Illustration by By Roberta Creative Studio
I’m 4″11, which means you could say that the phrase “Good things come in small packages” was meant for me!
But let’s start from the top: my name is Emma Sloan, and what I lack in height I make up for with the ability (and passion) to help your business thrive.
Having spent the majority of my life surrounded by entrepreneurs, small business owners, and heads of non-profits, I was floored by the amount of time brands spend trying to keep themselves afloat rather than elevating their businesses. That’s where I come in.
I am:
- A digital marketer of over five years
- An accredited writer with 100+ publications to my name
- A Writing and Publishing graduate of the University of Victoria
- A certified social media marketer, email marketer, and content writer
Today I’ve compiled the best of my FAQs for those of you who want to get a preliminary lay of the land ahead of our initial discovery call… because let’s face it: who doesn’t try to research the other person before meeting for the first time?
FAQ #1: “Where are You From? How Did You Get to Be a Digital Marketer in Victoria, British Columbia?”
Born and raised in North Vancouver, I moved to Vancouver Island for university and settled down here in Victoria with my boyfriend immediately after graduating.
Why? Well, because I can’t think of a lovelier home base: Victoria, in my opinion, has all of North Vancouver’s charm with double its walkability. (How could I not be sold when I can link up with virtually any client within half an hour, sometimes even on foot? Visiting my boyfriend’s family in the U.K drives home how spoiled we are here in terms of ease of travel!)
Victoria also cemented itself early on as somewhere with a strong sense of community, especially on the digital marketing front. When I first moved to Victoria, my first in-office digital marketing role was with Cordova Bay Records and their U.K subsidiary, Fierce Panda Canada Records. How? By knocking on doors (both literally and figuratively) until I was granted an interview.
Peoples’ openness to network has been a continued trend throughout my time here on Vancouver Island; from contracting for local publishing house Rocky Mountain Books, to working in Coastline Marketing’s magazine sector, to connecting with— and subsequently working for— Cadence Creative Studio in a social media marketing role… the amount of people met and contracts signed in my first two years here alone still blows my mind.
(My favourite tip for Victoria-based digital marketers and business owners alike? Do yourself a favour and check out the private Facebook group Freelance Victoria, run by Time2GetOnline’s owner Jason Finnerty. Whether you’re looking to add yourself to its local spreadsheet of talent or are seeking to fill a freelance position within your company, Freelance Victoria is a can’t-miss if you do business on Vancouver Island.)
FAQ #2: “Did You Also Do Digital Marketing in North Vancouver, or Was That Where You Did the Bulk of Your Writing Work?”
My work in North Vancouver was actually split into two main sections: non-profit work and the start of my columnist career.
After having been a volunteer event organizer for the Vancouver branch of the non-profit Cystic Fibrosis Canada for just over two years, I was offered a short-term apprenticeship at their Burnaby branch as a data entry administrator and stenographer.
It was at Cystic Fibrosis Canada that it first hit me just how much time was spent on keeping afloat, rather than progressing: with each member of the six-person office being overwhelmed with their own workload, I watched my superiors as their day-to-days devolved into doggy paddling rather than setting and hitting progressive benchmarks. It just seemed like such a colossal waste, which has been a common thread for the other businesses and non-profits I’ve gone on to work with: there is so much passion, ingenuity, and phenomenal business ideas in this world. To have them slow to a standstill because of the daily grind when outsourcing work is an option is a mismanagement choice I strive to steer business owners away from, even if I’m not the digital marketer they choose to lighten their workload.
Running parallel to my non-profit work was my columnist career, which also started in 2015; kicked off with my work for the North Vancouver School District’s annual Community Report, I have since worked as a food and lifestyle columnist for Toronto-based DINE Magazine, as an interviewer and column-writer for agriculture-oriented Concrete Magazine, and as a music reviewer and live events reporter for both Canadian Beats Media and BeatRoute Magazine.
Other publications of mine include work for The Huffington Post, The Good Men Project, and numerous poems in both print and digital literary journals across Canada and the U.S.
