SEM Nexus

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a mobile and web travel platform that helps our users plan trips, explore new places, and do more travel-related things. As a company, we’re a startup located in New Orleans, Louisiana.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEM Nexus?

We were trying to learn more about the advertising space, but like any startup, we had limited resources. We needed to understand how to optimize our application in the App Store and advertise across multiple social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. However, we had no one in-house who could help us with our advertising needs, so SEM Nexus filled that void for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When SEM Nexus joined, our main focus was to increase our app downloads. Initially, they dove deep into our iOS app and gave us insightful, industry-wide feedback, highlighting the different features they thought that the app should include to be more effective and get more downloads.

Then, they put together a contract with the scope of work, which included putting together advertisements and running them on Facebook and the App Store, bidding on keywords on the App Store, and reaching out to potential influencers on TikTok. The deliverables for this project included a pitch deck at the end of our four-month contract, encompassing all the metrics and data that we gathered throughout the advertising campaign.

For the keyword bidding, we initially provided them with a list of keywords that were relevant to our app. However, they’ve helped us discover new keywords and found great success.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with four people from SEM Nexus. Their team includes Mike (Founder & CEO), Kasey (Director of Digital), who acts as the project manager and my main point of contact, the CTO, and a person who helps us reach out to potential influencers.

How did you come to work with SEM Nexus?

When we knew that we needed app store optimization (ASO) and help with our digital marketing, we decided to research online. We were looking for a digital marketing agency that could help us with our needs, and we found SEM Nexus. They had great reviews online.

After interviewing different agencies, we felt that SEM Nexus had the bandwidth and tools that we needed, and they also had great resources. Mike really understood our concept and was very engaging. The team was also very responsive, so we decided to partner with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The initial contract cost $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our conversation in July 2021, and we started working together in the same month. We signed a four-month contract, so we finished our initial scope in October 2021. However, we’re still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we started working together, we had roughly 300 downloads on the App Store. Now, we have over 50,000 downloads, so our growth has been tremendous.

How did SEM Nexus perform from a project management standpoint?

SEM Nexus has been in charge of the whole project management, ensuring that we stay on pace and on goal for what we were trying to achieve. They have their own proprietary software that allows me to see all of the different advertisements across different platforms, so we don’t need to log into Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok to see how the advertisements are performing.

The team has been really responsive and creative. Our biggest need was getting insight from the industry to know how our metrics compared to the industry standards. Fortunately, SEM Nexus has given us great insight and creative solutions, helping us expand into other digital marketing spaces.

We work closely with them in the sense that we have weekly updates. We communicate mostly via email, and we use Google Drive to share documents.

What did you find most impressive about them?

SEM Nexus has a very comprehensive team, and they’re able to handle all of our needs. Other vendors only could help us with ASO or other specific parts, but SEM Nexus offered us full-service digital marketing. Additionally, they provide us with great insight, so they check off all of our boxes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

SEM Nexus’ initial approach to every project is a little formulaic, so it would be good if they tailored it specifically to every product.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If I had to do this project all over again, I would be more hands-on to get more out of it. You don’t have to stay on top of them to make sure that they get things done; they’re very independent. However, try to be more engaged to ensure a successful relationship.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

ThotExperiment was founded in 2020 to liberate people from arbitrary and harmful restrictions by creating sex positive, inclusive and joyful platforms for sexual exploration and experimentation. Our first platform, Headero is the app for everyone, for one thing: people who love oral pleasure. Headero was designed from inception for people of all gender identities and sexualities. Headero allows for fluidity in gender identity selection and allows you to connect with whoever you're down with at any time, regardless of your sexuality. I am the Founder and CEO of ThotExperiment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SEM Nexus, and what were your goals?

We hired SEM Nexus to manage our digital marketing and social media for the launch of our first platform: Headero, the hookup app for oral pleasure. Our goals were to reach potential Headero members in a cost-effective manner and at scale.

SOLUTION

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

I undertook a vendor selection process, speaking with marketing agencies - including vendors across various geographies. I sought a partner with demonstrated technical excellence that took the time to understand our key objectives and had a knowledge of digital marketing and social media channels that would be essential for us to reach our member growth aspirations - while staying true to our company values. SEM Nexus was also recommended by another marketing agency that was out of our budget range.

