Level Up Digital

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Head of Marketing for a payment orchestration platform.

For what projects/services did your company hire Level Up Digital, and what were your goals?

As we prepared to launch our platform I needed an agency partner who could quickly activate paid search programs to help us generate awareness.

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

Level-Up Digital was able to quickly activate our new digital accounts and launch a digital strategy to help us test for keyword/messaging signals as we developed our long-term plan.

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

First we entered a discovery phase where we explored our target market and ICPs. Then we began to build out a series of campaigns designed to test engagement from keyword clusters. The team then took our initial brand assets and turned them into promotional ad units for campaig launch. The team continues to monitor our budget spend and overall engagement metrics, optimizing our spend as we gain more insights into performance.

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

Worked directly with Andrew and his lead designer.

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

Confidential. But in general the team has done a great job at knowing when/where to trim back budget to optimize for performance.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We generally work together at the onset of a campaign, and then touch base via email to communicate performance.

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

They're lean and smart. We can trust them to make smart decisions with our company data and react accordingly.

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

Not at this time.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of sales at Santa Lucia Preserve, a 20,000-acre private community and club in Carmel, California.

What challenge were you trying to address with Level Up Digital?

We had a quiet marketing effort when our community’s management turned over from its developers to the ownership. We picked up the ball in marketing, increasing our budget and looking to find a presence in digital marketing campaigns. We developed a team of several consultants, including Andrew (Founder), to help us with that.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Andrew works on campaigns for Google, Instagram, and LinkedIn (to come) to maximize our potential in digital ads. He focuses on primarily paid social media and organic search. He also works with an SEO specialist on identifying keywords and defining target markets.

What is the team composition?

It’s just Andrew. He’s managed by a third-party marketing consultant.
    
How did you come to work with Level Up Digital?

He was recommended to us by one of our board members who may have had an experience with him.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $18,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We conceivably started working together in December 2018 and were testing ads in February 2019. The project is ongoing.

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

We haven’t done social marketing before, so we don’t have a comparison from past experience. We’ve done quite a bit of testing and troubleshooting, which was necessary for us to see quality over quantity. We’ve discovered that Google ads give us quality leads while social ads give us the quantity we need to maintain a basic presence.

Andrew has been great at making manual adjustments for where our spend is going to ensure we have high-quality leads and still maintain the appropriate presence. Our success has been much better over time in how we’ve taken time to refine where we’re seeing good-quality leads come from so we can make more informed adjustments. He’s been helpful in thinking through those things and having creative conversations. We provide Level Up Digital with content, of course, but Andre then researches and looks at competitors and at other angles we might take. I’ve seen improvement in our methods over time. 

How did Level Up Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re fantastic. They keep right on task and maintain a good overview of meeting notes from month to month. That lets us easily look through and track where we stand and where we’re headed. We mainly communicate using Google Docs and email. We do have some metric areas where we update information to share with Andrew. Overall, there’s good forward momentum and they manage our project really well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Level Up Digital has a really good customer service approach. Andrew in particular is a very creative thinker who really listens and pays attention to what our goals are. That way, he can help us move forward in creative ways to help us reach the audiences we’re looking for. 

He’s also easy to collaborate with. He takes feedback well, listens to our points of view, and suggests things we may not have thought of. We have a comfortable, trusted relationship with Level Up Digital, which is something important when we’re trying to be collaborative from a distance. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything constructive. I don’t have experience working with other companies in the same capacity.

Any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear end goal in mind. Share not just the facts but also anecdotal information about your company, how it works, and what you’re trying to reach. It’s important for Level Up Digital to feel like a partner and really understand ins and outs of what you have to offer. A consultant like Andrew needs to know what you’re after in order to deliver the most appropriate groundwork and result.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a co-founder of Furious Collective, a venture production studio. We’re pursuing a new paradigm for starting technology businesses in Silicon Valley. Our primary goal is to launch multiple businesses that become profitable within twelve months and continue to grow profitably.

For what projects/services did your company hire Level Up Digital?  

Level Up Digital is helping grow one of the brands we own, an easy way to create form endpoints for designers and developers.

What were your goals for this project?

Our target audience is very niche, so we needed to work with someone who understood and could identify them.

How did you come to work with Level Up Digital?

A mutual contact connected us.

Describe the project in detail.

Initially, we met with Andrew (Founder, Level Up Digital) to discuss our plans and goals for the brand. After a strategy session, he recommended a test campaign for Google and Facebook. They created all the ads and set up the campaigns using our own accounts. This was very important as we wanted full transparency into and ownership of the data. Since then, they’ve been working closely with us to optimize and grow the effort.

What was the team composition?

Level Up works directly with our team. We have monthly calls to check results, discuss optimizations, and ensure we’re on the same page.

