Case Study

Big Cloud

Background

Big Cloud specialise in recruitment services for the data science, machine learning and A.I. sectors. An exceptional start-up that has grown rapidly over the last few years, placing over 1000 candidates in more than fifteen countries worldwide.
They knew the next stage of their journey involved taking their marketing to the next level, and that is when they joined Superfast Circle.

We interviewed Megan, their marketing manager, about her journey, why she joined Superfast Circle and the value she receives.

What is it like working for a recruitment company as a marketer?

It is busy and varied. My background was two and a half years ago; I came into marketing for the first time as an apprentice with Big Cloud, and I am now the marketing manager.

I support a lot of functions across the business with every aspect of marketing you could imagine.

Everything from email marketing, content creation, website building, job adverts, graphics and creative; a role with a broad scope where no two days are the same. I often get pulled into so many different areas to help.

What was your role like before you had access to Superfast Circle?

Big Cloud, we’re small as a company and marketing department compared to a corporate recruitment business. We don’t have people doing different things, so that it can be a bit chaotic at times. It’s always been a case of juggling balls, having many things to do, and not really knowing where to look sometimes; a lot of organisation, systems and process is required.

On a broader level, our business goal has always been to integrate marketing with recruitment more. There’s always been a bit of a disconnect there. Recruiters like to do things one way, marketers want to do things another way, and you can butt heads a little bit sometimes.

That was always something in the back of our minds and, something that we wanted to try and resolve going forward. We wanted to knit these two teams together more and streamline the functions better because my job is to help support recruiters and make them feel supported.

What made you decide to join Superfast Circle?

I remember everything was strange; we had gone down from a team of two to just me, and our resources were stretched.

We knew we needed marketing support on different levels, and your name kept cropping up. From our conversations, we were interested in the fact that you offered some attractive resources.

If I had a question, you could answer it. I remember asking for testimonials from your clients like us, their personal experiences, and how you’ve benefited them. That helped solidify in my mind that we were going to choose you.

Your communication was always fast, and I trusted that that would be the case when I became a client.

I realised that when I had questions or needed advice or support, you would be at the end of the phone and be very responsive to my queries. That was great.

What are the benefits you have gained since you have been a member of Superfast Circle?

Being the only marketer at Big Cloud, I think one of the biggest things was having other voices, a sounding box, if you will. Other advice to get from you and Denise, who have many years of experience.
Also, other circle members might be in companies very similar to mine, or their companies might be slightly bigger; they could be somewhere else in the world. That’s been refreshing to get a much broader perspective which I wouldn’t get even if I had a team.

I wouldn’t get that in an office setting. Especially with the pandemic, I guess it’s meant that it’s been a lot easier because we have the video calls, and we’re able to have these points of contact and support each other. That’s been a big benefit.

The thing I like about Superfast Circle is, aside from the group calls, is the online self-teaching platform. This allows me to learn and study the marketing strategies and techniques working in recruitment now in my own time

I also get to opt into the group calls when I have questions that need answering fast. Then your templates as well; your templates and marketing campaigns are great. They’re so time-saving, your campaigns, the email templates.

I’ve gone through those many times. I’m implementing that automation software soon. That’s helped me construct a lot of emails on mass because that will be quite a lot of work to do.

I feel like you have a very multi-layered approach to just the support you offer, which has been very helpful.

It has also helped me support the consultant team even more.

I feel like you guys have given me greater confidence to go and speak to other people, conduct conversations, and make things happen really.

I’ve produced higher volumes of content since joining you, partly because you have those templates and because there’s a level of accountability there. I get on these group calls, and I’m a bit like, what have I done this week?!!

That’s been so motivating and helpful, especially in the past year when productivity hasn’t been as high as we would like it.

I can now produce more and more things to help the consultants, social media, job adverts, reports, emails.

The other benefits weren’t what I originally expected, particularly around the mental side of marketing.

With your training and input, Sharon, we’ve had many conversations about working mindset, which I guess goes beyond business into personal goals.

My working mindset and my ability to work productively to time constraints and improve me. That’s been a major goal that’s been achieved and continues to happen. That was positive.

I think initially; I thought it would be perhaps on more of just a business level. The circle is quite tight-knit and feels like a proper community, which has helped particularly with the more personal side of things to feel supported. No question feels too big or too little to ask. The advice is always solid as well.

Sharon: I think it’s interesting that you bring up our mindset work with circle members. I think it’s easy, and it’s very common for all of us to underestimate how we’re setting ourselves goals, whether that’s bringing sales and marketing together, whether that’s getting a new website up, or optimising or whatever. Getting a new automated campaign together.

When we are spinning so many plates that sometimes, as individuals, we can get in our own way, can’t we, and we don’t need to.

Through some of those conversations I know that you and I have had, it sounds like that’s been helpful.

I know it has because I know things that you’ve been able to do because of it. And great that you have recognised the added value from the programme.

What is your experience of working with the Superfast team, and how our values might align?

Big Cloud and Superfast have aligned massively. I think your drive for productive and positive business growth is something. We are in an industry that is changing all the time. From that aspect, I’ve really felt like that’s something that we all have in common. Also, another thing, as well, is the positive conversations we have sharing successes.

I come to you for advice, but it’s always a very positive outlook, and it’s as much about focusing on maybe things that didn’t go so well and how we can improve them, but also looking at the things that did go well and celebrating those.

For consultants, they are all close and part of a team. For a marketer, we often talk about different geeky things like open rates and optins and copywriting, a different language that people in SFC appreciate and applauded 😊

How do you think Superfast Circle can work for marketers in the recruitment and staffing sector?

I have seen first-hand from the other people I’ve met in the circle that you guys cater to recruitment businesses regardless of size and where people are in their personal marketing career journey.

For me, as an apprentice, I wasn’t just new to marketing. I was new to recruitment as well; It was all new to me. I completely forgot it was two things at once.

You do cater to a lot of people and the industry as well. Industries can be completely different, but we’re all doing the same thing in terms of recruitment.

For marketers and business owners who have been in the business longer, it helps you refresh your mindset and think of things differently.

I think things can get a bit stagnated, and you need that outside advice, and inspiration, and someone else to help you generate new ideas and go back to the drawing board because it’s never too late to do that and to explore things and try new things. You guys encourage that.

Another big thing is being able to produce more, as you guys have tested things already. Yes, I can add my own spin, of course, and the resource we have access to saves so much time for a marketer spinning multiple plates.

The different people in the circle, from business owners and marketers, gives me a different perspective.

I come from a very creative background. As far as age is concerned, I may be on the younger end of the spectrum, and I’m getting insight from people with years of experience and in completely different industries.

If it’s a business owner or a business leader, it’s interesting to see their struggles and see things from a different side. It doesn’t only help me understand where someone else is coming from in their kind of business. Still, it also helps me understand my business structure more and what other people in my office might need from me specifically.

Recommendation

What I like about Superfast Circle, alongside the group calls and community, is the online self-teaching platform. This allows me to learn and study the marketing strategies and techniques working in recruitment now in my own time.

I also get my questions answered on calls and the group. Then your templates as well; your templates and marketing campaigns are great. They’re so time-saving, your campaigns, the email templates, all the resources which keep appearing.

Megan Hannan
Big Cloud

To find out more about Big Cloud, please visit their website here.

www.bigcloud.global

To find out more about working with Superfast Recruitment or joining our Superfast Circle Programme please fill out the contact form here.

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