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

The scope was to build and execute on a marketing plan to facilitate the launch of Headero, the first hookup app for people who love oral pleasure. This included doing a competitor analysis, keyword analysis and evaluating digital marketing platforms and channels. Because Headero is a sex-tech platform, our app faced added challenges marketing on each channel. As a result, to date Apple Ads and Google Ads have been the only channels we have been able to utilize at scale.

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

We generally worked with two team members at any given time - our account manager and a social media manager. These two team members worked with the SEM Nexus design team where relevant.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To date we’ve achieved over 3,400 paid installations at a cost per install that was better than our initial budget.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We held regular weekly meetings to discuss project progress and timelines.

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

SEM Nexus has proven to be a strong partner across all areas of digital marketing. They’ve partnered to iterate on our creative, copy and design. Our digital marketing team and our Account Manager in particular have shown care for our product and our outcomes. They’ve partnered with us as we’ve faced various systematic challenges that we’ve faced as a sex tech company.

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

No notable areas of improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Recelery, a food tracker and grocery sharing platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEM Nexus?

I needed their marketing expertise.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEM Nexus has devised a marketing strategy to help me get the word out about my mobile application. They’ve integrated marketing and analytics tools into the app, which allow me to track my ad spend and engagement. 

Additionally, SEM Nexus studied different ad mechanisms from Facebook, Google, iOS, and Android to gain insights on how I can improve my app’s UX. Once we’ve launched the marketing campaign, their team has helped me reach out to an influencer to boost my engagement.

What is the team composition?

I work with Sergio (COO) and Greg (Digital Campaign Manager).

How did you come to work with SEM Nexus?

I originally onboarded a different agency to handle this project. During the early stage of the app development, they referred me to SEM Nexus based on the size of our project and my budget for marketing.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $25,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off the project in March 2021, and we’re planning to conclude the partnership by the end of this month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve started the projects without any user downloads — SEM Nexus’ team amplified our digital presence, which has led to 3,000 downloads and counting. We’ve only spent $6,500 on Google Ads, and their team has made the most of our money by drastically improving our revenue and user engagement — those are the only success metrics we need for their work.

How did SEM Nexus perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via email and bi-monthly video conference calls. SEM Nexus has a dedicated and responsive approach despite their high volume of clients. Their team’s attentiveness and guidance have done a lot for my company — we’ve practically started from nothing, and they’ve taken it upon themselves to bring me successful results.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What stands out about their team is their enthusiasm and genuine interest in seeing me succeed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

SEM Nexus delivers quality solutions, but they can benefit more from assigning rational price points for the services they provide.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as prepared as their team — they’re only handling the marketing aspect of your product, so your responsibility is to preserve its quality to gain more traction.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm head of business development and marketing a routing engine for micromobility.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SEM Nexus, and what were your goals?

We are a start-up, and we tasked SEM with three goals as it relates to our app:

• Generate an Active User Base
• Increase ScootRoute’s eCPM (app)
• Prove Concept for Organic/Paid Media Support

SOLUTION

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

We were introduced to SEM by a partner agency. We selected SEM because their business model and pricing supports start-ups. They understood what we were trying to accomplish from the beginning.

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

We were paired with an account partner who helped us set up a three step campaign, inclusive of ASO, app promotion and user testing/feedback.

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

We worked with an account partner, account manager, their CEO and their influencer team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We generated 3K measureable installs with a CPI of < $1.50. Also, 99% of users who view a trip start it.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had a bi-weekly Zoom status, and the team was accessible via email for all of the in-between moments.

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

They're business model supported ours which was great. They knew exactly what we were hoping to accomplish within our budget, and we walked away with some solid traction and KPIs for our proof of concept campaign. The team, and Sergio and Mike in particular, were great.

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

If we could have tested our attribution solution prior to launching the campaign that would have helped. In the end, we had a hard time optimizing our campaign in-flight + setting up our attribution partner which caused us to miss out on $1,400 worth of measurable installs.

Also, and our influencer campaign was ultimately cancelled due to the influencer missing deadlines. We would have liked to have seen more accountability and advocacy there.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Famous Media Inc., and we’re a mobile app company. We focus on talent competitions, and we give people a platform to expose their talents on a video-based platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEM Nexus?

