NowSourcing

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive Director, Kentucky Student Success Collaborative of Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Build capacity of higher education partners in Kentucky to accelerate progress on student success through collaboration, technical assistance, and professional development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire NowSourcing to accomplish?

• Make a compelling case about the top priorities in student success.
• Promote the important work happening in Kentucky with external funders and partners.
• Develop a cache of marketing and presentation materials to build the brand of our organization.

SOLUTION

How did you find NowSourcing?

Referral

Why did you select NowSourcing over others?

High ratings, Good value for cost

What was the size of NowSourcing’s team?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Conducted initial national research on key issues in student success.
• Developed a flow of content to tell a compelling story about the importance of the student success topics and strategies/resources for improvement.
• Worked with our team to incorporate state data and research to contextualize the message.
• Designed three beautiful infographics with our brand guide.
• Met accelerated timeline for completion to ensure promotions at a statewide summit.
• Delivered presentation decks and pop-up banner formatting to accompany digital infographic.
• Advised on infographic landing page development and promotions.
• Executed promotions of infographic landing page with articles to drive more awareness and impressions/views of the infographic.
• Provided high levels of professionalism and customer service throughout the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Three infographics were created.
• All infographics and other collateral were delivered on time.
• Infographics have received a lot of praise for content and design from partners in Kentucky.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

All infographics hit our deadline! I was very impressed with their quick turnaround times and responsiveness. The NowSourcing team probably averages about 5 minutes to respond to an email message. They are great project managers with friendly nudges when working with our state agency.

What was your primary form of communication with NowSourcing?

Email or Messaging App

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

Amazing creative team. Love the look and feel of everything they produce. Very open to feedback and worked very hard to make sure we got exactly what we wanted and needed. We are 100% satisfied with the work products.

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

They went above and beyond to ensure our projects were everything we wanted them to be. No suggestions for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner at a full-service marketing firm. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NowSourcing?

NowSourcing created a series of infographics promoted through PR. They reached out to their contacts in the industry to deliver more exposure to the infographics on behalf of one of our clients. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NowSourcing created three pieces of infographics that were a part of our content strategy. The team then managed its distribution across their network and the PR team. 

To create the infographics, we provided a content brief. We went back and forth on the content flow and what it needed to cover until the end client approved it. Their resources handled the design and development of the content, and we published it on a web page provided by the client. From there, NowSourcing proceeded to promote and distribute the infographics from that published web page. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with 3–4 people, including Brian (Founder), the creative director, and the head of content. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $15,000–$18,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

NowSourcing and  I have been working on and off for about 10 years. However, this particular project took place in May–September 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The infographics generated millions of impressions and opened up opportunities for the end client to have TV appearances and interviews. 

How did NowSourcing perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was good. NowSourcing was always on time and had a perfect response rate. To communicate, we mainly used email and phone calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their strengths were their design and network distribution capabilities. They tapped into a good network in a way that other people couldn’t. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you want to achieve and plan your content around the best platforms for outreach for whatever your goal might be. That might be social media, ads, or other platforms. It will depend on your understanding of what you want to achieve and how you plan to achieve it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of outreach at Quote. We’re a lead generation website for insurance providers. Our headquarters are in Tampa, Florida.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NowSourcing?

We hired them for their content marketing and SEO services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NowSourcing writes feature articles for our company. Once they finish an article, they send it to us for editing before we publish it on our website. They also help with marketing our published articles to generate backlinks to our site. On a weekly basis, their team sends us backlink reports through an Excel spreadsheet.

What is the team composition?

I work with Brian (Founder).

How did you come to work with NowSourcing?

A previous colleague of mine recommended them to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $35,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2021, and our engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since working with them, we’ve generated over 500 backlinks with a DA average of 46. They’ve also been able to help us increase our Google search rankings for several different keywords.

How did NowSourcing perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done an excellent job in this regard. They keep track of the backlinks on a Google Sheet. We communicate mostly via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been most impressed with the professionalism, efficiency, and responsiveness of their team. They’re also affordable, great with keyword research, and knowledgeable about SEO.

