Laura Madden
Verified Expert in Marketing
Marketing Expert
Austin, TX, United States
Toptal member since September 10, 2024
Laura is a marketing strategist experienced in integrated communications and digital storytelling. She excels in marketing strategy, social media content strategy, brand partnerships, and audience growth across diverse industries, including wellness, fashion, and education. Laura holds a degree in communication studies and business from the University of Puget Sound and creates impact through collaboration and community outreach, thriving on projects that foster positive change.
Project Highlights
Expertise
- Brand Consulting
- Brand Strategy
- Community Growth
- Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)
- Marketing Campaigns
- Partnership Marketing
- Social Media
- Social Media Strategy
Work Experience
Social Media & Marketing Consultant
Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV
- Served as the marketing and social media consultant for "The Academy," the institution's educational content platform catering to medical, personal, and professional development learners.
- Established brand values, identity, and strategy, consulting and coaching the team throughout the process.
- Created the content strategy and helped translate it into creative content and assets across social media channels.
- Developed and managed educational programming and social content schedules aligned with new podcast episodes, short courses, and brand growth initiatives.
- Expanded my role and served as the marketing consultant for the School of Medicine's new Continuing Medical Education program, serving the medical community and increasing school admissions long-term.
Senior Social Media & Marketing Strategist
badpixel
- Conducted market research and competitive analyses, providing recommendation reports based on the findings.
- Presented marketing reports, content campaigns, and brand development decks to client teams, including executives, owners, and CEOs.
- Developed all creative and sales copy, content strategy, and direction for marketing campaigns and brand messaging for client projects.
- Oversaw all marketing efforts, projects, and initiatives, managing company activities and client interactions.
Social Media & Marketing Specialist
Self-employed
- Developed and executed targeted social media strategies for clients, significantly increasing engagement rates and growing follower counts.
- Managed multiple client accounts, driving notable growth in organic reach and follower base within a short timeframe, increasing sales and meeting sales goals.
- Designed and implemented content calendars and social campaigns alongside email campaigns, improving website traffic and lead generation for product launches and sales offers.
- Conducted market research and competitor analysis to identify trends, refining strategies to consistently enhance brand positioning and grow brand awareness.
- Established and nurtured relationships with influencers and industry partners, facilitating successful brand collaborations and sponsorships.
- Implemented data-driven analytics and reporting systems to monitor campaign performance and set KPIs, providing actionable insights for improved ROI.
- Led training sessions and workshops on social media and digital marketing best practices for clients.
- Coached and consulted entrepreneurs with personal brands, product-based brands, and event companies.
- Collaborated with a digital team to design and improve client websites, including copy, messaging, aesthetics, and UX, ensuring integrated marketing communications across all brand digital platforms.
- Created platform-specific campaigns for Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and other social platforms, enhancing brand presence and audience interaction through targeted content and strategic community management.
Project History
Fashion Show Event for a Bridal Company's New Product Launch
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MYD_TtT9_AQGQZT-KheDAdx4aiJ7WIo2?usp=sharingDesigned and implemented the entire marketing campaign for Allure Bridals' fashion show event in celebration of the launch of their new line of bridal dresses in partnership with Disney.
I collaborated with Illusion Bridal, a bridal shop in Southern California, to promote and sell tickets for a fashion show launching the Allure Bridals Disney Fairy Tale and Disney Villains bridal dresses. Throughout the campaign, I built and managed the Eventbrite page, designed social media content, created email campaigns, coordinated local brand partnerships, negotiated influencer collaborations, and monitored ticket sales. I worked closely with the bridal store owners, social media team, Allure Bridals, and Disney legal representatives to ensure the event’s success for all parties. We achieved our ticket sales goals, and the event was a resounding success.
Brand Strategy Proposal for a Healthtech Company
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yVthk2H9qUPHPXBRvP1j797zHbBDukc6?usp=sharingDeveloped a complete brand strategy proposal for a mock healthtech company as part of an interview process. I created the entire marketing campaign and designed a wellness product line for kids in the process.
This proposal includes an overview of the primary brand campaign components, marketing and advertising plan, and project timeline. The goal was to create a brand strategy to introduce a popular healthtech company’s new line of products and services designed to help kids under 16 maintain their health throughout childhood.
eCommerce Website Layout Competitor Analysis
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AXe7dBYapXRk4P8AEtYJESPhd9-GKRzj/view?usp=sharingProvided a baseline competitor analysis report for a new outdoor clothing company, Roughout, researching how competitors and like-brands organize eCommerce merchandise across their websites.
I researched 10 clothing and outdoor gear websites, analyzing how they organized and presented their merchandise, from homepage categorization to department and product pages. I reviewed the layout from visual, organizational, and user experience perspectives.
Social Media Analysis & Trends Q4 Baseline Report
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D2B5Kd3sawt4X4C_g6YHVJujRx2tigSW/view?usp=sharingCreated a baseline report for a leading bridal company's performance on social media channels across Q4 2023. I presented this to Allure Bridals' CEO and leadership team and badpixel's CEO.
Utilizing the social analysis platform Rival IQ, I reviewed key metrics and statistics for the client’s Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube accounts in comparison to its top competitors. I delivered detailed analyses and tailored recommendations for each platform, along with a summary of new and emerging social trends relevant to the company and its target audience. I also included references to a few TikTok Shop research projects at the end of the document.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies
University of Puget Sound - Tacoma, WA, USA
Skills
Core
Digital Marketing, Brand Strategy, Social Media Strategy, Marketing Campaigns, Social Media, Content, Brand Consulting, Content Creation, Community Management, Content Strategy, Performance Marketing, Brand Marketing, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategy, Copywriting, Marketing Leadership, Public Relations (PR), Influencer Marketing, Marketing Collateral Development, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Branding
Platforms & Tools
Monday.com, Canva, Google Analytics
Other
Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), Slack, Rival IQ, Brand Guidelines, Instagram, Sales Growth, Community Growth, Partnership Marketing, Sales Communication, Website Audits, Campaigns, Entrepreneurship, Brand Awareness, Customer Acquisition, Advertising Copy, Competition Research, Competitive Analysis, TikTok Shop, YouTube, Website Redesign, Rebranding, Mentorship & Coaching, Cross-functional Collaboration, Client Presentations, Market Research, Go-to-market Plans, Jira, Hootsuite, Figma, Sauce Social Commerce, Email Content, Partnerships, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Website Design, Competitive Strategy, Trends, Analysis, Brand Identity, Web UX, Messaging Development
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