General

• What do I need to do to start working with you?
  
  Give us a call at 919-605-0580 or send an email to info@aboutfacemarketing.net and set up a meeting, so we can get to know each other and see if the fit is right. Our standard of practice is to have a free initial consultation; that’s because we like to listen to you, your needs, your vision, and what you’ve done to date. This way, was can put together a customized proposal  that provides an accurate estimate on how you might need our help, and how much it will cost.

• Do you do presentations, seminars, and/or training?

Yes, we do – and we would be glad to speak for your group or organization! However, it’s not our goal to be presenting all time, because continuous presenting takes a lot of time and preparation – and we like to actually work with you to do the work!  Also keep in mind that there are plenty of quality, professional teachers and speakers on various marketing topics that do focus on presenting, and are holding classes – in person and online – all the time.

• Do you specialize in “traditional” or “digital” marketing?
  
  Angela has had the opportunity to work through the “old” marketing mix as well as the “new” one. Therefore, we actually have a strong, well-rounded complement of expertise in both.

• Do you recommend print advertising, online advertising, or both?
  
  It depends on the industry, the company, and the target audience. However, more and more, it’s becoming much more cost-efficient to focus a majority of visibility efforts online, vs. just ten years ago, when the opposite was true.

• I see you have a lot of large corporate experience, but you don’t list large corporate as an option in Who We Service. Do you have any large corporate clients?
  
  No. There are plenty of full-service marketing and communications agencies and consultants who focus on large corporate; we love working with small- and medium-sized companies! This way, you won’t ever feel like you’re being overshadowed and compete for our attention with the “big boys.”

• Do you have any industries that you focus on more than others?
  
  We can service almost any industry – our concern is that our clients hold high ethical standards in whatever they do! However, we are definitely partial to environmental, “green,” and whole health companies and organizations.

Pricing

• Do you do pro bono work, and/or will you barter for services/product?
  
  This might sound like a funny question, but you’d be surprised how often we get it! As we have bills to pay, we typically don’t do work for free, although there are certain extenuating circumstances when we will consider some limited time pro bono work (for example, a good charitable event with a worthy cause). However, what we definitely DON’T do: We don’t work for a startup in exchange for a “share” of the company (as an “investment” of our time).
  
  It’s very rare that we will barter for services, though not completely out of the question.
  
  Either way, if you’d like to request pro bono work or bartering for services, please make sure you mention that up front, during our initial conversation on the phone. It will be at that point that we’ll discuss whether or not it’s an option, and if we should discuss the possibility further. This way, if it’s not a plausible option, we won’t waste any more of each other’s time!
  

• Why don’t you have a pricing page on your Website? Do you have standard pricing?
  
  We purposely do not have pricing on our Website, and we don’t have any “price list.” That’s because every client is unique, as is the time and resources that will be required to fulfill the work you need done.  For example, there are many, many details that would need to be considered for something like a Website – what’s required to create a Website for one client might be completely different in time and effort for another. Also, if you need longer term support and marketing management help, we’d need to discuss your specific needs before putting together a proposal as to how many hours/month would be required for us to dedicate to your company.

• How do you compare in terms of pricing with others who do what you do?
  
  There’s a huge range of pricing in the marketing arena today – from $15/hr to $125/hr. We’re somewhere in the mid-range, but tend to fall on the lower end of others with the same level of expertise – many agencies and consulting companies in marketing and communications who tout more than 20 years of experience within large corporate charge on the upper end of the pricing range.
  
  This is because we focus on established small- and mid-sized companies, and we know that you wouldn’t typically have the budget that large corporate does to dedicate to outsourcing these efforts.

• What’s a retainer contract, and what is it for?
  
  A retainer contract is an agreement between AboutFace Marketing and a client where the client guarantees x number of hours per month to AboutFace for at least 6 months, and AboutFace Marketing guarantees dedication of that amount of person-hours per month to that client. In return, the client gets a reduced hourly rate, depending on the hours required.
  
  These type of agreements work well with clients who essentially want to hire us to be their outsourced marketing department. It’s actually a specialty of ours, and we really enjoy these long-term relationships, because we can really get to know your business and then take the ball and “run with it” much more easily!

• How do you require payment?
  
  It depends on the project. We always require a certain percentage up front. However, depending on the amount of the total bill, we will usually work with you to split up the remaining amount due into several payments. Please request a multi-payment plan up front, when we sign the proposal. If you don’t, then you will be bound to the breakdown of payments as outlined in the proposal!

• Do you take credit cards?
  
  YES! We will now take credit card payments via this Website! Just go to the bottom of any page on our Website, and click on the link to make a payment via PayPal. And voila! However, please make sure you put the proper information in your payment when you submit it, so we can be sure to properly credit your account.

Other vendors

• I need some help with my marketing plan; however, I already have a graphic designer/Website designer/etc. I’m happy with. Will you still work with me?
  
  Absolutely! In fact, we have plenty of clients where we get hired to do one specific function (typically to help them develop the marketing plan), and then there are other vendors at the ready to implement.

• Do you outsource any of your functions?
  
