I blend my HND in psychology with my degree in English and my 20 years of experience in business to bring you expert marketing, copywriting and SEO that engages, entices, entertains...Read moreI blend my HND in psychology with my degree in English and my 20 years of experience in business to bring you expert marketing, copywriting and SEO that engages, entices, entertains and sells. Focusing on organic methods, I write only high quality SEO content for my clients, while indulging in my passion as a features writer for many magazines. I've won awards for my digital marketing but these days I'm more interested in winning awards for you. Please do take a look at my 600+ five star reviews.
I provide organic SEO through honest, white hat, link building techniques, that utilise exceptional content and my contacts in the industry to secure you guest post placements for your brand or business.
I blend my degree in psychology with my marketing expertise and degree in English to bring a perfect combination of skills that utilise my 20 years of business experience to brand, promote, advertise and enhance your business.
Let’s face it, it’s results you want. You don’t want to know about me, (if you do settle down, open my CV and grab a cup of tea!). You want to know what I can do for you, at what price and how fast.
Here’s what I’ve done for others. If you like it, read on, see my experience and then get in touch. I’m waiting!
• Made dozens of businesses rank organically (No PPC or AdWords involved) for the most competitive keywords nationally. Results they never thought I’d achieve but were blown away when I did. They’re still at the top. I write for some very well known sites and am adept at creating high quality backlinks through great content and guest post opportunities, as well as maximising the potential of SEO on site and through the blog of the brand.
• Grown a subscriber list from nothing and with a small marketing budget to over 100,000 by creating a great voice and strategizing the social media alongside marketing and content planning, organic SEO and great copy.
• Carved names out as authorities in industries such as the luxury beauty sector, lifestyle, cosmetics, technology, proximity marketing and electronic cigarettes (for my sins).
• Brought huge attention to brands I’ve worked with through my own social media infamy
• Managed teams of over 60 people and freelancers to reach a common goal that of course, benefits business
• Worked within strict budgets to strict deadlines and gone beyond the book to deliver above expectations
I am, in short, a marketing director, magazine editor and copywriter with a love of the written word, combining my business skills with my HND in psychology and my creative writing qualifications to deliver results that engage, entertain, retain and influence the consumer at every stage of the journey.
I’m loathe to say I’m a good all-rounder but once we get past 30 and have worked in the rat race entrepreneurial environment, aren’t we all?
I’d love it if you found out more. See below.
I bring a unique combination of strategic, editorial and management skills that are needed to be a fully rounded freelancer specialising in marketing, advertising, copywriting and editorial.
Through a history in businesses, developing start-ups and launching new magazines to being promoted to a director of two large companies, my experience and expertise in journalism, psychology, marketing and advertising allow my future employers to benefit from a full package.
I am currently nearing the end of a role as editorial and marketing director for a national company that was backed by our very own Prime Minister and Richard Branson.
I have worked as a successful magazine editor at the highest level for over six years and have excelled in service journalism and managing a team of over 30 writers alongside freelancers.
I am now looking for a long term role where I can make a real difference. I have an affinity for empathizing with a reader while developing content strategies that surge a magazine’s or brand's reputation. From no online presence, I grew the subscriber list of Sunday Woman magazine to over 100,000 while carving it out a real place in the industry where it is now a respected monthly that often goes viral.
As a freelance marketer and copywriter I managed many projects for clients such as Shell, Calpol, Wilko, Austin Reed and more simultaneously. Using online portals such as Asana, Basecamp, Google Docs and Evernote to keep a strict record of milestones, progress and more importantly results.
Please see my CV for more in-depth analysis.
My portfolio includes a brief history of my work, whereas the genuine testimonials detail my ethos of meeting briefs with quality services that exceed expectations.
My profile shows an extensive list of past and current clients and details of how I’ve contributed to their deserved success.
Please contact me for quotes, information or references; I am available from 7am until late.
