Sean Hardies
Verified Expert in Marketing
Marketing Expert
Dover, NH
Toptal member since July 11, 2024
Sean is a digital marketing consultant with 10+ years of experience with established and startup B2B and B2C brands and enterprise clients across industries like retail, healthcare, finance, and tech. He addresses challenges across channels, driving all key components of successful marketing operations and leading audience strategy. Sean's work has led to exemplary results, including 15x ROAS in Google Ads PPC campaigns for an outdoor equipment brand and $7.7 million in revenue for a shoe brand.
Project Highlights
Expertise
- Brand Strategy
- Digital Marketing Strategy
- Email Marketing Automation
- Google Ads
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Klaviyo
- Microsoft Advertising
- Monday.com
Work Experience
Digital Strategy Consultant
Hardies Digital
- Achieved an over 62% boost in YoY Google Ads ROAS for a performance outdoor equipment brand through a blend of brand and non-brand search and Performance Max and Shopping ads targeting US buyers.
- Grew the eCommerce email subscriber list by over 44% YoY via targeted opt-ins, giveaways, and incentives.
- Increased the revenue attributed to marketing emails by over 42% YoY through automated nurture email flows and reminders, behavioral-based messaging, and targeted sales copy.
- Drove a 2x increase in YoY Google Ads leads for a niche industrial robotics audience in the US and Canada.
- Visualized and presented a behavioral-based lead nurturing strategy for a medical device client, allowing automated follow-ups to key clients and customers.
Associate Director, Paid Digital Marketing
Carbon
- Drove $7.7 million in revenue for Rockport shoes through a blend of brand search, Performance Max and Shopping ads, and display remarketing with an over 40% increase in YoY ROAS.
- Grew the YoY Google Ads-attributed transactions by over 154% and revenue by over 172% by implementing a paid keyword strategy for ergoPouch, an international clothing brand. The strategy also drove a 1,082% ROAS for the brand.
- Uncovered opportunities for incremental revenue growth across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, using data and analytics tools like Google Search Console, Keyword Planner, and Semrush for multiple brands, including Karhu and HubSpot.
Director of Sales & Marketing
Bonfire Studios
- Led a team of marketing strategists to deliver a range of client services, including email marketing management, paid media strategy, analytics reporting, conversion rate optimization, and project management.
- Increased organic search traffic by over 60% YoY by developing a website SEO content framework using Semrush for Craft CMS in conjunction with Polartec.
- Grew the monthly managed retainer revenue by over 38% per year on average by transforming the sales strategy and upselling maintenance and development services alongside creative and advertising.
- Retooled the sales strategy—including proposals, pitch decks, and case studies—with data-driven expertise to support client acquisition in new industries, including apparel, defense, SaaS, and healthcare.
- Overhauled agency operations by implementing bespoke project management tools and sales pipelines to make tracking client communication and deal flow easier for all stakeholders.
- Collaborated with internal and client stakeholders to construct analytics dashboards that display key metrics automatically pulled from Google Analytics 4, Klaviyo, Google Ads, and other data sources.
Marketing Manager
CIT Bank
- Led email marketing and paid search efforts and teamed with business and sales representatives, driving the top customer acquisition record to date in the highly competitive SMB finance services market, with $55+ million in new underwriting in 2015.
- Developed the strategy and executed digital ad campaigns, including search and display ads, with yearly budgets of $1+ million. Wrote personalized copy for Marketo campaigns for an email audience of over 120,000.
- Organized senior leadership to orchestrate the launch of co-marketing campaigns with close partners, including Apple, Intuit, Angi, Constant Contact, and Fundera.
Project History
15x ROAS on the New Launch of Targeted Google Ads
Drove 1,500% return on ad spend (ROAS) in Google Ads pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns for an outdoor equipment brand.
I worked with an outdoor recreational equipment brand and manufacturer looking to advertise a niche, performance product on Google Search and grow sales on its Shopify eCommerce website.
We set them up with an optimized product feed for Google Shopping and later for Performance Max. We then created targeted Search Ads for brand and non-brand search terms, targeting select states and regions across the US. Our ads drove conversions throughout the campaign, exceeding 1,500% in total ROAS.
Increased Revenue with Email Marketing
Boosted YoY revenue attributed to email marketing by over 42% through automated nurture email flows, auto reminders, behavioral-based messaging, and targeted sales copy.
I worked with an outdoor retailer who wanted to reach a larger audience through email marketing. Their current customers are loyal and convert at a high rate.
We launched several incentive programs and partnerships with other brands. Over six months, we increased the rate at which website users signed up for email marketing lists and also helped to improve the conversion rate for follow-up emails once individuals signed up for updates.
