How We Soft Launched Our Productized Marketing Agency [$25K/Month Revenue]
Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?
Hi! I’m the Founder and Head of Strategy at Kadima Digital Marketing Agency.
We have a novel Marketing-as-a-Service (Maas) platform called “Kadima Grow”, which gives brands the opportunity to receive unlimited marketing services at a fixed, monthly subscription fee.
After many years, clients, and insights, I have come to understand what marketing on/offline products requires. I had an epiphany that culminated in the development of Kadima Grow.
Sketchy marketing agencies (of which there are many) have solidified the stigma around digital marketing through the same, tired malpractices. I want to do away with the stereotypical upselling, hidden fees, slap-dash deliverables, and limitations on creativity.
Kadima Grow is a unique, somewhat refreshing approach to a very old-school way of serving the tech frontier. We’re offering clients the chance to outsource their marketing to an entire agency of specialists at a set fee – with no hidden costs or agendas.
When we say unlimited, we mean that we’ll do whatever it takes to get our clients and their brands seen and loved.
That’s the Kadima guarantee.
Since we only begun two months ago, we have grown to $25,000 a month as we onboard new clients while converting current clients to the all-you-can-eat model.
What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?
After spending over two decades building a variety of my businesses (A superyacht crew training academy, a Jazz bar & restaurant, a smoothie bar, a wine label, an Adventure Cameras for sports e-commerce website, 2x online entertainment magazines, and an internship agency for European students to name a few), I decided to take the leap and founded my digital marketing agency to help others build their brands instead.
And so, at the very tip of Africa - Cape Town, to be precise - Kadima Digital Marketing Agency was born. I then ventured off to the ‘Startup Nation’ of Tel Aviv, Israel, to be nearer to the heart of tech startups; a field I was already well versed in.
All these years later, and after having the good fortune to provide services for a broad spectrum of clientele, it became apparent to me that we could do far more for their campaigns. The answer is simple: we need to break free from creative and financial manacles. We need an unlimited approach to overcome platform and budget shortfalls.
Previously, we found many growth hacks in using newly launched features on a platform to achieve solid, speedy results. We noticed and harnessed the extra ‘boost’ provided by platforms testing their latest features, capitalizing on the growth surge that this trial period allowed for.
This worked wonders for us and our clients, until… It didn't.
Features that worked became regular functions and lost their momentum. That, or other agencies caught wind of what we were doing, and our novel idea drowned in the Red Ocean. So when one formula stopped working, we continued to test and develop new ones, hustling our clients' campaigns forward.
Speaking of which - Kadima Digital has had to evolve and adapt in the evermore congested world of digital marketing. We’ve had to swim out of the shark-infested Red Ocean waters to the beautiful Blue Ocean where we can now dare to be different.
Take us through the process of building the first version of your product.
We are in the fortunate position that my earlier version of the agency - Kadima Digital (established in 2018) - could serve as an established foundation on which to build and develop Kadima Grow. As it is still running, it supports the move into the new all-in-one approach.
Our wide range of existing services, growth hacking techniques, and platform-specific strategies are encompassed by our all-in-one offering. The stand alone services are: the big 4 (SEO, PPC, Social Media, and Email marketing). So clients could choose what they wanted to do with us.
Then depending on what is being done, we handle content marketing, blog creation, backlink outreach, newsletter management, website automations, influencer management, landing page design, graphic design prep (for clients), etc. The list is extensive!
Key to the creation of Kadima Grow were case studies and our ability to empathize. By placing ourselves in the brands’ shoes, their frustrations in getting their messages across to reach their target audiences became clear to us. In brief, one or two digital marketing avenues aren't enough to build 90% of the companies these days. To address this, we decided to start offering unlimited marketing solutions with absolute transparency and reliability.
This is having an incredibly positive impact on the way our clients experience marketing with us, as well as giving us room to do what we do best - marketing!
We’ve automated the onboarding process for our clients and team creating an ‘if this then that’ flow, where each action results in a follow-up action; we’ve simplified payments by offering three subscription-based solutions (monthly, quarterly, or annually);
and we’ve streamlined decision-making by offering our clients all digital marketing methods at a fixed price.
As an agency, there are as many wins for us as there are for our brands: subscription payments are, for example, recurring. This means we don’t need to chase after or fear being ghosted by those who hire us. Growing and designing Kadima Grow has been a joy so far. We have faith in what we’re doing so we can afford to have fun.
Even from the start, when I handed the first brief to my Creative Director simply stated: “I want the branding to be crazy and memorable.”
Describe the process of launching the business.
I decided that a soft launch would be best; Starting out with a drip message campaign to a targeted audience via LinkedIn. While we understand the tremendous value of our subscription-based solutions, we’ve decided to start slowly to build credibility around the offering. As we continue with the groundwork, our Product Hunt launch is due to take place within the next few weeks.
