Maven Collective Marketing

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of VisualSP. In a nutshell, we offer a fast SaaS that goes on top of Microsoft web applications. Our product is geared towards helping users of the application to use it more efficiently and have the help they need. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Maven Collective Marketing?

We hired them for a few different projects, but one of the things they did was to hold a webinar for us. The webinar’s topic circled around the new functionality that was released by Microsoft recently. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our company heavily leaned on Maven Collective’s expertise within the Microsft market since they were well-versed in working with Microsoft customers. Most importantly, their team had many connections, learnings, successes, and failures which we used as references on what we should be focusing on. Their knowledge also served as a basis on how we devised the webinar, what kind of panelists we should have, and more.

After that, the Maven Collective team started with formulating the strategy for the webinar. Then, they identified our customer base and where they were, and they used our lists that we collected for many years. They also used other innovative ways to do some paid and email marketing. Moreover, Maven Collective helped decide on what social media channels we were going to use.

What is the team composition?

Our team worked with Erica (Principal) and Cathy (Senior Marketing Strategist).

How did you come to work with Maven Collective Marketing?

Maven Collective was highly recommended by CEOs and my colleagues. I also knew Erica because we worked with her team on a different project. As a result, we went ahead and partnered with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from February–March 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Maven Collective was detailed-oriented, organized, and focused. We definitely appreciated all the qualities they had because they helped us to accomplish everything. We were also grateful for Erica’s leadership in assisting us to finish the project. With their support, the lists of all attendees were divided up properly within the internal and Maven Collective’s team.

For the metrics, our engagement and registrations more than doubled. We highly appreciated that as a result of our marketing campaigns, we were able to get a good amount of people interested in the webinar and even afterward as well. Overall, the results they produced were excellent, and their process worked because it was very methodical.   

How did Maven Collective Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated through email and Zoom meetings, nothing else. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their organizational skills and strategic thinking were impressive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there was nothing that they could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Look forward to working with Erica and her team because they’re professionals. If you have specific goals in mind and if you’re looking for a strategy and particular execution of that strategy, Maven Collective is really good at helping you take that next step. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the practice lead for business innovation and technology for a business advisory bank. It’s a bank dedicated to entrepreneurs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Maven Collective Marketing?

We needed someone to work on a project with one of our clients. The challenge we were trying to help the client with was around digital marketing and customer engagement.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Erica (Principal) created a roadmap for our client. It was basically giving them a path to pursue how to provide a better customer experience using online technologies. It involved digital marketing strategies and website work.

What is the team composition?

We only worked directly with Erica.

How did you come to work with Maven Collective Marketing?

I had worked with Erica on a previous project for one of our other clients. I felt that what we needed was Erica’s strong suit and that’s why we asked her to work on the project with us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together on this project from February–June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The client is very happy with the outcome. When we started the project with the client, a number of participants were not completely sure what to expect of the project. By the end of it, they were certainly very impressed with the outcome and got more out of it than they expected.

How did Maven Collective Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Erica did a great job. She definitely helped make sure the clients did what they needed to do on the timeline that we were working on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I can only speak to my experience in working with Erica. For a project locally, it fits well with her area of expertise. I definitely will be reaching out to her again to see if she’s available for other projects. 

She’s professional and patient, willing to do what it takes regardless of how much effort it needs. She was patient in terms of working with a client and being focused on outcomes. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d love for her to be more available to me for projects. Other than that, I have nothing negative to say about the work Erica has done.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust Erica’s expertise and experience. Give her the room to do what she needs to do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the region manager for a decorative light installation company based in British Columbia. We mostly offer Christmas lighting services but also do weddings and events.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Maven Collective Marketing?

It’d been a few years since we’d designed our website, so it was time for a change. One of our main goals was to restructure our site’s layout to make our offerings clearer to our customers. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Maven Collective Marketing led us through a full web redesign, building a new WordPress site from start to finish. We knew that we wanted the final product to be photo-centric while still making clear distinctions between our three main services: commercial, residential, and event lighting. 

