My Portfolio

Hello, I’m Rob, I’m a multi-skilled marketer with B2B and B2C marketing experience.

hey@robbatesdesign.com  ●  517.420.5778  ●

hey@robbatesdesign.com 517.420.5778

Skills

Copywriting • Graphic Design • Web Design • HTML/CSS  SEO Best Practices • Google Ads  Social Media (paid, influencer & organic) • Email Marketing  Project Management

  • Copywriting
  • Graphic Design
  • Google Ads
  • Web Design
  • HTML/CSS
  • SEO Best Practices
  • Social Media (paid, influencer & organic)
  • Email Marketing

Software

Adobe InDesign • Photoshop • Illustrator • WordPress • Woocommerce • Elementor • Google Ads • Facebook Ads • Klaviyo • Magento 2 • Ahrefs •  Google Workspace • Google Analytics • Google Search Console Buffer • Agorapulse • Mail Chimp •  Siteground • Slack • Asana • Python(basic knowledge)

  • Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator
  • WordPress, Woocommerce, Elementor
  • Google Ads
  • Facebook Ads
  • Klaviyo
  • Magento 2
  • Ahrefs
  • Google Workspace, Analytics, Search Console
  • Buffer
  • Agorapulse
  • Mail Chimp
  • Siteground
  • Slack
  • Asana
  • Python(basic knowledge)
hey@robbatesdesign.com  ●  517.420.5778  ●

hey@robbatesdesign.com 517.420.5778

Current Role

HOGWORKZ

Head of marketing at the industry leader in aftermarket Harley-Davidson color-matched body work, LED Lighting, and motorcycle accessories.

Past Projects

LPD Music International (2019-2021)

LPD is a wholesale musical instrument and pro audio distributor that’s been in business since 1963. They are the exclusive USA distributor for Danelectro & Aria Pro II guitars.

Projects I Managed at LPD

Resurrecting Aria Pro II Guitars

Complete Website Redesign

  • Rebuilt LPD’s website, it’s now more user and mobile friendly
  • Oversaw the migration of lpdmusic.com to secure hosting
  • Configured SEO and increased organic web traffic to lpdmusic.com by 315%
  • Increased page speed by 35%
  • Created product pages for Aria acoustic guitars, Aria Pro II, and Paracho Elite mariachi instruments
  • Created closeout webpages pages for Sparrow, Fret King & Vintage guitars
    • These pages have helped sell over 180 “new old stock” guitars in a short amount of time
    • I designed the web pages, took all photos, and wrote the copy
  • Improved UI/UX the dealer portal, helping dealers place orders faster
    • Added exclusive brand price sheets and created stock photo media galleries
  • Discovered lpdmusic.com had been hacked before I started, took steps to correct it
  • Put together a plan for an e-commerce back end that would allow dealers to place their orders online

Automation of MAP Price Enforcement

  • Conceptualized, built, and deployed a python script saving the LPD sales team 300+ hours per year
  •  The script checks the Minimum Advertised Price of Danelectro & Aria products on major reseller platforms
    • In only 10 minutes, my script loops through all Danelectro products, then exports any MAP violations to a CSV file
    • An automated MAP policy, keeps prices stable and competitive for LPD’s dealers

Maintaining LPD's Wholesale & Retail Catalogs

  • Revamped LPD’s 283 page catalog that had been touched by many hands
  • Fixed a broken table of contents
  • Cleaned up sloppy design and inconsistency issues
  • Generating both wholesale and consumer catalogs
  • Constantly added and removed products
  • Designing page layouts for new products
  • Improved UX by adding grey/white tables for easy and accurate scanning
  • Using python, I converted the entire PDF catalog to a CSV with a corresponding image folder. Then created a working test site in Woocommerce

Social Media & Email Marketing

  • Generated 800+ qualified leads from LPD’s Instagram page
  • Grew @lpdmusic from 109 to 1400+ followers
  • Took @aria.pro.ii from 0 to 2100+ followers organically
  • Created social media content for Danelectro’s (118k) and Aria’s (17k) official social media pages
  • Created cross promo content pairing Right On! Guitar Straps with Danelectro and Aria guitars. These posts were shared across Danelectro, Aria, and Right On! Straps official social media pages 
  • Corrected a spam email problem. Configured spam protection implementing DMARC, DKIM, and SPF records
  • Reengaged an email list that had been dormant for over a year
  • Added email collection to lpdmusic.com with a welcome flow that brought in hundreds of warm leads

1 Effin’ Ink (2017-2018)

An Experiment in Web Design, Marketing, and Screen Printing

With no previous experience, I built a full e-commerce website for my print business using WordPress/Woocommerce. My clients were able to upload artwork, design shirts, and place orders completely online. I drove traffic to the site exclusively through influencer marketing. 

Previously wearing every hat in a business, gives me a different perspective than the average graphic designer, web developer, or marketer. I know what it’s like to have your name on the product. I will treat everything I create for you as if it was for my own business.

Shirt Razor (2014-2017)

Screen Printing Business I operated with a Co-Owner

Running every aspect of a print business was crash course in business management. Marketing to attract new clients, clearly communicating to ensure a perfect order, correctly ordering job materials, preparing artwork for press, counting in shirts, the actual screen printing process, quality control, recounting tees, delivering them to the customer ON TIME, billing, asking for referrals and repeat! 

This business was growing, but the physical grind of printing was wearing me out. In 2016, I started making plans for a career change. I began learning HTML/CSS, WordPress/Woocommerce, along with social media best practices.

Grip Gear/Gripzee (2008-2013)

In 2009, I had an idea for a shirt with grips on the front, sleeves and sides that helped warehouse workers secure goods as they filled orders. Received serious interest from GRAINGER, DELTA AIRLINES, MCKESSON, LOWES, and more. 

I was granted a utility patent for this concept. US20100229278A1. My patent has been cited as prior art by companies like NIKE, UNDER ARMOUR, & COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR.

Taking this idea to market taught me many lessons, such as: 

  • Writing a complete business plan
  • Preparing for national trade shows
  • Product development, testing, and design
  • What it takes to patent a product
  • My first exposure to writing copy, designing sales pages, and creating brochures
  • Pivoting the technology to a baby onesie and securing a deal to sell on BabiesRus.com, still didn’t work…

Ultimately I was too inexperienced and under capitalized to bring this product to market. Although not successful, Grip Gear/Gripzee was valuable learning experience.

Touring Musician/Merica Printing (2005-2013)

Wish I still had that hair haha

As a touring musician I helped book tours and promote albums. While on the road I gained experience working with different personalities, in close quarters(tour van, no trailer) to reach common goals. 

During this time, I started screen printing to increase the profitability of our merch. I networked with other bands and made money between tours printing for them.

We toured the USA 8 times with many weekend runs in between. The longest tour was a 45 day self booked run through 43 different states.

hey@robbatesdesign.com  ●  517.420.5778  ●

hey@robbatesdesign.com 517.420.5778