CASE STUDY: Plazmart - An Artist's E-Commerce Business

From Chaotic Hard Work to Calm Confidence and Increased Profits

Emily Anderson owner of Plazmart NZ plazmart.co.nz

Emily Anderson is a Mum who started her small business, Plazmart, to bring in 'a few hundred dollars a month' when her first child was born. 4 years and another child later, Emily is amazed at how much her business has grown. Plazmart now has one of NZ's largest online ranges, selling:

• Artworks
• Sculptures,
• Screens
• Signage and 
• other bespoke metal creations.

The Challenge: Hard Work and High Investment Were Not Bringing Results

High Investment, Long Hours

When Emily first connected with Rachel from Identify Marketing, she was struggling. She had invested a significant amount of money into hiring experts to set up a marketing campaign including Facebook ads. The results were disappointing. The business required endless hours of work. She was pouring money into ads and marketing. The returns were not worth the effort and investment. She had no real direction for Plazmart but it was taking over her life. A worldwide pandemic hit, creating uncertainty and even more vulnerability for her small business. 

"I just felt like I was trying to get myself out of a whirlpool. And I'm swimming, swimming, but it's just still dragging me down. And I was kind of waiting for the wheels to fall off or just be completely engulfed with [everything] that I had to do."

The Solution: A Marketing Expert Who Identified Her Real Needs and Went Above and Beyond to Meet Them 

Critical Needs Were Identified

Emily's past experience with marketing experts made her wary about working with Rachel, from Identify Marketing. But, it didn’t take long to change her mind. When Rachel realised Emily's situation, she made it a priority to fit her in. She quickly worked out exactly what Emily needed and worked hard to make sure Emily's most critical needs were met. 

More Than Just Marketing

Rachel realised that Emily needed more than just a good marketing plan. She worked with Emily, to figure out exactly where she wanted to go with her business and why. They were able to identify areas of weakness, face them and find solutions. Rachel believed in Emily and her business. Her trust and encouragement helped Emily to believe in herself and move forward. 

A Holistic Marketing Strategy

Emily trusted Rachel to do a full marketing strategy for her. Rachel's first focus was to get the FB ads and her faulty retargeting system under control. Emily very quickly saw the results from that. Identify's key purpose is to train people and give them the confidence to run their own marketing. Emily asked Identify if they would work with her on her ads while the business was growing so quickly with the plan that she would take over in time.  

Rachel also helped her to see the importance of having systems and automations in place. 

She encouraged Emily to set up a new ordering system for her custom monograms. This produced a more streamlined customer experience and resulted in higher conversion rates. It has also significantly reduced administration time. 

The team at Identify Marketing are currently working with Emily to set up automations for Plazmart's email marketing and Pinterest ads. 

The Results: More Leads, Record-breaking Sales and Greater Well-being

The Numbers:

• 4x her expected income in the first month of working with Rachel. 
• A 40% increase in sales for the current financial year. 
• Average order value up by 25%.
• Month-on-month growth leading to 2 consecutive months of record-breaking sales. 
• A decrease in ad spending each day, with increased leads and higher average sales. 

"Rachel (and Identify) is absolutely a game-changer for any business, just because of who she is, what she does, and the knowledge that she has."

The Wider Results:

Even more significant than the numbers for Emily is the impact Rachel and the Identify team have had on Emily's well-being:

• Emily's hours have reduced to the point where she is only working part-time. This gives her the capacity to scale the business without stress. 
• She is relaxed and has a really clear idea about what she needs to do and when she needs to do it. 
• Emily no longer feels like she is about to drown. She is excited about where she can go next with her business. The potential for expanding further into the international market doesn't scare her. She knows she can rely on Rachel and her team for the support and advice she will need to do that.

"I'm in the middle of Christmas. This should be my busiest time and I had a sleep today. So while my numbers are up massively I am working half the time I was now that I've got my systems in place."

Want to experience this kind of expertise and tailored support? Click here to take your first step toward confident marketing processes with Identify Marketing.