Building Marketing Operations that Drive Demand
ABOUT
Hi, I’m Scott. I help businesses build great demand- and revenue-generating marketing operations, where team members are constantly and enthusiastically mastering new skills.
I am the Director of Digital Marketing at Riskonnect, an enterprise SaaS solution for managing organizational risk. It’s my privilege to oversee our B2B lead generation, content marketing, audience growth, sales enablement, and public relations.
I am also a proud startup mentor with 1871, the world’s #1 private business incubator.
Previously I’ve served as the head of marketing and client strategy for several digital agencies. I drove awareness, lead generation and eCommerce sales for clients like Nestle-Purina, Centene Corporation, AAA, Ty Toys, Navy Pier, United Auto Insurance, Cannon Safe, Primeval Labs, and S&S Activewear.
Be sure and check out The Intelligent Content Playbook, my eBook that teaches content marketers how to use data, storytelling technique, and research to break through the coming avalanche of digital content.
- 2020: With the Riskonnect digital team, I created the Risk@Work web series, a forum for risk professionals to learn from the industry’s most respected thought leaders. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were first to market with recovery-related thought leadership, culminating in the Recovery@Riskonnect recovery microsite. Despite the pandemic year, we increased captured leads by +68.2% over 2019, web traffic by +10.4%, and social media growth by +140%.
- 2019: After joining as Digital Director of Riskonnect, I led a complete redesign of the company’s website and social presence. The initiative improved metrics in Engaged Traffic (+47%), Pages/Session (+21%) and Unique Form Submissions (+12%). This year, the digital team surpassed targets for MQLs (104%), site visitors (195%) and social media growth (121%).
- 2018: At PowerPost, I created the “Brand Publishing Masterclass,” the first-of-its-kind expert-level webinar forum for content marketers could learn from the industry’s most cutting-edge, counterintuitive speakers and thought leaders.
- 2017: After the PowerPost acquisition I was made Vice President of Marketing. I was asked to direct the organization’s lead generation strategy, and oversee marketing strategy for our clients. I also co-authored “The Brand Publishing Roadmap,” an eBook designed to help brand marketers scale up from ordinary content marketing into the media-like word of Brand Publishing.
- 2016: While at SocialMediaBeast, I created, staffed and productized the company’s core client marketing offerings: performance-based digital advertising, marketing automation and SEO. I managed an annual client paid media portfolio of $2 million, achieving specific lead generation and eCommerce benchmark KPIs for clients.
- 2012: At Systat Software, I built up the recently relaunched SYSTAT product revenue from zero to $700,000 per year in under two years; produced over 150 qualified sales leads per week in the target market.
- I am a proud Business Mentor at the 1871 business incubator located at the Merchandise Mart.
- I teach programs on marketing analytics and antifragility for the 1871 PYROS program for founders. Check out my speaking programs here.
- The secret to a really successful marketing operation is to create an environment where young marketers are constantly learning with excellent coaching and guidance. Team morale can remain high even through adverse times if team members can see that they’re developing crucial skills.
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The Intelligent Content Playbook is an eBook that distills the best content creation strategies and optimization techniques from the industry’s top marketers. Inspired by Tim Ferriss’ Tools of Titans, the book collects and refines the best practices from guest instructors featured in PowerPost’s ‘Brand Publishing Masterclass.’ |
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- Michael Brenner, CEO of the Marketing Insider Group
- Adele Revella, author and CEO of The Buyer Persona Institute
- Park Howell, Founder of The Business of Story
- Michele Linn, Co-Founder of Mantis Research
- Mike Kaput, Director of Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute
- Shane Barker of Shane Barker Consulting
- Julia McCoy, CEO of Express Writers
- Chris Penn, CEO and Founder of BrainTrust Insights
- At PowerPost, I built a Business Intelligence dashboard for the company using Kliofolio, to merge marketing, sales and financial data from multiple platforms in our tech stack. The company has weekly meetings to review these KPIs and revise strategy.
- Also for PowerPost, I led the initiative to include “Content Intelligence” functionality into the SaaS product. This is Buzzsumo-like functionality that allows the user to see the best performing content from their competitors, from influencers, and within their industry.
- At SocialMediaBeast (and later PowerPost) my team would use a mixture of native advertising platforms and Google Analytics to improve client SEO and fine-tune their performance marketing. By rule, my entire staff and I are Google Analytics certified.
- For AllInternetNow, I programmed a SQL database application using MS Access and Visual Basic. The application administers the company’s critical path data, and provides customized functionality for data import validation and reporting.
EXPERTISE
Marketing Department and Practice Building
I have built numerous marketing departments from the ground up. Create a foundation by hiring and retaining high-performance teams. In my experience as a digital agency director, I created new practices and offerings for performance-based advertising, SEO, marketing automation, and strategic content marketing.
Digital Ad / PPC Performance
I cut my teeth as a digital advertiser for start-ups (at PowerPost we have clients enjoying 500-800% ROAS month after month). I build paid media practices at multiple agencies (search, social, native, programmatic, etc.), delivering on strict client-dictated KPIs.
Content Marketing and Search Optimization
I help content-driven companies becoming Brand Publishers, in the mold of top journalistic media properties like Red Bulletin, IntelIQ, and CocaCola Journeys. Scaling to this level of efficiency requires integrated measures like data-driven content strategy, and newsroom-style workflow structure.
Coaching and Mentoring
I am passionate about mentoring young professionals, and I’m proud to say that many of my former team members have gone on to amaze new employers with their knowledge and professionalism.
Analytics & Business Intelligence
I’ve developed Business Intelligence applications using platforms like Klipfolio and Microsoft Access to help organizations optimize their efficiency, reporting and decision-making.
Thought Leadership
My marketing team helps companies produce strategic content to assume the top position of authority within their industries, using tools like content intelligence and original research. I personally have written key thought leadership content on Brand Publishing, and create the first expert-level webinar environment in the field.
"I chose Scott as a partner to build my company Advise Analytics because he is an extraordinary person. His work on the website, marketing, and sales was exemplary."
LELAND WILKINSONChief Scientist, H2O.ai “Scott and I have worked together in a team capacity for over 3 years. Scott is committed to the success of the company and a highly creative thinker. Any organization would be fortunate to have a marketing professional with Scott's level of competence and sheer drive.”
JOHN BURKEEnterprise Sales, TMA Systems PORTFOLIO
SPEAKING AND TEACHING
Do you need an entertaining, informative marketing speaker for your next event?
I have appeared at numerous marketing panels and keynoted for several Chicagoland industry associations. He delivers presentations densely packed with actionable tips that audiences can take back and use immediately.
Please click here to learn more about topics and availability.