Steven Calder

Online copywriter at Freelance
From March 9, 2007 and still in this role.

SEO savvy copywriter with particular expertise in email marketing, pay per click advertising (inc. landing page optimisation / microsite development), enewsletter production and social media. A few highlights from Steve's 20-year career include: * An email programme that achieved an unprecedented 63.6% open and 52.7% click-through rate resulting in 2,419 orders worth over £1m * A magazine insert campaign that generated £9.1m in new sales * A member-get-member initiative that resulted in over 2,600 new leads * A marketing collateral redesign that boosted year on year leads: sales conversions by over 30% * A 'micro' Internet site that outperformed the firm's traditional (coupon and freephone-based) response mechanisms by 217% * A direct mail pack that outsold the company’s longstanding 'control' by 64% * An all-new brochure concept that increased annual sales of special interest 'activity' holidays from 759 to 1,220 * A self-developed enewsletter targeting previous enquirers that created £485,000 in incremental sales (from a standing start) * A press ad series that doubled the combined revenues of two preceding campaigns * A programme of PPC (pay per click) ads and accompanying landing pages that slashed the client’s cost-per-lead from £68 to £36 Among Steve's recent copywriting credits you'll find: * A 20-minute DVD script and accompanying series of direct response TV ads, for a premier holiday company * A prospectus for a prestigious international MBA programme * Search engine optimised websites for a leading law firm, a Dutch engineering company, and a villa rental agency * An annual report for an offshore services company serving the petrochemical industry * Seminars and training materials for a global airline, an NGO, and a CAD software vendor * A press relations campaign for a provider of call centre automation solutions * Staff and customer magazines and newsletters for a container shipping company, a semi conductor manufacturer, a holiday company, and a global mail, express and logistics provider * An SEO copywriting project for a new Internet based property sales business

Online marketing manager at HPB
From September 5, 2005

· Launched new online marketing department, with four direct reports. · Redesigned and rewrote existing corporate website - and implemented a link building campaign - to ensure ‘above the fold’ prominence in search engine rankings for key search terms. · Deployed content management systems and processes to facilitate timely and efficient (remote and interdepartmental) updating of over 30 self-developed regional websites. · Created online version of the company’s customer magazine, harnessing ‘web 2.0’ (social media) technologies - including a forum and photo–sharing - to create an interactive investor community. · Rolled out broader social media strategy, employing GoogleEarth, YouTube and Facebook. · Originated new ecommerce-enabled websites to support the firm's subsidiary travel and property letting companies. · Pioneered a staff Extranet and regular enewsletter to facilitate communication and knowledge-sharing between management and the firm’s geographically dispersed workforce. · Ramped unique-visitor numbers to 100,000+ per month - and increased leads:sales ratios by over 29% - contributing to a £6m uplift in new investment and two record sales years. · Managed targeted affiliate campaign - to raise the company’s profile and drive new traffic. · Developed individualised direct email campaigns - to maximise property occupancy, stimulate travel services sales, and attract new leads. · Generated over £1,200,000 in new revenue from a targeted email campaign, which achieved unprecedented open rates of 63.6% and click-throughs (to a dedicated microsite) of 52.7%. · Spearheaded a PPC (pay per click) ad campaign for the firm’s villa rental division - generating over 1,200 new leads, and slashing sales costs by in excess of 40%. · Increased customer referrals by over 18%, via an integrated (customer magazine, email and web-based) ‘member-get-member’ promotion.

Account director at YTKO
From August 17, 1997 until January 1, 2002.

Sep 1996 – Jul 2005 YTKO (pan-European direct marketing agency, specialised in ICT) Various roles including: General manager, Amsterdam–based pan-European channel marketing support team / call centre. Account director, responsible for devising and project-managing channel and direct marketing initiatives on behalf of Compaq, Dell, and their software partners. Director of editorial services with overall responsibility for copy and content, working both with agency personnel and a ‘virtual’ team of freelance writers. Highlights • Managed a series of full-day seminars to showcase the combined infrastructure offering of EDS, DEC and Microsoft. Produced all content and supporting presentation materials; secured venue and briefed speakers; defined and delivered audience acquisition programme (employing direct mail, telemarketing and PR); secured new leads for the sales team via follow-up telemarketing campaign. • Developed cost–effective ‘guerrilla marketing’ campaign for promotion of Bentley Systems’ pioneering workflow management and web–based collaboration tools. Leveraged the specialist trade press, direct mail and Internet. 500+ leads were generated from 3,200 contacts. • Created an all–new publication for YTKO to reinforce relationships with the agency’s VC (venture capitalist) clients. The White Paper featured the latest industry stories and best practice ideas to help investors support their portfolios of (mostly biotech and IT) start–up companies. • Played a key role in the creation of the DEC pan-European PartnerPOINT channel marketing centre, an initiative to ‘better engage with DEC’s pan–European dealer channel’. Recruited, trained and managed a multi–lingual support team and developed a secure dealer Extranet and series of co-op marketing campaigns to bolster the relationship. Successfully promoted the programme to wholesalers and resellers throughout Europe via native-language telemarketing, direct mail, email, and PR.