Skill Summary for Lacy Pepe

Brand Positioning & Messaging

  • Establish a compelling brand identity, focusing on clear, effective messaging that differentiates our company in the market.

  • Led brand development initiatives that significantly expanded the company's social media following, notably increasing visibility and establishing a robust platform for industry engagement. Spearheaded comprehensive digital marketing strategies, including CRM enhancements, website optimization, and rebranding efforts, which markedly improved form submission rates, email engagement, and click-through rates.

  • Established a compelling brand identity with clear messaging that differentiated our company in a competitive market. Initiated collaborations with industry leaders, producing original podcast content and hosting seminars, significantly extending reach and establishing our brand as a thought leader. Managed innovative platforms like PostBeyond for targeted marketing campaigns, improving marketing ROI and expanding industry presence.

  • Built a digital marketing department and led a LinkedIn campaign that increased engagement and email open rates, supporting rapid industry expansion and enhancing digital marketing capabilities. Achieved high engagement metrics across digital platforms, including substantial increases in social shares, reach, and listener engagement, resonating strongly with the audience.

  • Executed B2B content marketing strategies that consistently outperformed industry averages, growing social media followers and email reach. Guided the marketing team with clear strategic directions, aligning sales and marketing efforts to reinforce a unified brand identity. Developed detailed marketing strategies from concept to execution, showcasing robust planning and a commitment to market leadership.

Market Research

  • Conduct market research to stay ahead of industry trends and competitive dynamics, informing strategic decisions.

  • Conducted comprehensive market research to ensure that the latest industry trends and competitive dynamics inform strategies. This proactive approach allows staying ahead, making strategic decisions that position the company well within the market.

  • Defined clear, strategic objectives for the marketing department, structured around a detailed 5-year plan, annual goals, and quarterly targets. This planning ensures consistently moving in the right direction, aligned with long-term vision and immediate business needs.

  • Continually verify that marketing efforts reach the intended target audience. Utilizing tools like ZoomInfo and LinkedIn, ensuring the messages are directed at the current decision-makers within target organizations, adapting strategies as these dynamics change.

  • Monitored competitors closely, tracking activities through social media, and Google Alerts. This vigilance helps stay responsive and anticipate market moves, ensuring a competitive edge.

  • Lead efforts to collect and analyze data to identify market trends and customer preferences. Gained insights that drive our marketing strategies by examining sales data to identify peaks and troughs and analyzing regional and product-specific performance. Additionally, send regular surveys to current clients gathering feedback on products and services, ensuring that offerings meet market demands and customer expectations.

Lead Generation Evolution

  • Revamped lead generation process by implementing a diversified, multi-channel strategy that significantly improved conversion rates. This approach incorporated cutting-edge digital marketing tactics and innovative techniques.

  • Played a key role in a team that designed and launched a user-centric website, aiming to enhance the overall user experience and interface. This effort was part of our broader strategy to make our digital presence as engaging and effective as possible.

    • Analytics - Yearly Average Improvements:

    • Views: Increased from baseline to 152K, a growth of 685.7%

    • Views per User: Improved from 2.4 to 4.4, indicating enhanced content engagement

    • Users: Grew from baseline to 65K, demonstrating effective audience expansion

    • Event Count: Rose to 442K, reflecting heightened user interaction

  • Curated, managed, and conducted extensive research for articles prioritizing depth and insight, establishing the blog as a respected source within its niche.

  • Conducted thorough keyword research and competitor analysis using tools like MOZ to drive our SEO strategy. This enabled monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on performance metrics, leading to data-driven adjustments that increased click-through rates by 25%.

  • Orchestrated the publishing and promotion of comprehensive content marketing initiatives. These included dynamic social media campaigns and impactful press releases, as well as the production of original podcasts and thought leadership videos. These efforts enhanced lead engagement and conversion through strategically diversified and informative content touchpoints.

  • Led a team to design and implement high-converting landing pages across six verticals, conducting A/B testing to identify the most effective design elements. This initiative resulted in an average 20% increase in conversion rates across all projects.

  • Masterminded email marketing strategies and launched a white paper campaign that significantly strengthened subscriber connections and enhanced engagement. This strategic initiative achieved a 21% increase in open rates and a 4% rise in form completion rates, demonstrating substantial improvements in conversion metrics.

Lead Nurturing

  • Revamp the lead generation process, employing a diversified, multi-channel strategy with high conversion rates, including digital marketing and innovative tactics.

  • Implementation and ongoing optimization of CRM systems, HubSpot, to enhance customer relationship management. Established lead scoring and grading mechanisms automatically analyzing interactions, engagement levels, and conversion likelihood. This system allows prioritization of high-potential leads, ensuring that the sales team can focus their efforts more effectively and increase conversion rates.

