Kelly Johnson

Head of Marketing @Origin Story

🧮 Education💸 Marketing🧨 Consulting

I have 20 years of experience developing successful, data-driven, integrated marketing and content strategies for various tech companies. Previously, I held content and marketing leadership roles at companies such as Sixt, Lever, and Udacity. In each role, I drove an understanding of market trends, consumer behavior, and the evolving landscape of digital marketing, with the ability to align content efforts with business objectives that consistently deliver measurable results. I was honored to be a finalist for Masthead Media’s 2021 Content Marketer of the Year Award. Additionally, I’m a 2020 BrightEdge Edgie Award Winner, which recognizes excellence in content marketing and SEO.

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Work Background

Origin StoryFounder

Jan. 2024RemoteOrigin Story was established to help solopreneurs and small business owners unlock the potential of their brand to build and execute marketing strategies to drive growth.

SIXTHead of Marketing, North America

Jun. 2023 - Dec. 2023Miami-Fort Lauderdale AreaLed the multi-channel marketing strategy in the US in partnership with the global office. Drove successful partnerships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, using in-stadium branding and social media content to enhance Sixt's brand presence in the US. Scaled the US marketing team by hiring highly talented professionals with the specific expertise needed.

LeverSenior Director, Content & Web Strategy

Jan. 2022 - Dec. 2023United StatesLed the successful messaging update and UX refresh for Lever, positioning it as the premier applicant tracking system. Implemented a content and SEO strategy that resulted in a 21% increase in organic traffic and a 39% improvement in rankings while building a high-performing content team.

AbraSenior Director of Content & SEO

Jan. 2021 - Dec. 2022Defined and built a content and social media strategy that shared Abra’s unique perspective on the crypto market and engaged the crypto community with quality content. Ensured brand consistency in copy through tone, voice, and terminology for all content needs, including social media and email. Drove video strategy and production of the CEO’s weekly livestream.

UdacityHead of Field and Corporate Social Responsibility Marketing

Aug. 2021 - Oct. 2021Mountain View, California, United StatesWorked cross-functionally with sales, program management, and content teams to build e-learning programs that upskilled underrepresented groups for Udacity's B2B customers. Launched the Udacity Pledge to Equality Scholarship that awarded ~1K Nanodegree program scholarships to members of the Black community to increase representation in the technology industry. Created the Udacity Pledge to Equality Internship program that placed five graduates in paid internships at the company.

UdacityDirector, Content and SEO

Mar. 2020 - Aug. 2021Mountain View, California, United StatesRebuilt the global SEO and content strategy to drive a 58% improvement y-o-y in tracked KWs ranking on page 1 of search. Grew high-intent, non-brand organic traffic to the blog by 97% y-o-y. Increased organic traffic to the root domain by 14% y-o-y.

ForgeDirector, Content Strategy

Jan. 2019 - Feb. 2020San Francisco Bay AreaIn the first month, orchestrated the marketing and PR efforts for a successful rebranding of a growing fintech company. Implemented a robust content strategy resulting in a remarkable 460% increase in organic blog traffic, established influential media relationships, secured coverage in top-tier outlets, and spearheaded a CSR initiative through a strategic partnership with Full Circle Fund. Additionally, led impactful events such as Forge's Open House, SALT Conference, The WSJ Future of VC Summit, and The WSJ D Tech Live Conference to enhance brand awareness.

SensaiSenior Director, Content Marketing

Jan. 2018 - Dec. 2019San Francisco Bay AreaEstablished a data-driven content marketing and social media strategy for Sensai, resulting in a 157% year-over-year increase in organic blog traffic. Developed a content strategy that positioned Sensai as a thought leader in AI and social media marketing. Oversaw a well-structured content marketing calendar and analyzed metrics to optimize content engagement and the customer journey.

RippleHead of Content

Jan. 2017 - Dec. 2018San Francisco, CaliforniaDeveloped a comprehensive content strategy for all stages of the marketing funnel in collaboration with the communications and demand generation teams. As the global editor-in-chief for Ripple, established an editorial mission, vision, and calendar, including a localization plan for critical regions, and fostered partnerships across various departments to create impactful thought leadership content.

Reputation.comDirector, Content Marketing

Feb. 2016 - Sep. 2017Redwood CitySuccessfully owned and defined a content marketing strategy for Reputation.com, resulting in a 20% increase in blog traffic and improved conversion rates. Led the rebranding effort, establishing Reputation.com as a leading online reputation management provider, and implemented targeted SEO and social media strategies that increased organic search traffic by 10% and LinkedIn engagement by 17%, respectively. Collaborated with various teams to develop a robust editorial calendar, content assets for specific campaigns, and a library of sales enablement content showcasing the platform's capabilities.

Jiff, Inc. (acquired by Castlight)Senior Manager, Content Marketing

Jan. 2015 - Dec. 2016Oakland, CaliforniaDeveloped a data-driven content marketing strategy for Jiff, resulting in a 50% increase in blog traffic and improved SEO rankings. Launched a successful social media strategy, increasing engagement by 69%, and collaborated with key stakeholders to create a content series, establishing Jiff as the market-leading enterprise health benefits platform.

App AnnieSr. Content Marketing Manager/ Sr. Marketing Producer

May. 2014 - Dec. 2014San Francisco, CaliforniaLed the development and execution of comprehensive content marketing plans for App Annie, resulting in a 20% increase in blog traffic and enhanced search discoverability. Coordinated with internal marketing functions to deliver compelling content across channels, campaigns, and sales efforts. Managed large-scale content marketing programs, created processes for on-time content delivery, and collaborated with APAC and EMEA teams to establish a localization process for high-quality translated content in print and web marketing materials.

Future USSr. Project Manager, Content Marketing Solutions

Jan. 2014 - Dec. 2014Led the creation of compelling content marketing campaigns for high-profile clients like ASUS, Sony, EA, and Amazon, conducting weekly meetings with key stakeholders, closely managing and mentoring project managers, and implementing an editorial calendar to align sales and marketing efforts with timely themes.

Future USOperations Editor at TechRadar.com

Jan. 2012 - Dec. 2014South San FranciscoBuilt and led TechRadar's U.S. editorial team, achieving engaging and accurate consumer technology coverage while implementing a successful SEO-focused content strategy that increased site traffic by 8% month over month and 105% year over year. Managed news coverage for major product launches and tech events and oversaw the editorial budget to ensure cost efficiency and quality control for reviews, news, and features.