Online

For online work, whether it's a website, online ads, or social media, I focus on evocative storytelling, with a sensitivity to the needs of a particular audience or range of audiences. Below are some examples of the work I've done.

In addition to creating content, I have also served as  managing editor.

Most recent position:

Microsoft Small Business Support Managing Editor

October 2013- June 2015 (Contract)

Below are two Microsoft sites I managed for the above position. Our team which was supervised by Meera Krishna. Roxana Paleologu was the designer. In addition to doing content strategy, I served as managing editor and writer.

Job duties

The goal of  Microsoft Small Business Support site was to provide thought-leadership and other post-purchase related content of value to the small business audience.

For this position, I created and managed the editorial calendar and conferred with owners of other calendars to balance the development of editorial themes.

I also managed the editorial process for authors, including assigning stories and coordinating with columnists. I was responsible for following content through the publishing process. This included managing the internal review cycle. I coordinated content production and archiving with site management, local stakeholders, and the production team. I also wrote and edited several blogs/articles per month created video content and supervised video-editing process.

More about the strategy for the Microsoft small business support website
In developing the content strategy, we used a variety of analytic tools and discovered that readers ranged from little or no technical knowledge to technical experts.  Crafting content as a series of  articles, aimed at different segments of the broader audience  gave us the opportunity to tailor the complexity of the information to these segments.

Examples

Blogs and articles

Moving to the cloud series
The series below was designed to cover various aspects of moving a small business to the cloud.
To create this content, I located subject matter experts (SMEs), interviewed them, wrote the original articles, or edited articles submitted by SMEs.

Is moving to the cloud right for your business? article  is a brief overview of the series with links to each article in the series. This structure allows the reader to select the content with the right level of information.

Each series had four different levels of content:
•Introduction

This level of content gives a broad overview of the subject
Five fears small businesses have about the cloud is an example of content written at this level of content.

•Get started

The articles at this level of content contain concrete steps to help small business people start employing a specific technology.
8 questions to ask your Microsoft Cloud partner is an example of content written at this level of content.

•Deepen your understanding

This level of content  has information aimed at users who already know the basics of a subject and want to advance their understanding of this information.
How to improve your social media statistics is an example of content written at this level of content.

•Learn from others

These articles are 'first-hand' accounts from small business people who are already proficient users.

Visions from the cloud is an example of this level of content.

Other articles published on this website:
• Technology tales: How my small business gets things done with Skype
• 3 ways to make your small business shine

Videos from the above article:

• Cynarah Ellawalla on Productivity
• Cynarah Ellawalla on Brand 
• Cynarah Ellawalla on Social Media

Small Biz Hacks

I did the content strategy for Small biz hacks which provided productivity tips for consumers and small businesses. I also worked with designer Roxana Paleologu to come up with the website’s look and navigation. I managed the production process, including editing hacks created by Microsoft Most Valued Professionals and freelance writers, supervised the graphic design, and communicated with an off-site production team. I also handled all media permission contracts.

Other Microsoft websites

I have worked on several Microsoft websites over the years.They include:

• Microsoft Student (Content Strategist, Senior Copywriter–2006)
• Microsoft Encarta (Content Strategist, Senior Copywriter–2006)
• Microsoft Money (Content Strategist, Senior Copywriter–2006)
• Microsoft Diversity (Content Strategist, Senior Copywriter–2006)
• Microsoft People-Ready (Editor–2007)
• Microsoft Office Groove 2007 (Senior Copywriter–2008-2009)
• Small business support (Managing Editor–2013-2015)
• Small biz hacks (Managing Editor–2015)

Other websites

I have also worked on websites for other companies, including:

• RoseWater Engineering (2005)
• Northwest Administrators, Inc. (2004)
• Tacoma Museum of Glass (2001

AT&T (Valentine’s Day)

[Subject Title: 60]

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your heart.

[Body copy: 215]

Share your data plan with

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Premier. (Restrictions apply.)

[Legal language removed]

FACEBOOK ADS
These ads were aimed at specific demographic groups (gender, age, marital status) and were supposed to be edgy and will promote click-throughs to landing pages for fashion, culinary and photography schools. The character count for headlines and body copy was very specific.

Fashion School

Are you a fashionista?  
You follow the latest collections and secretly dream of having your own. Fashion school can help make that dream come true.  See how.

You're a fashion guru  
Your friends admire your style. You start trends, not follow them. Make the most of your magical mojo at fashion school. Learn how─now!

Become fashion royalty 
Want to be the princess of pattern-making, queen of couture, the duchess of design? Explore these realms─and more─at fashion school. 

Culinary School

Pursue your passion  
Are you partial to pastry? Does bouillabaisse turn you on? Are you a fan of flambé? Pursue your passion for food at culinary school.

What's your wild dream? 
Do you want to cook for movie stars? Or have a chain of eateries? Even your own TV show? Culinary school helps wild dreams come true.

Wife living her dream? 
What about you? Be the master of your own destiny with a degree from culinary school. Why should your wife have all the fun? Learn how.

Photography School

Conjure up this image 
It's you. At photography school. Lighting. Shooting. Printing. Creating pictures for the world to enjoy. It can happen. Find out how.

Aim! Shoot! Print!   
As a professional photographer, you could be living the life you've always dreamed about. Be courageous. Find out how far you can go.

Be the picture of success 
Pull a fulfilling career into focus with a degree or certificate from photography school. Explore the possibilities, today!

TWEETS

AT&T
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(AT&T Premier@ATTPremier)
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