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

We’ve seen an increase in sign-ups for our product directly from Google and Facebook campaigns, and a lift in overall sign-ups and sales since we started working with Level Up. What was initially planned as a short test campaign has become a sustained, ongoing effort.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Working with them has been easy. They’re very responsive and attentive to detail.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They continually seek to improve results and optimize our campaign. It’s truly great customer service.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, not that I’ve seen. If something’s working, we scale it up. If not, we’ll shut it down to use those resources elsewhere.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Quimbee is an online legal education company that helps law students achieve academic and legal success. In the past 10 years, Quimbee has been a friend and ally to more than 260,000 law students. As COO, I manage daily operations. 

For what projects/services did your company hire Level Up Digital?

We needed help managing our Google and Facebook ads. We're a small company without a dedicated marketing team, so they handle our PPC campaigns.

What were your goals for this project?

Our initial goal was to drive brand awareness and reach more law students. We had been working with another contractor and weren't seeing results. We had tinkered with Google Ads, but never tried Facebook. Level Up Digital has assumed management of our Google Ads campaigns and implemented Facebook ads.

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred by a company we trusted.

Describe the project in detail.

Since 2016, Level Up Digital has holistically managed our PPC campaigns. They work with us to develop the initial strategy, then do all the planning. They test the ROI for new campaigns and implement the winners. We meet regularly, which keeps us in the loop about what's working and what's not. They also report on the results of our efforts.

What was the team composition?

We work directly with the owner.

Can you share any statistics or metrics that speak to the quality of their work and impact of the engagement?

We have grown significantly, and Level Up Digital continually drives clicks and conversions. Their campaign for the 2017-18 academic year drove significant signups and netted 2,876 new paying customers. The revenue return on our spend was nearly three to one. Their most recent campaign increased free trial signups by 188% and reduced costs per action by 37%. We're very pleased with these results.

How did the Level Up Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We're obsessed with project management, and Level Up Digital fits in beautifully. We've changed project management tools twice, and they adapt quickly each time. We generally prefer that conversations related to specific tasks live in our project management tool.

The owner has weekly meetings with our CEO, and they're always accessible through email or Slack for time-sensitive issues. They respect our preferences, keep us in the loop about their progress, and always meet or beat deadlines.

What impresses you about the Level Up Digital?

They've been a fantastic partner. The owner understands our business deeply and works closely with us to achieve our goals. He listens to and builds on our suggestions with his expertise and experience. Level Up Digital is committed to our best interests and dedicated to our success.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, I have no suggestions.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of marketing for IdeaScale, which is a crowdsourcing software used by businesses to find ideas to turn into new projects, products, or processes.

What challenge were you trying to address with Level Up Digital? 

We'd always focused 100% on inbound marketing but haven't had a lot of success with running PPC ads. We needed help to relaunch and optimize our PPC program.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Level Up Digital mostly focuses on placing PPC ads on Google, although I think they do social media ads as well. They also provide some of the creative and the copy associated with the ads.

What is the team composition?

The two people I communicate with most are a project manager and a designer. 

How did you come to work with Level Up Digital? 

They came as a very strong recommendation from somebody in my network. One of the things that we liked about Level Up Digital was that they’re so flexible in terms of how much they can offer. They could manage everything for us or just provide some basic guidance. They make it work to fit our solution. 

What is the status of this engagement? 

We started working together around May 2016 and the engagement is ongoing.

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

We’ve seen a 200% ROI from the leads we got last year for deals that have already closed. It's an almost a 1000% ROI if we look at the potential opportunities. Some of those potential deals won't close, but it’s clear that Level Up Digital is generating interested and business-relevant leads for us.

How did Level Up Digital perform from a project management standpoint? 

Level Up Digital holds a quarterly check-in to see what we think we can improve for the year. Together we’ll look at the Google Ads dashboard. In terms of success of lead collection, we track metrics in Salesforce and Pardot. It's been a positive experience working with both our project manager and designer. They both take feedback well and respond in a timely fashion. It’s very hands-off for me, which is great.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

I especially like working with their people. Most importantly, they deliver great results. Level Up Digital continues to find new ways to make the system perform better. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

No, I don't think so at this time. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Have a good understanding of the value for the product you’re trying to sell. We saw an improvement in outside interest when Level Up Digital helped us articulate a call-to-action that articulates our value in dollars. Not every business is capable of doing that. If you can position your advertising with a clear ROI, you'll get a better return from PPC ads.

Please describe your company and your position there. 

I am an executive at Attribution, an advanced multi-touch attribution company that empowers marketers with data to convert more buyers and maximize ROI.

For what projects/services did your company hire Level Up Digital? 

We engaged Level Up Digital to build a lead generation program using Google Ads. This included designing several landing pages that would be used in the campaign and across our site. 

What were your goals for this project? 

Our goal was to improve our lead generation via paid digital marketing and increase our top-of-funnel (TOF) marketing to bring qualified buyers to our site.

How did you select this vendor? 

I found them through a referral. 

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

I initially met with their founder in 2018 to discuss Attribution’s rebrand and relaunch. Level Up Digital analyzed some of the campaigns we’d tried in the past and conducted competitor research before recommending a Google Ads campaign.  

After approving their recommendation, we launched the campaigns and have been scaling and optimizing them since. They help manage our Google Ads account and have developed landing pages to support our marketing efforts. 

What was the team composition?

