How Puzzle grew impressions by 15x with Verbatim's content engine

Challenge

Puzzle needed a content strategy to establish itself on the market

Three themes contributed to Puzzle' decision to kickstart their content strategy.

1. The need to establish legitimacy in the market

While a great product is every startup's top priority, many forget this is only one step of going to market. As Sasha Orloff, Co-Founder & CEO of Puzzle, shares, "We spent three years honing our offering. We knew it was a great product, and we wanted to build credibility in the industry as quickly as possible."

The Puzzle team quickly realized that the first building block of a generational business is gaining consumers' trust — something usually achieved through substantial brand marketing investments. Fortunately, having worked with Adrian, Verbatim's Founder & CEO, before, Sasha knew there was a much more compelling way to build credibility in the space. That's when he called Verbatim.

2.  Content can skyrocket your digital reach

Seeing SEO's effect a decade ago, Sasha knew that the right content could be a game-changer for Puzzle. Another major advantage of nailing their content was the potential for expanding their social reach. In his words, "When you share the right piece of content online, your message can get reiterated thousands or tens of thousands of times."

3. Getting the right voice at the right time

Bootstrapping your content with ChatGPT could be an attractive, low-cost option. Yet, no amount of AI-generated text strikes the same chord as a single authentic piece. The Puzzle team had a clear goal in mind – crafting content that resonates – but they didn't know where to start. Luckily, Verbatim did.

"If your problems aren't your audience's problems, something is wrong with your strategy. Matching the two is what truly matters. When Verbatim found those overlapping points for us, everything fell into place."

Solution

Verbatim's content maximizes Puzzle's ROI and social reach  

Sasha fell in love with the Verbatim formula for two reasons: our ability to speak directly to your audience while amplifying your ROI.

1. Verbatim's content speaks to both the client's and their customers' needs

Focusing on your software is crucial for a high-quality offering. However, if your product doesn't match your users' pain points, it can ultimately make or break your strategy. Puzzle had done their homework – they knew their consumers' struggles, and they knew they had a killer offering. Yet, before working with us, they struggled to crisply articulate the users' pain points with Puzzle's solution.

That's where Verbatim came into play. They interviewed Puzzle's clients and created a few powerful pieces highlighting the overlaps between the two – from there, Puzzle quickly got off the ground. Sasha notes that this is why working with Verbatim is so superior to leveraging AI. AI can't interview clients or cut straight to the heart of an issue. Verbatim's ability to uncover pain points and insights and articulate them as customers would is remarkable.

‍2. Verbatim's content provides a dual advantage for the client and their partners

Something that particularly struck Sasha about our approach was how we capitalized on Puzzle's existing resources. Tapping into the startup's network was essential to jump-starting their content engine. This not only helped hone the company's positioning and voice, but it also made their partners look good.

For instance, Sasha recalls that after gaining momentum with their content, the impressions of a blog post skyrocketed from dozens to over ten thousand on well-crafted pieces. In his words, "The right content with the right tone generates excitement across the board, which leads to excitement in the industry. It elevates the brand to something far beyond a serial entrant in the market."

"Verbatim is phenomenal at evaluating your assets and picking the ones that convert. They have the know-how on maximizing impact and driving ROI."

Results

Verbatim's content engine grow impressions by 15x

Thanks to Verbatim, Puzzle can create and distribute high-quality, authoritative content in their industry – meaning heightened social proof and visibility. According to Sasha, this has played perfectly into their partnership-led distribution model: "Puzzle's results are our partners' results. We make them stand out in the industry."

Additionally, he highlights that generating value through content has been key for establishing trust and boosting engagement within their network.

As Puzzle continues to grow, high-quality content remains a core component of their toolkit. As proof, Sasha reveals that his team recently hired two content leads: "As a software company, you can never have enough developers. Yet, after witnessing the Verbatim effect, we all agreed to place more emphasis on content."

Apart from quality writing and rapid shipping speed, the Puzzle team highlights Verbatim's dedication and accountability in our work. Sasha wanted an agency that brought both creativity and discipline to the table — and Verbatim has been that ideal partner.

"Verbatim combines the benefits of a hardcore execution machine with the benefits of a really talented creative agency. That's extremely rare."