After spending a decade writing award-winning marketing copy for websites, gaming companies, newspapers and non-profits, I shifted my focus to strategic online marketing and public relations. I use social media and online tools to share stories, expose and influence trends, and shift the public’s attention to stories that I think warrant a closer look.
 
 

Marketing Manager, Microsoft

Redmond, WA | February 2007 – November 2009
In my work with the Employer Branding team, it was my job to show the world that it’s awesome to work at Microsoft. Although my focus was on digital marketing and social media like blogs and social networks, I also worked on more traditional marketing collateral as well. Here are a few of my projects:

Microspotting.com

My biggest project was the founding, producing, and marketing of Microspotting, a public relations blog dedicated to covering the unexpected awesomeness inside the supposedly-evil empire. I interviewed and photographed employees, and then wrote and produced weekly profiles for Microspotting. I also managed organic social media marketing and promotion strategies.

• RESULTS: Traffic for Microspotting frequently outperformed other recruiting microsites, despite having a $1,000 launch budget and no marketing or advertising budget.

Creative Corporate Photography

Somehow through my work with Microsoft, I also became a Corporate Photographer. I acted as Photography Editor for the redesign of Microsoft’s Global Careers website.

• RESULTS: I saved the Staffing Marketing team $50,000 in corporate photography fees by acting as photographer for more than half the photos used on the Global Careers Site.

Viral Employee Marketing

I produced several internal marketing campaigns to pique employee interest in acting as recruiting ambassadors. The most popular campaign was my “I am the empire” shirts, designed as a tongue-in-cheek way for employees to open dialog with the public about what it’s REALLY like to work at Microsoft.

• RESULTS: Gained company-wide visibility for Employment Branding team. Stock of 1500 employee shirts shirts were gone within two hours of becoming available.

Press Coverage

• I am the empire: MSW Insider [Visible only on MSFT intranet], March 18, 2009
• Video: Microspotting the Empire, Channel 9, December 5, 2008
• Microsoft Gives PC Guy a Makeover, eWeek, February 13, 2008
• How’d you land that great job?, NWSource, March 12, 2008
• Microspotting on KUOW’s Sound Focus, KUOW, March 4, 2008 (43 minutes into the show)

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Editor/Copywriter, Jobster.com

Seattle, WA | 2006 – 2007
Wrote and edited web content for Web 2.0 social networking service. Stripped marketing and technical jargon from existing copy to make it conversational and accessible to non-technical users. Partnered with Product Managers and designers to adhere to tight product roll-out deadlines in a fast-moving start up environment.

 
 

Freelance Copywriter, Amazon

Seattle, WA | 2000 – 2005
Produced up to 30 editorial reviews a day for Outdoor Living, Kitchen, and Consumer Electronics departments of leading online retailer.

A few of the hundreds of bizarre products I reviewed:

• Conair Cordless Nose and Ear Hair Trimmer
• Droll Yankees YF Yankee Flipper Bird Feeder
• Fellowes Home/Office Small Size Laminating System
• George Foreman BBQ Fork

 
 

Copywriter, Seattle Times

Seattle, WA | 2002, 2003 – 2004
Worked within a busy Creative Marketing department to produce advertisements, press releases, direct marketing pieces, web site content, and other marketing materials used by a Pulitzer Prize-winning daily newspaper. Internal clients included advertising, circulation, newsroom, and corporate communications departments. Received an “Excellence in Circulation” certificate from International Newspaper Marketers Association for a packet sent to new subscribers in 2003.

• 2-for-1 print advertisement campaign
  Campaign increased sales over 400% from previous year.
• School Guide print advertisement campaign
• Public relations campaign for Civil Liberties Celebration Honorary Committee
  Online and print components of campaign to boost NWclassifieds listings

 
 

Content Dev, Affinity Internet

El Segundo, CA | 2003
Develop marketing, promotional, and technical content for a top-10 web hosting company and its five brands. Responsibilities include making technical material accessible to non-technical users, working with marketing department to establish and maintain brand voice and company tone, and developing corporate web pages in tandem with a team of designers and programmers. Emphasis on deadline-driven, quick-turn around projects.

Provided content for Bigstep.com redesign
Worked with team of designers and programmers to relaunch the website of an award-winning webhosting service. Result: 400% sales increase first month after relaunch.

Launched HostSave.com’s Blog-It! Service
Assisted in product development and brand management of a new, pre-installed weblogging client integrated with commercial web hosting services. Acted as weblog product consultant to Business Development department. Result: 2.6% penetration (almost 1600 installs) from existing HostSave customers within 60 days of launch.