In 2001 I created my first website, an ‘HTML Help’ page with inline styles and shortcodes for forums. Soon after, I bought my first web hosting plan and earned my first affiliate commission (I spent it on an iPod Mini). After that I launched a blog, created a then-popular forum, and was later amazed to find out that HTML wasn’t in fact a hobby for teenage girls, but something that businesses used in the real world.
I was - and still am - fascinated by the internet in every way. Writing, creating, and promoting have been common factors in all the work I’ve produced, whether it’s a blog post for my own audience or a technical web hosting guide.
I love cats, photography, baking, travelling, geeky board games, video games, and terrible zombie movies.
words that stand out
Practical copy for branding, ranking & profit
My work brings together my two biggest passions: writing, and the web industry. Over the years I’ve written millions of words for blog posts, guides, website copy, event brochures, catalogues, social media channels, marketing emails, PPC adverts, display banners, and a huge range of other web and print applications. I’ve written text to suit all kinds of tones and audiences, from serious website outages to light GIF-filled blog posts.
The copy I write is carefully crafted to balance different goals: attracting the right audience, selling to humans, optimising for search engines, and showcasing the product or service in its best possible light. My copy has sold everything from high-end servers to fresh air (honestly!)
Integration & innovation that keep people coming back
I’ve been managing social media in-house for tech companies since 2010. Blending practicality with creativity, I’ve developed and fine-tuned strategies that result in interesting, well-targeted content and sharing of valuable third party resources. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, and Pinterest are all channels I’ve used extensively in different ways, ensuring the content is a match to each channel rather than just the brand’s audience.
The areas of social media I have extensive experience in include sales queries, targeted advertising, customer support, brand reputation management, competitions, launching and growing channels, day-to-day management, working with PRs and journalists, managing team members, collaborations with both companies and customers, content creation and curation, scheduling, and innovative ideas for campaigns. A few of the projects I’ve come up with and worked on are listed in the Projects section.
Top rankings for competitive terms nationally & internationally
The SEO industry has one of the worst reputations of any field. Questionable practices and misleading claims are rife, including the classic, 'We'll get you on the first page of Google!'. This never means, 'We'll get you on page one for "car insurance"'. It means, 'We'll get you ranking for your brand name and/or some terms that no one ever actually searches for’.
Ranking well for rarely-searched phrases is easy enough. The challenge is ranking for highly competitive transactional terms in high-profit industries. Web hosting is always listed as one of the top ten most competitive industries when it comes to SEO and PPC, and as part of my work in the hosting industry I've secured and consistently held position 1-3 rankings for terms like 'vps', 'web hosting', 'reseller hosting,' and many more. In the API industry, I held my own against Microsoft, Apple, and even Google itself for first page rankings for various calendar terms. I increased a startup's search traffic by over 500% in just three months, a benefit they continue to reap. As part of my work for an established company, I grew direct conversions from organic search to a steady five figures a month.
I’m often asked what my secret is, and it’s pretty simple. Never believe anything until you’ve tested it for yourself. Be consistent, be innovative, and never stop learning.
I've attended and participated in dozens of business and tech industry
events all over the UK, including speaking at Tech Nottingham and Google HQ.
At events I've had all kinds of roles, including attendee, speaker,
sponsor, volunteer, photographer, social media manager, blogger, and
even co-organiser.
Examples of events include Good For Nothing, Startup Business
Weekend, Hack24, Ampersand, MozCon, Canvas, Pixel Pyros, and
the PC Pro Awards. Other than local grassroots meetups, most
of my past and upcoming events can be found on Lanyrd.
Photo: Speaking at Google in London
the art of photography
Relentlessly chasing life and the world through a lens
Taking photos is a huge passion of mine, whether it's with my
smartphone or my DSLR. I completed a photography short course
at Nottingham Trent University in 2013 and I'm always keen to learn more and improve.
I photograph anything and everything, from cake to nuclear
disaster zones. My photos have been used in various different ways, from
advertising university courses to recruiting web developers,
and I use them myself for social media, blogging, and talks.
Other than the photos of me, I took all the photos on Jenni.me. For more of my work, check out my Flickr albums.
A few interesting things I’ve invented & worked on
I love challenging myself creatively, and happily I've worked with some great people
who skilfully bring my ideas to life with phenomenal design and coding.
Power Up: The game
Power Up is a card game designed for Heart Internet customers. As well as being an actual game (similar to Go Fish),
each card includes hints and tips on everything from web design to storytelling. It was available professionally printed
and as a PDF, with complementary limited edition cards. Learn more about Power Up .
Zombie Hunt, Zombie Mansion & Zombie Purge
For three years I invented and ran Heart Internet's Halloween contests. Each year had an original story with plenty of pop culture and geek references, where participants
interacted through 'killing' zombies, solving clues, and a hidden objects game. Check out the poster or the remains of Zombie Hunt, Zombie Mansion & Zombie Purge.
Other Projects
At Heart Internet I was also responsible for coming up with the ideas for and project managing an all-in-one domain name and social media username availability checker, a tool for social media sharing of purchases, a Cookie Law widget, and a Website of the Month competition.