  • Expanded social media footprint, growing Facebook and LinkedIn followers, and crafting comprehensive social media strategies that foster deep engagement. This direct interaction with our audience has been instrumental in nurturing leads and advancing them through the sales funnel, leveraging personalized communication and targeted campaigns to build strong relationships with potential customers.

  • A strategic overhaul of the email marketing approach included rebranding and optimizing newsletter content, leading to a 21% increase in open rates, a 7% boost in click-through rates, and a 4% form submission rate. Segmenting email lists based on detailed lead-scoring data enhanced the personalization and relevance of communications, strengthening lead-nurturing efforts and driving conversions.

  • Directed content marketing initiatives, overseeing the strategy and production of diverse projects such as original podcasts and thought leadership videos. This content engaged the audience and established the brand as a credible thought leader. By delivering consistent, valuable content, leads maintain interest and trust, effectively moving closer to conversion.

  • Approached to digital marketing includes strategically using retargeting ads and seamlessly integrating them with paid and organic marketing efforts. This tactic re-engages individuals who have previously shown interest in products but have not yet converted, using personalized ads that remind them of their initial interest and motivate them to take action.

Customer Engagement

  • Engage deeply with customers to create market narratives and value propositions that align with their needs.

  • Implemented and maintained CRM systems using HubSpot Marketing at IST Management Services. This initiative automated workflows, saving significant weekly time and enhancing customer interactions. As a result, saw a 21% increase in open rates and a 7% increase in click-through rates, ensuring our communications were timely and aligned with customer preferences.

  • Conducted in-depth market research to understand customer needs deeply, which allowed me to develop compelling B2B marketing strategies. By creating data-driven marketing materials, we significantly improved email deliverability and prospect retention, tailoring value propositions that resonated deeply with our target audience and increased their engagement and loyalty.

  • Collaborated closely with sales and product teams to align and optimize our marketing campaigns. By establishing detailed prospecting funnels and utilizing advanced lead generation tools, bridging the gap between offerings and customer needs, and enhancing the relevance and impact of marketing efforts.

  • Led the deployment of an AI-driven marketing strategy, integrating tools like Jasper and ChatGPT to personalize marketing campaigns and enhance overall ROI. Jasper Insights has been instrumental in refining content strategy, offering valuable suggestions, and generating innovative campaign ideas. Jasper enables us to consistently produce top-performing content tailored to our audience's preferences and needs. Simultaneously, leveraged ChatGPT to develop dynamic, engaging content and automate customer interactions, ensuring our messaging is personalized and highly responsive to current and prospective customer inquiries. This sophisticated use of AI tools has significantly improved customer engagement by delivering highly relevant and compelling narratives, directly addressing their specific interests and driving deeper engagement. Part of the AI-driven marketing strategy is using the PostBeyond platform. The AI feature helped with strategy personalized messaging and significantly enhanced marketing ROI. This approach allowed engaging customers more deeply by providing narratives and value propositions addressing their needs and interests.

  • As a Social Media Manager, developed a digital presence and enhanced brand visibility through strategic organic social media, email marketing, thought leadership videos, and, later, Marketing Manager podcasts. These efforts increased, effectively captured, maintained customer interest, and fostered a loyal customer base.

  • Created opportunities to film content with industry thought leaders, presenting products and services in an engaging and informative manner. Providing valuable insights and deepening their engagement by aligning our company narratives with customers' interests and needs.

Leads, Manages and Holds Accountability

  • Set a compelling vision and values, manage the execution of that vision through structured processes and priorities, and ensure all team members are responsible and accountable for their commitments.

  • Setting a clear vision and core values for the marketing department, articulated during team meetings and through written communications. Define what success looks like for our team and detail how each member's role contributes to the organization's larger goals. Revisit these concepts to keep them central to daily activities.

  • Implement a clear workflow for all marketing projects, establishing standardized procedures for campaign planning, execution, and analysis. Using project management tools to assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor progress, ensuring everyone knows their responsibilities and the timelines they need to meet.

  • Prioritize projects and tasks based on their impact on the organization's goals. This often involves strategic planning sessions aligning team priorities with market opportunities and business objectives, helping team members understand the importance of prioritizing certain activities to enhance performance and goal achievement.

  • Established metrics and KPIs that align with our vision and use these to assess both individual and team performance. Ensure each team member is accountable for their commitments through regular check-ins and performance reviews. Foster a culture of transparency, encouraging the sharing of both successes and setbacks, which supports a learning-oriented environment.

  • Taking the time to understand each team member's individual working styles and personal motivations. Provide support and guidance tailored to individual needs by conducting one-on-one meetings and adjusting workloads and responsibilities to optimize each member's strengths and career aspirations.

