The Red Stairs

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m VP of marketing for Notion, which is a smart home technology startup that was recently acquired by Comcast. We work through home insurance and service providers to help homeowners monitor their home for risks such as water leaks, door and window openings, smoke alarms, and temperature changes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Red Stairs?

We were looking to ram up our B2B content production. Historically, we created very little content, usually related to press releases, but we wanted to develop a more regular cadence in order to support some of the advertising work that we were doing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team typically runs four pieces a month, each around 800–1500 words. We put together a content calendar to identify and scope out each of those pieces, and then write and publish them on a content platform where we have dedicated sponsorship to promote what we create with them.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with Janette (Content Strategist)

How did you come to work with The Red Stairs?

I originally put out a LinkedIn request, and they submitted a proposal. I narrowed it down to a few writers and was really impressed by the samples and previous testimonials that Janette had. I met one of their teammates in person and felt we could work really well together, so I decided to move forward with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $4,000–$5,000 a month with their team, so around a total of $12,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project first started in July 2020 and is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since this is more focused on foundation building for us, the metrics aren’t quite there yet, but we’ve seen really great results in terms of establishing a good voice and tone and being in sync with their team around our strategies for communication.

How did The Red Stairs perform from a project management standpoint?

They do a great job of actually managing the work. We’re still figuring out the best tools for the process, but overall, it’s been a very good relationship. There are plans to shift to a project management platform in Q4, but at the moment we primarily communicate over email, Google Docs, and a weekly check-in phone call.

Janette follows up in a timely manner on all deliverables and has dedicated a lot of time learning the industry, the lingo, and how that all translates to the language we want to actually use around our brand.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive part of partner with them has been their willingness to work together and accept feedback, especially in the early stages of the project. She’s always been very willing to hear direct feedback about what we do and don’t want to use, and I think that makes her an even stronger writer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing I think we have room to continue working on is just honing our voice as a company and continuing to get better as we work together through the writing process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

With any writer, you need to have a content strategy in place that the writer can then help you execute. If you make sure that you have the framework and allow them to focus on filling in the gaps, the dynamic will be much more streamlined than if you need them to do everything.