1Mby1M Incubation Radar 2013: Mad Marketeer

Online marketing has become hugely popular and effective in recent years with the rise in social media activity and mobile access. However, for small non-profit organizations that have few resources, navigating the labyrinth of marketing activities and following an effective marketing strategy is tough and often expensive. In 2007, Katharine Coles, a veteran marketing professional, founded a company that strives to provide professional but affordable marketing solutions to the non-profit segment.

Mad Marketeer is an online marketing agency that helps non-profits harness the power of the Internet. Its website division PowerSite123 offers well-designed websites built on its proprietary Functionality Management System (FMS) platform. PowerSite123’s flagship product NonprofitSite123 was developed specifically to cater to the fundraising, event registration, volunteer recruitment, and other website functionalities that non-profits need to further their mission.
Katharine Coles is an expert in nonprofit marketing and fundraising. She has worked with hundreds of nonprofit organizations creating branding campaigns, websites, logos, online special events, social media, email campaigns, online donor/prospect programs, and search engine optimization strategies.

The idea for Mad Marketeer was born out of Katharine’s disillusionment with the corporate world and a lifelong commitment to ‘giving back’. Allan Pressel, CEO of MadMarketeer’s PowerSite123 division, a leading ePhilanthropy expert, has worked for over 14 years with non-profits. Together, they have spoken across the U.S. and internationally for thousands of non-profits and non-profit conferences. They also educate non-profit and small organizations on efficient strategies for marketing, empowering them to make better marketing decisions. The company has recently launched an additional service assisting non-profit organizations with managing their Google Grant program. It is also launching a mobile website service in partnership with Zuznow, a startup that provides a platform to adapt a website for various mobile form factors.

About 80% of revenues at Mad Marketeer are generated from website design and about 20% from other marketing services. Its Marketing Fitness program, offered as a subscription ranging from $1000 to $5000 per month, is quite popular. The service evaluates and customizes search engine optimization, search engine marketing, social media, blogging, content development, email marketing, pay-per-click and Facebook advertising activities to address the needs and challenges of small organizations. The margins on the website business are extremely high but the Marketing Fitness program provides a steady revenue stream.

Currently, Mad Marketeer has over 200 clients: 90% of them are non-profits and 10% for-profit small organizations. It has approximately 2500 website visitors per month and processes 50-1700 leads per month, mostly generated from speaking events and webinars. About 93% of traffic at Mad Marketeer comes from direct links while at PowerSite123, 66% of traffic comes from direct links and nearly 30% now comes from Zuznow.

The company is currently on track to increase the percent of sales generated from its Marketing Fitness program. It has also adjusted its website pricing model so that all new clients are at least partly retainer-based, producing an ongoing revenue stream. It plans to shift to a product-based model over time. Additionally, it is also open to partner with or become affiliates of companies offering other synergistic products and services. It is also planning to launch a service to help non-profits find fundraising opportunities.

Mad Marketeer is completely bootstrapped. Its website division PowerSite123 was primarily funded by the founder and one later investor. After the initial product development investment, PowerSite123 has been 100% bootstrapped. Mad Marketeer is profitable and brings in approximately $250,000 in revenue per year. While it is not actively seeking investors, it welcomes qualified, interested hands-on investors who can contribute capital and, rather more importantly, connections and expertise to accelerate growth.

This segment is a part in the series : 1Mby1M Incubation Radar 2013