We wanted a partner with marketing expertise to get the word out and increase the user downloads of our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEM Nexus does marketing, advertising, and consulting work around development and engineering for our app. They focus on two main objectives; target the correct type of audience for our product, and figure out a cost-efficient solution to get that audience to download the app. Some of their efforts have also involved creating content, coming up with a strategy, and helping us find influencers to partner with.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Mike (Founder), Max (Digital Campaign Manager), Howard (Head of Marketing), and Sergio (COO).

How did you come to work with SEM Nexus?

They were referred to me. I reached out to them, talked with Mike, and seemed to be on the same page regarding the scope of the project and the price range of our budget.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $25,000–$30,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I initially hired them to help me get the cost-per-install down, and they’re effective at doing that — they were able to reach the CPI to around $0.71, which is solid. Also, the app downloads have increased since I started working with them.

How did SEM Nexus perform from a project management standpoint?

We have regular weekly meetings to track all the metrics to see which ads are doing the best in order to optimize the higher-performing ones. In terms of communication, we use text messages and back-and-forth emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s extremely helpful to have a young team working on our social media space because they bring innovative ideas and insights.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on. 

Any advice for potential customers?

 Be open to their suggestions. Many clients go into these projects with a clear idea of what we want to do, but they’re experts in the field, so it’s helpful to listen to what a firm like them has to say — be open to giving new ideas a try.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a new Real Estate app and I will be launching my app within the next couple of months.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SEM Nexus, and what were your goals?

We are launching a new Real Estate app and I hired SEM Nexus for digital marketing, website design, social media management, digital ads, mailer ads, video creation, and pre-marketing advice. My goals are to have a successful launch campaign of my new app.

SOLUTION

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

SEM Nexus was actually referred to me by Moburst since SEM Nexus was more in-line with my budget. I decided to go with SEM Nexus after talking about my goals/plans with the CEO and my app development company agreed that SEM Nexus would be a good fit.

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

The key deliverables for this project is a pre-registration campaign, new landing page design, social media content, digital ad content/management, mailer ads, videos, and a successful launch campaign.

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

I worked with a Director of Social Media & Influencer Marketing, Director of Digital, Digital Campaign Manager, and a graphic designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The measurable outcomes and deliverables are still ongoing since we have not launched a campaign, yet, but I am happy with the work that has been completed thus far.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between my team and SEM Nexus has been effective.

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

I've enjoyed how they take care of all marketing needs, from web design to video scripts and social media management.

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

I think that it would have been helpful to have an exact timeline/schedule of all deliverables that are needed and updates on those deliverables as things get delayed or slip. Like a project plan built in Microsoft Project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company is called Tito - we built a geo-social app that shows people what’s happening around them in real-time by combining user photos & videos with events put on by local businesses. It’s Yelp for what’s happening right now. I am the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SEM Nexus, and what were your goals?

We hired SEM Nexus to help us acquire initial mobile app users on FB/IG to validate our technology and business model.

SOLUTION

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

We ran a competitive process among professional services companies. Criteria included price, understanding of our problem, proposed solution, and timeline.

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

The scope of work included:
1) Setting up our App Store profile
2) Set-up Facebook Campaigns to acquire targeted users at a sub $2 CPI
3) Help identify with influencers to produce creative assets we would run as ads
4) Help set-up analytics (in our case it was Facebook SDK)

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

Our primary contact was our Digital Manager and we had access to the CEO, a Digital Director, a Social Media Manager and a Graphic Designer as needed. I most valued the combined knowledge and experience of everybody involved.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We learned how to run strong campaigns and were able to drive down our CPI from $20 to $2. This in turn helped us create an initial user community to validate key KPIs (retention, stickiness, etc.)

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their workflow was seamless and highly effective. On a personal level, just a pleasure to work with these folks.

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

Three things:
1) Responsiveness - they never kept me waiting, responded quickly, were clear communicators, and were flexible around my schedule.
2) Technical knowledge - helped navigate through the every-changing landscape of Apple vs. Facebook privacy updates
3) Collective Knowledge - if one person in the company didn't know, another one did and we felt like we had access to everybody.

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

Although this wasn't directly in the scope and not in SEM Nexus' control, I would have loved an easier and cheaper influencer acquisition process or create asset acquisition process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of original programming for a tech company that acts as an incubator for developing apps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEM Nexus?

We launched a new trivia app and we brought on SEM Nexus to market the app and grow its user base.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We came up with a digital marketing strategy to attract users. SEM Nexus is in charge of placing Google Ads, Apple Search Ads, Facebook Ads, and Snapchat Ads. We usually provide them with ad content, but they also created some ads for us. They also create content and run our social media accounts.