Are there any areas they could improve on?

They can improve on getting more syndicated links on big sites.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have them write one feature article per month, and don’t forget to request that they do keyword research for the website beforehand. Also, have them do the marketing for each article — this has worked really well for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and owner of an organization that handles corporate gifting and promotional products for companies. We help companies gift branded and unbranded products and manage the process from A-Z.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NowSourcing?

We needed help researching brand archetypes and how we could pair them with corporate gifting.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an initial meeting with the NowSourcing team to explain our vision, which they understood. They shared their ideas, conducted research, and shared the results with us. Additionally, they streamlined their findings, wrote copy, and created content for an infographic. Then, they submitted a detailed infographic that clearly conveys our company's process to the public. We’ve been using the infographic internally and externally. 

What is the team composition?

We worked mainly with Brian (Founder) and two other NowSourcing team members. 

How did you come to work with NowSourcing?

We found NowSourcing through a referral from mutual contacts on LinkedIn.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested roughly $7,000 in the partnership with NowSourcing.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with NowSourcing in April 2021, and the project has ended, but we plan to engage them again soon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still building our website and other items, so we don’t have concrete success metrics yet. However, NowSourcing has really helped us differentiate ourselves within our industry. The infographic they delivered looks very professional. They gave us a unique identity and a tangible way to explain our process to clients rather than explaining it in theory, which has been helpful. 

How did NowSourcing perform from a project management standpoint?

NowSourcing performed very well from a project management standpoint. Brian is amazing and a pleasure to work with; he immediately understood our vision. 

Most of our communication has been through Brian, who is very efficient. We went through several infographic iterations, and the team was happy to make changes and answer our questions in great detail. They got on as many calls as we needed to get the project right. We communicated and managed the project through WhatsApp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been most impressed by their fast responses and willingness to help with items outside the project scope without charging us. They’re incredibly efficient and handle requests within minutes, which sets them apart from their competitors.

They take research seriously and provide factual information instead of assumptions that might make the infographic look nicer. We’ve worked with other service providers, and NowSourcing is more detail-oriented in their research process, which is nice. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the team. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

NowSourcing could be more professional in their communication. We manage the project and communicate via WhatsApp, and I think it could be beneficial to systemize the process or use a website to manage the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I advise meeting with the NowSourcing team if you’re unsure about or unhappy with something because they’re always willing to work with you to make it right.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a marketing company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NowSourcing?

I hired NowSourcing to create an infographic for one of my clients. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NowSourcing and I went over the project scope. I provided them with the necessary information, and they conducted research. The team then gave us illustrations, graphics, and storylines. 

Once we approved those things, they created the infographic and gave us recommendations on where to post it. Then, they distributed it across various marketing channels, along with top-tier publications. 

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Brian (Founder), who was my main contact. Another person did the research and graphic design. 

How did you come to work with NowSourcing?

I met Brian through a colleague in 2013, and we stayed connected over the years. Then, we met in person and hung out at industry events over the years. When this project came up, I chose to work with him. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $7,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from September–December 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measured success based on the publicity we received — we had a lot of press mentions. 

How did NowSourcing perform from a project management standpoint?

NowSourcing’s project management is perfect. We had no issues in communication. We mainly used emails. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to consistently deliver and communicate with us was impressive; they met our expectations throughout the project. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear strategy and an end goal in mind. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I run a small search engine optimization consultancy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire NowSourcing?

We wanted help producing and placing an infographic in the water filtration space for the purpose of exposure and backlinks.

SOLUTION

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

I selected them based on years of knowing Brian W. as an industry colleague. I have worked with them in the past on content placement.

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

NowSourcing worked with us to design the graphic, and then took over outreach for placement. This started with a discussion on concepts. Once decided, they came back in a week with a first draft. We went back and forth a few times to dial things in just the way we wanted, and NowSourcing was very helpful and patient during this process.