Beyond that, their team made sure the site was SEO-friendly, and they still support us, today. Every once in a while, they make sure that our blogs have the right keywords in them so that they rate frequently.

What is the team composition? 

I mostly worked with Erica (Principal) and Ella (Consultant).

How did you come to work with Maven Collective Marketing?

One of my colleagues had worked with Erica before on another project and wanted to work with her again.

How much have you invested with them?

It was about $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted between July 2019–April 2020. It was a long process because we paused it from September–December during our busy season.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While the site looks better than our previous version, it doesn’t look quite how I imagined it to be. We’ve definitely run into some issues due to the theme that we chose. There were certain functions that we wanted for the site that seemed to stretch the parameters of our theme, and other things just couldn’t be done. We ended up having to work within those constraints.

How did Maven Collective Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

The process itself was enjoyable from start to finish. Erica and Ella were fantastic to work with, and we would communicate via emails and the occasional call. As for project management software, they used BugHerd.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The biggest thing for me was that they were a full-service agency. It was really nice to be able to centralize our needs — we didn’t have to go somewhere else for our SEO or for the website design. The process was enjoyable from start to finish — they are fantastic to work with!

I also think it’s awesome that they’re mostly a female-run organization. Everyone is a total powerhouse.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were moments when there were some obvious mistakes in the design — things like having two fonts in different areas that should be the same. We ended up having to go through and find all of those discrepancies. It was a time-consuming process that felt like it shouldn’t have been on our plate.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Erica moves really fast, so you need to be on top of it. We fell off the wagon because our season got really busy, and it took a while to get back on. You should also take advantage of the things they offer.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm one of the owners of the E Foqus Canada. We’re a small Microsoft reseller company. Microsoft develops software for a slew of different businesses, and we implement solutions on their behalf.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Maven Collective Marketing?

We needed someone to help us with digital marketing, branding, and SEO for our company.  We have been lucky that leads have been coming more or less by themselves, but I think it is a dangerous assumption to assume that will continue.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did digital marketing, branding, and they provided us SEO services. We are just about to start email marketing. 

They have provided a little bit of a mix of everything. They started out by interviewing our clients to make sure that we understood our brand and our value proposition. That was the starting point that led to the revamp. 

We are spun out of an old Danish company, so we inherited a homepage that was more typical of what they did in Denmark than what we do over here. Maven helped us reshape, reform, and redesign the homepage and we just went live with it about a month ago. They were part of that.

We really wanted to try and see if we could make the transition from being a project-based company to being a product-based company. It isn’t an easy task for people like us that have been in the business for a long time. Maven is helping us make that transition. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Erica (Founder) and Cathy (Digital Marketing Maven).

How did you come to work with Maven Collective Marketing?

A guy that I used to work with had used Erica before. Maven Marketing helped them position themselves to be sold to a larger company, so they came highly recommended by my friend. 

We had a conversation with her. She had a solid foundation for understanding the issues and challenges in our line of business.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent around $30,000. Right now, we are running at around $3,500 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with them since August 2019. It is an ongoing engagement where we as a company are trying to take on as much as we can when we feel like it is inside our level of understanding, and then when it reaches outside of that, Maven Marketing helps us out.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had positive feedback on the revamp that they did on the homepage. It is still relatively early in the process, meaning that we haven’t really made it out of the lab with a lot of the projects, but that isn’t a reflection of the quality of the service they have been giving us and it is more of a reflection of where we are in our journey.

How did Maven Collective Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Erica is on a retainer with us right now and we have about 20 hours of services every month that we use on an ongoing basis. I communicate with them at least once a week.

Like any other small company, a lot sits on Erica’s shoulders. She is an essential person and is typically very busy. Sometimes for all the right and the wrong reasons in the world, it ends up taking a little longer than she expected. She communicates well about it and lets us know when there is an issue. Overall, I would say that her communication skills are good. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think their understanding of our line of business and the challenges we have is impressive. They’re also able to combine that with the right marketing tools and techniques. 