Objective:
Like many others, I have overcome many struggles to climb to my elevated position on the career ladder and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. I will never stop reaching for more though and I continue to push myself every day to give myself and my employers a level of commitment that aims to always exceed expectations. I don’t believe in mediocre as in business, journalism, and life it’s important to pre-empt readers and clients, in order to solve problems they didn’t know they had. In all areas to leave an impression I believe you need to leave people impressed.
Although I enjoy being a freelancer and offering my services on a consultation basis I am now actively seeking a permanent position where I can make a real difference. I’m particularly keen on creating great relationships between readers, users and brands or magazines and bridging the gap that makes a magazine or brand exude empathy and friendliness which sets it apart from any competition.
I’m constantly growing and adapting to change and assessing analytics, feedback and results to ensure content strategies and methods are working to their best potential while modern tools are utilised to boost any connections, campaigns and communication strategies.
EXPERIENCE MARKETING AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, BRANDSTREET
DECEMBER 2014 TO PRESENT DAY
BrandStreet in Bitesize
As the marketing director and magazine editor of BrandStreet I used my expertise and experience to:
• Manage multiple staff and freelancers
• Develop online and offline content strategies
• Invent an empathetic voice for the company
• Open the communication channels between BrandStreet, the reader and the business
• Negotiated rates and commissions with freelancers and ad hoc staff
• Sourced new talent and trained to a very high standard
If you would like a more in depth overview of my position at BrandStreet please see the attached pages at the end of this CV.
Kevin Robinson CEO and Founder of BrandStreet.com
Martina is incredible to work with and extremely friendly. Martina produced outstanding results and I would definitely give her my highest recommendation. Martina is extremely reliable, professional & innovative. Martina has been a delight to work with and it is with regret that she must now move on to pastures new. I’m envious of the magazine or client who benefits from Martina’s expertise next as their publication or business will receive an incredible boost that only Martina Mercer can deliver.
Please see the extra sheets for more details on each position as these explain the intricacy of each role, as I’m sure you’ll appreciate, this is difficult to convey in a few short bullet points.
EDITOR, SUNDAYWOMAN MAGAZINE
APRIL 2012 to PRESENT DAY
As the editor of Sunday Woman magazine I lead a vast team of staff alongside freelancers. Working to strict deadlines while increasing the reach of the brand, I never forgot that the magazine was essentially a business.
In summary my tasks involved:
• Identifying the target market and appealing to the personalities to blend in seamlessly
• Sourcing, training and commissioning many in house and outsourced staff
• Creating the voice and empathy needed to interact with readers
• Developing the full content strategy for online and offline along with monthly themes, trends, fashions and social media campaigns
• Working closely with designers to ensure a polished finished product
• Expanding the online reach considerably through a friendly, approachable voice, guest blogs, giveaways and media
• Having excellent relationships with PR companies and brands
• Developing the service journalism arm of the magazine and making it a successful revenue stream through gift guides, promotions, fashion, look books, giveaways, tips and advice.
• Working under extreme pressure to deadlines while managing all aspects to bring it all together every month
• Exploring new avenues for expanding the reach, revenue opportunities and reputation of the magazine
• Having empathy with the reader through my HND in psychology and blending this with my journalism skills
• Analysing data and acting upon it to improve views, subscriptions, engagement, reach and readership
• Taking the magazine fully online while still upholding the complete integrity of the same
• Securing over 100,000 digital subscribers through a clear marketing plan and great content.
• Vlogging and Presenting the YouTube Channel
For a more in-depth analysis of my role at Sunday Woman, please see the latter sheets of my CV.
Please also see recommendations from the writers I managed below.
Laura Hyde Writer at Freelance
Martina is a flexible and understanding manager as well as a natural writer and an incredibly hard worker. Her high energy levels and dedication to her profession are unlikely to be rivaled by many others in our field.
Craig Bates Production Assistant at CPL • Cambridge Publishers Ltd
Martina is a pleasure to work with. She understands when a writer needs to be flexible and offers work accordingly, reliably providing assignments and matching jobs to their strengths.
EDITOR, FAMILY MEALTIMES MAGAZINE
APRIL 2012 to DECEMBER 2014 (ad hoc)
As the editor of Family Mealtimes magazine, I brought together all the recipes from freelance and celebrity chefs alongside many brands.
