Online Optimism

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Preconstruction Engineer of a construction company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Leading Commercial Mechanical and Plumbing Contractor serving the Gulf Coast and Carolinas

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Online Optimism to accomplish?

• Revamp our RFP

SOLUTION

How did you find Online Optimism?

Referral

Why did you select Online Optimism over others?

Good value for cost

How many teammates from Online Optimism were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We hired Online Optimism to create a set of 40 PowerPoint templates to use in the in-house creation of our RFP decks. Previously, we had been using Microsoft Word to create our decks, which was time-consuming and led to visual inconsistencies between pages. We were also generally dissatisfied with the previous look of our decks. We wanted a new set of branded templates that were easier and faster to update, and not just visually consistent, but also attractive, displaying our company’s high level of quality and professionalism.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Measurable outcomes included a phased transition of the microsft documents to powerpoint slides. We prrofread and cleaned up the content, then worked through design and finishing touches for each page.

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

The Online Optimism team was very communicative throughout the course of the project. We had a kickoff call to start the project, then a brainstorming call more specifically devoted to talking about the design of the templates. After that, Claire kept in touch with me via email until we had our final training call. Their team had also created a spreadsheet tracker to keep track of all the pages of copy and templates we had, where I could see what was ready for me to review, add feedback, and mark individual pages as approved. I often recieved an out of office automatic reply from our deisgnated contact, however the team was quick to answer when she was absent.

What was your primary form of communication with Online Optimism?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their communication and delivery of items for review was consistent over the course of the project; they maintained their deadlines and delivered an exceptional final product that was very useful to me.

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

I feel that I responded relatively quickly, however if I didn't respond within a day or two, they would remind me the timeline was going to be pushed. While I understand that they needed feedback, it felt like a threat when most of the time I was very timely with my responses. Going forward, Online Optimism can include more time for replies from their customer in their timeline estimate. While not ideal, this project was a side task for me and was not always at the top of my priority list. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Government Relations of American Bird Conservancy

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

American Bird Conservancy conserves birds by protecting birds and their habitats.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Online Optimism to accomplish?

• Create 2 videos based on a scientific report.

SOLUTION

How did you find Online Optimism?

Online Search

Why did you select Online Optimism over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Online Optimism were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

We hired Online Optimsim, after an RFP process, to produce 2 separate videos with different audiences based on the same scientific report. This included storyboards, scripts, and selection of stock footage and voiceover artists, as well as creating animations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Successful completion of storyboards, successful completion of scripts,voiceover recordings, draft and final video products.

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

Yes - they were amazing to work with. Prompt, efficient, responsive, and flexible. We threw a LOT at them last minute, and the entire project was on an accelerated timeline; they did a phenomenal job of responding quickly and getting everything together.

What was your primary form of communication with Online Optimism?

Email or Messaging App

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

Their ethics, their client engagement, and their professionalism.

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

The financial management of the project was a bit unclear; it was not detrimental to us or the deliverables but a clearer picture of when payments were due would have been helpful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the assistant director of immersions and interprofessional education at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. In relation to our engagement with Online Optimism, I’m responsible for overseeing the development of our website. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Online Optimism?

We hired Online Optimism to translate one of our studies into an interactive data dashboard. Policymakers and researchers could use it to fight health inequities. We had our own website developers at the university, but they were in the process of revamping our school-level website. As a result, I wanted to outsource this web development project. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I reached out and told Online Optimism that we needed a website designed to provide an overview of a report and display data in different formats. I needed their data visualization experience around interactive maps and responsive charts that could be filtered by population.

After speaking with Online Optimism about this, they gave me a proposal. From there, they used WordPress to build the site from scratch. We selected a third-party hosting provider based on their recommendations. 

Moreover, they gave me a certain number of hours per month where they could provide us with maintenance services. Their members also trained me to do simple maintenance tasks on my side. I could reach out to them if I needed to do major tasks. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with Ivey (WordPress Developer), Juan (Senior Director of Design Innovation), and Jordan (Senior Content Strategist). At the beginning of the project, I also interfaced with Sam (New Orleans Managing Director). 

How did you come to work with Online Optimism?

I looked into several recommended developers but chose Online Optimism after looking at one of their reviews. Their CEO was a Tulane alum, so I wanted to see their work and what someone we considered family could do for us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $24,000–$25,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from November 2022–May 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website was launched, looked great, and loaded fast. It was a great experience overall. In terms of analytics, we gained significant traffic and recorded a total of 197 visitors from 5–6 countries. I appreciated the analytics because I could see what users were clicking on, especially with the data visualization map.