Quite often, vendors are very generic in the way they approach things. That’s not the case with Erica. Her approach is much more individualized.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only concern I would have is Erica’s workload and making sure that she builds enough power around her so that she can keep on being as good as she is to all of her clients. She has to make sure that if she wants to grow and continues to grow, she has a model in place for being able to deliver the same high-quality service that she is today. It isn’t a criticism, it is just the nature of the beast.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would highly recommend them and would just say to people to not expect Maven Marketing to do it all for you. Work with them and engage in a good meaningful discussion as that is what we benefited from. It’s the same that I say to my clients, “I can’t do the project for you, I can do it with you,” and I think Erica would say the same.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

President & Creative Director for Creative Engine Brand Strategy, Ltd. We are a digital agency in Vancouver BC. We have been in business for the last 15 years with clients in many sectors and industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Maven Collective Marketing?

We have collaborated with them on a wide variety of projects for our clients that are in thee tech industry for the last several years. Maven Collective's work has always allowed us to deliver superior results to our clients, and have led to award winning work.

What were your goals for this project?

Collaborating with Maven Collective and Erica for our work has allowed our clients to have a seamless integration between the marketing efforts and the brand strategy and implementation.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Originally we met by an introduction from a client, and have been collaborated since then on many projects for many clients. When the opportunity arises to recommend or collaborate with a marketing firm, they are always our first choice.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

B2B Marketing Strategy, Digital Marketing, Content and SEO

What was the team composition?

Erica Hakonson as the principal, and the rest of her team: Cathy, Andrea, Fadi, just to name a few.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Just in thee last year it has lead to award-winning work: 2019 Gold Winner - Dot Comm Awards - Best B2B Website 2019 Gold Winner - DotComm Awards - B2B Website Creativity/Copy 2019 Gold Winner - MarCom Awards - Best B2B Website 2019 Bronze Winner - Summit Creative Awards - Best B2B Website 2019 Web Marketing Association’s Award For Outstanding Achievement in Web Development But more importantly, our clients being able to achieve their objectives, and grow their businesses.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It really depended on the client and project. Each firm manages their own internal work, and when presented to the client it is always jointly managed by Erica and myself.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The no non-sense collaborative approach.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Can't think of any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Senior Channel Marketing Manager at a Microsoft Dynamics Partner company delivering services worldwide.

1ClickFactory is a Microsoft appointed ISV Development Center that helps Dynamics Partners scale their businesses, building upon our vast experience upgrading 600+ Dynamics solutions at a fixed price, provisioning 13,000 users on Dynamics NAV and Dynamics 365 Business Central on Azure and developing ISV solutions as Extensions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Maven Collective Marketing?

Our Global office with administrative employees is located in Europe (Vilnius, Lithuania to be exact), which means our global marketing content was/is being created by specialists, whose English is not a native language. We needed somebody whose mother tongue language is American English that they could do the proofreading or copywriting for us.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase the quality of our content and get help with the text creation, when our hands are full. We were looking for somebody who had experience in the Microsoft Dynamics market, or IT at least.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We got a recommendation to use their services from our colleagues in the US.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The scope differs with every task. Sometimes we provide the text for social media posts, video scripts, PowerPoint presentations, webinar descriptions, email marketing messages, blog posts, various documents or event materials to proforead.

And there are cases when we have a topic and ask them to create an article by themselves having only value proposition of the service and short description given by us.

If we give them the task to proofread the text we use in our website or blog, we always get it back optimized for search engines (links, meta titles, alt tags for pictures and etc.) with the additional recommendations based on best practices.

What was the team composition?