  • Empower the team by giving them significant responsibilities and the autonomy to make decisions within their roles. This empowerment enhances morale and promotes a strong sense of ownership, motivating them to meet their commitments.

  • Committed to fostering an environment that encourages continuous improvement and high performance. By offering regular training, sharing best practices, and recognizing achievements. Motivating the team and reinforcing behaviors and outcomes that align with vision.

Collaborative Partnerships

  • Work closely with sales, product development, and customer success teams to ensure marketing efforts support specific business goals. Lead cross-company collaboration to ensure marketing strategies closely integrate with the overarching business goals.

  • Conducted regular strategy meetings with key stakeholders from Sales, Product Development, Customer Service, and other critical departments. Delved into their specific challenges and expectations during these sessions, using targeted questions to gather actionable insights. This understanding is crucial for tailoring marketing efforts to support various departmental objectives effectively.

  • Understanding each department's goals, designing and implementing marketing campaigns that addressed these needs directly. For instance, the Sales team aims to increase conversions in a specific segment by developing targeted ad campaigns and crafting customized content that directly speaks to the identified pain points of that audience. Leveraging tools like Sales Navigator and ZoomInfo to facilitate detailed lead generation and efficient interdepartmental distribution, aligning various team efforts toward shared business objectives.

  • Facilitated cross-departmental strategy sessions to ensure all teams align with common business objectives, such as increasing market share, enhancing customer satisfaction, or successfully launching new products. This collaborative approach guarantees that our efforts are cohesive and that everyone is moving in the same direction.

  • Established transparent processes and communication protocols using tools like HubSpot to streamline department collaboration. Provided smooth campaign execution and clear accountability, with everyone aware of their roles and timelines.

  • Created detailed presentations and reports demonstrating how specific marketing strategies benefit different departments. These presentations might showcase how increased brand awareness simplifies sales or how lead-generation campaigns yield higher-quality leads.

  • Established a robust feedback loop with customer success and sales teams to continuously gather insights on customer experiences and reactions to new products and campaigns. This feedback informs marketing strategies and helps utilize customer success stories as case studies to enhance the credibility of our marketing materials.

  • stomer success stories as case studies to enhance the credibility of our marketing materials.

    Market Research Utilization: Led market research initiatives to capture insights into industry trends, competitor strategies, and customer needs. This data-driven approach ensures that marketing strategies are relevant and highly effective. Analyzing the data to make informed adjustments to marketing strategies and product offerings, aligning them more closely with market demands and business objectives.

  • Developed comprehensive training materials for the sales team, ensuring they are well-equipped with up-to-date product knowledge, key selling points, and strategies to handle common customer objections. This training is vital for improving their effectiveness and aligning their efforts with marketing messages.

  • Leveraged HubSpot to its fullest potential to integrate marketing efforts with sales and customer service operations. The CRM features of HubSpot enabled the comprehensive tracking of customer interactions, providing the sales team with data to personalize their outreach efforts. Automated reports from HubSpot offer insights into campaign performance, lead generation, and customer engagement, which were shared across departments to illustrate our marketing impact.

  • Oversaw the development and maintenance of an extensive suite of sales enablement tools, including:

    • CRM systems for detailed tracking of customer interactions and data.

    • Well-defined buyer personas and customer journey maps that guide integrated marketing and sales strategies.

    • A robust content management system that keeps our marketing materials current and impactful.

    • Strategic production of marketing materials such as product sales sheets, webinars, and email templates.

    • Creation of authoritative case studies, client testimonials, and blog posts that build trust and enhance market position.

Budget Oversight

  • Manage the marketing budget effectively, focusing on strategic investments and high ROI.

  • Managed the marketing budget with a keen focus on strategic investments and achieving a high return on investment. This approach involves meticulous planning and alignment with the company’s growth objectives and market trends.

  • Each fiscal year begins with developing the annual marketing budget in close collaboration with the Business Development, Creative, and Sales teams. This process includes thoroughly analyzing historical data and forecasting future trends to ensure that spending strategically supports vital business priorities like revenue growth and enhanced brand visibility.

  • Prioritize investments based on their potential return, constantly analyzing the performance of past campaigns to refine the approach. For example, increased allocations toward digital ads are justified by proving high conversion rates, while underperforming channels are either optimized or scaled back to redirect funds more effectively.

  • Monthly review meetings are held with leaders from Business Development, Creative, and Sales to manage the marketing budget. These discussions are crucial for assessing the alignment of spending with performance and adjusting strategies to respond to evolving business needs.

  • Lead cost optimization without sacrificing quality, negotiate better rates with vendors, opt for in-house production where feasible, and leverage automation to reduce manual labor and associated costs.