Regular contributors included Phil Vickery, Bacofoil, Princes, Nestle and others and my role was to be the point of contact while ensuring they all followed the content strategy outlined at the onset of each month.
EDITOR, ECOMMERCE WEEK
SEPTEMBER 2013 to JAN 2014 (ad hoc)
As the editor of eCommerce week, an annual publication for the RBTE, I oversaw all content and interviewed High Street giants such as the President of Verifone. Bringing together the content and design on a very strict deadline was an achievement I’m still proud of to this day.
The magazine brought the RBTE a great return while opening the doors for communication from exhibitors and expert commenters.
FOUNDER, THE CONSUMER VOICE
JUNE 2012 to PRESENT DAY
I founded The Consumer Voice in 2012 and since then it has become an essential FREE resource for consumers and ecommerce media. In my role as founder I:
• Launched the nonprofit business for less than £50
• Developed a clear strategy and compiled all content
• Created relationships with brands, PR companies and the Press
• Gave regular advice on the BBC as The Consumer Voice spokesperson
• Created a revenue stream to fund the magazine
• Secured thousands of pounds worth of refunds for readers
• Organised giveaways and competitions
• Commissioned bloggers and writers
You can see a more detailed analysis of my role in the latter pages of my CV.
BEAUTY DIRECTOR, NUUSUITE
MARCH 2013 to OCTOBER 2015
I began working for NUUSUITE on a freelance basis and was soon offered the role of beauty director as a thank you for turning the business around. When I began at NUUSUITE the outgoings exceeded the incomings by an astounding amount.
I began by reinventing the brand, while still holding onto the name to keep it familiar to the few customers that remained. I created an ethos and strategy and streamlined the offerings to make the message completely clear to new users.
I also opened the communication channels across social media and began many discussions that contributed to making NUUSUITE a voice of authority in the beauty industry. I developed the blog while guest blogging and dealing with the press to make the most of the limited funds available for marketing.
My recommendation from Mike Groves, the managing director is below.
Mike Groves Managing Director at NHBI Ltd
Martina has brought some outstanding skillsets to Nuusuite. Her writing ability, and her technical ability have been nothing short of amazing, and her contribution to the growth our business has been immense.
FREELANCE MARKETER, EDITOR and JOURNALIST
APRIL 2008 to PRESENT DAY
In my role of a freelancer I have worked as a magazine editor, journalist, presenter, vlogger and marketer for many startups and household names.
These include:
• The Huffington Post
• Yahoo! Lifestyle
• MOZ
• Seraphine
• Wilko
• Shell
• Linens Direct
• Calpol
Details of my work can be found online or on my networking profiles of LinkedIn, WorkCrowd and TechCrunch
Neil Henry, Director at Positive Sparks Marketing Ltd
Martina is a consummate professional in every regard. Technically savvy to the needs of an online audience and professional in her delivery of services for a rich array of clients. I have no hesitation endorsing Martina for her superb editorial management and writing skills. She is someone I respect greatly and enjoy collaborating with immensely.
Mark Johnson Founder and Director of WebSearch SEO Ltd. S
Martina is one of the best journalists in the business. Extremely professional, reliable and creative. I highly recommend her.
LEAD EDITOR, SOLSTICE PUBLISHING
JUNE 2009 to OCTOBER 2012
As the lead editor for Solstice Publishing I brought many books from well known and unknown authors up to standard for distribution. Working closely with the writers, the key was to create relationships based on respect and trust in order to be able to introduce suggestions and edits to the writers. Some of my feedback is below.
David Hurst, Writer
Martina is a brilliant and talented Editor, it was fun and very beneficial working together. I'd recommend Martina to everyone.
Andrea Buginsky, Author/Publisher, Freelance Writer
Martina was my editor for my very first book. She took me under her wing and gently helped me learn the editing process for longer works. She was friendly, kind, and a great teacher.
AUTHOR, THE GHOST’S DAUGHTER
2006-2008
I wrote two books which received limited success in the UK but became very popular in the US.
