011: We're back, and what we've learned over the past six months as a startup
After a six-month podcast hiatus, Snapmarket is back and more focused than ever on refining our processes and delivering top-notch services to our clients. The last few months have been a whirlwind of activity, learning, and significant improvements, all of which have contributed to where we are today. Here's a detailed look at what we've been up to and where we're headed.
Addressing Assumptions and Learning from Experience
When we initially launched Snapmarket, we had several assumptions about our clients' needs and preferences. One major assumption was that clients preferred minimal interaction and frequent updates, focusing more on the final product. However, our experience over the past months has taught us that clients value detailed communication and strategic guidance just as much as the final deliverables.
Key Learnings:
- Frequent, Detailed Updates: Clients appreciate being kept in the loop with regular updates and consultations, contrary to our initial belief that they preferred less frequent interactions.
- Strategic Guidance: Many clients seek strategic advice to bring their ideas to life, highlighting the need for us to provide more than just production services.
- Quality Expectations: Our clients expect a high level of polish and attention to detail, pushing us to constantly refine our quality standards.
Balancing Productized Services and Customization
While our initial approach was heavily influenced by the productized service model, we realized the need to blend this with traditional agency elements to meet our clients' high standards. This hybrid approach allows us to offer flat-rate monthly billing and project-based pricing, combining the efficiency of productized services with the quality and customization of a traditional agency.
Enhancements in Our Approach:
- Tightening Scopes: By clearly defining the scope of projects, we ensure that both we and our clients have a clear understanding of expectations and deliverables.
- Iterative Process: We've refined our iterative design process to include more polished, market-ready deliverables from the outset, meeting the high standards our clients expect.
Streamlining Workflows and Enhancing Tools
To maintain our commitment to speed and quality, we've been integrating advanced AI tools and refining our workflows. This allows us to deliver high-quality outputs quickly, keeping us ahead of the curve in the competitive marketing landscape.
Innovations in Our Workflow:
- AI Integration: By leveraging AI, we can produce high-quality content more efficiently, from editing and publishing to social media management.
- Client Communication: We've improved our onboarding process to gather comprehensive brand guidelines and preferences, ensuring our initial iterations align closely with client expectations.
Insights from Industry Experts
Our conversations with industry experts, such as Derek Nelson from Meridian, have been invaluable. Derek emphasized the importance of selling value over time and focusing on the results we deliver rather than the technical details of our process. This insight has prompted us to refine our messaging and highlight the tangible benefits of our services.
Building a Comprehensive Deliverables Catalog
One of our key projects has been creating a detailed catalog of deliverables. This catalog will clearly outline what clients can expect from us, whether it's a logo design, messaging workshop, one-page website, or a pitch deck. By providing tangible examples, we can help clients visualize the specific outcomes they’ll receive and how these deliverables will benefit their business.
Rebuilding Our Website
We’re currently in the process of rebuilding our website to better showcase our services and capabilities. This new platform will enhance our blog and CMS capabilities, allowing us to share more content and insights with our audience.
Embracing Innovation and Ethical Marketing
At Snapmarket, we pride ourselves on being an innovative company, pushing the limits of marketing with next-generation tools and approaches. We're constantly in touch with our software platform providers, helping shape their products to better meet our needs and the needs of our clients.
Our Commitment to Ethical Marketing:
- Redemptive Entrepreneurship: We strive to tell stories and grow businesses in ways that are ethical and aligned with our values of faithfulness and redemptive entrepreneurship.
- Client Services: Working in client services is incredibly sanctifying, teaching us patience, humility, and the importance of delivering excellence consistently.
Looking Ahead
As we move forward, we're excited to continue sharing our journey, insights, and innovations through our blog and other content channels. We aim to be transparent about our processes, challenges, and successes, providing valuable insights for our clients and the broader marketing community.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to innovate, improve, and deliver exceptional marketing services.