The quality of their work was top-notch. They gave us a run-through of what we could expect, and the team delivered more than they said they’d do. Moreover, their data visualization work was fantastic and felt truly modern. I could tell they invested in their employees — their team had so much knowledge, which showed in their work quality. 

How did Online Optimism perform from a project management standpoint?

Online Optimism was highly flexible. We had regularly scheduled meetings, and they were readily available to answer questions via email. They remained flexible even as we updated formats and publications throughout the project. I had the most contact with Ivey, and she was amazing. She had quick responses and went above and beyond to ensure that I understood what was happening in the project.

In addition, they delivered much quicker than expected. I requested some changes at the last minute before launch, and they stepped up and did what was necessary to meet my needs instead of pushing the timeline. Our budget also didn’t change. 

On top of that, their team offered several innovative solutions and kept us updated frequently. They sent us Google Documents whenever we had a meeting and provided us with action items from their side. Their members offered to use Slack, but I preferred not to use it. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed by Online Optimism’s dedication to understanding and representing the data I gave them. Apart from that, I liked the innovative solutions they provided to make data accessible to everyone. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the start of the engagement, I already decided to go with their proposal even before the proposal meeting. However, they still went through it as they tried to ensure I understood it. While I appreciated their thoroughness, they didn’t need to sell themselves even more — their work samples and reviews already did that for them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come to the engagement with your visions and ideas, and let Online Optimism show you what they can do. Make sure you know what you truly want. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the VP of HR at Crescent Bank. We are a local bank in New Orleans with an operations center in Dallas. We primarily sell CDs and write Auto Loans nationally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Online Optimism, and what were your goals?

Our challenge is attracting top talent to our organization as we compete with larger banks in the finance space. We hired Online Optimism to shoot and create high quality employee testimonial videos we could use on our company website and social media to promote our brand.

SOLUTION

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

Our marketing team had used Online Optimism in the past for social media marketing initiatives for the business. They came highly recommended and it turned out to be a wise move for us.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

Online Optimism worked with us on a plan and direction for our videos. They were easy to work with in setting up and preparing for the shoots. We did two photo shoots. One in New Orleans and another in Dallas that required travel. They provided the finished product rather quickly and were happy to make tweaks in subsequent versions for us.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We worked with Stephanie and Jordan mostly. They also had a great videographer that worked with them, but I can't remember his name.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The videos came out fantastic. They did a great job editing them and making our company look professional. We've gotten amazing feedback so far in posting them on our company's career page.

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

They were very responsive to our requests, even when we requested additional edits after we thought they were final. They worked around our schedule for planning meetings and the video shoot. Using shared google docs worked well in sharing the videos and other documents.

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

They were willing to go the extra mile. They worked with us to get headshots of our employees when we asked.

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

i felt they did a fantastic job. I don't have any additional feedback.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Access Health Louisiana is a 501c3 healthcare organization that provides services to underserved and underinsured communities in the south and central part of the state. Over the past 20 years, our organization has grown significantly with most of the growth happening within the past 5-10 years. Currently, I serve as Vice President of School Health and Strategic Media for Access Health Louisiana.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Online Optimism?

We needed someone to manage our social media accounts and grow our brand recognition. We began focusing our efforts on Facebook and Instagram, and later expanded to LinkedIn. In an effort to engage our patients and the community, we took advantage of Online Optimism's animation services developing :15 second animations to promote specific service lines and events within our company.

SOLUTION

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

We decided to outsource our social media marketing due to limited staffing and internal capabilities. A co-worker suggested Online Optimism as a great resource that could add value to our current marketing strategy. We contracted with Online Optimism in the early years of their company and have renewed our agreement each year since.

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

After a kick-off meeting, Online Optimism helped us develop a strategy to best build our online presence. We chose to only share content from reputable health sources and to highlight individual team members on their successes with patients and health outcomes. Each week, Online Optimism develops a social media calendar and shares it with our marketing team for approval. We collaborate on posting ideas, as well as images to tell our story. Once the calendar is approved, Online Optimism handles the rest. They also monitor our social media channels for feedback from the public and respond with pre-determined answers. If a question needs more explanation, one of their strategists reaches out to me directly to formulate a response.

