Case Study: A Small Team Wearing Many Hats
And What Happened When They Decided to Strengthen Their Marketing
Let’s freaking go- this the story of so many small teams.
This is the story of a small team. Supporting the growth of a $1 Million revenue organization.
The kind of team where everyone is wearing multiple hats, the ceo/owner is very involved, and marketing is another being done. In a “we know enough to be dangerous” way.
In this case, the office manager was managing the office. Managing operations, communication, putting out fires- all the things that keep a business running and supporting the ceo.
And somewhere along the way social media and email marketing landed on their plate.
Originally, they were excited then they started posting when they could.
Trying to get something out when possible.
Pulling together a newsletter when time allowed.
There was effort. There was intention. A solid effort, definitely.
Truth: The structure and goals were worlds apart.
They were getting by.
Let me be clear, there is nothing wrong with getting by. That’s how a lot of small businesses operate. sometimes for years. You figure it out as you go. You keep moving. You do the best you can with the time and resources you have.
When an organization recognized there could be more, that’s a game changer.
And that’s where we came in. We’re the one to answer that question.
The Work They Started Is Made Clearer With an Activation
We worked with them to create their Activation. Their ideas, prioritized and organized. A structured plan built around what they were trying to accomplish and a realistic plan to get them there based on their current resources.
One of the very first things we identify when we work together, right at the front end of our strategic work- is this: resources.
Who is going to do the work?
You can create any plan you want.
You can map out every campaign, every channel, every opportunity.
But if someone can’t physically do the work, if there’s no capacity, then that plan stays on paper.
That’s why execution planning is built into our process from the beginning.
Not later. Not as an afterthought.
Right up front.
We look at the plan and ask:
What can the team handle now?
What needs to be phased?
What might require hiring?
What might require training?
What support makes sense based on budget, not fantasy, but reality?
Where the SocializeLA Collaborative Came In
Based on the client’s budget and workload, we built a structure that made sense.
It became a combination of SocializeLA leadership and a SocializeLA Collaborator.
The collaborator stepped in to support specific execution work, particularly around social media engagement and managing online initiatives that required consistency.
Even modest audiences deserve engagement.
And engagement is what builds trust, loyalty, and growth over time.
So the collaborator focused on:
Social media engagement
Managing audience interactions
Supporting online initiatives
Keeping the client visible and active
Making sure the audience wasn’t ignored
Foundational engagement work.
We Kept It Practical
SocializeLA remained the marketing leadership.
We made introductions. We made roles clear. We ensured everyone understood who was supporting what.
The collaborator supported where needed.
SocializeLA led the strategy.
The internal team stayed focused on running the business.
What It Looks Like Today
This was maturity.
Marketing stopped being something squeezed in when possible.
It became something structured. Intentional. Managed. And WORKING.
They moved from getting by…
to moving forward.
This is just one example
Sometimes it’s one collaborator.
Sometimes it’s several/mxiture.
Sometimes it grows over time.
But the principle stays the same: when the right leadership meets the right support, small teams wearing many hats can be structured and powerful.
