Cory Williams

About

Experienced marketer, problem solver, and self-starter with a proven track record for driving results and terrible puns. Big fan of empathy, mentorship, and Oxford commas. With over 12 years of experience in brand and social media marketing, I lead the social media and influencer marketing team at Handshake, the top network for early talent recruiting. My goal is to make Handshake culturally relevant and drive engagement across our B2B and B2C social-first audiences. VERTICAL EXPERIENCE Health & Wellness | CPG | EdTech | Fitness | Financial Services | Beer & Alcohol | Entertainment | Insurance | Non-Profit | SMB | Food & Beverage | Higher Education | Lawn & Garden | Outdoor Apparel PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS Social Media Marketing | Brand Strategy | Content Strategy | Channel Strategy | Community Management | Cross-functional Collaboration | Integrated Campaign Planning | Video Production | Analytics & Measurement | Influencer Management | Paid Media Management | Process Improvement | Executive Communications PLATFORMS Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest | Snapchat | Discord | LinkedIn | Spotify

Experience

• Head of Social Media & Influencer Marketing · Handshake05-01-2022

  Lead organic social media and influencer marketing communications strategy, resulting in a 30% YOY growth in engagement rate across channels for Handshake's three-sided marketplace. Hired as part of the Brand Marketing team to help meet goals for engagement, community growth, and a deeper relationship with Gen Z students. Execute over 145 influencer partnerships, resulting in a 55% average follower growth MoM for Handshakes TikTok. Drive brand awareness through a 68% increase in average content virality rate on Instagram. 5x increase in average LinkedIn engagement rate through strategic planning, content ideation, and creative improvements. Establish executive thought leadership strategy resulting in 20% increase in following to drive brand awareness and establish expertise.

• Connections and Consumer Engagement Manager · The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company02-01-2022 – 05-01-2022

  Developed and executed social media strategy, voice, and platform approach across new and existing social channels for Miracle-Gro, Bonnie Plants, Ortho, and Tomcat brands. Partnered with key business stakeholders in customer insights, consumer services, creative, product, paid media, and corporate communications. Wrote and refined creative briefs to ensure social-first content is briefed and delivered by agency partners. Managed and coached team of two social media analysts, community lead, content strategist.

• Social Media Lead · The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company02-01-2021 – 02-01-2022

  Awarded 'Rookie of the Year' in 2021, seven months into the role, out of 100+ new marketing team members due to cross-functional collaboration marketing excellence in a matrixed organization. Developed and implemented innovative social media strategies to deepen consumer engagement across social media platforms. Fostered strong team identity and cross-functional collaboration, driving leadership and strategic alignment across brand, creative, and communications departments to elevate brand presence and impact. Early adopter to new social platforms and tools resulted in an innovative Facebook group for gardeners with 70% average growth month over month to achieve community growth goals.

• Freelance Brand Marketing Strategist · The Sasha Group11-01-2020 – 02-01-2021

  As a Freelance Brand Marketing Strategist, likely contributed to developing and executing brand marketing strategies, providing insights and recommendations to clients, and supporting various marketing initiatives.

• Account Director · Motive: A Project WorldWide Agency08-01-2020 – 10-01-2020

  Advised clients on brand campaigns, social media, content marketing, digital marketing, and influencer campaigns, achieving significant business results for brands like Ruffles, Brisk Iced Tea, and Activia Yogurt, and e-commerce outdoor apparel brands. Developed and executed holistic social content strategies across multiple platforms, ensuring consistent brand engagement. Produced real-time social engagement strategies and social-first campaigns. Led cross-functional teams and collaborated with various departments to develop briefs, integrated campaigns, manage budgets, and provide consistent insights on performance. Build paid media strategies that aligned with client business objectives.

Education

• Virginia TechBachelor's Degree, Communication

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