A surprisingly large number of Veterans have made their way into the Digital Marketing space in the last few years and among them, Jonathan Smith and Eric Spurling have managed to stand out. The two West Point graduates were friends in college but fell out of touch after Eric graduated. Blind luck led them to reconnect years later after the military when they found out Steel Giant, Nucor Steel (NUE), hired them both. Despite the great job and bright future with a Fortune 200 Company, the two vets were not satisfied in their current roles and needed something more. When Jonathan introduced Eric to Search Engine Optimization they realized they had found what they were missing – an asymmetric environment where they could compete.
The challenge of starting a company in a space dominated by major marketing agencies was too enticing to pass up so in June 2015 they launched The Alan Morgan Group. What seemed like a risk has turned into a massive success - in 9 short months they have been able to establish a foothold in two major cities and position themselves as serious competitors for the old regime.
I recently sat down with Co-founder Jonathan Smith (Smitty) to get some insight into their rapid growth.
David Morris: How did you get into Digital Marketing?
Jonathan Smith: I was first exposed to Search Engine Optimization about 5 years ago at a conference and was instantly hooked. It is the pinnacle of working smarter, not harder. There is a lot of confusion in our industry and that many people have been burned before. Eric actually sums it up best, "when I tell people I sell SEO, I am about as welcome as an American in a rough neighborhood in Libya."
DM: You don't seem to fit the "digital agency" mold!
JS: We get that a lot actually and can't help but laugh. Although we didn't go to school for it we have been able to figure it out and do pretty well. And despite wearing socks and not wearing tight pants and sweaters we still do ok.
DM: What services do you offer?
JS: We offer Web Design, Reputation Management, and Social Media Management services but we really excel at SEO. Eric is a certified for Google Adwords and we often find it is a great supplement to, or starting point for SEO, but in the long run our clients always see a higher ROI from SEO. SEO is amazing because it is a constant puzzle trying to figure out what the search engines want to see and what works best. Usually right as we are getting comfortable and getting our systems updated there will be another update that causes us to start again.
DM: Do you think that the military helped prepare you for this business?
JS: I really do. Surrounding the puzzle of figuring out what the search engines want to see is the understanding that our competitors are doing the same thing so we can't ever let up. It is direct head to head competition between other agencies trying to rank our client's competitors and us. Outside of the military, it is really the ultimate competition I have found because the scoreboard is available for everyone to see and if you get comfortable and stop working someone will beat you.
DM: What has been the most surprising thing you have learned since opening your business?
JS: People won't always want your help even if it is in their best interest. Even though we deliver great results for our clients and have a track record of success some people won't ever want our services. I still wrestle with understanding why someone wouldn't want more customers from the internet but we have learned to accept it and not take it personally.
DM: What is the most important thing someone can do for their online marketing?
JS: That's pretty broad. In regards to SEO I would say to claim their Google My Business listing as well as the other major directory listings like Yelp, Manta, and Yahoo. If it is just in general it would be to build a digital funnel and keep in contact with your list. Stay front of mind for your current and potential clients.
DM: Any last thoughts?
JS: Digital isn't going anywhere so it is best to embrace it instead of fighting against it. There are tons of online resources to help point you in the right directions but if you are busy running your business and want to hand it off we would love to work with you. Our site is Alan Morgan Group and has all the different ways to get in touch with us.
Source: Unclear on Digital Marketing – The Veteran Owned Alan Morgan Group can help
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