FAQ #3: “Since You’re a Digital Marketer in Victoria, Do You Only Service Clients There? What Kind of Digital Marketing Projects Do You Typically Take On?”
Although it’s true that I’m based out of Victoria, over 90% of my contracts have been— and currently are— remote, which means I’m in the fortunate position of being able to service digital marketing clients around the globe. Current and past clients of mine have been located across the U.S, South Korea, and Canada.
The most common digital marketing projects I take on are:
- Social media marketing campaigns (both paid and organic)
- Social media audits
- Social media account set-up
- Email marketing campaigns
- Email marketing account maintenance
- Website copywriting
- SEO-driven blog-and-article writing
- Press release creation
- Script writing for IGTV, YouTube, and Facebook Live
- Slogan and brand name curation
- Biography writing
- Proofreading
Be sure to visit my respective social media marketing, email marketing, and content writing pages for further details on each.
—A common follow-up question I tend to be asked is which industries I commonly work for. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, the industries I partner up with most frequently include:
- Marketing
- Esthetics
- Music
- Biometrics
- Publishing
- Non-profit
- Law
- Coaching
- Fashion
- Health and wellness
- Orthotics
Don’t see your industry on the list? Not only does my industry familiarity extend wider than the list above, I’m always seeking partnerships with new industries and have a proven track record of incorporating existing skill sets into new niches; reach out today to learn if I’m the fit you’re looking for.
FAQ #4: “You Mentioned that You Work Remotely. Do You Have Flexibility With Coming into the Office? What About Contract Work; Are You Open to Potential Employee Roles?”
These are always great questions! And, predictably, they’re always met with the same answer: “It depends.”
- Remote work vs. in-office work: because of the number of clients I balance at one time, I do not take any positions that require full-time in-office availability. Extra budget can be offered for in-office visitation.
- Contract roles vs. employee roles: while I am mainly a contractor and subcontractor, I have taken employee digital marketer roles here in Victoria before when it suited both the role, the budget, and the client’s preference. However, the above rules for in-office work still apply in order to ensure that each and every client is receiving the promised attention and results.
While I respect brands who want in-office digital marketers, and while I’m always happy to recommend freelancers who would be available to work in-office, I’m a remote worker at heart and have had over five years to prove that being in-office has no impact on delivering punctual and successful service. Fact!
FAQ #5: “Emma, You Sound Great… But You’re Not Quite What I’m Looking for Right Now. I’m Seeking a Google Ads Expert/Website Designer/Graphic Artist/Pay-Per-Click Whiz/Digital Marketing Agency Instead. Do You Have Anyone You’d Recommend?”
Absolutely! I mentioned earlier that I’ve been consistently wowed by Victoria’s digital marketing scene, and that hasn’t let up over five years later; I’m always thrilled to be contacted about who I’d recommend for your specific project if I’m not quite the puzzle piece you’re looking for.
This extends to both freelancing individuals and digital marketing agencies here in Victoria. If you’ve paid my LinkedIn profile a visit, then you already know that the majority of my work is as a subcontractor for a multitude of fantastic agencies; that means, whether you’re based here in Victoria or elsewhere, there’s a good chance I know a reliable solution to your problem.
“Is it a referral network? Do you have 1-5 freelancers and digital marketing agencies that you’ve struck a deal with, and you all send potential clients to each other?” No; while I know that some referral networks operate like that (and I’ve had mentors tell me that I should try to monetize mine), I’ve only been able to make a career out of being a digital marketer in Victoria because of the generosity of others in the industry here. I want to carry that integrity forward and pay kindness back to not only reliable industry experts, but also new or relatively unknown freelancers and digital marketing agencies whose results deserve a spotlight put on them.
“Does that mean you don’t take a commission?” That’s right! I take zero commission from any recommendation I send you; any chat we have is just that, a chat.
Have Any More Questions for the Wee Writer?
I hope you enjoyed my rapid-fire FAQ session today as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Whether you have more questions for me, the Wee Writer, or are simply on the lookout for a digital marketer in Victoria, feel free to reach out today; I’d love to hear from you!