  • Working closely with various departments to ensure marketing expenditures reflect and enhance our business objectives. This includes identifying new market opportunities with Business Development, supporting revenue-driving activities with Sales, and ensuring branding efforts with the creative team are impactful and cost-effective.

  • Utilizing analytics tools to monitor spending and evaluate the effectiveness of each marketing initiative. The insights gained are compiled into detailed reports regularly shared with senior management, ensuring transparency and facilitating data-driven decisions.

  • Remaining agile in reallocating resources as needed to maximize performance and capitalize on emerging opportunities. This flexibility is critical to adapting marketing strategies to market shifts and new business developments.

Team Building and Development

  • Cultivate a culture of respect, collaboration, and continuous improvement in the marketing team, demonstrating hands-on strategic and exceptional leadership.

  • Host regular team meetings to track project progress and deadlines and facilitate bonding and brainstorming sessions. Organize team-building and skill development workshops, accommodating in-person and virtual formats to support our hybrid team structure.

  • Fostered an environment where open communication is encouraged. Making myself approachable and regularly soliciting feedback from the team. This openness ensures that everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas and concerns, essential for continuous improvement.

  • Led by example, demonstrating respect and collaboration in all interactions. This engagement shows commitment to the company's goals and to each team member's personal and professional development.

  • Committed to investing in the team's growth by providing access to training, conferences, and seminars that enhance skills. Encourage cross-training to broaden understanding and cooperation within the team, and advocate for each team member to dedicate time daily for personal development.

  • Recognize and reward hard work and achievements through public acknowledgments in team meetings, performance bonuses, and career development opportunities, all serving as key motivators.

  • Ensure that feedback is a regular, constructive part of our interactions, designed to be helpful and encouraging. Maintain a culture where feedback flows both ways, with monthly check-ins supporting this.

  • Organize regular social events, such as team lunches and participation in charitable activities, to strengthen bonds in a relaxed setting and enhance team cohesion and morale.

  • Delegate meaningful responsibilities to team members, empowering them and reinforcing their value to the team. Each member knows how their roles contribute to our collective objectives, promoting ownership and accountability.

  • Established precise mechanisms for resolving conflicts within the team, encouraging members to address issues directly and respectfully. Mediate or offer a private space for open discussion, ensuring a harmonious work environment.

  • Item descriptionPrioritized creating an inclusive workplace that respects the cultural backgrounds of all team members. Celebrate diverse cultures and perspectives, which enriches team dynamics and enhances mutual understanding.

Data-Driven Decision Making

  • Utilize data analytics to measure, inform, and guide marketing strategies and initiatives for optimal effectiveness and efficiency

  • Leverage data analytics to guide and refine our marketing strategies and initiatives, ensuring they are effective and efficient. This approach helps optimize resources and maximize ROI.

  • Oversee the company’s social media strategies, using specific KPIs to measure the success of our engagement and growth initiatives. Analyzing metrics, identify strategies that increase traffic and expand our follower base.

  • In developing our content strategy, utilizing data to determine where content is most effective. Implementing tools like Google Analytics and HubSpot, track and analyze customer interactions to continually refine our content approach.

  • Manage the PostBeyond amplification platform, conducting user acceptance testing and workshops to optimize its functionality based on user data and feedback.

  • Measure the impact of our marketing campaigns with precision, using metrics such as shares, potential reach, click-throughs, likes, comments, and earned media value to gauge success and inform future strategies.

  • Leadership in driving collaborations and producing content has boosted listenership by 50%. Based on audience engagement data, create content that resonates well with our target audience.

  • Oversee SEO and digital marketing strategies using data to track key metrics like website clicks, open rates, and bounce rates. These insights guide optimizing content, enhancing performance, and user engagement.

  • Executing a B2B content marketing strategy, relying on data to identify high-performing content and continuously improve our engagement and email open rates, ensuring they exceed industry averages.

  • Analysis of user engagement trends has driven significant growth in social media followers and email marketing reach, allowing iteration on strategies that effectively increase visibility and community involvement.

  • By analyzing email marketing data, transformed the email bounce rate from 40% to 2%, innovating and improving our communication strategies to ensure our marketing materials are engaging and well-received.

  • Extract insights from campaign data to identify trends and formulate recommendations, utilizing sophisticated data analysis to exceed our marketing goals.

  • Supporting the sales team, implemented data management tools such as Sales Navigator to enable data-driven strategies that enhance both sales and marketing efforts.

  • Established clear objectives and provide strategic guidance based on data to ensure the team focuses on initiatives that yield measurable success.

  • Developed comprehensive marketing strategies from concept to execution, incorporating detailed reporting to ensure that every aspect of our efforts is quantifiable and optimized. This data-driven approach aligns closely with overarching business goals.