Swell

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director, Marketing Development of Renaissance Learning

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Renaissance is a pre-K‒12 edtech global leader committed to helping educators truly See Every Student. Our interconnected solutions accurately assess learning and growth, provide purposeful practice and instruction, and support a whole child approach to data-informed decisions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Increase brand recognition.
• Help us switch from a product led strategy to a solution led strategy.
• Refine our target audience to get in front of the right people.
• To help guide and teach us along the way.

SOLUTION

How did you find Swell?

Online Search

Why did you select Swell over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Other

How many teammates from Swell were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

In early 2023 we went through a rebrand and hired Swell to help us go from a product focus to a solution focused ad strategy.  We were looking for leads, impressions, downloads, and a company that had an in house graphics department that had fast turnaround and stayed up to date with trends.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our strategy has been completely overhauled. 

We can also now track all data points do to their reporting and the use of Basecamp. 

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

Emma is amazing!  She is transparent and easy to get ahold of whenever we need them or have questions.  Her time management is excellent and she understands what her team needs from us in order to get the best outcome.  

What was your primary form of communication with Swell?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They work great as a team and explain stuff in a way that is easy to understand.  They are analytical and want our success as much as we do.

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

It has been a good working relationship and we haven't had any bumps in the road.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing leader of Southwest Exteriors; we’re a home remodeling company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Swell?

Our previous data agency wasn’t transparent enough for us, so we needed someone that could help us with Google, Facebook, and Instagram ads.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Swell has been providing PPC for Google, Facebook, Bing, and Instagram and has also set up goal tracking inside Google Analytics and HubSpot.

In addition, their team has been helping us with our general marketing strategy and how we structure our campaigns and ads. They provide us with a well-thought-out vision for every platform based on what they want from each task, whether they’re looking for conversions or new visitors, etc. Based on that, they generate the right content and optimize it taking into account the metrics we get from the reports they make so we can know what’s working and what needs tweaking.

They’ve also created our ad assets and provided plenty of guidance to correct what we were doing wrong to increase our online exposure.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Rachel (Managing Director), Jason (Paid Media Strategist), Tanner (Content Strategist), Joel (Senior Brand Manager), and Emma (Brand Manager).

How did you come to work with Swell?

A former philosophy coach of our company highly recommended them to us.

How much money have you invested in this partnership?

We’ve spent around $65,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to their work, we’ve been able to lower our costs for Google Ads — our return on ad spend is about 13x. Also, our blended cost per conversion is around $109, which is below industry standards. In addition, our click-through rate of search is about 4.18%, and we’re noticing a growth in conversions constantly from 5% to 7% — we used to have around 90 conversions a month, and it has gone up to 167, which is very encouraging for us.

Overall, they’ve helped us make our marketing efforts more detailed, organized, and updated.

How did Swell perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is excellent in terms of communication and ability to stick to schedules; every meeting with them has an agenda that starts with us expressing our needs, and then we dive deep into what we see and how everything’s going. After that, we collaborate in articulating our next steps and what we want to do. Consequently, we follow back up in the upcoming weeks to discuss what’s working and what isn’t.

They also lead a responsive process using Basecamp as the main tool to provide us with reports on our assets and walk us through them. In addition, we use Trello for our display of Facebook ads, Google Sheets, and Google Docs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication and reports on the project’s metrics are outstanding. They condense everything down, so it’s very easy for us to understand and make decisions. Their team is also transparent when one of their campaigns or ideas doesn’t work — they tell us that they struck out and move on to the next thing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

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

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and honest with your communication with them; it’s not only a two-way street, so take advantage of their ability to integrate themselves within your company. Also, they’re very reliant upon feedback; if something’s now working, they need to know why.

In addition, ensure that the content you provide matches what they’re doing with SEO and PPC so you can see an improvement in conversions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Head of Marketing for a DTC, DNVB men's footwear brand

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were ready to take our digital marketing efforts to the next level and needed an agency that would act as an extension of our internal marketing team.

SOLUTION

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

We interviewed several agencies. Once we spoke to Swell, we knew their candor and strategic thinking was going to be a huge win for our brand.

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

Swell put together a discovery analysis of our current accounts with actionable next steps, improvement opportunities, areas to focus, and strategic data reporting.

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

We worked with our account manager, paid search manager, business development contact and intermittently a paid search media buyer and graphic designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our ROAS on digital advertising was significantly increased, as well as our content output.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Virtual meetings weekly to touch base on performance, as well as monthly deep dives.

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

They were 100% dedicated to our brand. They cared about our performance and were always available for anything we needed.

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

They are very integrated into social marketing (facebook, Instagram, snapchat, etc.) and rightfully so. Those channels prove extremely effective for digitally native brands. Though, I would have loved to figure out how to diversify our portfolio of spend across other mediums more.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Director of Marketing & Strategic Growth at RMA of Connecticut. We're a regional fertility center that provides top-notch quality and reproductive care to individuals and couples.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Swell?

We were in need of direction and support for our paid advertising strategy and program. Initially, we hired Swell to take over our PPC and search campaigns on Google. We quickly expanded the scope to include social ads (mainly, FB & IG), and management of our total digital advertising program.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We researched several companies online. We landed on Swell as their rates were comparable to market expectations, but their accessibility and approachability is unparalleled. From the jump, it felt like our accounts were in good hands and communication was seamless. We've kept the partnership going as the results have exceeded our expectations, and communication/teamwork has remained stellar throughout.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The Swell team has helped to create and maintain our approach to digital advertising, through two main mediums, search and social. They've been instrumental in driving strategy and results since day 1.

