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Measurable impact

Marketing and corporate communications are often mistaken to be soft skills rather than measurable, with defined metrics and quantifiable outcomes.  While not every effort has a direct correlation to the bottom line, every campaign worth investing in should have KPIs and an ROI that can be gauged.

Tracking and analytics are available in most every digital channel and even traditional communications have some ability to be measured and evaluated.

The following examples of projects share different methods I’ve implemented to determine their results.

Cold Email Lead Generation

Challenge:

Connect with industry-wide decision-makers to inform and persuade to learn about a new product offering.

Objectives:

  • Use cold emails to reach new contacts, engage them to visit the website and capture their interest by detecting the site visit.
  • Provide call lists of new leads for regional sales teams.

Tactics:

  • Locate and secure lists of current contact details (name, email, location)
    — Access to trade event delegates through minor event sponsorship
    — Access trade group members list with sponsored podcast
    — Purchase contact lists tied to NAICS / SIC codes
    — Scrape online directory of user-filled content
  • Scrub the lists to remove duplicates, risky and invalid emails
  • Register numerous domains/emails for sending accounts
  • Use AI sending platform to generate personalized emails to recipients and send from >1,000 sender accounts (to avoid spam flags / blacklisting domains)
  • Pilot small group for deliverability
  • A/B test outbound messages for favorability
  • Expand beyond “safe-to-send” to included “unknowns”

Results:

  • Spent ~13,150 on email lists
  • Emails opened by 12,962 individuals
  • 823 recipients clicked through to the website at least once
  • Average cost per new lead at $16* w/ opportunity to continue future campaigns

 

*Not including costs to scrub, register domains, setup sending platform.

Start-up Brand & Media Launch

Challenge:

A team of industry veterans launching a new private-equity start-up wanted early recognition as the company prepared its introduction in a close-knit niche market. 

Objectives:

  • Build client, media and industry awareness
  • Position for future growth in competitive market with several large players

Tactics:

Brand Development

  • Develop corporate identity
    — Brand architecture (logos, colors, fonts, styles
    — Messaging tone
    — Custom imagery library
    — Templates (business cards, letterhead, presentations)
  • Build & launch website in 30 days
    (see highridgeaviation.com)

Media Engagement

  • Ready press release / target media outlets (tier 1, regional and trades)
  • Embargo exclusive feature w/ top industry publication

Industry Awareness

  • Prepare social channel & profiles
  • Ready executives for early interviews and requests for information
  • Negotiate early trade conference sponsorship packages

 

Results:

  • Extensive launch release pickup
    — Several tier 1 and regional media outlets
    — Virtually every key trade journal
  • Five cover-story requests in top industry publications
  • Garnered 4k social followers (>25% of well-established, larger competitors)
  • High-level sponsor at key industry event
    — Onstage CEO interview
    — Brand visibility throughout the conference

Brand Creation

Corporate logo design & color palette

Brand Application

Corporate identity in custom livery

Launch Coverage

Cover story & featured articles in top industry publication

Attract & Grow Fund Investors

Challenge:

A private mortgage fund open to only accredited investors – but not on a scale to attract institutional or family office investors – was looking to grow equity investments ≥20% annually in an increasingly difficult environment.

Objectives:

  • Support Fund Manager with end-to-end marketing communications program
  • Identify extensive lists of high-net-worth individuals and couples w/ enriched contact details
  • Develop awareness and outreach campaigns to inform and attract accredited investors

Tactics:

  • Conduct multi-channel campaigns w/ direct mail & direct digital marketing
  • Radio and business news advertising
  • Host invite-only webinars
  • Host semimonthly seminars in targeted geographies
  • Continual outreach to current investors
    — Portfolio performance
    — Quarterly financials

Results:

  • Increased participation >18% from existing investors
  • Grew investor base >22%
  • Expanded fund investments >27%

Fund Overview

Brochure for Potential Investors

Direct Mail Booklet

Gift Box Insert

Investor Overview Video

6:41 video

Presented on a landing page for potential investors learn about the private mortgage fund

Quarterly Message

A financial update encouraging continued investment

Quarterly Report

Revamped with financial details, trends and outlook

Paid Search Lead Generation

Challenge:

A static, hard-coded website was not attracting visitors. When searching online, organic results showed competitor sites first and those who did visit viewed the site for less than 30 seconds on average. 

Objectives:

  • Reduce overall paid search budget
  • Increase pipeline of qualified applicants
  • Reduce applications from non-qualified clients

Tactics:

  • Refine search terms to highly specific terminology
  • Use DMAs / MSAs to target high-potential geographies
  • Leverage HubSpot landing pages to convey company “strike zone”
  • Explicit call-to-action links
  • Simplified submission & contact forms

Results:

  • Over 9 months, monthly paid search spend reduced from $60k per month to $20k while maintaining lead volume growth
  • Qualified applications rose from 9% of submissions to 26%
  • Lead quality improved nearly 3x w/ $480k in annual reduction in paid search spend

Optimize Site Traffic

Challenge:

A static, hard-coded website was not attracting visitors. When searching online, organic results showed competitor sites first and those who did visit viewed the site for less than 30 seconds on average.

 

Objectives:

  • Adapt online presence to increase site traffic and increase time on site.

Tactics:

Phase 1 (Oct-Dec)

  • 90-day redevelopment of site w/ WordPress w/ HubSpot Integration

Phase 2 (Jan-Jun)

  • Update paid search keywords, target geographies
  • Leverage AI tools, skip-tracing, and data enrichment for emailing cold leads
  • Regularly updated content & relevant landing pages
  • Refreshed keywords, metadata, tags
  • Cross-links
  • Build online glossary of 2k industry terms (searchable relevant content)

Results:

  • Time on site increased from <30 seconds to >2.5 minutes
  • Repeat visitors grew from 21% to 29%
  • Online submissions grew from <2% of visitors to >4%
  • Combining paid search, email marketing, and content development resulted in sustainable direct and organic traffic.
  • Over 6 months, new monthly site visitors grew on average >50%

What some colleagues and clients have shared …

“ James is an extremely skilled, creative, and hard-working communicator. This extends across all aspects of communications including external and internal communications, digital and brand development.”
“ James applies the same creativity, excellence and expertise to all under his purview. He consistently develops key messages and timely responses to media and investor queries.”

“ James’ ability to convert what an executive wanted to say into an excellent and professional presentation was phenomenal.”

“ James is a seasoned and highly experienced communications professional. He possesses a range of communication skills rather than limited to a specific niche.”
“ James is a team player, excels under tight deadlines and ambiguity, and is extremely creative.”
“ His expertise in Digital Media along with his ability to successfully manage multiple big projects has garnered him a lot of respect with the entire Marketing group.”
“ James is a thought leader in digital communications and customer strategy.”
“ James is a consummate team player and a very talented communicator, particularly when it comes to digital and social media. He serves as our key subject matter expert in this area and shares his knowledge with the entire team.”
“ James has unmatched knowledge of digital marketing generally and also possesses an almost unique understanding of the challenges of digital marketing.”
“ James is highly technically proficient, thoughtful in his decision-making (yet decisive), and can manage and deliver even the most ambitious projects with alacrity.”
“ James has deep domain expertise in branding, marketing communications, video, digital, social media and has been a driving force in developing materials and messaging for all types and phases of B2B marketing.”

Read more on my LinkedIn profile