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

Over the years, we have worked with the CEO - Flynn directly, as well as other members of his leadership team and strategists. It is definitely a team effort to ensure the highest quality of online presence.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Hurricane season is unpredictable in south Louisiana. When a storm hits, you are never 100% sure of how the information will be distributed to patients. Online Optimism develops an emergency plan with the company. They have members out of state who can assist with posting important information about clinic closures, pharmacy deliveries, and more. During Hurricane Ida, we didn't miss a beat. We worked as a team with Online Optimism throughout the entire process both leading up to the storm, during, and after recovery efforts. Our patients stayed informed and appreciated the open lines of communication during a very difficult time in our state.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow is streamlined. It is always easy to get in touch with a member of their strategy team or content creation team.  In fact, every email or phone call I ever made to Online Optimism was returned promptly.

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

Everyone on Online Optimism's team is creative, supportive, and professional. You definitely get the feeling from working with them that it is a team collaboration. Their casual vibe makes creativity thrive. In fact, I love how they even implemented a bring your dog to work policy. For in office visits, you are always greeted by four-legged members of the team.

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

We appreciate their monthly reports and data which help us determine what platforms and areas to focus on. The data also helps us see which types of posts resonate best with our followers to further engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a screenwriting platform where screenwriters or screenwriting enthusiasts can sign up, upload their screenplays, and receive feedback from their peers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Online Optimism?

Since launching our platform, most of our growth was organic — people found our site through word-of-mouth. We wanted to increase our users, so we were looking for someone to help us in marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Online Optimism is managing our SEO efforts. They’re conducting keyword research, monitoring our Google Analytics performance, and handling our backlink campaign. They’re also creating blog posts that are aimed at our target audience. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with a content provider and an account manager. 

How did you come to work with Online Optimism?

I found Online Optimism on a marketing aggregator website. The site asked me to enter my email and describe what I was looking for. After that, several marketing companies contacted me. I talked with several agencies, including Online Optimism. They were confident that they could help me reach my goals and grow my site, so I hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent between $7,000–$8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since August 2021, and our relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Online Optimism has done a consistent job throughout our partnership. They have a scientific approach in their work, and they also write engaging content. We’ve received positive metrics regarding site engagement, click-through rate, and session time. Their blogs organically lead audiences to our site, and we’ve seen good results from their work. 

How did Online Optimism perform from a project management standpoint?

Online Optimism’s project management has been reliable. We talk every Friday, but they’re available to meet any day. They’re very flexible and quick to respond to any questions or requests for changes. They’ve been on top of everything. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Online Optimism’s promptness is impressive — it’s difficult to find that reliability from providers nowadays. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know your business and goals well, and believe in your ability to grow organically. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) is the statewide coalition of 22 organizations providing direct services to victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Our vision is of a South Carolina free from domestic violence and sexual assault and we work towards this from our foundational values of humility, leadership, credibility and collaboration

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Online Optimism?

We needed someone to help promote our sexual violence prevention website, Level Up for Change, through targeted ads and messaging aimed at youth, community educators, and parents. We needed a social media campaign that incorporates rick and protective factors, that most influence the beliefs and behaviors related to the prevention of sexual violence.

SOLUTION

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

We posted our RFP, and after reviewing the candidates we were drawn to Online Optimism. Their proposal was expertly crafted offering us examples of other youth campaigns they had conducted, a firm timeline of when we could expect launches and updates, and finally they worked with some of our existing images and messages to show how their voice to be paired with ours.

Overall we felt confident that Online Optimism would be capable of providing a high quality, engaging campaign-we were right.

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

After selecting Online Optimism, they were quick to send us onboarding materials to give us information on what they expected from us and what we could expect from them. We had an introductory meeting where we discussed the project, audience, and how we envisioned the project turning out.

From there we had bi-weekly meetings (this worked for us but they offer a variety of meeting schedules) where we would view the upcoming monthly ads, provide feedback, and review how active ads were performing.

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

Stephanie, Senior Social Media Strategist, Katherine, Digital Designer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In January the campaign we saw impressions on Snapchat rise over 50% and on Instagram nearly 80%. We saw a 69.7% increase in engagement for Snapchat, and overall reached nearly 100,000 people during the month. They also perfectly targeted our main audience of teens, and brought over 1,600 new users to the Level Up for Change Prevention website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Throughout the whole process Online Optimism was providing us updates and information about the campaign. They were quick to make adjustments to ads when given feedback, and we never had to ask for anything. They lead the way for the project, and we were able to be engaged without feeling we were producing the project ourselves.

