I've written more than 300,000 words of marketing content spanning everything from full websites, buyer personas, feature articles and technical white papers to infographics, print ads and keyword-targeted blog posts. I've proudly put my name on every piece and delivered every project to serve a tangible purpose for clients. Browse below for a select sample of my strategic writing work.
Website Launches
Raising awareness, converting leads and closing customers are some of the biggest challenges brands face. I’ve crafted original copy and helped drive the strategy for a number of website launches and overhauls specifically to solve these challenges and the odd-ball challenge here and there too. Some site launches have demanded furious, fast-track schedules. Others have called for intricate, highly technical copy. And some have taken a special dedication to service and problem-solving. The work is challenging, with brand voices to master, messages to nail and clients to please. It's also a satisfying rush — there's nothing like seeing clients reap the business rewards of launching a new, purposeful website.
RESOURCE LABEL GROUP
Resource Label Group is a holding company for several label design and printing firms in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to writing all website copy, I wrote their tagline and assisted with their brand positioning, mission and vision statements.
THE KORTE COMPANY
The Korte Company is a leading Design-Build firm that's completed more than 3,000 construction projects across 42 states. Founded in 1958, The Korte Company has one of the most unique brands in construction, with a well-defined voice that I closely maintained.
AMERICAN PIPING PRODUCTS
American Piping Products is one of the largest stocking distributors of steel piping products in the entire world. They're a straightforward, no-nonsense brand that mixes creative messaging with a buttoned up, formal tone. I balanced these needs to craft on-brand, results-driven copy.
MALISKO ENGINEERING
Malisko Engineering is a leading process automation firm that integrates sophisticated automation equipment and software for manufacturers. They needed a large, intricate site with technical content on a fast-track timeline.
SPECTRA CONTRACT FLOORING
Spectra Contract Flooring is the largest commercial flooring contractor in the U.S. and is a Berkeshire Hathaway Company. With clients ranging from Fortune 500 Companies to small businesses and even high schools, they needed a site that speaks to all audiences.
Express medical transporters
Express Medical Transporters is a trusted provider of non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT). As they drive patients to and from appointments and bring students with special needs to and from school, their site needed to emphasize compassion and reliability.
SEO-targeted content
Brands create a large percentage of their online content for one purpose, to rank. Short-tail, long-tail, cornerstone pieces, blog series, one-off posts — I've written them all. Many times. For a wide variety of brands. In the process, I've had quite a few posts rank and have seen what drives results: delving into the minds of buyer personas and writing for various user intents to create the best content. I've selected two articles from hundreds of SEO-targeted posts I've written. Why these? One, because they rank (what good would examples be if they didn't, right?). And two, because I believe they're strong examples of key types of SEO-targeted content: the beefy page designed to rank for high-traffic, short-tail terms, and the focused, niche article that targets the highest-value low-volume terms.
The Design-Build page positions The Korte Company as a leading Design-Build firm, maintains Korte's brand voice and drives valuable traffic. The page consists of more than 2,000 words of educational information in an easy-to-consume format, complete with secondary navigation, infographics and images. It answers all the key questions (or user intents) someone might search related to Design-Build and has deservedly earned a consistent top-5 rank for a tremendously competitive short-tail term as well as for relevant secondary keywords.
When Spectra Contract Flooring sought to drive relevant traffic to its website and convert more top-of-funnel leads, I created a range of educational, SEO-focused blog posts (as I have for other clients). This post in particular has consistently ranked for a valuable, niche keyword. The piece is a prime example of a shorter post that still answers relevant user intents and also links to both the brand creating it and a conversion opportunity.
Premium content and Lead-Capture pieces
I've partnered with designers to create dozens of sleek, highly informative pieces ranging from highly technical white papers to buyer’s guides and infographics. The premium content samples below were created specifically for on-site lead capture or for pitching as guest content to outside publications.
Resource Label Group is one of the nation's leading producers of custom pressure-sensitive labels (PSLs). As a brand dedicated to educating their customers, they commissioned an introductory buyer's guide aimed to assist potential customers in procuring pressure-sensitive labels, cast a broad net and generate a range leads for their custom label printing and design services.
