WORK EXAMPLES
This isn’t a full portfolio.
It’s a small set of examples that show the kind of work I do and the outcomes I care about: clearer stories, better leads, campaigns that actually support sales, and marketing teams who know what they’re doing.
Most of this work was done in agency environments. The same thinking is what I now bring to founder-led SMEs in East Lancashire as a fractional Head of Marketing.
13x ROI FROM
INBOUND CONTENT
Long-term inbound and e-commerce growth
HubSpot AWARD WINNER
Shoes For Crews Europe – inbound content programme with 13x ROI
Context
Shoes For Crews Europe wanted their e-commerce channel to become a serious, predictable revenue driver – not just a bolt-on to traditional sales.
Challenge
They were investing in content and campaigns, but needed a long-term strategy that would:
Pay for itself (and then some)
Stand up to scrutiny from finance
Keep growing traffic and revenue over several years, not just one campaign
What I did
As Head of Creative at Digital 22, I helped shape and oversee content production as part of a multi-year inbound programme:
Built a content strategy aligned to real buyer problems rather than product features
Used HubSpot to put proper lifecycle marketing in place (nurture, abandoned carts, product journeys)
Worked with the client and internal team to prioritise the content and campaigns that actually moved traffic, leads and revenue
Results
Return on investment of around 10:1 in year one, never dropping below that and rising as high as 13:1 in later years
Retail e-commerce revenue grew from roughly €400k to €1.1m+, with around 25% year-on-year growth driven by inbound
Site traffic grew to around 1.9m visitors per year, with over half of that coming from organic search and a multiple-hundred-percent increase vs the early years
What this proves
Strategic, long-term inbound and lifecycle marketing that finance can get behind – and that actually grows a channel, not just vanity metrics. Read the full case on the agency blog here.
Revenue attributed to inbound content
+£2.25M
INFLUENCED REVENUE
Content & campaigns tied to real revenue
Newcastle University – content supporting £2.25m+ in tuition fees
Context
Newcastle University wanted to use content and digital campaigns to support student recruitment – and to prove that marketing activity was contributing to applications and fee income, not just page views.
Challenge
Multiple internal stakeholders, from marketing to admissions
A need to demonstrate that content and campaigns were influencing real applications
Prospective students and parents with very different questions, anxieties and decision triggers
What I did
Within the Digital 22 team, I contributed to the inbound strategy and lead key content and creative execution for a multi-year recruitment programme:
Helped deliver written and rich content that addressed genuine student and parent questions at each stage of the journey
Supported the creation of lead magnets and nurture flows that moved prospects from interest through to application
Worked with the client team to track performance beyond clicks – through to leads, influenced applications and estimated fee value
Results
Tens of thousands of blog views and content downloads, plus strong video engagement
Over a thousand marketing qualified leads and dozens of influenced applications
More than £2m in tuition fees linked back to marketing activity from the programme
What this proves
I’m comfortable in complex, stakeholder-heavy environments and I care about connecting content to commercial outcomes, not just engagement.
4x website
submissions
4X WEBSITE SUBMISSIONS BY Simplifying a complex B2B offer
HubSpot AWARD WINNER
WiFi SPARK – segmenting by sector and sharpening the website
Context
WiFi SPARK sells managed WiFi and engagement platforms into sectors like healthcare, retail and transport. Buyers range from IT and operations to patient experience teams.
Challenge
The previous approach tried to talk to too many sectors at once, diluting the message
The website structure made it harder, not easier, for buyers to see themselves
The small internal marketing team needed a realistic way to nurture different sectors
What I did
The team I led at Digital 22 worked on the strategy and content for a sector-led approach:
Helped define key personas and clarify the most important sectors
Developed a content plan that focused on the biggest issues in healthcare, retail and transport
Supported a redesign of the website to move from a long list of sectors to three core sectors on the homepage, so visitors could immediately recognise themselves
Worked with the team on segmentation in HubSpot so that lists, emails and content were tailored by sector and intent rather than “one size fits all”
Results (in addition to a HubSpot Impact Award)
Significant year-on-year growth in blog traffic (well into three-figure percentage increases)
Sector-specific content and landing pages generating a healthy flow of downloads and new contacts
A clearer, more focused website that supported campaigns and gave sales a better platform to work from
What this proves
I can help complex B2B businesses simplify their story, focus on the right segments and build inbound that a small internal team can actually manage.