What was the team composition?

We work closely with the entire team, meaning, we're in pretty constant communication and collaboration with the folks that are helping to run the show behind the scenes. This includes their Director of Paid Search, Director of Social, and overall Team Lead/Project Manager. There is also a very talented designer that has helped with creative.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've seen consistent and significant reductions in CPA for our major accounts. Social engagement and reach has grown consistently, as have the total number of video views.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Seamless. We meet bi-weekly, and communicate asynchronously in between via Basecamp.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Honestly, we like working with genuinely kind and impressive people. Their knowledge, expertise, and results stand on their own, but it's nice to look forward to these meetings and enjoy the people you collaborate with.

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

It feels like I'm grasping for straws here, so I'll just leave it at that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work for a furniture retailer and I head the Marketing department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

To stay competitive in the retail space, we knew we needed to be online. Swell was tasked with placing our digital marketing advertising on social media and google. Our goals were both to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to our stores with a secondary (smaller) goal of covering most our spend with online sales.

SOLUTION

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

We were working with their parent company IMPACT on inbound strategies.

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

They focused on campaigns surrounding evergreen content, promotional content, local campaigns, shopping campaigns and others I'm sure I'm missing for the following channels: Instagram, Google, Microsoft(Bing), Facebook for a period of time.

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

We worked with a Paid Social Strategist, Google Strategist, and Director of Paid Strategy. We also received creative help from a Graphic Designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Digital campaigns were successful in driving traffic to site with some online transactions. Online sales were not the most prominent of goals at the time of the project but site traffic was significantly up year over year. Swell was also about to provide metrics based on local campaigns supporting the brand awareness goals.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had bi-weekly status calls where we discussed performance, questions about upcoming product or promos, otherwise communication was available any time through Basecamp which was convenient.

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

One thing that I never liked about agencies I'd worked with prior to Swell is that I never felt like it was a partnership - it felt like we were just next up on their agenda that day and they needed to rush to prepare. With Swell, I felt like it has been a partnership - an extension of our internal team. They were always prepared, attentive and constantly watching how our ads were performing and offering insights and ideas on how to improve campaigns.

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

They asked for feedback often so we shared that we wanted to see what creative and ad copy was performing well. Sharing that more consistently will always be valuable.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the digital marketing manager for a healthcare company that engages with three core audiences, consumer/B2C, business/B2B, and providers/recruiting.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Swell?

Swell manages our paid ads, from PPC and remarketing to social channels.

SOLUTION

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

Swell was selected because they are comfortable and familiar with both the HubSpot tools and approach to marketing and aligned with Marcus Sheridan's "They Ask You Answer" philosophy. Swell is able to approach our ads in harmony with our tools and strategy >> which is to say a full funnel approach and a focus on SALES, not just eyeballs or leads.

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

The Swell team started working with us before we launched our new website. From the beginning, the team dived deep into our business, services, and core audiences. Because of this, they are able to provide relevant guidance and suggestions.

The Swell is embedded with our internal team and collaborates with all of our partners in order to both avoid silo'd work and align their work with our business goals. During COVID, we've had to pivot quickly, and the Swell team has always responded just as quickly to adjust messaging, target audiences, and ad spend. Our work is ongoing, and we continue to refine our efficacy and efficiency while exploring new channels.

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

The team is small, so I've had the pleasure of working with the full team from designers to channel experts and management.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Swell team has had a direct and measurable impact on our bottom line, more than justifying both their fees and the ad spend. The biggest wins have come in generating new visitors to the site. Our business challenges include low awareness and poor understanding of our services. Paid ads are critical to building awareness and educating that audience.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between our teams is extremely effective. We communicate as need though shared project management tools and meet biweekly. Additionally, we schedule quarterly meetings amongst our full partner lineup to share learnings and ideas. Data is and measurement is also a critical component for this team.

The Swell team created custom dashboards and leverages other tools to ensure we have visibility and clear understanding across the board and easy reporting mechanisms for leadership. As noted above, the team is able to pivot or take action quickly. We often feel as if we are their only client.

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

With Swell, you get more than channel experts. With a channel expert, you expect them to execute your instructions. The most incredible advantage of the Swell team was all the other expertise they bring to the table. These are business owners and experts in content marketing. They understand the value of ads to a business and the challenges of a business, because they've owned and operated a business.

And, those businesses were marketing agencies. Swell had a deep understanding of marketing principles, content marketing, and developing funnels. The advice I get from them is far wider than just ads, spanning content development, messaging, and more.

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

I feel like I need to say something here, but I can't come up with a thing that could have been an improvement on our experience with Swell.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Marketing of an other industry company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Family owned and operated yacht dealer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Generate leads on paid ads and social

SOLUTION

How did you find Swell?

Referral

Why did you select Swell over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Swell were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Paid ads and paid social around our brand, products and remarketing

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Number of qualifed leads

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

Use twice monthly meetings and Basecamp for daily communications

What was your primary form of communication with Swell?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They work very hard to understand our business. 

Always happy to explain in detail when we have questions, concerns

Open to ideas

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

no