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

We were impressed with how prompt Online Optimism was with their communication with us, and their ability to edit and create new ads based on our feedback. Prevention is a difficult topic, and we really appreciated their ability to understand and adapt to ensure messaging was geared towards sexual violence prevention.

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

No, we were very happy with our services.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Operations Coordinator for the Technology Policy Institute, a nonprofit organization based out of Washington, D.C. I’m responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization, including the maintenance of our website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Online Optimism, and what were your goals?

We hired Online Optimism to redesign our aging website. Our goal was to have a website that showcased our work in a professional and innovative way. We also wanted to make sure the site was easy to maintain and made it easy for our users to discover content, events, and new episodes of our podcast.

SOLUTION

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

We interviewed several potential developers, but a colleague and I really enjoyed Online Optimism's customer service, passion, and feedback loop. They were in constant communication throughout the project.

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

We wanted a website that had the ability to add new publications and categorize them according to our key focus areas. We also wanted to integrate a calendar that allowed users to RSVP to events. The project also included audience persona creation, sitemap buildout, wireframing and prototyping, and development of the website. Their team even threw in some 3D animation to bring the website to life. We were provided with a timeline at the onboarding meeting, which included all milestones and expectations. Their team delivered a great-looking website that works beautifully!

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

We worked directly with 3 people. Juan Pablo Madrid, Design Director, Sam Olmsted, Search & Content Director, and Flynn Zaiger, CEO.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The outcome of this project was a well-crafted website that is easy to manage and maintain. It was built with future growth in mind and empowers our team to do their job and publish it with ease.

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

Their team was attentive and quick to respond to any questions. They were prepared during meetings and quickly sent follow-ups, and did not hesitate to communicate any challenges they were facing. Working with them felt very collaborative and straightforward.

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

We were very happy to have direct communication with the team members that worked on our project and never had to go through an account manager or someone unfamiliar with our project. They brought our vision to reality and we're so grateful.

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

No, not at all. They went above and beyond and have met all of our needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the medical director of Mid City TMS, a psychiatric practice that provides a treatment for depression called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Online Optimism?

I needed help generating patients and increasing our brand presence. I also wanted to educate people that TMS was a good treatment option for depression and provide information to potential patients and medical practitioners that could refer people.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Online Optimism created our website. They asked for my input, and they built and hosted the site. They also helped us send mailings to referral sources, doctors, and therapists to inform them about our practice. 

In addition, Online Optimism is writing 2–3 blog posts a month for our site, and their topics are primarily about depression and TMS. They also have contacts in the media, and they refer me to provide quotes to journalists writing about mental health and psychiatry.

What is the team composition?

Savannah (Content Associate) is our primary contact, but we’ve also worked with Sam (Managing Director) and Allyson (Content Specialist). 

How did you come to work with Online Optimism?

I found them right when I was opening up my practice through Tulane University’s alumni magazine. There was an article about Online Optimism’s CEO who also graduated from my university. At the time, I was looking for a digital marketing partner, so I contacted him.

I like that I’ll be working with a company based in my hometown and headed by a Tulane University alumni. Their CEO was very receptive, and he seemed smart and dedicated — he had a team of people that all seemed great. They also had experience working with doctors and other medical practices, so I decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

I pay them $2,600 per month. Their monthly fee includes everything such as website hosting, blog writing, and exposure to journalists. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2017, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Online Optimism’s work positively impacts my goal of spreading the word about different treatment options for depression and educating the public about mental health issues. They’re also instrumental in helping me grow my practice. 

With their help, we’ve been able to sustain the continued growth of our patients. Half of the people I treat have found us through our website — it’s an important part of maintaining our patient flow and business. The traffic on the website has progressively increased over the years. 

How did Online Optimism perform from a project management standpoint?

Online Optimism is outstanding at project management — they’re receptive, available, and they proactively reach out for staffing concerns. They’re also swift with turnaround times and very responsive in getting back to me whenever I have a question or concern. We’ve consistently never encountered any delays, as their team is always on top of things.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Online Optimism has been genuinely engaged and interested in the project. They’re personable, and they demonstrate that they really care. I’ve never struggled to ask them to do what I needed them to do, and I also don’t have to hold back when they suggest an option that I disagree with. I feel like they’re my partners and are part of my team. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. They’re outstanding. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate your specific needs, and educate them about your niche. Feel comfortable expressing when you disagree with them.