Wayne
It’s been a while. Hi!
It’s been a little while since you’ve heard from us in terms of our end of month blog, partly because I’ve been juggling multiple roles within the business as we continue to hire new team members, and partly because we’ve been waiting for our new Senior Marketing Executive, Izzy, to join. Izzy has been drafting Twilo’s marketing strategy and you can hear more from her below…
I’ve been working equally ‘in the business’ and ‘on the business’ since the turn of the year, with really good progress being made both in terms of the websites, apps and marketing campaigns we’ve launched, as well as working with Jen to progress Growth40.
Business Growth Plans
Growth40 is the title we’ve given to our ambitions growth plans which we set out to achieve from 2023. Upon agreeing our plans, we found that we had to get serious with some internal processes in order to set the business up for sustained growth, and I feel we’ve got through a lot of that which has moved the business into a position where we are able to proceed with our plans. This includes marketing Twilo to new customers for the first ever time! This is equally exciting and ironic. Ironic that we’ve never really marketed the business despite delivering highly successful digital marketing campaigns for our clients, and ironic that our own website hasn’t been updated for about 7 years. Exciting because we have an amazing team with experience of marketing across many sectors and channels.
It may seem like a risky time to be launching new marketing campaigns following the recent news of a recession in the UK, but my experiences tells me that opportunities emerge due to other businesses reducing their spend in response to economic downturn. Thankfully, Twilo has the experience to maximise opportunities – not just for us, but for the many clients who trust us to manage their marketing spend effectively through what will be a challenging period.
Maximising Google Ads Returns During Challenging Times
Speaking of which, we’ve achieved fantastic results for one of our long-standing e-commerce clients. As customers’ purse strings tighten, special attention has been given to reducing the cost-per-click and increasing the conversion rate of their Google Ads campaigns.
We’ve achieved this by really tightening up on the negative keywords (the most important part of a Google Ads campaign if you ask me), as well as giving the campaigns a thorough review; ensuring all fields and ads are filled in with the maximum amount of information available, while tweaking our audiences to be as specific as possible in terms of who we are targeting.
This has resulted in a ‘return on ad spend’ (ROAS) of 14.09 in 2024. For those who might not know what this means, ROAS is calculated by dividing the total revenue by the amount spent. This particular account has returned £14.09 for every £1 spent in 2024.
According to finder.co, a good e-commerce ROAS is 2.87 (for the record I think this is very poor and if your advertising agency is giving you a ROAS of only 2.87 I suggest you leave immediately). This shows the consistent results we’ve achieved for this one particular client, and supported by a new year sale in January, we’ve been able to maintain a really strong ROAS since the sale was removed due to the additional data we gained from the traffic available.
Maybe the most rewarding part for myself – as I’m driven by quality – is that the client is really appreciative of the results we have achieved. And who wouldn’t be?
Spend £1 to return £14? Sign me up!
Michael
Overflowing with creativity
March has proven to be a remarkably creative period, brimming with ample opportunities for problem-solving, learning, and growth. Professionally, the month has been exceptionally productive, as I immersed myself in shaping the brand identities of new clients and IPs. This involved intricate work in crafting logo marks, brand guidelines, and establishing brand tone, all through collaborative efforts with talented peers within the agency.
Moreover, this month provided significant experience in client liaison, offering invaluable lessons in fostering positive client relations. The frequent interactions with clients have notably honed my communication skills.
Personal Growth
Twilo isn’t just a creative agency; it’s also a gateway for continuous learning and skill enhancement. March presented an array of personal development prospects, with a particular focus on refining skills in brand tone, logo design principles, and mood-boarding. Learning sessions were supplemented with practical applications, ensuring immediate integration into our projects for the benefit of our clients.
Additionally, Twilo provided professional development tutorials geared towards enhancing client communication skills and feedback procedures. Such initiatives are indispensable for designers, empowering them with practical skills and bolstering confidence and soft skills.
