PROSPECTIVE CLIENT GUIDANCE

Organic Growth Partnerships

Propelling sustainable, organic growth is no small undertaking. Although relatively simple, it requires strategy, patience and commitment. Here's how to get what you really want from your inbound marketing and growth partnership with The Gist.

Meet the Team
Month One
Ongoing Implementation
Partnership Logistics
Agency Promises
Client Expectations
Get in Touch

Meet the Team

At the heart of our agency's success is a talented and dedicated team of professionals, each bringing unique expertise and passion to the table. We're excited to introduce you to the individuals who will be working to help your business achieve its growth goals.

Phil Smith

Phil is an experienced content strategist and our primary Account Manager. He'll be your main point of contact.

Kelly Kerl

Kelly is our Content Manager. She's like air traffic control for all content initiatives behind the scenes.

AJ Hilton

AJ is an organizer and a systematizer who leads all strategy, implementation and maintenance related to HubSpot.

CJ Maurer

CJ is the founder of The Gist and supports all growth partnerships from a strategic and quality assurance prospective.

Extended Team

Our extended team includes a collection of specialists we have close and collaborative relationships with. Our core team generally manages their work, but they're always available to jump on a meeting for some face time whenever they are needed.

Matthew Parker, HubSpot
Kevin Owens, SEO
Stephen Jarrett, Copywriting
Chris Muldoon, Copywriting

Casey Kelly Perez, Graphic Design
Jason Jurewicz, Video Production
Tyler Finley, Video Production
Giant Focal, HubSpot CMS Development

The First Month

A solid foundation is key to lasting inbound marketing success. That's why, in the first month, we focus on building the groundwork for your marketing efforts. This helps us get aligned on the important stuff and makes every subsequent step easier and more effective. We don't begin ongoing execution until the foundation is complete. And it only takes a month.

Kickoff Meeting

This initial meeting is crucial for aligning our teams and setting expectations for the partnership. We'll discuss your business objectives, marketing goals, and any specific concerns or requirements to ensure we're on the same page from the very beginning.

Strategy + Goals

Establishing clear, measurable goals and a tailored strategy is vital to the success of our partnership. This step ensures that our efforts are focused, targeted, and aligned with your overarching business objectives.

Writer Sourcing

High-quality, relevant content is at the heart of inbound marketing. By carefully selecting skilled writers with expertise in your industry, we ensure that your content engages and educates your target audience, driving organic growth and nurturing leads.

Foundational Assets

These assets, such as landing pages, email templates, and lead nurturing workflows, provide the framework for your inbound marketing campaigns. Developing them early in the process helps streamline campaign execution and ensures consistency across all marketing efforts.

Content Ideation

Brainstorming and outlining content topics and formats ensures that we create a well-rounded content plan that addresses your audience's needs and interests, driving engagement and lead generation.

Campaign Planning Workbook

This step involves organizing and prioritizing campaign elements, tasks, and deadlines. A well-structured planning workbook enables smooth execution and ensures that every aspect of your inbound marketing strategy is accounted for.

Quality Assurance

Establishing plans for ongoing quality assurance, including a client dashboard, recurring status meetings, and reports, is essential for maintaining transparency and monitoring the success of our partnership. These tools allow us to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your inbound marketing campaigns.

Ongoing Implementation

Once we have a plan in place and we've created all the assets we need, we move swiftly into ongoing implementation starting in the second month. We'll maintain a Campaign Planning Workbook to ideate, approve and track all content pieces. We maintain it, but you have full access to it for complete visibility into everything that's going on. We'll also have a recurring project status meeting (weekly, bi-weekly or monthly depending on the scope of work) to stay aligned.

All committed inbound growth partnerships include:

A dedicated point of contact.
A campaign planning workbook, maintained by The Gist, but shared with your team for ongoing visibility and collaboration.
Regular project status meetings.
Development and maintenance of key reports.
Sourcing and management of all related third-party vendors or partners.
A Quarterly Business Review to keep our priorities and productivity intact.
Ongoing strategy and consultation.

Partnership Logistics

We believe that transparency is key to building a strong and lasting partnership. Here we outline important aspects of our agreement. Our aim is to provide you with a clear understanding of how we work together, ensuring a seamless and successful partnership.

Investment + Payments

Every partnership incurs a flat monthly fee billed on the 1st of each month. The cost depends on a variety of variables, mostly the amount and complexity of the content that is to be produced. Payment options include check, credit card or bank transfer.