Our marketing team works directly with their resources.

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

The program is still early, but we’re seeing increased lead volume at or below our target customer acquisition cost (CAC). 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs? 

It’s easy to communicate with their team, and they’ve adopted our project management philosophy and tools for this project.

What did you find most impressive about this company? 

The team is very responsive and data-driven. As a company that excels at attribution, we are excited to work with an agency that 'gets it' and isn't just trying to drive spend.

Are there any areas for improvement? 

Advertising can always be improved, and they are working on it.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the marketing director for Rentec Direct. We provide software that serves property managers and landlords.

For what projects/services did your company hire Level Up Digital?

We engaged Level Up Digital to help run Google Ads and Facebook ad campaigns. We previously managed these accounts in-house, but we decided to seek outside expertise. 

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase our conversions, lower our cost-per-click, and update our Google Ads and Facebook Ads Manager to maximize their value. We were looking for a highly transparent and active ad manager who would look at our accounts weekly and provide budget breakdowns.

How did you select this vendor?

Level Up Digital reached out to our company at a time when we needed their services. Since they were a local company, we were even more excited to review and accept their campaign proposal.

Describe the project in detail.

Level Up Digital started by managing our Facebook ad campaigns. A few months later, they took over management of our Google Ads campaign. Their team analyzed our ads at the time and provided suggestions to help us meet our goals. To keep the process transparent, every decision undergoes our approval before they implement any changes. They also keep us up-to-date on how they’re spending our ad budget. Level Up Digital also created landing pages seamlessly integrated with our CRM system to use for the PPC campaigns.

What was the team composition?

We work closely with Andrew (Founder, Level Up Digital), who manages our PPC accounts, and Chase (Creative Director, Level Up Digital) who creates digital ads for our campaigns and landing pages.

Can you share any statistics or metrics that speak to the quality of their work and impact of the engagement?

Our Google Ads campaigns have seen click-through rates increase from 1.5% to 4.97%. Conversion rates remain steady or increase slightly every month. After a temporary increase in our cost-per-conversion (CPC) rate, Level Up Digital suggested ways to bring it back down. Our Facebook ad campaigns have seen a 50% decrease in CPC rates and a 100% increase in total conversions. Level Up Digital’s results fell in line with our goals and expectations.

How did the Level Up Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Level Up Digital is a dream to work with. They provide weekly updates on campaign performance and any changes made in our accounts. They make themselves available to answer questions or clarify things as need, and they’re incredibly responsive via email and Slack. We have monthly check-in meetings over the phone as well.  

What impresses you about the Level Up Digital?

The team is highly knowledgeable about PPC, Google Ads, and Facebook ads. They provide creative and valuable ideas to improve our performance and optimize our budget. We appreciate their proactive approach as well as their accessibility for answering questions and providing updates.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the President of a mid-sized marketing, sales, and project management SaaS solution for weddings and social events professionals.

For what projects/services did your company hire Level Up Digital?

We were in need of expert digital and social advertising strategy and execution support.

How did you select this vendor?

While somewhat based purely on timing, we selected Level Up because of their quickness in development of their understanding of our market, and strategic evaluation of past execution and future opportunities.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Level Up directly manages all paid search and social media digital advertising. They provide strategic consultation, creative support, ad type building, deployment, monitoring, and reporting.

What was the team composition?

We work directly with the agency's ownership and creative team, and they work with myself and our respective brand marketing teams comprised of our marketing director and brand marketing managers.

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

Since beginning our digital advertising management with Level Up, we've been able to maintain a 25% lift in trial creation, a 5% average CTR, and a 60% new customer attribution rate.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We're able to maintain open lines of communication with the LU team between scheduled monthly reviews. The LU team is very responsive and we're able to implement any new initiatives or pivots quickly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have the technical expertise and strategic perspective to create impactful campaigns with measurable ROI. They maintain a nimbleness to shift at any time, and for any reason.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

None yet!

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own a product development, branding, mar tech and marketing firm.

For what projects/services did your company hire Level Up Digital, and what were your goals?

Native partners with Level Up to support our clients with PPC and other online paid placements. The goal is driving qualified inquiry to our clients' websites.

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

Word of mouth, positive recommendation from a trusted source. Level Up's team impressed us with organization, a focus on detail and a proven track record of handling clients like ours.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

Scope of work included analysis of the existing buy for a large client with locations in roughly 30 markets. Analysis identified gaps, which Level Up transitioned into a work plan to improve click through, conversions and cost per click. Level Up also maintains the buys and provides monthly reporting and insights to improve performance and drive more inquiries.

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

Our sole contact is Andrew, the Founder.

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

Impressions have quadrupled, clicks have followed suit. Click through rate is well above the industry standard and cost per click is well below. Qualified leads are up 250% and the website has become the second highest lead generator for the company.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We have bi-weekly calls and communicate several times a week via email. The Level Up team is highly responsive and pivots nimbly. We use Google docs to organize our calls.

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

Smart organization of buys to make deriving insights simple, which allows us to pivot buys to support business goals.

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

More formalized reporting of insights.