  Currently, we do all research, writing, design, and Web development in house. However, if a need arises that we don’t have ourselves – for example, professional photography, videography, tradeshow booth creation, and actual ordering of promotional items – we have partnerships with great quality vendors in those areas who will make sure we get the project implemented without a hitch!
  
  Also, there are some functions that are typically not realistic for us to fulfill in a reasonable time frame due to their nature, so we will typically either outsource that function or simply refer the client on to another vendor for that portion of the project/program we discuss. An example of this is assistance with social media implementation – though we will train you how to create your messaging, recommend the strategic online sites where you should have a presence, and even help you get the pages set up and get you going, the only time we typically actually implement social media efforts long term is if we are on retainer with you (that’s when it becomes more cost-effective to you, because of discounted rates). Otherwise, if you need help in that area, we will recommend a virtual assistant to help you fulfill those needs.

Green marketing

• I’d like to do my part and do what I can in a “green” fashion, even though my product/service isn’t necessarily “green.” What can I do?
  
  There are SO many things you can do today to “green” up your marketing efforts, regardless of your product or service! For example, there are a growing number of very cost-effective Website hosting providers that are powered by renewable energy in one form or another. You can print your materials on recycled papers – which are of a much better quality than even five years ago! Your promotional items can be Earth-friendly,… the list goes on and on. That’s why we’ve specifically developed our Green Marketing section (links to http://www.aboutfacemarketing.net/GreenMarketing), so you can stay abreast of what’s available for you as eco-friendly options!

• Isn’t it a lot more expensive to use “green” materials and resources than traditional ones, yet inferior in quality?
  
  It is becoming more and more common for eco-friendly materials to be of higher quality than they used to be and priced competitively with traditional items. However, it is sometimes a little more expensive to use the eco-friendly materials – but not so if you think of what you’re saving in the environment!

Websites

• I’ve had a Website that I haven’t touched for several years; I don’t even know where to start to update it. If I hire you to do my Website, will you be able to help me figure it all out?
  
  Definitely. We do it all the time!

• Do you do the same activities for search engine optimization (SEO) as companies who claim they specialize in it?
  
  Yes. Our training began in corporate back at the earliest part of the last decade, before people even knew the definition of SEO, so we’ve stayed abreast of the “rules” since the very beginning. When we work on your Website and marketing, we automatically incorporate those rules into our approach, and then train you on their upkeep  - unlike SEO companies, who typically charge an exorbitant amount of money on a monthly basis (somewhere between $75 and $350 per month), who make their huge profits to simply “give you the fish,” we think it’s far more important to empower you by training you to “doing the fishing” yourself, once we’re done! Besides, there are multiple facets today to SEO that are in reality impossible for those types of companies to fulfill (such as social media), yet they’re still pitching their services the same way they were years ago.
  
  Another thing to note: Wordpress-based Websites are typically even easier to get ranked if done properly, because of Wordpress’ relationship with the search engines to begin with – the system is already programmed to be picked up easily. So, hiring an SEO to do the extra things you need to do are even less necessary than a regular Website!!!

• What’s the difference between a full standard Website, an E-Commerce Website, and a Wordpress microsite?
  
  Full standard Websiteis a standard, html-based custom site. There are no templates involved; we create the site completely from scratch! An E-Commerce Website is just that – one where a potential customer of yours can purchase right there on the Website. A Wordpress microsite is a special kind of site using Wordpress as the “programming” to create it. It has a medium level of customizability, but the biggest strength is the ease for the client to keep the information on the site up-to-date once the site it done (we always build in training time for these types of sites). They are best used for low-to-the-ground startups where there really needs to be a lot of information regularly changed out/renewed. Also, microsites are great for individual locations of national franchises – where the franchise often provides a “corporate” page for each location, what gets left out is local information (which also minimizes the one-on-one feel many customers want to feel with who they use). This way, the location can create their own microsite with their custom information, yet link over to the “corporate” page of theirs for the more general company information. We always work with those customers to make sure they abide by “corporate” standards, yet help them build a local presence of their own.

Social media

• Do you actually do social media implementation for clients?
  
  It depends. On a project basis, actual implementation through AboutFace Marketing isn’t cost-effective for you; however, the exception to that is if you’re getting a discounted hourly rate via a retainer contract with us!
  
  Otherwise, here’s how it works: We will train you on how to effectively create and present your messaging, recommend the strategic online sites where you should have a presence, and even help you get the pages set up and get you going. When it comes to actually helping you to implement social media efforts on a day-to-day basis, we will recommend a virtual assistant to help you fulfill those needs.

• I’ve had many people tell me I should be on Twitter/Facebook/Inside919/LinkedIn/etc. I’m overwhelmed; how can I find enough time to do all of that and run my business?
  
  First of all, the most important part is having a strategic marketing plan developed, so you make sure to know the expectations and habits of your target market before you carve out time to do anything!
  
  One of our biggest pet peeves is hearing, “_____ told me I should be on Twitter (or you name whichever social media site)…” Our first reaction to a statement like that is, “Do they know your company goals and strategy? If  not, how would they know?” What many people forget in the hustle and bustle of social media is that it is not a strategy in itself; it is a tool/platform in which to implement a program in support of a strategy! THAT’S why you need to have your plan in place first.