Finding Tranquillity in Literature and Nature
This month, my reading journey has been dominated by a captivating exploration of art history, particularly delving into Martin Kemp’s treatise on Leonardo da Vinci, “Leonardo da Vinci: The Marvellous Works of Nature and Man.” While admittedly a weighty tome, it offers a delightful escape from screen time.
With the advent of spring, ushering in longer days and temperate weather, I’ve begun to reintegrate certain routines, such as leisurely nature walks around the picturesque landscapes of Harrogate and Knaresborough, accompanied by friends and family.
Andrew
March 2024In March, I have done much learning into Domain Name Server (DNS) functions, and worked on some exciting projects such as a new journey for a finance application. Additionally, I have spent some time upgrading old projects to make sure we keep up-to-date with the latest framework and PHP versions. I still struggle to believe that PHP 8.0 is deprecated. It only feels like yesterday that it was the prominent version. During my free time this month, I have laid back playing video games and will be visiting friends over Easter.
Domain Name Server (DNS)
When working in the web industry, problems with websites going live or maintaining websites is more common than you’d like. With this and the increasing need for security, it is becoming more important to make sure that we have a strong understanding on the fundamentals of the internet. I’ve spent some time studying and applying what I now know to enhance the security on emails sent with the domains we control and to debug any DNS issues we have faced.
Keeping up with Upgrades
Both PHP and Laravel are seeing frequent updates and older versions are becoming obsolete. I am spending some time making sure that new projects we develop or are developing keep up with the changes of the frameworks and languages we use. This is important for security and compatibility. We want to make sure that the websites and apps we build remain secure for the users but also compatible with newer coding technologies which ultimately will broaden our opportunities.
Invoice Finance Journey
Invoice Finance is now the seventh journey that we have built for a finance application called Lender Hub. In these journeys, users can answer questions based on the type of finance they are looking for. The system then matches them with the best and most suitable loans from a range of different lenders.
Despite being one of the simpler journeys I have produced, it still involved some features that I have not worked on before and so required some innovation. One such feature is allowing a question that does not want an answer. This could be just a notice that the user should accept before continuing. The challenges with this are carefully allowing the use of these new features whilst maintaining a clean and well-structured coding environment. We are already on seven journeys. We don’t want code all over the system which is not reusable. Whenever I add new functionality, I make sure it is designed in a way that would allow future journeys to easily make use of that functionality too. This helps us work efficiently and maintain a clean system.
Video Games of the Month
Thanks to the Spring sale on the popular PC gaming platform known as Steam, a couple of friends and I managed to pick up Battlefield V for just £6. The Battlefield series of games are multiplayer first person shooters, where you are fighting in large scale battles. This release of the game is set in WW2. I remember playing this years ago on a subscription but didn’t enjoy it very much in the current state. We decided to try it again as it still has a substantial player base and was selling for cheap. I have to say it’s a lot better now, however some matches are absolutely dominated by the enemy who have played the game too much!
Other than Battlefield, I have been playing a fair bit of Age of Wonders 4. This is a game that has you leading your own empire in a fantasy world. It’s a difficult but satisfying game to play, full of strategy and storytelling.
Easter Holidays
To end the month, I am looking forward to seeing some friends over the Bank Holiday. We are going to stay the night, eat some snacks, and play the Skyrim board game. We tend to have this ‘get together’ every few months to catch up with each other. We also play some of the tabletop games that usually have long play times which require multiple sessions. It’s always good fun.
Chris
A Star Is BornOn the 2nd January this year I became a father for the first time. Seeing your child enter the world for the first time is something that you can never truly prepare for, no matter how much you speak to parents that have gone through it before. The feelings of elation, surrealism and exhaustion are a strange emotional cocktail that I have never before experienced — leading up to holding my daughter for the first time.
Here’s a photo of me holding her when she was 2 days old.
In the light of my daughter’s arrival, I have started a ‘1 second a day’ project. It’s quite self explanatory, the goal is to capture a 1 second video every day, which leads to a nice 30 second video to recap the month. It’s truly amazing to see how my daughter has progressed over the last 12 weeks, and the ‘1 second a day’ project is a lovely way to look back at the early days.
