Skills
HTML Email template development and testing
It's in some ways surprising that someone who started out as a web developer with a strong interest in web standards ended up specializing in email marketing, where vendors routinely play fast and loose with specifications. However, rather than frustration at the limitations of email, I enjoy the challenge of taking great designs and making them work across diverse clients and devices. It has to look great in Outlook 2007 and the latest iPhone? No problem, I'm on the job.
HTML Email code troubleshooting
When something just doesn't look right and there's no rhyme or reason to it, that's where I like to dig in. The answer lies somewhere here between the code, the ESP, the content and the email client… and I WILL find it.
Project Management
I have extensive experience working with small teams, both in person and remotely, including across varying time zones and communication styles. If there's one golden rule I like to stick to, it's that every conversation or instruction is documented in writing, and everyone on the team has access to it.
Time Management
It would be impossible to survive as a freelancer for over eight years without decent time management skills, and I think it's fair to say that I am more than competent in this department.
Email Service Providers
Campaign Monitor
I sent my first email newsletter with Campaign Monitor, way back in 2006. And while it's been quite a number of years since I got a personal reply to a support email from one of the founders (hi Dave and Ben!), Campaign Monitor is still my favorite of the lower-end email platforms to work with.
MailChimp
Many of my clients started out with MailChimp because of their free tier, and while I find their templating system a little frustrating, I am a fan of their segmenting and subscriber management feature set - and also the fact that the platform is constantly being improved.
Pardot
Pardot was my first introduction to higher end email marketing platforms and I was quite impressed (until I met HubSpot, that is). I have three reasonably large Pardot projects under my belt.
HubSpot
While I only have experience with HubSpot via two projects for the same client, I'm a big fan of their extensive templating language and the amazing flexibility it offers. I'm very keen to do more with this platform.
Intercom, Active Campaign, Constant Contact
I have passing familiarity with these platforms.
Software
Litmus Builder and Screenshot Testing Platform
At first I was skeptical of using an editor that relied on a browser and an internet connection, but the time saved by using the integrated screenshot testing revolutionized the way I code. I consider Litmus to be the one essential tool for email development.
Adobe Creative Suite
Years of slicing and dicing web site and email designs has left me proficient in all the main Adobe design tools: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and now also Adobe XD.
Invision, Zeplin.io, Avocado
I'm a fan of the innovations brought in by the new breed of design collaboration and workflow tools - design inspection tools especially.
Trello, Active Collab, Trigger App, DoneDone
Project Management tools are necessary. I hold a torch for Trello and have experience with the other tools listed.
Office Tools
In this particularly non-exciting portion of my resume, I state that I know my way around a Word doc and an Excel spreadsheet and the Google Docs equivalents - because sometimes the client WILL send a logo through in a Word document, and filtering and sorting CSV files for subscriber data are an essential if not riveting part of the job.
GIT and version control
While I'm no wizard, I know my branches from my pull requests and am a competent user of GitHub, GitLab, and BitBucket.