Digital marketing businesses have to constantly adapt in order to stick around for more than a few years. As the name suggests, Adapting Social has done just that – staying in business for more than 15 years. Read about the company’s journey in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
What the Business Does
Provides a variety of digital marketing services.
Founder and CEO John Vagueiro told Small Business Trends, “Adapting Social has helped thousands of businesses increase their revenue, search engine visibility, website traffic, brand identity and social media following through online credibility.”
Business Niche
Providing real results through experience.
Vagueiro says, “The one thing that truly sets our business apart from our competitors is our commitment to going above and beyond when it comes to delivering results. Unlike most other agencies, which rely heavily on strategies and optimism, we offer something more tangible and reliable. With 15 years of practical experience under our belt, we have a deep understanding of what needs to be done to achieve the desired outcomes.”
Business Origin Story
As a way to help the family.
Vagueiro explains, “When I was 17, my family had some economic troubles, and, as the oldest of 5 siblings, I was determined to help support my family. I stumbled upon the concept of “website freelancing” while searching for ways to earn additional income and embarked on my entrepreneurial journey by creating a competing website called “Brick Town Deals,” which aimed to rival LivingSocial and Groupon. This was where I had my first encounter with entrepreneurs from various walks of life, and developed a deep appreciation for their hunger, drive, and fascinating origin stories.
“A few months into running Brick Town Deals, I received a significant request from my first client, who asked, “Can you build me a website?” From that point on, the rest was history. I started Adapting Social with the initial goal of assisting my family, and I still carry the same drive, ambition, and principles when serving my current clients.”
Biggest Win
Securing their first million-dollar client in NYC.
Vagueiro adds, “That felt like a true affirmation of the over a decade’s worth of work and networking we had put in. It was a combination of building relationships and connections, as well as the heart and passion that Adapting Social has that spoke for itself. It was a marker that our amazing team was getting recognized and outperforming the competition.”
Biggest Risk
Expanding the company early on.
Vagueiro says, “At the time, it didn’t feel like a huge leap, but there’s always a chance of expanding too quickly. Recognizing our mistake, we took a step back, hit a short pause, and reoriented our approach. We shifted our focus on quality and identifying the areas that needed improvement for us to scale successfully. We then realigned our strategies accordingly and got back on track. It was a risky move, but ultimately, it shaped us and propelled us towards more thoughtful and strategic growth.”
Lesson Learned
Embrace hard periods.
Vagueiro adds, “The lessons are in the hardships. And I wouldn’t want to alleviate them because they teach us so much.”
How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000
Supporting the team.
Vagueiro says, “I would direct it towards our most valuable asset – our team. The development, growth, and education of our current team members would be my primary focus, and expanding our team by bringing in more people.”
Management Tactic
Promote from within.
Vagueiro explains, “Every executive and leadership member at Adapting Social was home grown, someone that started off in an entry level position and worked their way up. For example, our current CMO, Megan, started off as an intern with us!”
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Image: Adapting Social, John Vagueiro
This article, “” was first published on Small Business Trends
The post appeared first on Unix Commerce.
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