What is the team composition?

So far, I’ve worked with four people. One person manages social media, another manages ad accounts, and Michael (Founder & CEO) oversees everything.

How did you come to work with SEM Nexus?

Our developer worked with SEM Nexus before and recommended them. We interviewed Michael and he seemed to have a sound strategy, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $80,000–$100,000 including ad spend.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2020 and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m happy with their work so far. They’re very diligent in their execution and are always looking for ways to pivot if our strategies aren’t working.  

How did SEM Nexus perform from a project management standpoint?

They provide regular updates on user growth during our weekly Zoom call. Otherwise, they manage the project using Trello. So far, they’ve met nearly all of their deadlines unless something happened that was out of their control.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Michael is a really good leader and manages the team well. He’s very intelligent and knows what’s going on in the digital marketing space.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

There could be more diversify their social media campaigns by using different platforms.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to their plan and stay on top of it. Communicate with them often about their progress and new strategies.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of dreamOway. It’s an app where people can post videos about their dreams, from wanting to be an artist, musician, dancer, social media influencer, and more. We connect them with a mentor to help them make it a reality.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEM Nexus?

Our app launched in 2018 and since then marketing has been a big challenge. It took us some time to realize that app marketing is totally different from online sales marketing. Social media marketing in particular was a challenge for us, and we needed some help.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEM Nexus helped identify our target audience and which platforms to focus on with app marketing. Their team helped me recognize that my target audience is not on Facebook. I want to reach people who are between the ages of 15–25. Because of that, SEM Nexus has done our campaigns on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.

What is the team composition?

We work with Michael (CEO), Kasey (Digital Marketing Campaign Manager), Halle (Head of Social), and one other person.

How did you come to work with SEM Nexus?

I did a lot of research to find a company that was within my budget and had good experience. SEM Nexus was recommended by another company. When I first met them, I was hesitant that Michael and his team members were so young. However, after interviewing them, I was impressed by Michael’s confidence.

I really liked his approach and realized that although they are young, they know exactly how to execute marketing practices step by step. I decided we should engage in this journey together.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested roughly $12,000 so far. I pay about $3,000 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've seen a 10x increase in downloads. Before engaging with SEM Nexus, there were less than 100 downloads of my app. Right now, we have about 1,600 downloads. We’re quite pleased with these results. They know exactly how to deliver and execute.

How did SEM Nexus perform from a project management standpoint?

They communicate well, give weekly updates, and deliver on time. I’m very punctual and organized, so I make sure to remind them the day before a deadline is due. Michael always communicates with me whenever I need. He walks me through status updates on a weekly basis. Casey corresponds with me on a daily basis.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They know what they’re doing and execute in a timely manner. Additionally, they understand technology well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d like things to move a little faster, but they have their own plan and way of working.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a young team who understands new technology and how to reach the right audiences. What’s more, it's very easy to work with them. SEM Nexus is the best investment I’ve made so far to improve my marketing efforts.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a Mobile development agency that also builds and operates our own companies. I am Ivan, the CEO and Co-Founder

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SEM Nexus?

We worked early on with SEM Nexus on a delivery company to help with the launch and overall marketing strategy.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to launch locally in Detroit and then expand across the US using the guidance and feedback from SEM Nexus in order to expand strategically.

SOLUTION

How did you select SEM Nexus?

They were recommended to us from a trusted partner that we have worked with for years.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Our platform is a gig economy platform and required us to onboard service providers then users. We asked them to digitally market for service providers initially. As they began onbaording service providers rapidly, they then took over the entire marketing strategy and expansion strategy as they grew our company.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with Michael and several other of his employees throughout the project, and we continue to expand with his team in house.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SEM Nexus continues to grow our company and advise on all of the marketing and expansion for the company. We basically gave them the keys and let them continue to run with the company. Our delivery company continues to grow rapidly thanks to the SEM Nexus team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow has been great. We get weekly reports on the results, and several unscheduled calls when the team has new ideas on how to continue to move forward.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have taken ownership of our platform and continue to help us build out the company, which we appreciate.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only thing I would like to see is SEM Nexus grow faster as they have taken over several of our companies and continue to build them. We have a lot more on the plate for them as they expand with us.