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

Several, but we worked mostly with Brian and Marguerite.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Unfortunately, I can't share identifiable details of work that was done for my clients, but can share that the outcome included dozens of placements and a large, sustained improvement in organic search rankings for key terms across the site.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We met as needed to review the project, and also communicated regularly by email. Once launched, we received weekly updates on new placements.

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

I did not think it would help rankings as much as it did. I was most impressed with the success of the campaign in this regard.

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

Call me greedy, but I'd like to see even more high quality placements! Overall though, I have nothing to suggest. They did an excellent job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

NetWorkWise is an educational technology (EdTech) platform that helps expedite outcomes in peoples careers, sales and entrepreneurial endeavors by teaching them a proper networking mindset i.e. how to NetWorkWise. The company has set the standard for what it means to professionally network

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire NowSourcing?

To help us build an infographic that would help people better understand how paramount one's relationships are and the impact having robust networks have on your career and life.

SOLUTION

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

Read about Brian and had multiple conversations with him.

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

It was an iterative process.

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

I don't recall.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The infographic went viral, resulting in multiple connections, a bunch of accolades and numerous relationships.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were a quality team that was easy to work with and they met their deadlines.

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

They took the time to truly understand the underlying material, our message.

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

Not off the top of my head.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of a pharmacy that specializes in intravenous nutritional supplementation. TPN (total parenteral nutrition), IDPN (Intradialytic Parenteral Nutrition), and IPN (Intra Peritoneal Nutrition) are some of our top specialties.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire NowSourcing?

When it came to our advertising approach, we were looking to show what we do more than say what we do. We hired NowSourcing for their exceptional ability to create a digital story that is interesting and highlights the market difference in using our product.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

completely LinkedIn. there have been many others who pop up on LinkedIn that do advertising and branding, but NowSourcing was truly unique in their artistic delineation of market research and facts. They understood that they look good if we look good.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We had many meetings together to describe what I wanted to create. They understood it so well that I think NowSourcing could sell my own product for me at this point! NowSourcing has a division in their company- just dedicated to market research. When I saw what they came up with, I couldn't believe that they were able to find the literature supporting what takes me a lot of effort and time to explain to most people. After coming up with an overall idea of our project, NowSourcing put it together.

They utilize a software that allows you to place comments on the exact place that you want to change or add. This is altered on their end in a very timely manner. When working with NowSourcing, as a customer, I feel that they are completely devoted to me until the project is done. Even when my comments pop up for them in the middle of the night! They were able to meet extremely tight deadlines and really went out of their way to do so. Ultimately, their products are just so dynamic, it is as though they are jumping off the page when I am utilizing my marketing to explain my company's services.

What was the team composition?

I've worked closely with the team lead designer Jon Jackson. He literally returns my emails at 1 am as I've mentioned above. Artistic talent, Market research understanding, Creative ways of portraying data, and extremely devoted are some of the key phrases I'd use to describe him.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since our marketing products have been in effect and in use for only 1 month so far, Pharmko has already secured 2 key accounts.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They do not stop until it is done. And even after it is done, they still go at it for you until you are 100% happy.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Market research.

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of Operations Consulting company, ScaleTime. We help founders break the 1, 3, and 7M plateaus with systems and processes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire NowSourcing?

We hired NowSourcing for a branding campaign. We needed something to get our name out there - boost our reputation and our web presence at the same time.

SOLUTION

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

I come across plenty of marketing agencies since I serve the digital marketing space and I thought their work was both phenomenal from an aesthetic standpoint and also highly leveraged. With one extremely well-positioned content piece, we were able to tackle, branding, SEO, and PR.

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

They were very organized. We had a strategy meeting and then communicated through their project management making comments and revisions seamless.

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

There were 4 dedicated team members to the project: strategist, researcher, copy and design.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received 100 placements on our infographic from small medium and large publications such as Entrepreneur and Tech Republic. Our sales cycle decreased by three weeks because we had social proof to visibly and quickly create trust in the brand.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication with their team was centralized, responsive and They really cared that the final outcome not only matched our brand but was also going to perform.

