Things I’ve Learned: Why Diamond + Branch Is Special

This article was originally published at diamondandbranch.com

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It’s hard to believe I’ve been a member of the Diamond + Branch team for over seven months now. To be sure, it’s been an interesting road, full of highs (and some lows), learning the ropes, and starting to make my mark on our work.

And, I’ve discovered a lot along the way – about marketing, as you can see from my last blog post– and about what makes D+B different, both from other marketing agencies and from other jobs I’ve had.

‍So, here are my top five reasons for why D+B is so special!
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#1 Our Clients

I’m amazed by the variety of D+B’s clients. From health care and scientific innovation to hospitality and finance to a nonprofit accelerator, the D+B team consistently crafts and delivers the right messages to specific audiences. One particular highlight for me has been watching the team develop content that speaks directly to the bilingual and Spanish-speaking communities our clients are trying to reach!

I have also realized how our clients drive the deeper D+B mission to “help more people do more good.” By helping to amplify businesses’ and organizations’ purpose-driven messages, D+B generates its own positive impact on the world.

This alignment with our clients’ values and goals also mean that the standards of our own work are raised. Because we care so deeply about their respective missions, we’re even more committed to work as hard as we can to — yes, you guessed it — help them do more good.
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#2 Our Strategy First Approach

If you look on D+B’s website, one of the first things you’ll see about us is the idea that we value strategy. One of D+B’s core values is to conduct “research and planning [to] ensure that your marketing hits the right audience with the right message at the right time.”

‍I’ve had the chance now to witness firsthand what this means.

It means that when a client first joins the team, we have in-depth initial conversations about everything — their current audience, their desired marketing targets, and, most importantly, their marketing goals. All of this comprehensive information becomes the basis for our strategy and all of the recommendations we’ll make moving forward.

Strategy doesn’t just “show up” in the beginning. It takes a lot of work, on both our end and on our client’s. Each new campaign proposal we issue to a client is accompanied by a strategy brief, which clearly identifies the problems and issues that need to be resolved and why, the numerous benefits the client will receive, and how D+B will most efficiently and effectively accomplish the work. Nothing begins without a clear explanation of how the efforts will directly help our client accomplish their goals.

And the D+B team also knows that strategy is meant to be re-evaluated every step of the way. We ask ourselves questions like, did a campaign hit its goals? What worked well, and what didn’t? What can we change for next time? Constant evaluation and iteration keeps our strategy well informed. Which brings me to the next point….
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#3 We Follow the Data

Everything D+B does is backed by data. At the beginning of every client engagement, as we talk about strategy, we also discuss the metrics by which we can measure success. Then we report on these metrics — every single month and at every stage of a campaign. That way, if a proposed approach isn’t showing the numbers we want, we can make changes to improve them immediately. [Note: I am not the numbers expert, but check out Miguel’s blog on Analytics if you want all the details on what data drives our decision-making!]
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#4 Our Diversity in Expertise and Thought

I’ve also learned that there are so many things that go into digital marketing – strategy, social media marketing, content writing, design, and data reporting. They all work together to form a well-rounded approach, just like the expertise and versatility of the D+B team.

‍Each member of the team contributes a specific knowledge of digital marketing. Jaimie’s design eye and social media wizardry is on-point. Miguel’s knack for numbers, analytics, and SEO is incredible. I know a thing or two about anticipating clients’ needs and questions. And Lindsay’s unwavering leadership and strategy expertise keep us all inspired and the team running smoothly.

But beyond that, we all bring a unique perspective to the work we do together. Take content, for example. When we create content for our clients, there’s not just a single “content person” who crafts every piece. Rather, each of us contributes to it using our unique strengths. Jaimie and Sarah (our outside go-to writing/editing guru) are great at writing content that hooks readers and delivers the most important information. And I feel that I can offer perspective on the right language and styles to make the content informative, easy to read, and focused on the client’s intent. Similarly, Lindsay will always have spot-on insight into what the content needs to increase SEO value and drive more site traffic. And, of course, Miguel knows the right topics and messaging that will appeal to and engage Latinx users.
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#5 Our D+B Team

It may sound corny, but there really is something special about getting to work every day with the D+B team. We couldn’t be more different as individuals, and yet we come together to work (and play!) so well together!

For instance, every Monday the team meets to update each other on the upcoming week’s progress and plans. We take this time to ask questions, recommend inspiring articles, and chat about effective strategies to implement. No matter how busy or hectic our schedules may be, we take time to give each other props for the work we’ve done and to acknowledge our own contributions to what the team has accomplished.

Furthermore, this time together allows us to gain insight from one another on how to best serve our clients. We understand that every facet of digital marketing is interconnected – so we make sure, for example, if Jaimie is setting social media campaigns, she has the numbers from Miguel, who ran last month’s analysis and saw what efforts worked best.

And I know lots of companies say it, but it’s not only about work with the D+B team. Weekly meetings are also a time when we learn more about each other as people. Hearing what everyone did over the weekend gives us a fun insight into our different lifestyles, from Miguel’s adventures in Valle de Guadalupe (wine country), to Jaimie’s impromptu music festival trip, to Lindsay’s latest foodie experience.

‍Our diversity is even more celebrated on our monthly outings every Third Thursday, when one member of the team (we rotate who) gets a chance to plan an adventure for the rest, based on his or her interests. We’ve watched futbol and eaten tacos in TJ with Miguel, checked out modern pop-up art with Lindsay, and, of course, sampled everyone’s favorite food and drinks in San Diego and Baja!

So, to make a long post a tad bit longer, what has made D+B feel so special to me are our clients, the variety of work, and the amazing team I get to work with. I can’t wait to see what the next seven months here will bring!