G.L. Marshall

Resume

An appeal to a hire power

OVERVIEW
Experienced writer and editor with serious technical chops (HTML/CSS/SEO, the Adobe Creative Suite). A combination of storyteller and data nerd well-versed in using analytics to optimize messaging. Work has included email, websites and social media, occasional assignments in video and print. Subjects have ranged from autos to art, nonprofit fundraising to credit cards. Fast researcher, even faster writer. Started my career as a reporter. Handy with a camera.

OPERATION SMILE
Virginia Beach, 2017-2022

Email specialist: Successfully handled welcome (drip) campaigns, reactivation campaigns, newsletters, engagement pieces and literally hundreds of fundraising appeals. Very satisfying work, helping kids.
• Implemented just two changes — mobile-friendly code and a more conversational tone — and boosted email revenue $250,000 in first six months.
• Grew email to become a $1 million annual performer on an 80,000-deep list.

• Email team ended FY22 up 13 percent year over year.


CHRYSLER MUSEUM OF ART
Norfolk, Va., 2010-2017

Webmaster was the official title, but job evolved from code-heavy to content-heavy over time.

• Launched new site on a new CMS, increased page views from 340,000 to 1.2 million.

• Expanded email newsletter from 2,500 readers to 12,000 with increased send frequency and expanded content offerings.
• Drove Facebook likes from 4,000 to 17,000 by delivering information not only about the museum, but about the art world in general.

• Increased numbers across my entire portfolio — website, email and social media — in 2013/14, notable because the museum was closed for renovations at the time. Museum director said I “almost single-handedly” kept the museum in public view while closed.



INTERACTIVE FINANCIAL MARKETING GROUP
Richmond, Va., 2006-2010

SEO Developer: Title aside, this was a classic "slash" job — SEO/graphic design, front-end developer/writer, email specialist/data analyst. A B2B company for auto dealer services, a B2C company for bad credit car loan customers. A lead generation job, in short.
• Web developer and content producer for a network of 40 online car sales sites, with sophisticated SEO setups and consistent top-of-the-page search engine results.

• Wrote, designed, developed and deployed an ambitious lead follow-up program for email, with more than 6 million sent.

• Increased leads 35% in a recession year where car sales dropped 35%.



OTHER EMPLOYMENT

Consulting firms highlight the early web career, 1996-2006, with assignments at Capital One, Owens & Minor, Circuit City and Reynolds Metals, among others.
• Writer, designer and developer for numerous corporate intranets. Served as the initial information architect on a project named to Jakob Nielsen's 2006 list of Top 10 intranets.
• Authored case studies and white papers in this period, what would now be known as content marketing. Wrote and/or designed dozens of websites.
• Executed numerous SEO projects in fields ranging from satellite internet providers to online education. E-commerce optimization included florists, diesel engine accessories and pet food.
• Launched my first website in 1996.



JOURNALISM CAREER

• More than a decade as a Swiss Army Knife reporter/editor at United Press International, including breaking news, features and rip-and-read broadcast writing.
• Other stops include breaking news and features at AP, Cleveland Plain Dealer and Cincinnati Enquirer. At the smaller, work-your-way-up newspapers, also designed pages and edited photos. Topics have ranged from sports to business, science to economics. Extensive experience as a political reporter.
• A well-honed knack for ease of reading, and adept at making the complicated simple.

PROFICIENCIES

• CMS experience with WordPress, BigTree and Blackbaud products. First half of my career was dominated by BBEdit/Dreamweaver code on Unix servers.
• ESP experience with Luminate, Constant Contact, Mailchimp and CheetahMail.
• Well-versed in using Google Analytics and SEO research apps.
• Past experience in SEM/PPC. Long-tail keywords are your friend, negative keywords are vital and discerning intent moves the needle. Pay attention to plurals.
• Good team player and here’s why: I know how to give actionable feedback to graphic designers, I speak the lingo of developers or marketers, and I know how to mix grace and encouragement in editing copy.

EDUCATION

Ohio University journalism major with a double minor in history and philosophy. Self-taught in all things Web. Been a quick study in multiple fields. Continuous learner.