Something that has become quite clear to me during this pre-launch is how important networking is to gain the necessary traction. My team and I have actively been pursuing and engaging in one-on-one conversations, individual content marketing campaigns, and spreading the word wherever we can. Building rapport with potential clients and contemporaries is essential.
A big part of my time spent to push this is within the LinkedIn community, often using my account to add value and attract clients. I enjoy cultivating a network of like-minded people which also works to my advantage in a professional capacity.
Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?
LinkedIn has undoubtedly been one of our most viable allies in the pursuit and retention of customers. By adding value, remaining consistent, and driving connections, many people have reached out, curious to find out more.
The method behind our madness for the launch of Kadima Grow can be simplified to talking to people, refining our message, and actioning our vision. I strongly believe in actively seeking other people’s opinions and consultation. Before launching, we ran the idea past old clients, new clients in the pipeline, consultants, and industry heavyweights. Some were confused; many more were thrilled.
I don’t get put off by people’s confusion and skepticism. The more doubt I receive, the more energy it gives me to push harder as I feel that we are changing a ‘norm’. Breaking a mold! As a digital marketing agency, it’s suffice to say we’ve not pulled any punches from our extensive repertoire.
Often after I’ve stayed the course during a rough patch, I've experienced a rise or breakthrough in my business.
How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
Given that we only launched in August, we’re still in the early stages which is great in that it affords us more time to develop a digital footprint and create iron-clad credibility. Many people were also away on Summer vacation during this time so we’re expecting business to grow steadily in the near future.
Currently, our focus is on:
- Startups who are between rounds and need to scale.
- Small, successful businesses that would prefer to outsource.
- Companies looking to enjoy the expertise of an established agency.
- Any professional entities looking to spend less on high-quality marketing.
Our fixed-price, monthly solutions offer the top marketing methods under the sun with five specialists in their respective marketing fields, all for the price of one. Our goal is to work with a selection of fun, exciting brands who have faith in our ability to grow their businesses exponentially.
Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
The most resounding lesson for me has been the importance of my team, without whom Kadima Grow couldn’t have been launched. We’ve developed a funky culture at Kadima, with all of our team members bringing their spice to the mix. Through nurturing one another, we all grow together. This helps us not only be more successful as a team and as individuals but will ultimately ensure our longevity, too.
Something I’ve worked on is not sweating the small stuff. One can’t afford to trip over molehills on the way to summiting mountains. Within a team and business, there are many moving parts, but it’s important to remember that we’re all human and fallible. I’ve learned to roll with the challenges, being firm or gentle where necessary.
This is all part of the journey and you (mostly) can’t do it alone!
Digital and real-life connections are invaluable. Think of each one as a key, opening another door of unique opportunity.
What platform/tools do you use for your business?
Currently, we run our business predominantly on WordPress, Slack, Asana, Google Suite, and PayPal.
We do, however, use a variety of platforms and software such as GAW, Meta Business, SE Ranking, SEMRush, Grammarly, Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Canva, Adobe, SproutSocial, and other metric/data collecting programs. Each member of our team sets themselves up with the platforms and tools they believe will help them do their job best – we’re always open to testing out new ways of working at Kadima!
As a digital marketing agency pioneering a ground-breaking platform, we aren’t shy to test the waters and replace the old with the new. A cornerstone of our business is evolution so our favorite tools are often subject to change!
What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?
I’m a big-time follower of Tim Ferris. His diverse interviews offer bite-sized nuggets of insight into some fascinating people.
When it comes to books, these are some of my favorites:
- The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
- Zero To One by Peter Thiel
- The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
- The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
- The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
- Never Split the Difference by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz
- Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk
- The Art Of The Start by Guy Kawasaki
- The Power Of Broke by Daymond John
- Built To Sell by John Warrillow
- Rework by Jason Fried
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- Arise, Awake by Rashmi Bansal
- Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
Grit – you’ve got to have loads of grit.
That means sticking at it, even when the going gets tough and you feel like you can’t handle it anymore. That’s when you need to stand behind what you’re doing more than ever. Often after I’ve stayed the course during a rough patch, I've experienced a rise or breakthrough in my business.
Secondly, network like there’s no tomorrow.
Digital and real-life connections are invaluable. Think of each one as a key, opening another door of unique opportunity.
Following industry experts and seeking mentorship can keep you going in the right direction and help you navigate the ups and downs of business when you’re new to it.
Be teachable and don’t turn down advice; this can be the difference between making or breaking it.
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
As we grow, so do our needs.
This means we’re constantly on the lookout for the perfect candidates to complement our team. As of now, a meticulous Accounts Manager and Operations wizard would be ideal. While I don’t have a breakdown of these roles ready just yet, interested parties are still welcome to contact me via our website or on my LinkedIn page.
These would be full-time, fully remote positions, and the candidates would become members of our core team. I’m happy to have a call with anyone who feels they are a good culture and professional fit to go over the roles in further detail.
Where can we go to learn more?
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
