Content Marketing

I first connected with Mary Garner, the publisher, when we worked together on a different project where I wrote an article featuring businesswomen. Mary promoted ad space. When she tapped me to work on this series of articles, I was elated. The Ivy Hill Golf Community is a fascinating place in Central Virginia. For this interview, I met Nan Perdue in her home, discussed her journey, and snapped photos for the spread. Each of these Ivy Hill profiles that I’ve put together has unearthed amusing local anecdotes. Meet Your Neighbor: Nan Perdue Originally published at Life in the Ivy Nan [...]

I looked very pregnant when I asked my interviewee to take me up on the roof. I had just finished talking to the team at Central Virginia Community College where I had been sitting in the conference room. For the whole interview, my short frame was wedged underneath the table where the receptionist had sat me before my subjects arrived. They offered to take me on the roof to see the solar panels they were using for the class. I said yes and stood up, revealing my bulging belly. I laughed at the awkwardness and told them I was still [...]

Whenever I write an article, I have a concept for the angle before I even pitch the story. Most of the time, the angle is the reason an editor accepts the piece. Profiles, whether business or an individual, tend to work the opposite way. I try to find a theme to pull out after conducting the interview. Feature Article for Life in the Ivy Magazine I accepted an assignment from Mary Garner with Life in the Ivy, a small publication focused on the Ivy Hill community in Central Virginia. I scheduled an interview with Nan Perdue, knowing a few details about her — mother, [...]

Everyone talks about ROI. This marketing campaign is set up to measure it. This tutorial walks you through each step for an evergreen marketing campaign to promote your services. The tutorial starts with the end ⁠— a form where your prospective customer submits a lead to sales. It ends by dissecting the ROI. So, you can make changes and improve the assets over time. In This Article Create Landing Pages Based on Your Services Build “Thank You” Pages Set Up Advertising to Start Your Conversion Funnel Nurture Leads Until They Convert Track and Improve Your Campaign Over Time Get Started [...]

I’ve spent some time on the senior circuit lately, writing about managing medications and history in Forest, VA. This article folded neatly with that point of view. As a special section within Lynchburg Living Magazine, this article focused on the local options available to retirees and key retirement tips. Make Yourself at Home in a Retirement Community Originally Published in the Senior Planning Guide Life doesn’t stop with retirement — and neither should day-to-day comforts. In Central Virginia, independent and assisted living communities to help residents feel at home with care customized to resident’s needs.  For most communities, this begins with [...]

I was in elementary school when Universal Pictures released Jurassic Park. Even the promotional trailers featuring the vibrating water glass filled me with wonder and fear. Built before the days before overdone CGI, the practical effects of the film set my imagination on fire. So did the pseudo-philosophical musings of Dr. Ian Malcolm. “In the information society, nobody thinks. We expected to banish paper, but we actually banished thought.”― Ian Malcom, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton As an adult, I decided to start reading books that knew but never read. Most were classics but many were merely culturally significant. Remembering my childhood awe, I poured [...]

I generated materials for a “Pink and Red Sale” for Spearman Artisanry, a boutique in Downtown Lynchburg, VA. For this project, we discussed the sales concept — a discount on all items that were pink or red. I worked with the owner, Jannett Spearman, to select several items to photograph for the digital campaign. I photographed the items, arranging them in a flat lay that included her branding. She used these materials on her Facebook, website, and email marketing to promote her in-store sale.     Project Background As a freelance client, I worked with Spearman Artisanry on [...]

I specialize in finding new ways to approach old problems. Boring team meetings are a given at most companies. So are lackluster event spaces. To write an article that paired everyone’s least favorite type of work activity with an awareness of local event spaces, I put together a creative list. Break Out of the Boardroom: 5 Types of Meetings that Work Best Offsite Originally Published in Lynchburg Business Magazine Imagine sending out a business meeting invitation where people not only accept quickly but also are excited to add it to their calendars. Get a better response from your employees by breaking out [...]

You can get more out of your marketing team when you shift your mindset.