Seafoam Marketing

BACKGROUND

Please give me a brief description of your company.

We are an onsite catering company.

What is your role/position at the company?

I am the chief executive officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the general business challenge that you were trying to address when you approached Seafoam Media?

I wanted to attract more customers and grow my business.

What were your company’s specific goals for the project?

I needed more customers, but I also needed someone to handle our digital and social media marketing in a more coordinated method.

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting Seafoam Media to work with?

I interviewed two other companies and enjoyed the dedication Seafoam has to their work.

Can you give us a sense of the size of the project in dollar terms or even a price range?

It costs us $12,000 yearly.

When was the project started/completed?

Our work relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project, and are there any statistics/metrics you can share? What have they helped you achieve as a company?

Results were exactly what Seafoam indicated they would be at the beginning of the project. Although they send metrics each month, we have only just completed establishing the baseline, so now we should be able to measure growth moving forward.

How did Seafoam Media perform overall?

I feel that they are at a 94% so far, but keep in mind that I have high expectations and a low budget. So overall, I definitely think I am getting my money's worth.

When working with them, was there anything unique or special about them (compared to other companies that you may have worked with)?

Seafoam Media is personable and extremely knowledgeable. I think that the structure they are building allows their work to be scalable, so you don't have to speak with just one person to answer any question you have.

Looking back on the project, is there any area where they could improve or you would do differently?

I would have been clearer about the focus of my business, so I will work closer with them in the future to be sure we are all pulling in the same direction.

I should probably be more insistent on timelines: the way we currently operate, I want everything today but then have to wait for my budget to catch up. If it is truly something I want immediately, I should probably emphasize that and expand the budget for that project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Sunnen Products Company is a machine tool manufacturer. We produce machines, abrasives, and other honing products. Honing is a process for making a round hole rounder and straighter, based on specifications. For example, the eight cylinders in a V8 engine would be honed. We sell our products all throughout the world to manufacturing companies.

What is your position?

I am the corporate communications manager. I handle advertising, online activity, trade shows, and so on.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Seafoam Media?

We needed to find a host for our website. We were looking for a digital agency that could take on day-to-day maintenance. As part of that, we were also looking for someone that could handle our other digital marketing needs, such as search engine optimization, pay-per-click, and social media marketing. We didn't feel comfortable doing these things in-house, so we ended up working with Seafoam Media.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

So far, we've only transferred the website from the previous server to our current one. Seafoam Media handled the move and set it up in order for them to provide maintenance and changes. They also handle our pay-per-click program, helping to keep it optimized.

Another task is to convert our current website to a mobile-responsive version. Currently, it's not set up for cellphones.

We've passed the quotation stage for another project centered on redesigning and setting up our international subsidiary websites. We have subsidiary companies in 10 different countries. Some of them already have websites while some do not. A few of those sites have been custom made and do not correspond to our corporate standards. Our plan is to work with Seafoam Media and come up with a common template to be used for every one of those companies. One by one, we will then update those sites to our standard. It will be a significant project.

How did you come to work with Seafoam Media?

We have a tradition of doing as much as possible using our internal workforce, but we do know that certain things are best done by experts who are not necessarily found within the company. Our IT department had no interest in actually maintaining the servers and handling website security. Since the website was part of the marketing efforts, it was up to us to find a place in which to put it. We worked with a previous ad agency, but we came to the decision that it was better to part ways. We were looking for someone with whom we'd feel comfortable, an expert in the field. We were also looking for a company that was small enough to give us the attention that we needed. We wanted to be an important customer, not just another customer. We interviewed several companies, but ultimately felt most comfortable with Seafoam Media.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The server migration project cost less than $20,000. We pay a monthly fee to Seafoam Media, in order for them to handle web maintenance and updates.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2015. Our migration happened across four to five months. Seafoam Media is about a third of the way done with making the site responsive.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

So far, we're new to the whole process. Seafoam Media took control of our Google AdWords pay-per-click program. They revamped it, putting an emphasis on different keywords. I do not have any significant results so far, but we're happy with what they've done.

They set up a social media calendar through which I and another person in the company can add elements to it, keeping it updated. We can plan social media activity this way.

What distinguishes Seafoam Media from other providers?

They're very responsive in terms of getting back to us. Seafoam Media is very lean and mean, so to speak. They don't have a big company, but they are very well organized. Each person has a job, and he or she knows what they're supposed to be doing. They communicate well among each other and have a very good system for responding to their clients' needs.

Seafoam Media definitely fits within the millennial type. They do things many differently than my generation, which is refreshing to me.

Is there anything Seafoam Media could have improved or done differently?

I can't think of anything. The experience has been positive.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m an expert and professional speaker with Cooking Healthy Academy. Our company coaches women on how to cook and eat healthy options.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Seafoam Media?

I needed to improve my website and its UX. I had no traffic at all and I wasn’t doing marketing.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted a marketing plan, videos, an SEO plan, and an updated website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We held a discovery session and I loved how deeply they had researched my industry and marketing strategies.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They upgraded and marketed my website, including SEO. They created free opt-ins, wrote blog posts, and directed videos.

What was the team composition?

I worked with six people.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I now have a functional and intuitive website with increased traffic, which has allowed me to create income online.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

I found their process very organized and effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are as invested in my website as I am.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Improving their knowledge of my industry-specific needs would be helpful.