This highly technical white paper covers the intricacies of warehouse design. Aimed to a specific buyer persona, the piece has driven a steady stream of highly qualified leads for a construction company.
I wrote this infographic in partnership with a designer to succinctly show the many benefits of the Design-Build method. The piece has been featured in industry publications, driving valuable traffic to the construction client.
Feature Articles
Every once in a while, a brand needs truly exceptional long-form content. Whether they're brand journalism articles, long-form native advertisements, profiles or commemorative company books, these types of pieces tell a story. They demand careful craft and exceptional attention to detail that goes above and beyond your typical article. I've had the pleasure of creating a range of these feature pieces and have selected two of my favorites for you.
From Dorris Motor Co. to Biotech startups
The Korte Company has earned a reputation as a national Design-Builder. But they also take pride in being a leading St. Louis-area business. When they wanted to reinforce their rich, local history, I spearheaded a campaign to highlight their contributions to the area by writing features on significant St. Louis construction projects Korte has completed. This guest-published feature piece covers the history of a car factory Korte renovated into a St. Louis technology hub.
The Legacy of Ralph Korte
I wrote an in-depth profile on Ralph Korte, founder of The Korte Company. Both Ralph, who is now retired, and the current leadership of The Korte Company wanted to preserve his legacy. I interviewed Ralph, checked historical facts and crafted a feature piece that aims to tell his story, preserve his legacy and give site visitors a glimpse of the company's early history.
Case Studies
Few types of content offer a more powerful way of proving results and guiding prospects to buy, donate or take action than the case study. A well-written case study allows brands to help prospects identify challenges, highlight that brand's ability to solve those challenges, and, of course, demonstrate social proof and gain trust by showcasing impressive work. But the case study can take many forms. From brief client name-drops to results-focused narratives or even thorough explorations of highly technical solutions. I've had the opportunity to write dozens of case studies across various categories and have selected these four to showcase the versatility of the case study.
This narrative case study explores the implementation of automation software in a new production environment. It demonstrates value for a process automation client while supporting its approachable, humanizing brand.
This highly intricate case study for the same process automation brand contrasts with the narrative-style case study. Instead, it demonstrates the in-depth technical competency of the firm for a more technology-savvy audience that it must also reach.
This case study showcases a pipe distributor’s rapid, emergency-response capabilities and reliable fulfillment processes. The brand demands a highly professional voice and straightforward explanation that also communicates value.
This case study highlights the care, attention to detail and fast-track capabilities of the nation’s largest flooring contractor. In contrast with the other selected case studies, it's designed for brevity and largely to showcase an impressive client.
Advertisements
I’ve written dozens of ads for a range of print and online campaigns, from display ads, native ad pieces and newsletter ads to print ads in business journals, radio scripts, e-commerce campaign copy, trade show ads, signage, pamphlets, t-shirts and other sales and marketing collateral.
The ad pictured above is a print ad from an event program. It's written on behalf of a sponsor of an annual, St. Louis-area non-profit event that draws leaders from throughout the business and non-profit community. The concept supports the spirit of the event by emphasizing volunteerism and incorporates "simple math" to align it with the sponsor's playful brand and core business purpose as an accounting firm.
The print ad pictured above ran on behalf of The Korte Company in the Illinois Business Journal, a local publication with a local business audience. While Korte is a nationally known and respected construction company, it also sought to reinforce its ties to the local business community. I was asked to craft not just a clever line, but an angle — a message — that would truly resonate with the Southern Illinois audience. So, I elected to tap into the storied history of The Korte Company. In southern Illinois, where The Korte Company was founded and is still headquartered, the importance of serving neighbors has long been ingrained in the area's collective mindset. The area's local farmers had a longstanding tradition of forming neighborhood construction crews and building on each other's farms. In 1958, Ralph Korte, the son of a dairy farmer in Highland, Illinois, started his company by building for neighbors and taking the farm construction projects to a higher level of quality. The ad tapped into this locally appreciated idea and positioned The Korte Company as an important part of the community.