Term

Agreements are for 12 months. Building an organic growth system takes time. And we don't want to partner with any client looking for a quick fix. It's important our expectations are for a long and successful partnership. That being said, any party can terminate the agreement at any time with 60-days written notice.

Exclusivity

By default, our engagements are non-exclusive. The Gist makes no guarantees that it will refrain from performing similar work for other businesses in your industry. However, exclusivity can be negotiated.

Communication

You will have a dedicated Account Manager who will serve as your primary strategist and point of contact. You will have regular project status meetings with your Account Manager as well as a Quarterly Business Review with the team. In between meetings, you can call us or email us any time. And you'll also have our calendar links, so you're welcome to schedule any meetings at your discretion if you need to talk about something.

Agency Promises

At our agency, we pride ourselves on maintaining the highest standards in all aspects of our inbound marketing partnerships. To ensure a successful collaboration and deliver exceptional results, we commit to the following principles that guide our approach and work ethic:

Expertise and professionalism

Clients can expect our team to consistently deliver high-quality work, backed by industry knowledge, technical expertise, and a commitment to staying up-to-date with the latest marketing trends and best practices.

Open communication

We promise to maintain open lines of communication, providing regular updates, addressing questions or concerns, and ensuring a smooth and transparent collaboration.

Timeliness and efficiency

We understand the importance of deadlines and will consistently deliver projects and results on time, while maintaining the highest standards of quality and effectiveness.

Customized strategy

We promise to develop tailored inbound marketing strategies based on each client's unique business goals, target audience, and industry, ensuring maximum impact and return on investment.

Data-driven decisions

We are committed to using data and analytics to guide our decisions and optimize campaigns, ensuring continuous improvement and better results for our clients.

Collaboration and flexibility

We value client input and are always open to feedback, suggestions, and ideas. We strive to be flexible and adaptive, adjusting our strategies and tactics as needed to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Accountability and transparency

Clients can expect us to be accountable for our work and provide regular, transparent reports on campaign performance, demonstrating the value we bring to their business and helping them make informed decisions about their marketing efforts.

Long-term commitment

We are dedicated to the success of our clients and their businesses, working tirelessly to build and maintain a strong, enduring partnership that delivers sustainable, scalable growth.

Client Expectations

For a truly successful and productive inbound marketing partnership, it's essential to have a clear understanding of mutual expectations. Here are the key expectations we have of our clients, which help foster a healthy, collaborative, and goal-oriented relationship:

Communicate openly and proactively

We expect our clients to maintain open lines of communication, sharing feedback, concerns, and updates promptly. This ensures smooth collaboration and helps us address any issues in a timely manner.

Provide us the resources we need

For our partnership to thrive, we need our clients to provide the resources and information necessary to create and execute effective campaigns. This includes access to brand assets, industry insights, and any relevant company data that can help us better understand and target their audience.

Provide timely input and approvals

To keep projects on track, we rely on clients to provide prompt approvals and input on content, strategies, and assets. This helps us avoid delays and maintain momentum throughout the campaign.

Be accessible when needed

Establishing regular check-ins and meetings is crucial for maintaining a healthy partnership. We expect clients to be accessible and available for discussions, ensuring we stay aligned and informed about any changes in their business goals or priorities.

Be open to adjusting

The digital marketing landscape is constantly evolving, and it's important for clients to be open to change and adaptation. Embracing new ideas and adjusting strategies when needed is essential for maintaining a successful and agile partnership.

Be honest

We value transparency and honesty in our partnership. Sharing both successes and challenges allows us to adjust our strategies accordingly, continually improving and refining our efforts to drive better results.

Remain committed to the partnership

A successful inbound marketing partnership requires a long-term commitment from both parties. We expect clients to invest in the process and trust our expertise, allowing us to work together effectively to achieve their marketing goals.

Get in Touch

Ready to take the next step in propelling your business towards scalable, organic growth? We'd love to discuss how our inbound marketing expertise can help you achieve your goals. Simply click the calendar link below to schedule a time that works best for you, and let's start the conversation about building a successful partnership together.

"We had HubSpot prior to working with The Gist, but weren't using it to its full potential. They also took over our website and doubled our traffic. Our phones are constantly ringing with companies finding us on Google."

Kyle Masengale | ASAP Payroll