James Spears

JAMES SPEARS Gulfport, MS |-|- | LinkedIn Digital Marketing Professional with over ten years of experience in both B2B and B2C marketing, email marketing, social media management, e-commerce, search engine optimization (SEO), and project management. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Keesler Federal Credit Union Digital Marketing Strategist Gulfport, Mississippi October 2022 to August 2023 • Developed and collaborated on social media content campaigns for Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram using Canva and Adobe Creative Suite, generating 1 million viral impressions in two months that increased B2C brand awareness on a monthly $1.6M ad spend budget. • Used WordPress (CMS), Salesforce, and HubSpot (CRM) to create and execute branding and advertising • • • initiatives that generated a 30% increase (1200 DAU to over 1500 DAU) in website traffic along with a 40% growth (25k to 35k) in total social media follows from the previous year. Studied industry trends to stay ahead of the curve on marketing initiatives while maintaining analytics and KPI to report to the C-suite and other stakeholders. Reduced marketing budget expense by $78,000 per year while maintaining the same or greater view count by taking over the SEO and Reputation Management – quadrupling ROI compared to outsourcing to previously used agencies. Led a team of 13 individuals from marketing, sales, account management, and community development in implementing my marketing strategy, increasing engagement by 1023% and doubling monthly account openings. Downstage Productions Theatre Senior Marketing and Project Manager • • • • Gulfport, Mississippi December 2013 to September 2022 Oversaw 12 projects annually which included overseeing the creation, production and advertising budgets, and management of 40 personnel (including hiring, firing, and performance reviews) that led to a 26% revenue growth year over year. Cut marketing costs by 10% while boosting customer engagement by 20% using Hootsuite (CMS), MailChimp (CRM), and Asana (Project Management) to create marketing events, OOH promotions, and product launches. Utilized ad platforms (Amazon, Google, META Business, and TikTok) to optimize and run high-converting advertisements that resulted in a ROI of 12% per month. Leveraged Excel and Google Sheets to manage in-depth data analysis of surveys, market research, and previous campaigns to construct highly targeted marketing personas, resulting in a 25% increase in conversion rates and a $250,000 boost to annual donations. The Real Zach Rushing, LLC Marketing Manager • • • • Gulfport, Mississippi September 2019 to February 2021 Created and executed an email marketing campaign that generated over $100,000 in sales through our Amazon store front within a single weekend, showcasing adeptness in campaign planning, audience targeting, A/B testing, and conversion optimization. Implemented financial strategies and optimizations that resulted in a steady revenue increase and improved profitability by 35% over the fiscal year. Streamlined operations management processes and resource allocation, leading to a significant 28% reduction in overhead costs and improved efficiency across three departments, demonstrating strong business management acumen and the ability to drive operational excellence. Spearheaded a market expansion initiative, identifying 3 new revenue streams – Patreon Subscription Boxes, Live YouTube Podcast, and Partnership with Local Retailer - that brought in an additional $500,000 in revenue per year. EDUCATION • • • MBA in Marketing, Capella University 2023 BS in Marketing, William Carey University 2014 Associate of Arts, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College 2010 SKILLS • • • • • • Expert in Microsoft software - including SharePoint, Smartsheet, Project, Planner, and Teams. Expert in analytic reporting to executive teams and key stakeholders. Expert in leading cross-functional teams with thought leadership. Expert social media manager – growth, engagement, and content creation. Expert relationship builder – asked to manage CEO of Keesler Federal’s personal LinkedIn account after only two months of working for the organization. Expert in e-commerce platforms – including Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, Facebook Marketplace, Squarespace, and BigCommerce. AWARDS, HONORS, and CERTIFICATIONS • • • • • • Highest Grossing Campaign at The Real Zach Rushing Most Valuable Leader at Keesler Federal Credit Union Member of the National Society of Leadership and Success LinkedIn Certified Marketing Insider META Social Media Marketing Expert Owned and operated a client facing ad agency for 3 years