Jill M. Schaefer
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About
COMMUNICATIONS INNOVATOR | WRITER | STORYTELLER | MARKETING STRATEGIST & IDEAS PERSON
Engaging in meaningful work is at my core. Strategic thinking, behavior change marketing, and compelling messages are all in a day's work. I never falter in my pursuit of originality, quality, and results. My career spans public relations, marketing, customer relationship management, online and social media, and green communications.
TOP ACCOMPLISHMENTS
● Leadership: Trained and mentored team of five writers. RESULTS: "Jill offers her knowledge and level-headed guidance to junior writers when needed and her feedback and opinions are always valued. Best of all, she remains calm and positive under the most stressful situations. She leads us daily." ~Kevin Klumpyan
● Creative superhero: Championed superhero-themed welcome kit for new customers complete with a discount decoder ring. RESULTS: Engaged customers and increased order volume.
● Winning proposals: Designed proposal process improvement strategies for two companies to secure new business. RESULTS: Content library with persuasive narratives at-the-ready. Increased interviews and successful bids.
● Adaptation: Worked with diverse freelancing clients from small business owners to international consultants to effectively convey their unique stories and messages.
PERSONALLY SPEAKING
I am happiest immersed in the “back country,” experiencing the stillness and beauty of nature. I am a triathlete and have ran numerous races. I also enjoy hiking, kayaking, and snowshoeing. In the urban environment, I love perusing local shops and boutiques for rare finds.
Specialties:
COMMUNICATIONS
● Copywriting ● Branding ● Marketing ● Advertising ● PR ● Social Media ● Behavior Change ● New Media ● Eblasts ● Direct Mail ● Variable Data Printing ● Tradeshows ● Customer Relationship Management ● Creative Direction
BUSINESS SKILLS
● Marketing Strategy ● Process Improvement ● Community Outreach ● Creativity ● Leadership ● Collaboration -
Education
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Bachelor of Arts Communications, Journalism & Mass CommunicationUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee1997 - 2001Honors College | Summa Cum Laude
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Experience
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Director, Content ManagementLafayette, COAug 2017 - Present (8 years 10 months)GOAL ORIENTED. Manage a multi-state team to meet roadmap deliverables and compliance requirements. Develop and maintain strategic, educational in-software content that helps increase demand in new markets and foster client retention.
TECHNICAL WRITER. Break down complex regulations into why they matter and what they mean for clients. In short, make compliance easier and help employers do the right things.
KEY WINS: Launched self-service, on-site training product to make it easier for clients to keep employees safe. Wrote comprehensive user guides as part of KPA's largest software launch. -
Communications Innovator | Writer | EditorJill M. Schaefer Freelancing2011 - Present (15 years)CLIENT CENTRIC. Exhibit utmost skill, courtesy, and sincerity. Respect deadlines. Committed to providing break-through-the-clutter copy that clients are proud to use. Willingness to work with clients to ensure complete satisfaction.
FAST LEARNER. Freelancing projects have included corporate biographies, website copy, infographics, professional summaries, grant applications, direct mail, and graphic design feedback.
KEY WINS: Ability to talk to clients of all backgrounds and ask the right questions to discern true benefits. Repeat business. -
Copy SupervisorMadison, WIJan 2014 - Aug 2017 (3 years 7 months)LEADERSHIP. Provide mentoring and support to direct report. Identify training opportunities for copywriter, initiate process improvements, and advocate for work/life balance.
GUIDE COPY STRATEGY. Proactively address content needs of evolving schools and libraries. Set the tone for sale catalogs.
EVER IMPROVING. Document copy and brand standards to encourage consistency and proofing efficiency. Always setting the bar higher for quality, creative infusion, and record-breaking response rates.
VISIONARY. Influence design direction, infusing visual ideas and best practices. Marry copy with artwork so that together it wows. Propose new form factors to successfully achieve corporate marketing objectives.
KEY WINS: Advancing creative vision for strong designs and the right amount of copy. Adding personality and resonance to catalog, email, and social media. Proposing new approaches to break through a cluttered retail environment. -
CopywriterWisconsin Energy Conservation CorporationJun 2010 - Oct 2013 (3 years 4 months)JILL OF ALL TRADES. Demonstrated writing proficiency for diverse communications—Facebook and Twitter posts, video scripts, radio commercials, press releases, fact sheets, newsletters, advertisements, website copy, eblasts, print collateral, and direct mail. Evolved messages to appeal to customers' sensibilities.