You can still find my published work on Amazon and iTunes and in Brown’s and Waterstones.
Please also see my GoodReads Profile
Job Title: Head Copywriter
Company: PeoplePerHour
Description: I am the head copywriter for our very own PeoplePerHour, working on a part time basis I produce blogs, newsletters, emails, web copy, user stories and more.
Job Title: Editor
Company: ECommerce Week
Description: Promoted from staff writer to editor of a magazine that has a readership of 700,000. Interviewing CEOs and execs of Samsung, Toshiba, Panasonic, PayPal and more.
Job Title: Editor
Company: The Consumer Voice
Editor and head journalist of The Consumer Voice writing reviews and interviews on products and customer service.
Job Title: Technical Author
Company: UKDN
Description: Compiled a team of photographers, safety experts and writers to produce Best Practice Guides for insurance companies.
Good For You
From:01/Jan/2008 To:01/Dec/2009
Job Title: Proprietor
Company: bookshop and Health Food Shop
From:01/Aug/2000 To:01/Jan/2008
Job Title: Features Writer
Company: Wikio-Experts
Description: Writing articles on a variety of subjects
From:01/Jun/2011 To:01/Sep/2011
Job Title: Article Writer
Company: Princeton Commercial Holdings
Description: Working for clients fulfilling all their writing needs for websites and promotions.
From:01/Jun/2011 To:01/Sep/2011
Job Title: Lead Article Writer
Company: Ozio Media
Description: Writing articles, technical and sales for a variety of interesting clients.
From:01/Jun/2011 To:01/Sep/2011
Job Title: PR, Copywriter and Website Editor
Company: Berry Organic
Description: Invented a brand for a client and produced all copy for the website. As well as using PR skills to generate business, wrote daily blogs and articles promoting the business.
From:04/Jul/2010 To:08/Jul/2011
Job Title: Lead Editor
Company: Solstice Publishing
Description: Lead Editor for a publishing house, working with authors to improve their work, formatting it for publication and editing/rewriting where necessary.
From:12/May/2010 To:18/Jul/2011
Job Title: Script Liason
Company: Chat Noir Productions
Description: Helping with scripts, plot, characters etc. Promoting film. Film reviews.
From:08/Jun/2009 To:15/Jul/2011
Job Title: eBook Awards Judge
Company: EPIC
Description: Judging of the YA section of the EPIC eBook awards
From:01/Jul/2011 To:26/Jul/2011
Job Title: Public Relations and Advertising
Company: Van De Meulen Associates
Description: Public Relations and advertising
From:05/Jul/2010 To:09/Jul/2011
Job Title: Celebrity Journalist and Online Editor
Company: Packtypes Life
Description: Writing articles on a variety of subjects, film reviews, TV reviews, celebrities, emotional health, dating and relationships for www.packtypes.com/life.
Promoted from contributal editor to main editor. Creating celebrity contacts to launch the product, ensuring interesting and fun content appears on the website relavant to the product.
From:05/Aug/2011
Job Title: Contributor
Company: Nerditorial
Description: Reviewing TV, comedy and factual for Nerditorial.com. Writing opinionated articles on culture. www.nerditorial.com/martina-mercer
From:01/Jul/2011 To:01/Dec/2011
Job Title: Editor
Company: PeoplePerHour
Description: I provide writing and copyediting services to our very own PeoplePerHour on a part time basis fitting it around my freelance work
From: 18/7/2012 to Present Day
Education
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Summary: I am trained in most aspects of SEO. I have a vast array of qualifications relating to media, writing, journalism and English literature. I am a quick learner and always eager to learn more. I am not lying when I say that new courses are my staple hobby, like doing soduku over a coffee break.
I am always willing to train to meet a particular job specification, assuming of course I don't already hold the relevant qualification.
I have a HND in Psychology and Criminology which helps with my insights into the public and what they like to read. I have a diploma in Creative Writing which benefits all my work copywriting. I also hold a BA(hons) in English literature.
Degree: BA (Open)
Field of Study: English Literature
University / College: Open University
From:23/Jun/2005 To:17/Jun/2010