Usually, there is one person from our team coordinating all proofreading related projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We do not have any specific number to give, because content marketing results depend on the number of components, like design, message, offer value, channels used and etc. But we do hear good feedback from the market on our communication, which means we are doing it the right way.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was always easy to communicate with each other no matter if it is related to some simple project or specific urgent tasks. One of our biggest issues is a time difference, but we manage to coordinate the tasks well despite that because of good planning.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The thing that always makes me happy is their effort to give you more value than you expected. We always receive tips and recommendations on top of the service we agreed to get. This just shows how much they care for your business and your results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Due to the time difference we have, we don't always get a response as fast as we would, if we worked in the same time zone. But since we are happy about the service we get, we try to overcome this inconvenience simply by better planning in advance.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former VP of sales for a company that provides an Intranet solution that helps manage SharePoint use.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Maven Collective Marketing?

We created a product that would use content that lived in SharePoint and surface it in a visually-appealing, intuitive way for end-users. There was a bit of saturation in the market, and we wanted to establish ourselves through a range of digital services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our main goal of working with Maven Collective Marketing was to build our reputation as thought-leaders in the market space. We wanted to come up with an all-encompassing strategy not just for the short term, but that would establish us as a credible market leader.

The first step was the digital marketing element, where we made an effort to understand our unique buyers’ journey. We also engaged Maven Collective Marketing for SEO and content marketing strategies and campaigns. We kept an eye on analytics like lead generation and conversion, and adjusted our approaches based on those numbers. 

The team also developed marketing and nurturing email sequences, paid advertising campaigns, and directory advertising strategies. We worked closely together on event marketing, as well.

The team helped us reposition our branding as well, as we wanted to better understand how we could bring our insights into the market. One of the key steps in that process was redesigning our website, which Maven Collective Marketing was able to accomplish for us.

What is the team composition?

We had three points of contact throughout the project. Erica (Founder & Principal) essentially acted as our chief marketing officer, and we worked with two others as well.

How did you come to work with Maven Collective Marketing?

The team was brought on before I joined the company.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our collaboration lasted from November 2017–June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw sales go up by 67% after the implementation of their campaigns, which speaks to how qualified the leads they found us were. We’ve experienced a 180% increase in revenue, and we track that back to the good work Maven Collective Marketing did.

As a small, lean staff, the marketing and nurturing strategy they put in place was so connected and elegant, it made us look much bigger than we actually were. It was extraordinary.

Further, our relationship was very collaborative. The team involved us every step of the way, and whenever we came up with ideas, Erica and the team had a great way of repositioning them to move in a more beneficial direction. We would’ve made a lot of mistakes had we not partnered with them.

If we ever had the opportunity to work with Maven Collective Marketing again, we would do so in an instant.

How did Maven Collective Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Maven Collective Marketing always delivered, no matter what. Even when we quickly switched directions, they were still able to give us everything we needed on time and within budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve never experienced such a complete partnership as with Maven Collective Marketing. I’ve worked with inhouse marketing teams in the past that didn’t have the passion and complete strategy that Erica and the team brought to the table. Their ability to hear and understand our vision and bring it to light was excellent. The team listened, asked questions, and collaborated, taking care to never rush the process. 

They brought so much empathy to the engagement and offered such high communication skills, that the team was always able to help us come to a better conclusion without feeling like we weren’t involved in the process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We loved our entire experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make the time to work with Maven Collective Marketing. Also, don’t be afraid to come to the table without a complete vision, and don’t be afraid to have crazy goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the COO of MacKay CEO Forums. We run peer-to-peer learning groups for CEOs and executives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Maven Collective Marketing?

We were looking for some help with our SEO efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the beginning of the project, they conducted a comprehensive review and audit of where we stood vis-à-vis our competitors in terms of SEO. We then discussed and agreed upon what we needed to target. Then, Maven Collective did the work and presented their findings, which were quite extensive. Their team conducted a deep dive and did a great job of packaging everything up.

What is the team composition?

Erica (Principal, Maven Collective Marketing) was my main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Maven Collective Marketing?

We reached out to our web development partner inquiring about the need for SEO efforts. They recommended Maven Collective to us because they had experience working together. We’re always glad to receive referrals, so we went ahead and contacted them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership began in December 2019 and is ongoing. We just completed phase one of the project, which is what we engaged them for. At some point in the future, it’d make sense that we move into phase two.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s hard to quantify business impact because the deliverable was an audit of our existing SEO ranking within our industry landscape. On that measure, they delivered exactly what we wanted. It’s difficult to translate that into a KPI. We have the knowledge of our SEO assessment, and it’s now up to us to find a way to lever it.

