Recommendation from Adriana Rodriguez at Palo Alto University

Recommendation from Adriana Rodriguez at Palo Alto University

“I worked closely with Michelle while she was a contractor at Palo Alto University, where she played a central role as part of our External Affairs team.

“Michelle immersed herself in PAU’s culture and community and became a trusted partner in shaping our brand voice and public presence. She managed our social media channels and external-facing newsletter, developed and led our editorial calendar, facilitated large-scale content meetings with stakeholders across the university, and led strategic advertising campaigns. Her work strengthened brand consistency, increased brand awareness, and improved how we showed up across channels.

“Michelle has a unique ability to combine strong storytelling with a strategic understanding of how messaging, audience, and platforms work together. She immersed herself in the content she created and knew how to meaningfully engage our audiences, even when working with complex or sensitive stories. She is also highly knowledgeable about current social media platforms, trends, and best practices, and she uses performance data to inform decisions and refine strategy.

“The content meetings Michelle led were large and cross-functional, with stakeholders from across the university. She kept these meetings focused, productive, and on track. Michelle also played a key role in funneling content from across departments into a clear messaging framework that increased external engagement and visibility. She is highly collaborative, deeply knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with.

“I truly miss working with Michelle and would highly recommend her to any organization seeking a strategic, brand-minded, and data-savvy communications professional.”

Adriana Rodriguez

Brand, Communications, and Events Manager

Palo Alto University

Recommendation from Adriana Rodriguez at Palo Alto University

Recommendation from Rebecca Levy, Director of External Affairs at Palo Alto University

Recommendation from Rebecca Levy, Director of External Affairs at Palo Alto University

“Michelle has worked as a contractor for Palo Alto University’s External Affairs Department for four-plus years. She has been instrumental in managing the University’s multiple social media accounts and producing our monthly e-newsletter. She also has responsibility for writing stories and developing digital content. I couldn’t have asked for a more professional, conscientious and reliable partner! A strategist as well as a tactician, Michelle regularly contributes creative and insightful ideas, keeping our audiences in mind, while supporting our goals and making us shine. She is also incredibly organized, detail-oriented, and responsive on short notice. It is a privilege to have Michelle’s expertise in our corner! I would hire her again and highly recommend her!”

Rebecca Levy

Director of External Affairs

Palo Alto University

Learn more about the marketing I do for nonprofits and universities.

Recommendation from Rebecca Levy, Director of External Affairs at Palo Alto University

Facebook Ads: A Case Study of Promoted Posts vs Carousels

Facebook Ads: A Case Study of Promoted Posts vs Carousels

In a previous position, I was in charge of the social media channels for a non-profit. We received significant feedback from our audiences offline that Facebook was a major way they heard about us. One person mentioned seeing our posts all of the time. Another loved our Meatless Monday recipes. Another person found out about an event through Facebook. Everyone seemed to comment on a facet of our Facebook posts that they loved.

And while I appreciated that feedback, my Facebook data on the website told a slightly different story.

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How to Build a Non-Profit Blog Editorial Calendar

How to Build a Non-Profit Blog Editorial Calendar

A blog is a great tool for non-profits. It gives you control over your own news channel essentially.

Without a blog, you can put out press releases and photos all day long, but if the news outlets don’t pick it up, it feels like the news never happened. If you have your own blog, you can post the press release there, along with photos, links, and more materials, then share all of that on social media, on your website, and in an e-newsletter. But if you’re thinking of starting a blog and don’t have a lot of content, you may wonder how to get started.

A blog editorial calendar will help you with timing, messaging, and management. Here’s how to build one:

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How to Build an E-News Editorial Calendar

How to Build an E-News Editorial Calendar

Most non-profits and small businesses know they need to send out regular e-newsletters, but for many it can be a daunting and overwhelming task. If you’re not running an e-news program already, it might seem like a huge new responsibility. If you already have an e-newsletter, it might seem like a drag on your week or month.

I understand the limitations non-profits and small businesses have, like finite staff and resources, but e-newsletters are the #1 way to reach out to your fans, even above social media. To clarify: storefronts and websites are the #1 and #2 ways to be found, but e-newsletters are the #1 way to reach out to your core audience, and social media is the #2 way to reach out to your core audience, given that social messages can easily be buried in the News Feed of time. If someone gives you their e-mail address, they’re inviting a conversation and indicating some level of commitment to your cause.

So how do you reach out to these folks without diverting too much time from your other work? And how do you prevent it from becoming a drudge?

The answer is: utilize an editorial calendar.

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Determining the purpose of your non-profit e-newsletter

Determining the purpose of your non-profit e-newsletter

Many non-profits have e-newsletters, but they’re often thought of as something that just “must” be done. Maybe you inherited the e-newsletter from a predecessor or your marketing team has decided to “keep in touch” with donors and supporters. But there are many purposes a non-profit e-newsletter can have and it’s important to identify the primary and secondary purposes so you can evaluate the success of your e-newsletter program.

So let’s take a look at three possible purposes for an e-newsletter and ways to improve given those purposes.

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Growing your non-profit e-news subscriber list

Growing your non-profit e-news subscriber list

Along the spectrum of engagement, an e-news subscriber has taken the first very real step toward supporting your organization. But do you actively give all of your fans and supporters the opportunity to subscribe? Consider all of these points of entries and your e-news subscriber list could grow 218%, like the one I managed for three years at a statewide non-profit.

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