CONTEXT
The school's digital presence lagged behind its reputation, with outdated web assets, inconsistent branding, and no reliable intake system. Ownership transition made parent confidence and visibility urgent priorities.
PROBLEM
How might we rebuild trust and visibility while reducing staff workload, strengthening local search presence, and creating predictable enrollment pipelines?
APPROACH
Reclaimed creative direction from underperforming ad agency; built authentic, branded social campaigns.
Rebuilt the corporate site in Webflow with phased IA plan, launching MVP pages quickly for visibility.
Optimized local SEO through Google Business refresh, NAP cleanup, and intent-based content.
Designed and implemented 8-week automated lead nurturing cycle using n8n/Make.com.
Produced empathetic video content to reduce parent anxiety and improve conversion.
I directed social media marketing, lead nurturing, acquisition automation; and launched a new-branded conversion-optimized website
The martial arts school was in a tough spot. As the new Program & Marketing Director at Inspiration Martial Arts, I inherited a brand with a fractured digital presence. The website was outdated and invisible in local searches, social media was inconsistent, and the entire lead-nurturing process relied on a chaotic, manual system. Adding to the complexity, the school was undergoing a major ownership transition, creating a need for a stable, professional digital hub that could rebuild parent confidence and attract new families in a market full of generic competitors.
My objective was to address these issues head-on:
- Establish a consistent online presence to attract new families and showcase the school's culture.
- Rebuild the web presence to align with the new parent brand while preserving local search authority.
- Strengthen local SEO to reduce reliance on paid ads.
- Reduce manual workload for staff and ensure consistency in lead nurturing.
I developed a phased strategy that combined brand building with technical optimization. First, I focused on stabilizing the core digital assets. This transformation positioned the school as a stable and professional presence in the community and created a sustainable, high-trust inbound pipeline for new business.
Social Media
First, I took over creative direction for social media campaigns from an underperforming ad agency, producing branded graphics and repurposing student highlights into engaging content to better reflect authentic school culture. A cohesive and authentic social media presence is essential for building a premium brand and increasing the perceived value of the school in the market.
Objective
To establish a consistent social presence to attract new families, showcase the school's culture, and support enrollment growth.
Challenges
The school had an inconsistent posting schedule, low engagement, and was overly reliant on an underperforming paid ad agency. Leadership also neglected opportunities for community-driven campaigns.
Plan
My plan was to audit content streams, take over creative direction, and design a content calendar that aligned with seasonal promotions and community events. The goal was to balance organic engagement with paid campaigns to reduce dependence on ads.
Action
Using the new brand's defined color palette, I took over creative direction from an underperforming ad agency, producing branded graphics and building Instagram campaigns that were deliberately designed to reflect authentic school culture. I repurposed student highlights into Reels and Stories to evoke a sense of community and belonging, directly enhancing the school's perceived value and increasing Willingness-to-Pay (WTP). This work directly contributed to building a premium brand and enhancing the perceived value of the school.
Result
On social media, engagement increased and our dependence on paid ads decreased, while the return on ad spend improved. The new, authentic, community-focused storytelling strengthened loyalty among current students and families. The school's online voice was reestablished, organic reach grew, and digital lead flow stabilized during a sensitive ownership transition. The school was positioned as authentic and approachable in a saturated market.
Website
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Next, I focused on stabilizing the core digital assets. I built a new website on Webflow for the corporate brand, optimizing it for local SEO across three locations. A strong digital presence is critical for attracting new leads and establishing brand credibility, particularly during a period of ownership transition. The best practice is to launch a minimum viable product (MVP) to quickly restore visibility while building out additional features over time.
Objective
To rebuild the web presence to align with the new parent brand while preserving local search authority and restoring parent confidence.
Challenges
The existing site had lapsed under previous management and was invisible in local searches. A vendor lapse created a sudden risk of the site going down, which could have led to lost leads.
Plan
I architected an iterative development plan, prioritizing the most critical pages—Home and Kennesaw location—for a quick launch (Round 1). The plan included a detailed information architecture (IA) that mapped out every page's structure and content, ensuring a user-friendly and scalable foundation.
(This is the first page of the meeting agenda I used to walk leadership through the phased plan for rebuilding the website. It illustrates my strategy for prioritizing key pages for a quick launch and building out more complex features over time.)
