- Industry: Professional Development & Career Coaching.
- Challenge: Keeping the brand real and true to the client’s voice (who also happened to be a writer!)
- Timeline: 12 months of strategic, consistent content and a renovated visual identity.
The Challenge
I had this client I absolutely loved working with. She was a career coach who specialized in helping BIPOC women build their professional presence through resume revamps, cover letter writing, and career advancement strategies. But more than anything, she was a badass.
There was only a little problem: Who’s seen a woman who means business (and isn’t an influencer) have enough time to post on social media every day?
That was the core issue, and…
- As you can imagine, she wasn’t consistently posting on social media.
- Her LinkedIn network was sizable, but the engagement was all over the place.
- Her messaging felt a bit too stiff, nothing to do with her inspiring, unapologetic personality.
- Her relevance and forward-thinking approach were diluted by really old-fashioned graphics.
There was a lot to be done, but thankfully, also a lot to work with.
Which made her goal of becoming a LinkedIn Top Voice in the resume writing niche challenging, but not necessarily an impossible mission.
The Strategy
The scope of the project itself was also limiting. At the beginning, I could only create content for social media and integrate it with existing resources. So I took her blog, newsletter, and a few lead magnets she developed and turned them into an ecosystem whose hub was LinkedIn.
Every piece created for this platform was strategically crafted to:
- Work on other platforms (like Facebook and Instagram).
- Be reused with longer formats or expanded upon.
- Support a journey of transformation through storytelling.
So how exactly did I do that?
- At the center of the strategy was to always show her as an inspirational figure and an accessible mentor.
- The content always came back to career advice, motivational anecdotes, social proof, and the industry challenges of BIPOC women.
- The content was never meant to be posted and forgotten; each piece worked independently of others but felt like a new episode of the same story with long, persuasive copywriting and open hooks (you know, that I’ll probably talk about that soon type of ending).
Key Tactics
Beyond strategy and marketing talk, the actual challenge is to ground those free-flowing concepts like authenticity and storytelling into something we can actually apply practically.
Here’s the rundown of how I did it:
- In terms of message, there was no space for that “Here’s how you’ll get them to pay you more” alpha-type of hack. It was all about knowing their worth, being crystal clear about their ambitions, and working on improving their weaknesses so they could reach professional goals.
- Each post needed to feel like a conversation with a friend, telling them what happened before and how they could learn from it and apply it to their careers. Anecdotes and vulnerability were the primary anchors of this client’s voice.
- As the risk of her sounding too much like Joy from Inside Out was ever-present, we had to mix in some humor, politically aware messages, and harsh truths from time to time. These added that unapologetic edge her content needed to position her as a thought leader with values who’ll give it to you straight when you need it.
- To ensure the content wasn’t repetitive, the cadence included serial content, value-packed pieces, and resources to keep her audience tuned in. Two pieces of the same type would never come out one after the other.
- And to funnel their engaged, inspired audience, each post would include a subtle CTA linking to one of their services (the most relevant one, based on the content of the post.)
So, did all this tactical work pay off…?
The Results
- She went from 43,740 to 270,211 LinkedIn impressions (+518.4% growth) in just 12 months.
- She got +408.8% more engagements, from 1,472 to 7,494 LinkedIn engagements, in 12 months.
- She achieved LinkedIn Top Voice recognition (her main goal for that year).
- She also built her Instagram presence from virtually no followers to a growing, engaged community from solely repurposed content.
Detailed metrics tracking was focused on LinkedIn as the primary platform. Other platforms showed positive growth but were not measured with the same specificity.
The Impact
Beyond numbers and cut-and-dry achievements, this strategy helped her go from a remarkable businesswoman and inspiration to those in her network… to becoming an actual thought leader who could influence and be recognized by a broader audience.
Plus, nurture an audience that didn’t just like her post but waited for her new update, cheered her on, and publicly displayed their appreciation and willingness to work with her.
The specific business impact metrics were managed by the client directly and not tracked as part of this engagement.
What Drove These Results
I firmly believe that content marketing success is not so much about the hottest strategy, business metrics, or hitting big numbers at any cost. I actually think it is all about connection and supporting your audience’s journey.
If I had to bet, I’d say the primary driver of these results was keeping the message relevant to the audience… while keeping the tone grounded, rather than patronizing, and doing so consistently.
If the strategy had shifted every month or the style had adapted to each emerging trend, her voice wouldn’t have shone the way it did.
So, to summarize it, I’ll say the results came from…
- Posting regularly (not perfectly).
- Never shying away from sharing raw material and vulnerable stories.
- Focusing on memorable anecdotes, rather than tips and tricks without context.
- Not trying to reinvent the wheel every month, but doubling down on what seemed to work.
- Speaking directly to BIPOC women rather than trying to talk to everyone.
Moreover, the client actively participated in the process. I would ask about her unique perspectives and send her video scripts to record, while she invested in photography (simple selfies and professional shots alike) to use in her content.
This hands-on approach kept her personality front and center, making the content genuinely hers rather than some soulless marketing trick.
How to Build a Content Engine to Get Results Like This
Just like personalities can’t be copied, brands can’t either. Taking this exact playbook won’t get you far, but studying the pieces that worked and adapting them to amplify your unique strengths will.
That means digging into whatever it is you can work with and, if there isn’t much to get you a head start, deciding how to create them… based on your priorities.
The point isn’t to chase one “universal goal,” but to set up your content engine to support your next move. My advice: don’t do this on autopilot.
Think about what you want to do next, why it matters, and whether you have the bandwidth to take on the challenge. If not, teaming up with someone who can nail your voice can be the best investment you make.
What’s Next?
If this feels like the right moment to build a content engine that’s unmistakably yours, I’m more than ready to take on your strategy, execution, and publishing so you can focus on what you do best.
What they say about me:
I’m really happy with it!
I’ve been getting a lot more casual comments lately that people are loving the content. Happy with it all!
— Laryssa W.
There’s no small task for her.
Her ability to work independently and make things happen has been invaluable. I highly recommend Carylis.
— Juan A.
Love the new content!
Thank you! You did a great job on the content calendar and I know it is only going to get better.
— Madelyn M.
So grateful!
Thanks for all your fantastic work: dynamic, engaging, fun.
— Revan S.
