Work Experience and Background
Owner March 2008 to Present
Jennifer Blanchard Writing Coaching: www.JenniferBlanchard.net
[Former Blogs: InkyBites: http://www.InkyBites.com
Procrastinating Writers: http://www.ProcrastinatingWriters.com]
- Ran several self-hosted WordPress sites
- Set up self-hosted WordPress sites, including theme, pages, content, blog posts, images, SEO meta data, tagging, etc)
- Organically increased traffic from 0 visits to 7,000+ (and growing) visits per month using SEO, keywords, social media, email newsletters and other online marketing strategies
- Worked from an editorial calendar and marketing calendar to create content and promotions
- Guest posted on popular blogs, such as Huffington Post, Copyblogger, Problogger, and MindBodyGreen
- Created residual passive income using self-created products and services
- Authored– Butt-In-Chair: A No-Excuses Writing Productivity Guide (eGuide); Pen Name: How to Create Yours (eGuide); Creative On Command; Find Your Story: the 6-Week Story Planning Process (eBook); SoundCheck (novel)
- Wrote all content to a specific target audience, including blog posts, email newsletters and social media posts
- Scheduled bi-weekly blog posts based on editorial calendar
Freelance Writing, Editing, WordPress Site Support, Various Publications and Organizations May 2007 to Present
Remote/Virtual
- Edited manuscripts for fiction and nonfiction books
- Set up and launched self-hosted WordPress sites
- Dealt with WordPress maintenance, theme customization, plugins, widgets, etc.
- Wrote monthly freelance articles for various magazines and Websites
- Wrote copy for landing pages and WordPress sites
- Copyedited all work before submitting it to the editors
- Gathered photos to go with articles, when required
- Interviewed experts for articles, when required
- Created e-mail newsletters for client companies
- Ran social media accounts for various clients
Social Media Manager May 2011 to March 2012
Ampegy, a division of Spark Energy, Houston, Texas
- Created and executed social media strategy
- Launched and managed the “Ampegy Community,” a community donation program
- Built corporate blog and published content weekly
- Worked with SEO firm to increase organic traffic to company websites
- Designed monthly social media messaging calendar around promotions, events and information
- Managed the re-launch of Ampegy.com and AmpegyServices.com
- Handled all corporate social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube)
- Wrote all content and copy for Ampegy.com, AmpegyServices.com, the Amped blog
- Worked with Operations, Field Services, Legal and Compliance to ensure consistency in
all messages - Doubled Facebook “likes” in less than one month
- Planned and executed social media promotions, including an iPad2 giveaway and a canned food
drive - Ran Facebook and Google ads for various promotions
Social Media Strategist June 2010 to May 2011
Brookwoods Group—Contractor at Reliant Energy, Houston, Texas
- Assisted in creation and execution of strategic social media plan
- Built and managed monthly content editorial calendar
- Created and launched Reliant Energy community site (http://www.EnergyInYourLife.com) and corporate social media pages
- Wrote comprehensive social media training guide for internal use
- Implemented SEO best practices in content and community site
- Planned and executed a social content strategy
- Worked closely with internal stakeholders
- Executed link-marketing strategy for seeding content on various websites and communities
Creative Marketing Writer, HRTools.com Nov. 2007 to June 2010
Insperity (Formerly: Administaff), Kingwood, Texas
- Wrote all marketing copy, including white papers, press releases, blogs and feature articles
- Planned, built and executed company-owned social media center and community
- Planned and executed social media marketing and e-mail marketing campaigns
- Designed and executed a Search Engine Optimization (SEO)-focused content strategy
- Blogged about Generation Y in the workplace; currently most popular blog on the site
- Grew the site from 5,000 visits a month to more than 170,000 visits a month
- Used interview transcripts to create expert content (blog posts, email newsletters, white papers, etc)
Managing Editor, AFPE/Super Zoo Show Programs Oct. 2006 to May 2007
BowTie Inc., Irvine, Calif.
- Worked from annual editorial and marketing calendars for program content
- Managed entire program from scheduling deadlines to shipping the magazine
- Copyedited all stories and layouts for tri-annual show programs
- Selected photos for the programs
- Hired and contracted all freelance writers and photographers
Associate Editor, Pet Style News, Pet Product News International (B2B) June 2005 to May 2007
BowTie Inc., Irvine, Calif.
- Managed all content on petstylenews.com
- Wrote weekly news for petstylenews.com
- Developed editorial content ideas for each issue of the magazine
- Copy-edited stories and layouts for all issues of the magazines
- Wrote feature articles, headlines, cut lines, subheads, etc.
- Wrote quarterly column talking to retailers and manufacturers of pet style items
- Selected all photos for magazine
Assistant Online Content Producer, uticaOD.com Jan. 2004 to May 2005
Observer-Dispatch, Utica, N.Y.
- Edited Web pages
- Designed special sections on Web site to go along with print news
- Published 65 weekly columns (ran every Sunday in the print edition) discussing
current online issues - Published weekly polls on local news topics
- Drove more Internet traffic to uticaOD.com through updated coverage of on-going local issues, special lifestyles sections and new hall of fame profiles.
Bachelors of Science in Public Relations and Journalism, Utica College, 2005
Certification in Holistic Health Coaching, Institute for Integrative Nutrition, 2010
B-School Graduate, Marie Forleo’s B-School, 2014