Nibletz Staff
Trading content for contact information is a common practice around the Internet. Most of us think nothing of plopping our email into a box for a free ebook or song download.
Indianapolis-based Conversion In A Box wants to make that process even easier. An account dashboard makes it easy to set up several accounts at once and track 
metrics on how each account is doing.
It will be interesting to see how Conversion In A Box grows. After all, this process is already handled pretty efficiently by email services like Mailchimp and Aweber.
Check out our Q&A with Conversion In A Box below:
What is your startup called?
Conversion In A Box (www.conversioninabox.com)
What’s the story behind your idea?
I have a 12 year background in Music business. From 1999ish – 2012 I ran a concert promotion company and produced over 450 events, I also had a management company and managed several musicians that I developed and grew into bands that toured around the world. Fast-forward to now, I got out of music as a full-time profession and went back to my roots in technology. I do, however, help bands in my free time and I run a music blog where I write about music marketing, business, etc. In late 2012 I helped a friend launch a new band and we thought it woudl be awesome to gather email addresses in exchange for new songs from their album and from that Conversion In A Box was born.
Its an easy to use software that makes it a piece of cake to give away a song in exchange for an email address (and other info, if you want it).
Who are the founders, and what are their backgrounds?
Mark LaFay is COO of Sonar studios and co-founder of Conversion In A Box. Mark has a BS in Computer Technology from Purdue University and has 12-years of experience in music business and marketing. LaFay built an artist mgmt. firm that represented multiple artists. He negotiated multiple recording and publishing deals, released 25 albums that collectively sold over 500k copies globally and launched tours in 26 countries (6 continents); LaFay also founded and managed a concert promotion company that produced over 450 live events independently in Indianapolis. After his departure from music, LaFay went on to assist in the growth of the events and entertainment division of Bohlsen Group, an Indianapolis-Based PR firm, before assuming his current role at Sonar Studios.
Vince Freeman is founder, president, vision-caster, and the “keeper-of-the-faith” for Sonar Studios, and co-founder of Conversion In A Box. Since studying Industrial Design and Visual Communications, Freeman has spent over twenty years in this industry instructing, speaking, writing and consulting in the area of using technology in communications and the visual arts. In 1999, Freeman founded Sonar Studios, a rich media and application developer located in downtown Indianapolis. Under his direction, Sonar Studios has won numerous awards in addition to being a Mira Finalist in 2010 for “innovation of the year” and 2013 for “excellence and innovation in education.”
Where are you based?
1060 N Capitol Ave
Suite C100
Indianapolis, IN
What’s the startup scene like where you are based?
There is a thriving startup community in Indianapolis. There are several meetups and networking events that encourage entrepreneurs to get after their ideas and even pair them up with technicians and investors. There are also several investor groups in several different industry verticals here. You could have an m-tech product like we do, or bio-tech, pharm, energy, retail, etc. and you would have funding options in the City and the state. The state government is also working on initiatives to encourage startups. There is an investor tax credit to encourage investment in Indiana companies and there is even a state-sponsored investment fund designed to fund new Indiana businesses.
What problem do you solve?
Our tool is a simplified approach to digital marketing. We make it easier, cheaper and faster to launch marketing campaigns with validating results.
Why now?
We no longer live in an age where success requires vanilla products marketed to vast numbers of people through huge television and radio spends. Thanks to the internet we can now create products designed for specific groups of people and we can reach those groups through laser-focused marketing campaigns that require less money.
What are some of the milestones your startup has already reached?
We are fully functioning and available for use. We have cracked 250 users and our average CPA is around $5.00. We have also integrated with mutliple ESP and CRM platforms which makes it easy to put your data into use either in bulk or in real-time.
What are your next milestones?
1000 users, 25% account utilization or higher.
Where can people find out more? Any social media links you want to share?
We have some videos at www.conversioninabox.com that do a great job of explaining the product and why you should use it :-).
