What do the career path and the day-in-the-life look like for the Sr. Manager, Content Marketing at EDB?
We connected with Meaghan Moraes to find out!
Interested in learning more about EDB? Make sure to check out their company page!
Where did you grow up? What did your parents do for work?
I was born and raised in coastal New England! An avid lover of the ocean, I grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the south coast of the state.
My parents are both hardworking people, and I’ve observed their career-focus throughout my life. I’ve always admired how well they’ve balanced work and family life, with family at the core. My mom is an oncology nurse and healthcare administrator, currently acting as director of a cancer center. My dad worked in business operations for years and then shifted to funeral direction; he’s now retired.
Where did you go to college? What did you study and what were some of your initial jobs out of school?
I attended Boston University and graduated with a B.S. in Communication - Advertising, concentrating in Psychology. I knew I wanted to study advertising/marketing writing before applying to college, which brought me to a top Communication school like BU! I’m thankful to have grown a career doing exactly what I studied.
When I think of my initial jobs out of school, I can’t help but chuckle. Having graduated during a recession, my dream job didn’t just land in my lap. Early jobs included: “hotel front desk clerk,” which turned out to be groundsperson at a local hostel; hostess at a high-end Japanese restaurant; and unpaid food writer/critic (that was great). I eventually broke into full-time marketing, worked in Ad Ops in New York City, then moved back to Boston and worked as a marketing copywriter at TechTarget before moving to agency life–then back in-house.
What has attributed to your success thus far and has helped propel you to the position you have now?
I can honestly say that what has brought me to be the head of Content Marketing at a company like EDB is the fact that I’ve grinded every single day: constantly learning, honing my craft, and now teaching others. I’ve been writing all day every day for the past decade at work, and I also write for fun in my spare time.
Being intuitive and personable has also helped me form key relationships and partnerships at work. Not to mention, I’ve had some stellar mentors and colleagues to thank for inspiring me to push further throughout my career. Because of the true grit of hard work, invaluable support and an intrinsic belief in my abilities, I got here.
Can you share the high-level responsibilities of your current position as a Sr. Manager of Content Marketing at EDB?
In my role, I oversee content marketing strategy for the company, which includes managing our blog, creating longform lead generation assets like eBooks and infographics, producing promotional videos, and assisting with aligning messaging across marketing programs. I focus on leading cross-functionally with strategies to bring stakeholders together, connect the dots and enhance outcomes. I do this through creative problem solving, fresh storytelling and continuous research and refinement.
Any tips for someone considering a career in your field?
My tips for someone considering a career in marketing, and specifically content marketing include: Practice writing frequently and follow top publications in your space of interest. When you have an intriguing idea, write it down, revisit it later, think about it again, reframe it, have it reviewed, even have it rejected, start over, make it stronger. That’s the type of ritual to get accustomed to. Go have a weird or wild experience and then bring those new perspectives to your work and conversations. People in the corporate world need creative minds, so harvest your seeds for big ideas so you’re ready to bring them to the table.
Day in the Life
Coffee, tea, or nothing?
Coffee first thing in the morning with soy milk and cinnamon! My fiancé is nice enough to make it for me. Green tea after lunch to keep the brain activated and power through the afternoon.
What time do you start working?
I’m usually digging into work around 8am (answering Slacks and scanning email starting at 7:30 from bed, then making the long commute to my desk in the next room).
What are three things that motivate you in your role?
- Keeping quality super high
- Providing our audiences the answers they’re looking for
- Genuine interest in awesome marketing
Every day is different, but can you outline what a typical day looks like for you?
Log in with coffee, respond to all emails, prepare for upcoming morning meetings, start on the first item on my ongoing to-do list. Check in with my content marketing manager teammate to ensure weekly blogs are on track and queued up; I’ll copy edit and provide feedback before finalizing. Block of a few morning meetings, have a light protein shake, walk around my riverside neighborhood in West Newbury, MA. Wrap up tasks like campaign deliverables, answering any content inquiries or updating my content strategy plan. Take a break for lunch, take another walk, have tea. Jump into afternoon meetings (usually fewer or more spaced out than the morning), block time to get work done— which may be editing more blog posts, updating our content tracking sheet or metrics, preparing collateral or creative assets for an upcoming marketing event, or helping craft a new external customer success story. Work until around 5:30 and ensure I have time to work out and make dinner!
What time do you typically wrap up the work day?
I typically call it a day around 5:30-6.
Do you log back in at night or do you shut it down completely?
90% of the time, I completely shut it down after hours, unless there’s something easy enough to get done while watching TV that will save me time and stress the next day. I do get Slack notifications on my phone (unless I’m on a vacation) and I tend to keep tabs on my email every so often to stay up-to-date.
Any productivity hacks?
For the last few years, I’ve joked with coworkers about doing “power 15s,” which is finding something you can finish 15 minutes before a meeting to check it off your list. I also spend gaps in between meetings taking quick walks to get some energizing air, and I like to block my calendar with “working blocks” in open mornings or afternoons to get heads down and in the zone.
What are the 3 apps that you can’t live without?
I probably can’t live without Spotify (need to work to music, especially Spanish guitar), Slack (EDB is all about the Slack culture and I enjoy it), and I’ll say Instagram. I can probably live without it, but I like it; I like social.
What professional accomplishment are you proudest of?
I’d say I’m most proud of the keynote presentations I’ve created for CEOs, and the creative videos I’ve storyboarded and directed. Outside of work, I’m proud to have accomplished publishing a book of poetry, Poems of Her 20s, which is available on Amazon.
Who do you admire or call upon for professional advice?
I currently lean on my boss Ian Bain, VP of Corporate Marketing, for advice and guidance, I often reach out to my talented former colleagues and friends for input, my fiancé is also a creative and I always have him review my critical pieces, and my mom never fails to provide important career and life tips that keep me centered.
