Behind the scenes: we’re an extension of your team, but how?
A lot goes on that our clients don’t see: strategy discussions, supplier calls, debates over subject lines, sales meeting prep, campaign pivots, small website fixes no one asked for but that were absolutely needed… but it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t see it.
We’re firm believers in transparency, and we’re proud of the hard work we put into every project that comes our way.
ENTER: our Behind the Scenes content series.
This piece will show you what it’s actually like behind-the-scenes, and how we become an extension of your team when you work with Ketchup
It’s outsourced marketing, but personal
At its simplest, what we do is outsourced marketing. But “outsourced” can feel distant. Detached. Transactional.
That’s not how we work.
Sometimes we support one specific area: paid ads, SEO, branding, website. Sometimes we deliver a strategy. Sometimes the strategy is built collaboratively and we bring it to life. Sometimes we act as the internal marketing director. And sometimes? It’s more ad-hoc.
We have clients with very comprehensive monthly plans. Others work with us more fluidly, with a foundation of Business as Usual (BAU) activities and additional campaigns and projects layered on top. Some retainers are mapped out in detail. Others have space for changes.
Even if we’re primarily supporting one area, we’re always happy to lean in elsewhere. Paid ads often lead to targeted landing pages and remarketing campaigns. SEO could become web copy updates. A base retainer might grow with top-up projects.
Whatever the shape of the relationship, the mindset is the same: We integrate. We don’t hover at the edges.
What ‘extension of your team’ actually looks like
Being an extension of your team means we don’t just deliver assets and disappear. We show up.
For Starrett, that has meant immersing ourselves into their world and becoming their marketing director in real, practical ways.
For example, we:
- facilitate strategic direction and planning
- have designed and managed a very successful event stand
- join meetings with their customers
- improved brand presence through their customer websites
- and have done internal training on social media engagement
- work with third-party suppliers on their behalf
- and join internal sales meetings to update teams on projects in progress.
As a result, we’re trusted to represent the brand in rooms where decisions are being made – and that’s a reflection of the way we actively position ourselves.
With HIT Training, our role looks slightly different, but the principle is the same.
It’s attending their conference and delivering a LinkedIn workshop, or joining internal weekly marketing meetings alongside their in-house team.
Each team member has their own remit – email, website, campaigns – and bringing ideas to the table. In those meetings, we act as a sounding board. A second perspective. A strategic partner.
Sometimes that turns into paid ads support. Sometimes it’s HubSpot email campaigns and workflows, SEO, or even PPC. Whatever the client needs, we step in.
Transparent reporting, always
Being an extension of your team also means being open about performance. We share the wins worth celebrating and the results that fall short, because honest reporting leads to better decisions. It’s a marketing cornerstone.
Every update comes with context, clear insights, and practical solutions – not just numbers on a page.
The things you didn’t ask for (but get anyway)
Another part of being an extension of your team is caring about things that technically fall outside our remit. If we spot something wrong with your website, even if we didn’t build it, we’ll flag it. If we see an opportunity to improve something, we’ll tell you. We often carry out mini audits for new clients for this exact reason.
We’re not here to tick off a deliverables list and log off. We’re here to be invested.
The beautiful chaos
Like in a production, no one sees anything but the final product. But behind the scenes? There’s a kind of beautiful chaos in an agency setting. We embrace it because it’s how we get things done in a collaborative way.
We thrive off each other. We inspire each other. When one of us cares about your brand, we all do. We operate like a hive mind, except every mind is different. Different strengths. Different backgrounds, and different ways of thinking.
That collective energy is what you tap into when you work with us. Whenever you need to, you can access an entire agency with diverse skills and knowledge – all working in your brand’s interest.
Your success is quite literally our success. And that’s how we become an extension of your team.