Serving the Teesside Business Community | 35
No Mabo about it ... this digital firm is going places
By Martin Walker
Mabo Media managing director Lee Mableson has grown his pay-per-click firm from a spare room to a 23-strong team operating from Middlesbrough ’ s thriving digital sector .
A
thriving digital marketing agency which started out in a spare room four years ago is now thriving at the heart of
Middlesbrough ’ s bustling digital sector .
Former accountant Lee Mableson launched Mabo Media in May 2013 , operating as a freelance from his Guisborough home .
Now he heads up a 23-strong team which is working with more than 200 clients up and down the country , offering a no-nonsense approach to paid search management services .
Mableson is so confident in his company ’ s services that he refuses to tie clients up with contracts .
And as he continues to pick up new clients on a weekly basis , the 30-year-old has ambitious plans to double turnover each year and grow his team to 100 over the next three years .
“ I ’ m always looking three years ahead ,” says Mableson in his office , which boasts some stunning views of Middlesbrough from the fifth floor of the swanky Boho Five building .
“ And we have a lot of work to do ! It ’ s not a case of being happy with what ’ s been achieved so far , we ’ re always looking for the next stage of development .”
Mabo Media is a pay-per-click specialist – already the second largest in the North- East – which is recognised by Google as one of the UK ' s few Premier Partners , and is one of the first recruits to Bing ’ s partner programme .
The firm , which works with high-profile brands including Montane , Lifestyle Fitness and Totes , recently added four new members of staff including three apprentices .
Mableson says : “ As we continue to grow , the number of clients we serve , we need to invest in more staff to ensure our high service levels are maintained .
“ Being located in central Middlesbrough has made recruitment much easier and has helped enhance our reputation by having a greater choice of higher-calibre staff .”
Mableson says Mabo ’ s roots are firmly entrenched on Teesside and the firm will continue to recruit locally , as he looks to set up partnerships with local colleges and Teesside University to help people find work in the digital sector .
“ We ’ re also big into making work a happy place to be ,” he adds . “ There ’ s nothing worse than hating your job – I ’ ve been there myself – and I ’ d hate to think anyone didn ’ t enjoy working for us , so we try to keep a happy ship and look after our staff .
“ That tends to filter through to our clients . If our staff are happy then , generally , our customers will be too .”
Mableson has now appointed four other senior people to key positions – including heads of departments Rob Jackson
( paid search ), Dean Yates ( research and development ), James Lees ( marketing ) and Craig Griffiths ( sales ) – which he feels puts Mabo in an even stronger position going forward .
“ We ’ ve got a proper set-up now and we ’ ve got big plans for growth ,” adds Mableson . “ I ’ m not driven by money , it ’ s not about that for me , it ’ s about building a team and a successful company which has a reputation for being the best and creates jobs . That ’ s something I can be proud of .
“ Our aim is to become the best and biggest PPC management agency in the UK . The only way we can do that is by continuing to offer a high-end but affordable resultsdriven service for our clients . We have to be better than everyone else .
“ Our clients are happy and that ’ s paramount to us . As long as we ’ re doing the job then we ’ ll continue to grow .”
Find out more about Mabo Media at mabo . co . uk