BRAND ACTIVATION WITH
EMOTIONAL
IMPACT & DEAL CREATION
Avidly Activates event - From idea to sales
Event with +87 Net Promoter Score and deals in the pipeline
Context
At Avidly we wanted to create a flagship event in the North West that would:
Bring together senior sales and marketing leaders
Showcase Avidly and partners like HubSpot and Girls in Marketing
Generate real pipeline, not just buzz and selfies
We chose a non-city venue in Clitheroe and needed to prove the event could work commercially as well as experientially.
Challenge
Launch a new event brand in a crowded market of “marketing events”
Drive registrations and attendance without it feeling like a sales pitch
Make sponsors and partners genuinely glad they were involved
What I did
As Head of Marketing, I led the concept and campaign for Avidly Activates:
Developed the event brand, narrative and messaging so it felt like a useful, free half-day for serious practitioners, not a thinly veiled sales event
Oversaw email, organic and paid social across LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok
Worked with partners, the venue and internal teams to make sure the experience matched the promise – from talks and timings to visuals and follow-up
Results
Over 180k social impressions, with a strong chunk from organic activity
100+ registrations and a record turnout on the day for an Avidly UK event of this type
Dozens of new contacts into the CRM and thousands of existing contacts engaged through the campaign
Event NPS of 87, with high ratings for talk quality and venue
Multiple new sales opportunities created directly from the event, with further pipeline influence afterwards
What this proves
I can take an event from “idea” to brand, campaign, experience and pipeline – not just logistics and a few LinkedIn posts.
40,000 local
accounts reached with
zero ad spend
Local, low-budget campaign thinking For Burnley CC
Burnley Cricket Club – turning a cup final into a local mini-brand
Context
Burnley Cricket Club hosted the 99th JW Lees Worsley Cup final – a flagship day in the Lancashire cricket calendar – and wanted to turn it into a genuine community event rather than “just another fixture”.
Challenge
Zero advertising budget
A need to rely on word-of-mouth brand building, press comms and local relationships rather than media spend
Stakeholders, sponsors and partners to keep happy, plus members and casual fans to engage… Alongside regular club communications
What I did
Co-created a simple, distinctive mini-brand for the final, with clear messaging and visuals that stood out from standard fixture promotions
Developed a comms plan using social media, email, on-ground posters and local press angles
Activated local sponsors and partners to help spread the word and add value on the day
Shaped on-the-day experiences so it felt like an occasion, not just a match (food, activities, atmosphere)
Results
Uplift of 10x spectators in attendance from the regular ~200 to 2,000+ on the day with a healthy percentage of non-regulars
40,000 accounts with reach with close to 70% non-follower share, promoting a local sports event run on a £0 ads budget
Positive feedback from the club, sponsors and supporters on how “big” the day felt and a playbook the club can reuse and adapt for future big fixtures
What this proves
I can apply the same thinking I use for agencies and B2B firms to real-world, low-budget local events – which is often the reality for marketing events hosted by SMEs.
Leadership & team development
A lot of my value isn’t just in campaigns – it’s in how marketing is structured and how people grow.
In my agency roles I’ve:
Built and led a content marketing function for a large HubSpot partner agency
Worked with People & Culture on roles, competency frameworks and 1-to-1 structures
Helped junior and entry-level marketers grow into confident co-ordinators and managers
Connected marketing, sales and leadership so everyone is clearer on what “good” looks like
What others say
“Paul helped me grow from a junior writer into a confident content marketer who understands how my work connects to revenue. His feedback was clear, fair and always linked back to the bigger picture.”
— Mayzin Han, Content Writer
“Working with Paul on roles and competency frameworks helped us give people real clarity on what was expected of them and how they could develop. He cares about both the work and the humans doing it.”
— Mel Stuttard, Talent & Culture Director
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR SITUATION
Use this form to tell me a bit about your business, your current marketing setup, and what you’d like to change.
I’ll reply with a suggestion for a short call and a couple of ways I might be able to help – or I’ll tell you honestly if I’m not the right fit.