VisualCV

I have always been a good writer. Before matriculating as an undergraduate, I tested out of the English writing requirement; during my first semester in college, I was asked to be a University writing fellow. And, throughout my undergraduate career, I proofread and helped append many reports.
 
In my current position, I am required to write a wide variety of advertising copy, from TV and radio scripts, through catchy headlines and disclaimers. I also write copy for various brands, each of which has its own brand guidelines, requiring different writing styles. I believe that, to write successful advertising copy, I must have an understanding of the product/ service, the branding goals, and, most importantly, the target audience (their motivators – requirements/ desires/ fears – their lifestyles, life-stages, and so forth).

You can view samples of TV & Radio commercials I have created here.

I enjoy data, and I believe that analysis should be the first and last steps in a marketing plan. It helps marketers make better decisions about how to best reach their audience (as well as define that audience) and, just as importantly, it helps determine areas of improvement for future campaigns.

I have created various online and offline surveys as a student, as an intern, and as a marketing professional.

Examples of the analysis I have conducted professionally can be viewed here.

I have also used programs such as SPSS (and Answertree) extensively, in an academic setting. Click here for a retail analysis presentation about Best Buy, based on SPSS. This was a group project, though I was the group’s leader and a source of key ideas and decisions.

I am a big believer in lean operations and a large part of my responsibilities, as I see them, involve continuously improving marketing spending efficiency. My goal, besides generating the most effective, impactful marketing campaigns, is to get the most “bang for the buck”. This involves monitoring rates on a monthly basis and a lot of creative negotiation with providers.

Since beginning my current role, I have been able to achieve significantly lower advertising rates across the entire marketing spectrum. In many cases (such as with print and online marketing), I have more than tripled the impact of each marketing dollar spent.

I discuss the budgeting process in more detail here, as well as show an example advertising budget.

I am not, not will I ever claim to be, an “Online Marketing” or “Social Media” “Guru.” What I am is a marketing manager with a passion for the online component. I do not think that traditional (“offline”) marketing is a waste and should be discarded. For most companies, online marketing should be part of an overall marketing strategy. Having said that, it is clear that all companies must be aware of, and acknowledge, the importance of online marketing. 

I view online marketing as an increasingly-integral slice of the marketing pie. To that extent, more and more of my efforts and new learning are devoted to online marketing, both personally and professionally. 

Search Engine Marketing:
I have experience creating SEM (or, PPC) campaigns via Google AdWords and on Facebook. Additionally, I use a national SEM provider for two company websites, taking advantage of their superior campaign optimization (effectiveness) and purchasing power (efficiency).

Email Marketing:
Currently, I create monthly email campaigns, sent to 4,500 customers. I have created approximately 30 campaigns using an online email system called Emma Email Marketing (similar to Constant Contact). I am responsible for the entire process including design (and image manipulation), copy, and tracking.

Online Reputation Marketing:
Publicity: I utilize PRWeb.com to publish press releases online and as a guaranteed way reach certain news channels.
Reviews: Occasional negative online reviews are inevitable; still, they can severely damage a company’s reputation. The best way to counteract them is to drown them out by making it easy for satisfied customers (“fans”) to post online reviews. I include direct links to online review sites in every email campaign (especially to those sites whose reviews are visible on Google Local). Since starting this effort, about 10 positive online reviews have appeared on an industry-leading review site. Increasing the number of online reviews also increases a company’s perceived popularity in the minds of would-be buyers.
Surveys: Online surveys are a simple and effective way to gather valuable primary data from customers. Each of the emails I send includes a link to a short online survey. Click here for an example.

Social Media:
Professionally, the primary social media marketing tool that I use is Facebook. I have created, and maintain, Facebook Pages for each location. I have also created Facebook SEM campaigns, targeting very specific audiences. Facebook is a great way to engage current and potential customers on their terms. I use Facebook to share recent ads and commercials, invite people to sales events, and so forth. Personally, I also participate on Twitter (@jessekedy) and many other social media sites. Other online media I utilize include YouTube (primarily to publish new commercials) and Blogger (primarily to publish press releases).

Websites:

In my current role, I was responsible for hiring a new Web design & hosting company. I also provided layout and design instructions for the new website. Periodically, I provide copy and design instructions for a landing page (such as for a new product release or for Facebook visitors).

I have also created websites, such as HillsList.info and jessekedy.net. I use the sites’ back-end tools, Google Analytics, and Google Webmaster Tools to help optimize the sites.

For more examples of my onlne marketing work, click here.