Freelance Marketing Director for Hire
Tortuga’s team is furloughed, so I’m available for consulting. Or anything else you need.
Hi, friends, acquaintances, fellow people.
Tortuga, the company I’ve spend 4+ years growing, makes travel gear. As nobody’s traveling during COVID-19’s outbreak (rightfully so), you can probably see where this is going. Consumer demand for travel — and its requisite gear — is effectively nonexistent during a global pandemic.
Tortuga’s entering a “hibernation” period to survive — including a laying off the entire team. That includes me. Hopefully, this is a short-term move, but nobody really knows what the world will look like after COVID.
Tortuga’s operations and strategy are sound — this is not a collapse of a poorly run business. This is the result of an unprecedented halt in demand in the specific category in which we operate.
So: consider my consulting availability officially open.
Things at which I’m particularly adept:
If you need any of these skills, email me: taylorworksforyou@gmail.com.
Lean Marketing Strategy
Demand for nonessential consumer goods is nonexistent during mass quarantine. When the pandemic ends, demand is unlikely to pop back up to prior levels — it’ll be slow.
Your marketing strategy must be ready for lower levels of demand. That means minimal overhead, strategic focus, and nonreliance on high-spend channels (like PPC) to survive. Working on the right things — not more things — is crucial to survival during periods of lower demand.
That’s where I thrive; I’ve spent 4 years growing a niche bootstrapped brand in a category that didn’t exist before we invented it. Marketing spend at Tortuga, including salaries, is less than 10% of revenue. If you exclude salaries, it’s more like 1%. Before the pandemic hit, we were sustainably profitable and growing.
Before Tortuga, I was working at a marketing agency during the Great Recession building growth models for early stage, barely-funded and bootstrapped startups. My entire career has centered around lean, effective, non-gimmicky growth.
The point: I know how to bring in revenue without spending a lot of money. I know how to keep a company afloat during hard times. I can shape your company’s strategy so that you do, too.
Content Marketing
Effective content strategy is what I’m most known for. Maybe it’s why you follow me on Medium — this post is one of my most-read pieces I’ve ever written, and I’ve spoken on major stages like MozCon and Lifecycle about how to approach content strategy. I know how to identify content that converts and extend that strategy. I know how to write content that ranks. Most importantly, I know how to build a content strategy that does both. Content has to be found, and it has to turn into revenue. I can make that happen for you.
Email Marketing
As an “owned” channel, email is crucial to a company’s core marketing strategy. I can set strategy and execute on all blast and automated campaigns. Bring on the advanced audience segmentation, too — I can handle it.
Product Marketing
I’m great at taking a set of features and benefits and turning it into conversion-oriented copy. I know how to establish product-market fit.
Owning the 100%
I can set effective, focused strategy. I can execute that strategy in an iterative, attributable way. I can track and analyze results to show which prototypes are extensible, which aren’t getting traction, and how we might scale. My spreadsheets are easy to read and grounded in thoughtful analysis of the best data available. I don’t like gridlines on summary pages, but if you do, I’ll use them for you.* I’m a great writer, excellent communicator, and experienced professional. My references will tell you the same.
*Was that remotely funny? I hope so. My humor gauge is a little off right now.
Other relevant skills:
- I’m good in a crisis. I don’t panic, I focus and buckle down. That’s the kind of consultant you need right now.
- I’m a highly effective project manager. I’m experienced in making sure everyone on a team is working toward the same goal and working on the right things. I’m a kind leader, but a firm one when needed.
- I don’t believe in ego-driven work. If you just need someone to execute, not tell you what to work on, I’ll follow directives without needing to be right.
- I’m an experienced remote worker — Tortuga’s a fully remote company, and I’ve led our marketing team remotely for more than 4 years. I know how to be productive, communicate well, and accomplish goals without being in an office.
- I learn quickly and am willing to take on anything outside of my expertise. For instance, my PPC, technical SEO, and social media skills are little rusty, but I could pick them back up quickly if that’s something you need.
Other People I Can Send Your Way
Team Tortuga is a world-class group of people. Everyone on this team is, truly, the best version of that role I have ever encountered. I recommend them all.
People I can refer to you:
- A unicorn of an art director / developer
- An experienced, badass editor / project manager
- Another marketing person, if you need more help than I can give
- An operations manager who can forecast with the best of them and get your supply chain in order
- An industrial designer whose tech packs are perfect
- Customer service people who believe in solving problems with kindness and heart
- A tenacious, polyglot production manager on-the-ground in Shenzhen
That list massively undersells the abilities on our team. If you need someone that’s not within my skillset, let me know. I bet someone on Team Tortuga has you covered. I’ll have a referral for you.
How to Contact Me
If you want to discuss working together, or want a referral for another skillset, my inbox is open: taylorworksforyou@gmail.com.
Note: I found out that my job was furloughed this morning, so I’m still getting my ducks in a row. I’ll continue to update this post as I update my resume, personal website, and other relevant outlets for hiring purposes.
And as I remember other things I’m good at. That, too.