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

NowSourcing has understood how to leverage integrated digital marketing with personal relationships to drive performance and results. I have never seen a company understand how all the moving pieces in marketing function to produce immediate outcomes as well as they do.

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

no.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of a company that helps organizations manage change within their businesses. We do so by focusing on cultural dimensions as the primary aspect of encouraging clients to adapt and manage change within their organizations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NowSourcing?

We wanted to hit the market with important information about cultural transformation. There was so much focus on digital transformation, but the first step in such change had to do with culture. Our team wanted to address that point in the market, so we hired NowSourcing. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Brian (Founder) and I had a couple of interactions with each other, gaining an understanding of our topic, concept, and impact. Brian then relayed that information to his design team. From there, they did the initial steps of canvassing the internet and other sources for important pieces of information. Then, they connected those pieces to our concept. 

They used the information they found to create an infographic. In this process, we didn’t want to reinvent the wheel; we wanted to take advantage of what was popular and resonant and ride its growth. To that end, Brian included all the references and information sources in the infographic's design. 

Within a week or two, they delivered something we could use. Over the course of a couple of months, NowSourcing worked on other things for us. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with two main points of contact, including Brian, who came up with the initial ideas and concepts. Then, I collaborated with their project manager through the rest of the implementation process. 

How did you come to work with NowSourcing?

NowSourcing was referred to us by a mutual friend who had a background in marketing and sales. We wanted a team that told a story in a vivid and compelling way because such a story could pull people out of their comfort zone. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $9,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from January–August 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

NowSourcing accomplished their mission since the infographic helped us inform our customers that our company exists. In a way, the clients had all the information they needed about us even before we had conversations. Ultimately, NowSourcing’s output propelled us into having a more productive interaction with customers. 

Financially speaking, we gained a number of new clients following the initial launch of the infographic. Our website also gained more traffic, which was an important side benefit. Overall, our investment in NowSourcing definitely paid off. I was truly pleased with what Brian and his team did for us. 

How did NowSourcing perform from a project management standpoint?

NowSourcing took our vision and came up with great designs in a smooth process, and I was impressed with their professionalism and tremendous background and skills. The speed at which they implemented our ideas was also impressive. It took only a matter of days for Brian's team to do it, which was amazing because a quick turnaround time was truly useful for us.

Moreover, there were no surprises at any point in time since Brian maintained an amazing level of communication with me. Everyone could get busy in any business, but he and his team somehow remained rock-solid and focused on my needs — they focused on getting the job done every step of the way. On top of that, I never had to ask them for any updates because they always hit deadlines as intended. Overall, I was thrilled with their execution. 

We used remote communications for everything because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used emails and phone calls, and Brian was available anytime I needed him. I’d send him a text or a phone call, and he’d be prompted and answer right away. The same was true for the project manager. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Many companies could create amazing things in terms of artwork and design — Brian and his team were exceptional in those things — but what put NowSourcing above everyone else was their focus on clients. 

To elaborate, I worked with another organization before for a web design project involving updates on our website. It was tough to engage with that group. Before our contract was signed, the vendor promised to do everything for me as their client. After the contract signing, they told me I had to work on their schedule and not the other way around. 

By contrast, that was never the case with Brian and NowSourcing. Everything they did was 100% client-focused. That was rare; we didn’t get that kind of attention and professionalism in other teams. Simply put, NowSourcing went above and beyond, and they were totally amazing. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We needed no improvements in their work. Nonetheless, I’d like Brian and his team to work on other projects I’d like to do. Simply put, I wish they were a part of my own team and not just a partner. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to the creative process. Brian is incredibly good and has deep knowledge and experience across many industries. He’s also been doing this for many years while working with many groups. 

Moreover, when you bring an idea to the table with little information, NowSourcing can help you envision something better. As a result, don’t come to them with a fully formed idea. Rather, come to them early in the process, and they’ll help you turn it into something bigger, better, and bolder.