Current Projects
This year has been filled with some really interesting projects so far, and I’ve learned a lot in other areas outside of design. I’ve been practising my brief-building skills, and also started looking into Google Analytics 4 and how I can pair my website designs with data in order to inform design decisions.
A project that I’m really excited to launch is the new Twilo website. This has been a long time coming, and a lot of hard work has gone into it, so I can’t wait for this to go live later in the year. I wouldn’t want to reveal too much at this stage, but here’s a sneak preview of the new blog section.
Isabelle
And just like that, March is complete.
It’s been a very busy month for me. I joined the Twilo team two weeks ago, digested lots of new information and met some great clients that I’m excited to work alongside.
It has been great to sit down with Wayne to understand the clients better, and plan how we can drive their marketing forward by using great digital marketing techniques and skills provided by the wider team. I’m very much excited to create the overall marketing strategy for Twilo, to present our exceptional skills with prospecting clients across social media, Google and via our website.
Outside of work, my friend and I took a well needed rest and relaxation day, at a local spa, Oulton Hall Spa. We both enjoyed two 25-minute treatments and time within the sauna and steam rooms. This was a perfect opportunity for me to sit and reflect on the hectic month of March.
I’m excited for April, and everything that will come with it!
Sayem
My first week
After starting just four days ago, I wanted to provide more of an overview of myself, rather than a monthly round-up.
Education and Experience
My name is MD Sayem Iftekar, and I am a passionate technologist with a penchant for creating innovative solutions that enhance human life. I graduated from the University of Huddersfield. My dedication to research led to the acceptance of two research papers in the prestigious International Journal of Computer Applications. With over eight years of experience working in the IT industry across diverse geographical locations, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with brilliant minds and contributing to cutting-edge projects.
As a lifelong learner, I’m always eager to explore new web technologies. My toolkit includes solid expertise in PHP, Laravel, JavaScript, jQuery, React, and React Native. These tools empower me to build robust, scalable, and efficient solutions that resonate with users.
My Mission
My mission is clear: to create technology that makes a positive impact. Whether it’s streamlining processes, solving complex problems, or designing user-friendly interfaces, I thrive on the challenge of making the digital world better for everyone.
Hobbies
During my spare time, I find myself drawn to the allure of both travel and the kitchen. Travel and cooking—they share a common thread. Both invite us to explore, to taste, and to create. Whether I’m stirring a simmering curry or gazing at a snow-capped peak, I realise that life’s truest adventures lie in the everyday moments.
Jen
March 2024As we dive into the new month, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on some exciting developments we’ve had here at Twilo.
One highlight of this month has been our focus on enhancing team dynamics through dedicated workshops on feedback and communication. These workshops were designed with a clear objective in mind: to equip each member of our team with the skills to deliver, request, and act on feedback effectively. In fostering an environment of open communication, we aim to cultivate a culture where every voice is heard and valued.
During these workshops, we engaged in various activities aimed at honing our communication skills. From role-playing exercises focused on giving constructive feedback to discussions on the importance of tone in client communications, each session was filled with valuable insights and practical takeaways. We also delved into strategies for receiving feedback graciously and providing support to new team members, fostering inclusivity and collaboration within our workspace.
One key aspect we emphasised was the significance of client communication. Good communication lies at the heart of every successful client relationship, and understanding its nuances is essential in delivering exceptional service. We explored different types of communication and discussed why maintaining a positive tone is paramount in client interactions. By prioritising effective communication, we not only strengthen our relationships with clients but also elevate the overall quality of our work.
Personal Adventure
Just last week, I had the opportunity to embark on a personal adventure to Albania. The breath-taking landscapes of Gamti mountain and Bovilla Lake provided the perfect backdrop for a memorable hiking experience. The rugged beauty of the mountains with the serene waters of the lake left me in awe, reminding me of the importance of always seeking adventure.
