When it comes to B2B marketing, talk is cheap, and it’s not surprising that any agency can promise you the world. However, retaining clients long-term actually requires one thing: undeniable, measurable results.
And that’s exactly why we’re thrilled to announce that Ellis & Co, a premier chartered accountancy firm with offices in Chester, Warrington and Wrexham, has officially re-signed with Spectra Media. By continuing our partnership as their fully outsourced marketing team, we are doubling down on a strategy that has completely transformed their digital presence, modernised their brand, and firmly established them as the go-to accountants across the region.
But frankly, this success didn’t happen overnight.
For businesses in the North West and North Wales, particularly those in the professional services and manufacturing sectors, the Ellis & Co story is a perfect example of what happens when you finally ditch the marketing fluff and adopt a strategy that actually aligns with your real-world business goals.
The Struggle: When Marketing Just Doesn’t Stick
Before collaborating with Spectra Media, Ellis & Co found themselves in a frustrating yet incredibly common position. They had a stellar reputation, decades of expertise and a brilliant team. However, their brand identity and online presence simply weren’t reflecting the high quality of their work.
Like many established firms, their existing branding felt a little dated. It wasn’t actively attracting the high-value business clients or the next generation of modern SMEs they wanted to work with. They knew they needed to shed the clichéd, rigid ‘accountant’ image, but finding the right partner to execute that vision was proving difficult.
Hence, they tried different marketing tactics and worked with other agencies to get their name out there. Unfortunately, nothing really stuck. They were handed vanity metrics and industry jargon instead of tangible, lead-generating results. And for a firm looking to scale, paying for a marketing strategy that doesn’t impact the bottom line is a drain on both time and resources.
Enter Spectra: A “No Bullsh*t” Outsourced Marketing Team
At Spectra Media, we pride ourselves on our no-nonsense approach to marketing. When Ellis & Co came to us, we knew that piecemeal tactics weren’t going to cut it. Instead, we stepped in as their completely outsourced marketing department.
For manufacturing and professional service businesses, we know how trying to juggle marketing in-house usually means it falls to the bottom of the priority list. So by handing the reins to Spectra, Ellis & Co ensured that their brand, search engine visibility, and day-to-day marketing activities were entirely aligned and aggressively managed by experts.
Here is a look at exactly what we delivered during our first contract, and why the decision to re-sign with us was a no-brainer for their directors.
Transforming the Brand: Ditching the ‘Suit & Tie’ Stereotype
A major hurdle for the financial and professional services sectors is that they can often come across as ‘staid’, ‘dull’, or overly corporate. We wanted Ellis & Co to stand out by taking a human-first approach, pivoting sharply away from a cold, compliance-only mindset.
- Web Development: Ellis & Co had a stellar brand redesign by another agency. However, although the total website restructure vastly improved user experience, we delved deep behind the scenes to ensure Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and content were relevant. Thus, ensuring they were indeed the industry leader of the North West, with potential clients finding them immediately online.
- Bespoke Photography & Videography: We scrapped the generic, soulless stock imagery and dark editing. By bringing in bespoke photography and video of the actual team at current times, we instantly gave the firm a warmer, more approachable feel.
- Social Media Strategy & Community Engagement: We moved away from static, impersonal updates and transformed the firm’s social channels into a hub of authentic activity. By implementing a consistent, high-quality content calendar, we ensured that the brand’s new “human-centric” voice reached its audience daily. We focused on highlighting the team’s expertise and community involvement—such as their presence at local business launches and city events—to build genuine trust and rapport. This shift from “corporate broadcasting” to active storytelling has not only increased engagement but has solidified Ellis & Co’s reputation as an approachable, modern leader in the North West’s professional community.
- Human-Centric Copywriting: We stripped out the heavy, technical jargon. We established a fresh, reassuring tone of voice that positioned the firm as a genuine partner who understands the pressures of running a business. This translated seamlessly across their website, printed brochures and social media channels.
Owning Local Search Across the North West
With a sustainable foundation in place, the next objective was getting eyes on it. Ellis & Co wanted to dominate search results across North West England and North Wales.
Instead of burning through budget chasing highly competitive, national keyword rankings that rarely convert into actual clients, we got strategic. We targeted the regions that actually mattered to their bottom line. By prioritising ‘near me’ searches and location-specific terms, we ensured Ellis & Co became one of the very first names local business owners in the likes of Chester, Wrexham and Warrington saw when searching for accounting help.
The crown jewel of this SEO strategy? For the highly competitive term “Accountancy Firm Chester”, Ellis & Co is placed in the Top 3 as an organic result. They are sitting slap-bang in view the second a local business needs them.
Why They Re-Signed: Real Results for Real Growth
The proof is always in the performance. Our team at Spectra replaced run-of-the-mill ‘filler’ content with SEO-targeted answers to specific business queries. Therefore, resulting in a massive increase in organic traffic to their site. More importantly, Ellis & Co saw a significant jump in enquiries from local businesses.
For the directors at Ellis & Co, the real win has been peace of mind. By trusting Spectra Media as their outsourced marketing team, they have been able to step back from the daily grind of marketing management and focus entirely on what they do best: growing their clients’ businesses and expanding their own firm.
A uniform appearance across all touchpoints, a warm brand persona, and an undeniable dominance in local search made the decision to renew their contract an easy one.
For more data on what was achieved for Ellis & Co, take a look here.
So, What Does This Mean for Your Business
If you are a manufacturing company, an engineering firm, or a professional services business operating in the North West or North Wales, the Ellis & Co story should serve as a wake-up call.
Because ask yourself this: Are you stuck in a cycle of generic, corporate marketing? Are you paying agencies for clicks and impressions that never actually turn into handshakes and signed contracts? Are you just getting fluff and vanity metrics?
At Spectra Media, we know how to humanise complex B2B brands. We know how to swap broad, generic keywords for targeted, local authority keywords that put you directly in front of regional decision-makers.
Because let’s be honest, you don’t need hundreds of random website hits. Instead, you need a select, highly relevant audience. So by hiring us as your outsourced marketing consultants, you get access to decades of combined expertise without the costly overheads of an in-house team.
Don’t believe us? Check out how much, on average, it’ll cost when hiring in-house:
Ready to stop targeting everyone, everywhere, and start dominating your local market?
Get in touch with Spectra Media today, and let’s uncover exactly where your biggest opportunities lie. Or if you’re still hesitant, take our free mini strategy, and we’ll show you exactly where your biggest untapped opportunities are.