Organic Website Traffic Boost with SEO
Helped to drive over 60% YoY increase in organic website traffic.
I developed a website SEO content framework using Semrush for a Craft CMS in conjunction with a globally recognized apparel and textile brand.
This content framework using Craft enabled the client to execute a longer-term strategy around content, resulting in a 60% YoY growth in organic traffic due to a wealth of quality and relevant content.
Education
Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA)
University of New Hampshire - Durham, NH, USA
Bachelor's Degree in History
University of New Hampshire - Durham, NH, USA
Skills
Core
Google Ads, Copywriting, Digital Marketing Strategy, Brand Strategy, Email Marketing, Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), Email Marketing Automation, Marketing Budgeting, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), Google SEO, Paid Advertising, Digital Marketing, Google Paid Ads, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Performance Marketing, Advertising Campaigns, Digital Campaigns, Marketing Automation, SEO Content, Content Marketing, Audience Targeting, Market Research & Analysis, Mobile Marketing, Landing Pages, Marketing, Social Media Marketing (SMM), Marketing Analytics, Web Marketing, Marketing Leadership, Branding, SEO Audits, Funnel Marketing, Content Creation, Brand Marketing, Product Marketing, Apple Search Ads, Google Tag Manager, Content Strategy, Ad Campaigns, Email Campaigns, Display Advertising, B2C Marketing, Omnichannel Marketing, SEO Keyword Research, Campaign Management, Marketing Operations, Pay-per-Click (PPC), Marketing Research & Analysis, Google Advertising, SEO Tools, LinkedIn Ads, Lead Generation, Account-based Marketing (ABM), Facebook Ads, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Social Media Strategy, Social Media, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategy, Social Media Advertising, Ad Design, Content, Affiliate Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Product Positioning, Local SEO, On-page SEO, Growth Hacking, Inbound Marketing, Media Buying, Social Media Campaigns, Social Media Management, Funnel Optimization, SMS Marketing, Public Relations (PR), Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), LinkedIn Marketing, Marketing Technology (MarTech)
Platforms & Tools
Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Klaviyo, Monday.com, Google Analytics, Bing Ads, CRM Systems, Marketing Platforms, Google My Business, Google Ad Manager, Google Workspace, Looker Studio, HubSpot, Instagram Ads, Meta Platform, Mailchimp, Marketo
Business Models
B2C, B2B, SaaS, B2B2C, Business to Consumer (B2C), SaaS Product Marketing
Technical
Google Search Console
Other
Microsoft Advertising, Squarespace, Shopify, Paid Search, Management, Data Analytics, Customer Experience, Project Management, Landing Page Optimization, Channel Management, Business Proposals, Pitch Decks, Client Presentations, Paid Media, Data Analysis, Growth Marketing, Business Development, Newsletters, Digital Media, Digital Strategy, Web UX, Marketing Plans, Content Writing, Asset Management, Landing Page Design, Brand Awareness, Consulting, Customer Acquisition, Dashboards, Strategy, Scaling, Marketing Cloud, Automation, Shopify SEO, Audits, Sales Funnel, Messaging, Performance Optimization, Ad Optimization, User Experience (UX), UX Design, Growth Strategy, Website Audits, B2B Marketing, B2B Lead Generation, Advertising, Google Display Network, Communication, Storytelling, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Technical SEO, eCommerce Marketing, Marketing Reports, Budgeting, Campaign Optimization, Media Planning, Content Management Systems (CMS), Content Management, Advertising, Marketing Operations, Google Slides, Demand Generation, Sales Enablement, Drip Campaigns, Messaging Development, Brand Positioning, Vendor Management, Website Traffic, eCommerce Growth, Paid Acquisition, Keyword Analysis, Craft CMS, Semrush, SEO Copywriting, Research, Communication Strategy, D2C Branding Strategy, CX Strategy, Shopify Marketing, eCommerce, Web Design, WordPress, YouTube Marketing, Digital Branding, Mobile User Acquisition, Design, Social Ad Design, Stakeholder Management, Growth, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Market Research, Business Strategy, Startup Marketing, Product Management, Product Growth, Shopify Customizations, Startups, Geofencing & Geotargeting, Wix, Localization Marketing, Customer Research, Value Proposition, Profiling, Offline Marketing, Education, Nonprofits, Fractional CMO, Meta Ads, Marketing Technology (MarTech), Vendor Selection, Vendor Management, Website Optimization, Pixel, Website CMS, Partnerships, Go-to-market Execution, Creative Strategy, Qualitative Research, Visual Design, User Behavioral Analytics (UBA), Creative Testing, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), Product Development, Shopify Design, Press Releases, Events, Pricing Strategy, Agile Product Management, Promotional Videos, Process Automation, Web, User-generated Content (UGC), GSC
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