Maria Orlando, Digital Marketing & Brand Strategist

About

My purpose? To help luxury brands, SMEs, business owners and entrepreneurs, build, grow and scale their online business through a combination of emotional marketing and proven step-by-step digital strategies that merge content, community management and media buying. Marketing is bringing value to your audience and potential customers. And this is how I have always approached to it. The 95% of human decision-making is based on unconscious mechanisms and feelings. This is why marketing has to be emotional. The key is learning to listen rather than to hear, building relationships and trust, which is one of the biggest factors in consumers making a purchasing decision. I bring over 11 years of solid experience in Digital Marketing, Branding, Social Media and Project Management, in different markets such as: Travel & Hospitality, Luxury Goods, Pharma and Legal services, Fashion & Beauty, Lifestyle, Technology, Entertainment, VR and even Video Games. I planned, managed and delivered projects for both B2B and B2C, and enjoyed many executive positions both remote and in-office. This made me a versatile professional able to bring methodologies that can help try new things and stand out. I'm passionate and highly motivated to solve leaders' challenges. I do this a number of ways: * Entrepreneurship & Marketing Direction - Building scalable businesses that help humans unlock their full potential and stand out as high brand of choice. Handling multiple daily SMM activities, creating higly engaging content and implementing new strategies * Business Coaching - Working with executives, entrepreneurs and high achievers to achieve business objectives, and training marketing employees to provide the right digital strategies to succeed * Brand Management - Ensuring the alignment of all marketing assets with brand standards, coordinating and overseeing the process of product development, email marketing campaigns, communication, press releases, and evaluating potential business growth opportunities * Public Relations - Building and maintaining strategic stakeholder, partner and media relationships, maximizing growth opportunities

Experience

Travellector

Jun 2014 – Present

Slow travel blog

Travellector.com is my luxury travel blog for both luxury day trippers and local culture lovers. I provide the finest travel tips, experiences and travel itineraries tailor-made on personality types. My project has its origin in my deep passion for traveling together with my expertise in blogging and courses about the development of personality. My marketing and SEO skills let me reach a large amount of visitors per month. The 90% of organic traffic is from Google.

Maria Sole Orlando

Sep 2009 – Present

Digital Marketing and Branding

Since 2009, I have been working with luxury brands, SMEs, business owners and entrepreneurs, to help them use digital marketing effectively to increase revenue and profitability, build a strong brand, design experiences to sell and stand out as high-end brand of choice.

Stormind Games

Jan 2017 – Feb 2019

Social Media & PR Manager - Brand Manager

I carried out all SM, brand and PR activities both for Stormind Games (B2B) and Remothered (B2C), a survival horror game for PC and consoles. Through a tailored strategy (community management, content marketing, social media and email marketing), I built the brand from scratch, strengthening it on all digital channels. The communication has been appreciated by some of the most important experts in video games at Milan Games Week for being highly creative and led the game to win the Best Italian Game Award 2018. * I handled multiple daily SMM activities (development and implementation of new social media strategies, production of creative digital content, completion of detailed market research to give strength to the brand with no loss of performance) leading a transversal team of 8 professionals among devs, graphic experts, copywriters, advertising specialists and I supported commercial strategies through CTA study. I have increased the number of fans from 6k to 55k in a year and a half and the engagement on social media by 270%, both organically and paid, contributing to sell 100K copies in 2 years. * I managed online PR (newsletter, email marketing) building and establishing strong connections with influencers, journalists, publishers and bloggers from all parts of the world. The positive and empathetic approach I had resulted in increased popularity on social media and blogs. I was also a support for exhibitions and events. * I wrote persuasive copy for social media, Facebook ADV, graphics and videos, emails, from a SEO perspective. This, together with visual and artistic graphics, resulted in a high engagement from 0% to 300%.

Red Raion

Jan 2017 – Feb 2019

Social Media Manager - Brand Manager

I was responsible for all aspects of brand communications, social media and PR marketing. * I planned a tailor-made SMM strategy (creation of social media content according to the editorial plan and community management) focusing on personal and corporate branding to add a human value to the company and coordinating marketing activities with all the transversal team of 8 people (devs, graphic experts, copywriters, commercial department, media planning and advertising department). I also analyzed, evaluated and created reports (support to commercial strategies through CTA study). The creative and emotional marketing strategy resulted in increased following and engagement by 250%. * I built and maintained strategic stakeholder, partner and media relationships and represented the firm at various trade shows, events and sales meetings. Meeting clients and potential clients strenghtened the trust and loyalty relationship. The emotional approach resulted in increased trust and led the company to sales increase.

Compagnia della Bellezza

Jan 2012 – Dec 2012

Digital Marketing & Social Media Manager - Business Strategist - Copywriter

* I planned online and offline strategies to gain new leads and customers to join the franchise, and to build a community through a strategic social media plan. The result was an increase in followers and clients. * I wrote SEO optimized articles, press releases and keynote speeches. * I worked closely with the CEOs to share my creative ideas and strategic advice during the presentation of new collections and the planning process of fashion tradeshows.

Studio Gambera

May 2011 – May 2012

Project Leader & Social Media Manager - Strategic Planner

* I was responsible for planning and organizing personal development training courses for companies and entrepreneurs. Through a well organized plan I created not only an online strategy (social media and blogging) to build and engage with the community, but also an offline one (events). The way I helped customers, providing advice on purchasing services, led the company to sales increase. * I made direct arrangements with hotels and restaurants for courses and events. * I also wrote copy and created brand-oriented business brochures.

AV Eventi e Formazione

Jan 2010 – Aug 2010

Project Manager & Event Manager

I managed a work team of 4 people and was responsible of planning and organizing pharma and medical congresses, but also cultural events and masterclasses with well-known Italian experts. I provided the participants and doctors all the support needed and all the assistance regarding logistic and travel arrangements.

Medea Communications

Sep 2009 – Dec 2009

Project Manager & Event Manager

* I planned, organized and managed pharma congresses and conferences, and I was responsible for International events such as “European Frontier in Ocular Pharmacology” and “European Frontiers in Neuropsychopharmacology” with Italian and foreign Professors of Medicine. I defined the project, building its comprehensive work plan, and managing to the budget, but I also led the team. * I provided the participants all the support needed regarding logistic and travel arrangements (flight tickets, hotel reservations, catering service, transfers, business meetings, gala dinners). Through a strategic and business management, critical thinking and the creation of strong relationships with customers I increased the number of participants by 70% leading each event to success. The effort I put in planning events, paying attention to details, and the trust relationship I built with the clients, led to an increase of events and also a major participation in only 3 months.

Education

University of Catania, Italy

Master's Degree, magna cum laude, Languages and Culture Studies, English, Spanish, English Literature, Spanish Literature, Hispano-American Literature, Media and Communication

Maria Orlando

Digital Marketing & Brand Strategist

Skills

Languages