LeadWorks, a boutique business development and marketing firm founded in 2014, operates with a virtual team of six professionals focused on enhancing client profitability through strategic marketing.
For Scott, LeadWorks’ leader, finding unique visual assets for niche industry clients presented a significant challenge. One client, a cybersecurity company specializing in port locks, needed distinctive illustrations that standard stock libraries couldn’t provide.
“Before Straico, we had difficulty in creating artwork that was unique and just wasn’t the same image over and over again.”
Team & Discovery
LeadWorks recognized the potential of AI for streamlining creative processes but struggled to find a solution delivering professional-quality results.
“There was a need to integrate AI into the creative process that’s been there since AI started, but nobody could actually figure it out,” Scott noted. “Using AI to actually generate artwork that is on point, is something beautiful and doesn’t have flaws in it… I’ve been searching for that since AI started to evolve.”
The search led Scott to AppSumo, where he discovered Straico:
“I thought it was going to be one of those apps that I wasn’t going to use, just like everyone else. But I’m willing to invest some money into trying it, hoping that it works. I was so blown away with the capabilities.”
Implementation
LeadWorks integrated Straico into their content creation workflow. While they use several specialized tools for their content generation, Straico became their solution for visual content, with an approach involving:
Using AI to craft detailed prompts
Generating four image variations
Saving images for client social media and blog illustrations
“What I really like about it is that it will render four images simultaneously, and then I can choose from them, but its capability when I give it prompts is really amazing as to the quality of the artwork that is generated.”
Experience & Impact
Straico transformed LeadWorks’ ability to deliver unique, high-quality visuals that stand out in a crowded digital landscape.
“Now we have these beautiful images, and we use them on the website to illustrate the blog articles, we use them on social media to promote those articles. So our social media posts are now filled up with beautiful artwork that Straico has developed for us, and they’re all unique.”
The efficiency gains have been remarkable:
“What I have to pay a designer or an illustrator several hundred bucks to do for a single image and would take a week or two, now I can go to Straico… For pennies per image, I can have images created in 30 seconds or a minute.”
Most importantly, the quality exceeded expectations:
“The artwork that’s generated doesn’t look like it’s AI-generated most of the time. The quality was absolutely mind-numbing to me as to how good the artwork is.”
Key Takeaways & Best Practices
Based on LeadWorks’ experience, Scott offers several recommendations:
Generate multiple options:
“My advice is always to have it create four images. It takes a little bit longer, you’re using four times as many coins, but having a selection to look at is determining which one best fits your needs. I think it’s so inexpensive. Why wouldn’t you do it?”
Experiment with different formats:
“I would tell folks, don’t shy away from using the different sizes because it works well, in my experience, no matter what size you select.”
Master prompt writing:
“The secret is being able to write good prompts.”
Focus on concepts rather than photorealism:
“We’re not trying to create lifelike situations with people in it. We’re trying to use it to illustrate situations.”
LeadWorks’ journey with Straico demonstrates how the right AI tools can transform creative workflows, enhance client deliverables, and open new revenue opportunities for marketing agencies.
“We’re able to do with Straico what I have to pay a designer or an illustrator several hundred bucks.”
This dramatic reduction in cost and time investment, combined with superior quality output, has made Straico an indispensable tool in LeadWorks’ creative arsenal, enabling them to deliver greater value to clients while increasing operational efficiency.
Want to talk about how you have been using Straico or want to know how to take advantage of the Straico Teams plans? Book a call with us!