Action
I rebuilt the site on a scalable template, designing a clear hierarchy that organized key pages by development round. This included planning for testimonial structured data and dedicated class pages with detailed benefits and features to improve both user experience and search visibility. I proactively identified and repaired the vendor lapse before it became a compliance issue and rebuilt the site hierarchy and intake flows to align with the new brand.
Result
The result was improved page rankings, restored visibility in local search, and a more streamlined sign-up funnel. Brand clarity and parent confidence were maintained during a confusing merger period. I created a stable, professional digital hub that served as a marketing asset and a confidence signal for prospective families. Long-term SEO equity was preserved despite the structural upheaval.
Search Optimization
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A robust local SEO strategy is the most cost-effective way to generate inbound leads and reduce a business's Willingness-to-Sell (WTS). My professional experience has demonstrated that a strategic focus on organic search is a more sustainable solution than relying on reactive paid ads.
Objective
To strengthen local SEO to reduce ad spend and attract qualified leads organically.
Challenges
Low search rankings and fragmented NAP (name-address-phone) data across directories undermined credibility. Leadership neglected proactive search visibility in favor of reactive ad spending.
Plan
My plan was to standardize listings, refresh the keyword strategy, and build a content plan focused on local search intent, like "martial arts near Kennesaw". This was a core tactic to reduce ad spend and decrease Willingness-to-Sell (WTS) by leveraging digital marketing efficiently.
Action
I optimized the Google Business Profile with fresh photos and reviews, rebuilt meta descriptions and headers, and coordinated campaigns with event-based content. I also cleaned up inconsistent directory data across platforms to stabilize authority and developed content strategies around intent-driven search queries.
Result
The school climbed to Page 1 for core martial arts queries in the area, which increased organic lead inquiries. The trust and consistency across all digital touchpoints were also improved. This shifted the marketing strategy from a dependency on paid campaigns to a sustainable, high-trust inbound pipeline. The school was established as the most visible martial arts school in the local market.
Process Automation
Next, I implemented systems to streamline operations. I built a social media marketing and lead nurturing strategy based on eight-week campaign cycles. I also designed and implemented an automated follow-up cycle using tools like n8n and Make.com to cut down on missed follow-ups and improve trial-to-enrollment conversions. I also explored AI-driven tools for content creation and customer engagement to further optimize operations.
Objective
To reduce the manual workload for staff and ensure consistency in lead nurturing and student onboarding.
Challenges
The school had manual lead tracking, inconsistent follow-ups, and a high risk of drop-offs during trial periods. The leadership's reliance on informal, verbal delegation resisted the adoption of structured systems.
Plan
I designed a detailed, 8-week automated follow-up cycle that strategically combines emails, SMS messages, and in-person phone calls to ensure no lead is missed. The plan also included implementing lightweight, paper-first systems to gain traction in a digital-averse culture.
To address the anxiety and uncertainty of new families, I developed empathetic video content with scripts for key touchpoints in the funnel, including 'What to Expect' videos for new leads and 'Why it Matters' videos to encourage retention. This human-centered approach helped leverage Willingness-to-Pay (WTP) at the conversion and retention stages.
Action
After sketching the initial concept, I formalized the 8-week cycle into a detailed workflow. This included defining specific touchpoints for each day of the week, from initial announcements and video features to trial-end reminders and rescue messages for disengaged leads. This work directly implemented the strategy's goal of automating lead management and reducing admin workload to decrease WTS. I also developed a video content strategy with scripts for key touchpoints in the funnel, including 'What to Expect' videos for new leads and 'Why it Matters' videos to encourage retention in the early weeks. This content helped enhance perceived value and leverage WTP at the conversion and retention stages of the customer journey.
A mobile view of the new Google Calendar scheduler integrated directly into the website, making it easy for prospective students to book a trial class.
Result
This dramatically reduced missed follow-ups, improved trial-to-enrollment conversions, and gave the staff more time to focus on teaching and service. It also brought predictability and stability to the intake and onboarding processes in an otherwise chaotic environment. By turning a chaotic intake into a reliable system and filling that system with empathetic, purpose-built content, I was able to boost retention and free leadership from a constant state of firefighting. This demonstrated the long-term value of structured processes to a culture that had previously resisted them.