portfolio
I took a month to explore the creative chaos of content marketing. This page is the dynamic gallery of everything I’ve learned and made along the way.
Let's begin by delving into the essence of content marketing.
In my study of content marketing, I’ve found that it centers on creating and sharing content that highlights specific topics, ideas, or products to attract potential customers. Essentially, it’s a strategy businesses use to make people interested in what they offer.
This strategy focuses on creating compelling and engaging online content to effectively reach and satisfy target audiences. The goals are to generate leads, enhance brand recognition, and drive sales while fostering customer loyalty. Ultimately, content marketing leverages relevant media to establish expertise and boost a brand's visibility.
Selecting the right business partner.
To put my skills into action, I took on the challenge of selecting a business to work with. After compiling a comprehensive list of small, local businesses with minimal marketing presence, I thoroughly researched each potential candidate. Eventually, I chose to collaborate with a local gem, the "Ice Cream Station."
The Ice Cream Station is a seasonal walk-up shop that offers a delightful array of ice cream flavors, toppings, and frozen treats to the residents of Simpsonville, South Carolina. Established in 2010 by Serge and Kristy Guillot, the business began in a quaint brick building nestled beside a infrequently used railroad. Its welcoming presence in Downtown Simpsonville has made it a beloved destination for ice cream lovers across town.
The menu at Ice Cream Station features a variety of treats, including cones, homemade waffle cones, sundaes, milkshakes, specialized ice creams with blended-in toppings (known as "explosions"), and the ever-popular Dole Whip. Each scoop is crafted with the freshest, highest-quality ingredients, ensuring a taste that truly stands out.
What goes into building an effective landing page?
I created my first landing page—but what exactly is a landing page?
A landing page is a standalone web page with a singular, focused purpose: to drive users toward a specific call to action. Whether it's subscribing to a newsletter, requesting a quote, or highlighting a special offer or product, the ultimate goal is to convert visitors into leads or customers.
To kick off the design process, I started by creating a mockup, a visual draft that outlines the layout and content of the page. Using Procreate on my iPad, I was able to quickly translate my ideas into a digital canvas, incorporating the brand’s signature vibrant yellow and highlighting a mouth-watering selection of ice cream photos.
The core of this landing page lies in its value proposition—encouraging users to sign up for ice cream delivery services. It's not just about convenience; it’s about bringing joy straight to customers’ doorsteps, one sweet bite at a time.
My mockup incorporates all the key elements of a high-converting landing page: attention-grabbing headlines and subheadings, concise and persuasive copy, and clear, actionable call-to-action buttons. To further enhance its effectiveness, I also included a section featuring social proof, which is crucial for building trust and boosting conversion rates.
I took my mockup a step further by transforming it into a polished design using Canva. With prior experience from designing the cover of my self-published book, I felt confident in navigating the platform and applying my design concepts. The familiarity eased some of the challenges, allowing me to focus on refining the finer details of the landing page. Canva’s intuitive tools made it easier to enhance my original mockup, ultimately helping me create a clean, visually engaging page that aligned perfectly with my vision.
After crafting two mockups, it was time to bring the design to life. Among the various platforms available, I opted for Carrd.co due to its simple layout and seamless user experience. The platform’s user-friendly tools made customizing fonts and images remarkably straightforward. The entire process took just a few hours, and the final results closely aligned with my vision.
Below is the link to my final landing page design—take a look!
landing page mockup on carrd.co
What makes a social media campaign effective in today's digital landscape?
I built a social media campaign—but what exactly is a social media campaign? More specifically, what is social media marketing?
Social media marketing is the strategic use of social platforms to promote a brand, product, or service, with the goal of engaging a broad audience, increasing brand recognition, and ultimately driving sales. In today’s digital age, it’s a highly effective way to connect with customers where they spend the majority of their time online.
Building a social media campaign involves several important steps. First, it's essential to choose the right platform—one where the business's target audience is most active. After researching Ice Cream Station’s customer base, I noticed they were most active on Facebook, so I concentrated my efforts there.
Once I identified the platform, I had to clarify the objectives of the campaign. Since Ice Cream Station had limited marketing presence, I set ambitious but achievable goals: boosting brand awareness, driving foot traffic to physical stores, and improving engagement within the local community. My strategy was to not only generate excitement about their products but also create a sense of connection and loyalty with customers.
The next step was developing the actual content. I designed a series of posts that included mouth-watering visuals of their ice cream offerings, special promotions, and interactive posts to encourage engagement. To stay organized, I created a content calendar outlining when and what I would post, ensuring consistency and variety. This timeline included a mix of promotional content, customer stories, and limited-time offers—all aimed at keeping followers engaged and driving sales.
In the end, the campaign was all about connecting the community to Ice Cream Station in a way that felt authentic, fun, and—most importantly—irresistible.
I translated each concept seamlessly into Canva, immersing myself in the finer details of every design. This process quickly became the highlight of the project. Reconnecting with my creative side, which had been lying dormant for months, brought an immense sense of fulfillment. Tapping back into this realm of creativity felt both invigorating and restorative, reminding me how much I had missed it.
I managed the transfer and scheduling of each post on my Facebook page, ensuring timely publication for consistent engagement. Each post featured a thoughtfully crafted description designed to be welcoming and engaging, along with a clear call to action to encourage interaction.
Below is the link to my Facebook page—feel free to explore!
social media campaign on facebook
The finishing touch—a well-crafted email welcome series.
I crafted an email campaign—a welcome series. But what is that, and why does it matter?
A welcome email series is an automated sequence triggered when a new subscriber joins an email list. It’s one of the most effective ways to make a strong first impression, establish credibility, and guide potential customers toward conversion. Think of it as a digital handshake—an introduction that sets the tone for the entire customer relationship.
Industry best practices suggest a sequence of four to six emails, each serving a distinct purpose:
The Warm Welcome: A friendly introduction, expressing appreciation for the subscription.
Value Proposition: Showcasing how your product or service solves a problem or enhances the subscriber's life.
Social Proof & Trust Building: Sharing testimonials, reviews, or case studies to reinforce credibility.
Engagement & Education: Providing useful content, such as tips, guides, or insights tailored to the audience.
Exclusive Offer: Encouraging action with a limited-time discount, bonus, or incentive.
Final Call to Action: A reminder of the offer, reinforcing urgency and prompting the next step.
I applied these principles to build my own personalized welcome series, ensuring each email featured compelling subject lines, engaging content, and clear calls to action. Every detail was intentional—from the tone of voice to the strategic timing of each message—all designed to nurture subscribers and maximize engagement.
By crafting a thoughtful and well-structured welcome sequence, I created a seamless onboarding experience that not only captured attention but also laid the foundation for long-term customer relationships.
email welcome campaign
Content marketing has been a truly captivating and eye-opening experience. It went beyond simply learning new marketing techniques—it became a journey that helped me discover more about who I am. Immersing myself in this field, I found it to be the ideal outlet for my creativity, where my ideas could flow freely and without limits.
