Experience

25 Dots

• United Kingdom
• Advertising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Freelance Communications Specialist

  • 2019 - Present

  I work with students' unions and other small organisations to help them reach their staff, customers, volunteers and other important people. I work with other freelancers when necessary to offer consultancy, training and delivery for communications and marketing projects. I also handle marketing and communications for brightonSEO, the biggest search marketing event in the world. I work with students' unions and other small organisations to help them reach their staff, customers, volunteers and other important people. I work with other freelancers when necessary to offer consultancy, training and delivery for communications and marketing projects. I also handle marketing and communications for brightonSEO, the biggest search marketing event in the world.



University of Sussex Students' Union

• United Kingdom
• Higher Education
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Communications Manager

  • Feb 2015 - Jan 2019

  • Overseeing communications across the organisation to membership of over 16,000 students including design and digital output. • Coordinating major marketing projects and budgets such as Freshers Week promotion with a major focus on pre-arrival digital communication• Implementing communication plans and supporting my team & colleagues across the organisation to deliver them• Creating and rolling out a new communications strategy with a theme of being relevant to students’ lives with a ‘digital first’ approach Show less

• Digital Engagement Manager

  • Feb 2013 - Feb 2015

  Communications: Email newsletters (external & internal), website & social mediaDigital stuff: Looking at how we can better use digital options to engage with studentsVolunteer support: Supporting our tv, newspaper and radio student volunteersI initiated #ourSUday - a 24 hour 'tweetathon' for students' unions across the UK to showcase their work over the course of a typical day. In January 2014 this featured more than forty students and trended nationally for a large part of the day. Show less



Joanna Walters

• Brighton, United Kingdom

• Freelance marketing & communications nerd

  • Aug 2013 - Jan 2019

  Freelance communications & marketing consultant with a particular focus on digital channels Jack of all trades, master of some Big fan of graphs Internet nerd I created Comms by the Coast, an annual conference for people working in students' union communications. We get together to share ideas, hear from speakers within and outside the world of students' unions and eat pastries. I've worked with a number of students' unions on communications projects including training and web content. I've also supported the BrightonSEO team with their community management, web content, email marketing and social media. Show less



University of Sussex

• United Kingdom
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Membership Engagement Coordinator

  • Oct 2010 - Feb 2013

  Managing multiple social media accountsCoordinating website content & structureTraining students & colleaguesPlanning & carrying out researchSupporting student volunteersMaking graphsI created Comms by the Coast, an annual informal conference for students' union communications people which features industry speakers, chatting and pastries. I also started the #sucomms hashtag to bring together union comms people via Twitter

• Societies Development Coordinator

  • Oct 2008 - Oct 2010

  - Responsibility for around 150 student run societies including development, planning, health and safety, publicity and training- Organising events including training days, annual awards ball & the Freshers Fair- Streamlining processes to make information and resources easier to access- Providing administrative support and advice to a student committee including budget-tracking- Creating and implementing ways for students to provide feedback on services & opportunities then incorporating their responses & suggestions into future plans - Mentoring colleagues to aid their professional development- I have used my initiative to expand the scope of student societies and the support provided for them, for instance by initiating diversity monitoring, encouraging greater communication between students and the department and unifying procedures across the department Show less

• Student Activities Administrator

  • Sep 2006 - Oct 2008

  - Managing projects across Union departments- Planning and delivering training on a range of topics to students and colleagues- Managing the main Union Reception area and staff including recruitment and induction- Providing a front-line service to students, responding to enquiries and providing advice- Producing content for publicity materials and developing the website to provide information for students and other stakeholders- Providing administrative support to department staff and student committee including monitoring budgets Show less



University of Brighton Students' Union

• Trustee

  • Jul 2010 - Jul 2012



University of Sussex Students' Union

• Activities Sabbatical Officer

  • Jun 2005 - Jul 2006

  - Elected position responsible for development, implementation and publicity of societies, sport, volunteering and entertainments - Involved in strategy and development of the Union and Activities department including recruitment of staff, identifying and meeting targets and goals - Working closely with local organisations, the University and students to identify areas for development and funding opportunities - Elected position responsible for development, implementation and publicity of societies, sport, volunteering and entertainments - Involved in strategy and development of the Union and Activities department including recruitment of staff, identifying and meeting targets and goals - Working closely with local organisations, the University and students to identify areas for development and funding opportunities