Meet John Saunders of 5Four Digital

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Saunders.

Thanks for sharing your story with us John D. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve wanted to be a marketer for a very long time. After reading the prolific Ad Man, David Ogilvy’s book titled OGILVY ON ADVERTISING, I was hooked. I started building websites for friends and family members and couldn’t wait to graduate to pursue a career in advertising.

Once I graduated, I couldn’t land an advertising job to save my LIFE. I applied DOZENS of times for all positions and even after TWO marketing internships couldn’t land a position. Until…a small Fort Lauderdale agency gave me a chance. An upstart agency owner saw the passion I had for digital marketing and hired me as their Social Media Manager. Spending 4 years there, I honed my skills and ended up running the department, developing campaigns for clients like Range Rover, Audi and Toyota with a small, yet focused team of marketing professionals.

Since we worked with primarily automotive clients, I worked on branching into other industries outside of work to develop skills in other industries. After leaving my position to chase new opportunities, I was able to collaborate with an exotic car rental company in Miami. Starting from the ground up and using tactical marketing strategies, I helped bring them to number one for a plethora of keywords. Thus, solidifying their position in the space. It was at that point I launched 5Four Digital.

We specialized in specifically targeted campaigns based on the wants and needs of business owners. Fast forward 4 years later and our team has grown exponentially. We’ve even had a chance to build a few ecommerce businesses (which we sold last year) and launch a financial literacy blog for millennials called blackwallet.org

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest struggle had to be breaking into the space. I had to do A LOT of networking, internships and skill acquisition to even be considered for a job in marketing. However, once I was in I was able to make a mark and leverage my skills to segue into entrepreneurship.

5Four Digital – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
5Four Digital is a Digital Marketing machine. We focus on bespoke marketing services tailored to specific clientele looking for lead acquisition. As a company, I’m most proud to employ an elaborate remote team with members locally and around the world.

We’ve created an internal marketing training process that rivals large companies. However, we’re still small and nimble enough to pivot and incorporate new marketing tactics.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
It had to be when we finished a marketing project for a client. She was a restaurant owner and had recently found her niche in amazing local cuisine. We sat down in a cozy booth of her eatery and reviewed the site. It was so close to her dream that she broke down crying from happiness.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.JohnDSaunders.co / www.5FourDigital.com
• Email: john@5fourdigital.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/johndsaunders
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/itsjohndsaunders
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/johndsaunders

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