overall digital marketing strategy.

What was the team composition?

Ladder has a full suite of individuals - led by an account manager that supports each account.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've been able to run dozens of test to help us optimize our marketing.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. They're solid communicators.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Data driven, industry specific expertise.

Are there any areas for improvement?

N/A