How did Maven Collective Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Erica was great at keeping us in the loop throughout the whole project. She was very easy to work with. We’d feel comfortable working with her again on a future larger project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The ease of working with them impressed me the most. Because they’re a smaller company, we truly felt that individual attention that usually doesn’t exist with larger firms. Our team felt well-taken care of. I felt that our business was important to Maven Collective and that we received their top resources.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything was excellent overall.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I advise them to work with Erica because my experience is primarily with her. It’s harder to speak to other members of her organization. She’s excellent, and you won’t be disappointed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal and founder of a marketing and communications agency. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Maven Collective Marketing?

I wanted to improve my website’s SEO.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They addressed my problem by conducting a web performance and search analytics audit, providing me with an accurate picture of our current performance. From there, they helped us create a detailed, comprehensive roadmap of priorities and benchmarks. They’ve been helping us execute on that plan ever since. 

After the audit, they showed us how we were doing compared to competitors in the industry. Then, they started assisting us with SEO services, copywriting, and blog writing as well as technical SEO site updates.  

What is the team composition?

Erica (Principal & B2B Marketing Strategist, Maven Collective Marketing) has been my main point of contact, but I’ve worked with several people on their team. 

How did you come to work with Maven Collective Marketing?

I was introduced to them by a mutual acquaintance after telling them I needed SEO help.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $10,000–$15,000 so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2018, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been receiving more inbound leads and requests through our website since working with them. Additionally, our rankings are slowly but steadily improving against our benchmark.  

How did Maven Collective Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

We see them as an extension of our team and have a great working relationship. I’ve always been happy with their ability to meet deadlines and keep me on track. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re helpful and easy to work with. I’ve had challenges working alongside other partner companies in the web and tech space. They’re a cultural fit and take the time to find opportunities within our business. With patience, they’re great at explaining everything to us and walking through their work professionally. They made us feel comfortable and confident in our relationship.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

There isn’t anything I can’t think of. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’ve been great about leading me through the process. I’ve never needed to prepare much for them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a former senior business advisor at the Business Development Bank of Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Maven Collective Marketing?

We needed an external consultant in our network to work with third-party clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked together on a marketing project for consumable goods. We met with clients, figured out what they were looking for, determined what the scope of work was and how to achieve their goals, setting them in writing, and putting together a marketing plan for them. The retailer had multiple locations and they were looking to expand their business into more of a B2B audience.

First, Maven did some market research, so we could figure out what was going on with that side of the business. Next, they dug in a little bit to figure out what the positioning statement should be and who their target audience should be. We looked through client data together to see who they're talking to and how they're selling, and made recommendations from there. Then, they put a 12-month plan together to help the client with the B2B side of the business, including marketing automation, email marketing, and lead generation. Finally, Maven worked with them one-on-one and did a bit of coaching to help them write messaging, test it, evolve the methods of communication.

What is the team composition?

I only worked with Erica (Principal & B2B Marketing Maven, Maven Collective Marketing).

How did you come to work with Maven Collective Marketing ?

They came as a recommendation and had worked with two other groups at the BDC.

How much have you invested with them?    

We've invested $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work spanned from July to October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We certainly saw leads increase based on the work that we were doing. We also saw general interest increase within the target audience, too. Our clients were happy to have Maven's expertise with them throughout the process.

How did Maven Collective Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Erica's very professional. She's confident in her knowledge and works well with clients. Her project management skills were very tight and did everything she was supposed to, including attending all of the client meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There aren't many women on the marketing consulting side, so having a woman work with teams of women was great. She's also very good at explaining technical details in laymen's terms without making clients feel bad for not knowing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they met all of the requirements.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Because Erica is so lovely, my advice is to have some in-person meetings with her. She's local in B.C., so it was really nice to meet with her.