AUDIENCE JOLTER. Promoted energy efficiency and renewable energy using behavior change strategies. Created relatable copy that connected B2C and B2B audiences with things they care about, such as comfort and higher profits.
COLLABORATOR. Brainstormed with designer to develop unified creative. Led training efforts to help improve staff's writing and presentation skills. ON POINT. Conducted research to stay on the pulse of emerging trends and industry technologies.
KEY WINS: Developed and presented proposal best practices guide and wrote section templates to help improve WECC’s proposals. Introduced creative copy and visual ideas to modernize corporate publications. Helped WECC win its first ADDY awards for its compelling annual report and trade show booth. -
Senior CopywriterCPM HealthGradesAug 2007 - Jun 2010 (2 years 10 months)DRIVEN. Dedication to a job well done and personal initiative resulted in this promotion after only one year of employment with the company.
TEAM ORIENTED. Trained and mentored team of copywriters. Listened to team members’ input. Partnered with clients, graphic designers and marketing staff to produce state-of-the-art communications programs. Advocated for creative brief improvements and presented ideas to upper management.
PROGRESSIVE. Led initiatives to update company website and develop new screening and immunizations product. Wrote impactful content for health care organizations’ personalized direct mail and online campaigns. Customized messaging based on patients’ age, gender, race and/or health risk factors in order to drive higher response rates than traditional, static copy.
KEY WINS: My training manual and on-the-job mentoring helped copywriters be successful in their roles. Spearheaded company’s first website overhaul in more than a decade. Won five awards for best-in-class copy.
OTHER POSITION HELD AT CPM: Copywriter 2007-2008 -
Marketing SpecialistADP Screening and Selection ServicesSep 2002 - Apr 2007 (4 years 7 months)ORIGINAL. Brainstormed creative and fresh approach to welcome new customers and kickstart ordering. Devised superhero-themed welcome kit, complete with X-ray vision 3-D decoder glasses, FAQ collector cards, a comic book and mask. Developed strategy based on customers' ordering history.
WRITING CHAMP. Wrote convincing marketing materials, including B2C and B2B communications. Produced white papers, direct mail copy, email promotions, news articles, and website copy.
EYE FOR DESIGN. Utilized aesthetic flare and basic graphic design skills to create marketing collateral. Developed new form factors, including an interactive postcard.
ORGANIZED. Served as project manager overseeing and directing development and implementation of custom online price. Worked with sales, customer service and account management to identify tool requirements. Prioritized teams' needs, gained management approval and documented functionality. Orchestrated beta testing, issue resolution and rollout. Wrote training manual, conducted training sessions and maintained tool.
KEY WINS: Achieved performance goals each fiscal year. Increased new customer orientations and webinars based on comprehensive welcome campaign. Standardized pricing and estimate process for sales team.
OTHER POSITION HELD AT ADP: Marketing Assistant 2002-2004 -
Communications TechnicianPoudre School DistrictSep 2001 - Aug 2002 (11 months)PR MAVEN. Generated newsworthy story ideas for the media. Researched, wrote, edited and distributed all district press releases.
DIVERSE COMMUNICATOR. Researched and wrote content for district newsletters and annual report. Promoted TEENation, an Internet radio station. Wrote video script for district’s TV station. Wrote posters for Read Across America and American Education Week. Assisted with school marketing campaign to boost enrollment.
ENGAGING. Interacted with wide variety of audiences, ranging from elementary school students to high schoolers, teachers and school district administrative staff. Conducted journalistic interviews and formed natural connections. Photographed subjects for district publications and website.
KEY WINS: Achieved 42 percent placement rate with local and state media. Quickly adapted to new industry, processes and technology platforms.
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Awards
• 2012 AMERICAN ADVERTISING FEDERATION: Two Silver ADDYs
• 2011 AMERICAN ADVERTISING FEDERATION: Silver ADDY
• 2010 HERMES CREATIVE AWARDS: Platinum Award
• 2009 HERMES CREATIVE AWARDS: Gold Award
• 2009 ASTER AWARDS: Gold Award -
Industries
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Skills
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Elsewhere on the Web
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On Coroflot@JillMSchaefer, member since 2010
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