Workforce Edge
Lead Nuture Campaign

Converting Opt-Ins into Enrollments

As SkillStorm's Marketing Manager, I led the development and execution of comprehensive, full funnel campaigns that aligned with business objectives and enhanced customer experiences. One of the most impactful examples of this work was the lead nurturing campaign I developed to increase enrollments among Workforce Edge learners, driving performance through strategic segmentation, custom messaging, and close cross-functional collaboration.

Challenge

No access to new leads - only leads who were further down the funnel in the “interest” stage.
No budget. Pivoted from LinkedIn InMail to an organic campaign.
Needed to drive additional enrollments and prove ROI from the WFE partnership.

Opportunity

Pre-qualified audience with tuition benefits available.
Strong alignment with SkillStorm’s mission to close the tech gap.
Ability to prove that organic, intent-based marketing can drive real revenue.

Campaign Overview

About Workforce Edge

WFE simplifies education reimbursement and connects employees to employer-funded learning opportunities.

They served as a key marketing partner, linking SkillStorm with eligible learners across their employer network.

Campaign Objective

Encourage WFE partner employees to use tuition assistance to enroll in SkillStorm certification programs.

Key Goals:

Increase enrollments
Validate WFE as a scalable lead source
Strengthen partner engagement

Campaign Overview

Originally planned as a LinkedIn InMail pilot, the campaign pivoted to an organic email strategy due to limited buy-in from leadership.

Using HubSpot and internal resources, I activated leads with:

Tailored messaging around career growth, tuition reimbursement, and a limited-time 10% discount
A downloadable Career Pathways Guide to showcase bundled certification options
Direct support from career advisors to drive guided enrollments

Business Alignment

Drove revenue through tuition-based enrollments
Advanced SkillStorm’s mission to close the tech talent gap through accessible upskilling
Positioned SkillStorm as a trusted partner in workforce acceleration and career development

Target Audience

Who We Targeted

Employees from Workforce Edge (WFE) partner organizations who had previously shown interest in upskilling.

Audience Segments

Industries: Healthcare, Hospitality, and General
Job Levels: Entry-level to Mid-Manager professionals
Intent: Career-minded individuals looking to advance through employer-funded certification

Why This Audience?

Eligible for tuition assistance—low barrier to entry
High potential for conversion with the right messaging and advisor support

Opportunity:

Reach a motivated audience with personalized, industry-specific content that speaks to their career goals.

Strategic Approach

Organic + Personalized

Pivoted to an organic email and SMS strategy via HubSpot—targeted, cost-effective, and data-driven.

Key Tactics

Segmented messaging by industry and role
Delivered Career Pathways Guide to drive engagement
Triggered behavior-based follow-ups (e.g. clicked, no conversion)
A/B tested subject lines and CTAs for optimization

Collaborative Execution

Partnered with WFE and internal advisors to align outreach, reinforce messaging, and support lead conversion.

Email & SMS Execution

Internal Execution:

Segmented Sequences: Crafted tailored email and SMS sequences based on industry (e.g., Healthcare, Hospitality).
Behavior-Based Follow-Ups:
- Opened but didn't click → Send reminder with added value.
- Clicked but didn't convert → Offer a limited-time discount or direct advisor booking link.
A/B Testing: Tested subject lines and CTAs to optimize engagement and conversion rates.

Partner Marketing with Workforce Edge (WFE):

Co-Branded Outreach: Provided WFE with templated email for consistent messaging.
Advisor Integration: Facilitated handoff to SkillStorm advisors for personalized support.

Career Pathways Guide

Career-Focused, Conversion-Driven

Created a downloadable guide tailored by industry, highlighting certification bundles aligned to in-demand roles in Healthcare, Hospitality, and General tracks.

What It Included

Career-aligned certification bundles with average salary insights
Tuition reimbursement guidance and limited-time discounts
Visual, easy-to-digest format optimized for quick value recognition

Tracking Built In

Used unique tracking links by channel including email, SMS, and WFE partner outreach to identify the strongest-performing sources for views and downloads. These insights informed real-time campaign adjustments.

Created Urgency

Promoted with a 10–20% discount to drive immediate action and increase enrollment interest

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Workforce Edge

Co-branded outreach to employer partners
Sourced qualified leads through partner orgs
Used SkillStorm email templates for weekly sends

SkillStorm Team

Initiated and led weekly cross-functional syncs
Aligned with Program Manager on goals and timeline
Collaborated with Career Advisors for consistent messaging
Worked with Marketing Coordinator to launch SMS campaigns
Partnered with Eric (Key Stakeholder) for strategic input
Secured final approvals from COO and VP of Marketing

Tools Used

HubSpot for email, SMS, automation, and tracking
Shared content docs for streamlined collaboration

Data-Driven Optimization

KPI Development Approach:

Set KPIs by mapping the customer journey (awareness → engagement → conversion) and aligning goals to each stage.
Benchmarked targets based on previous SkillStorm email/SMS campaigns, platform averages, and industry standards.

KPIs Set:

Email Open Rate: 15–20%
Email CTR: 3–5% to "Download Now" CTA
Email Conversion Rate: 5–7% (clicks to enrollments/inquiries)
SMS Open Rate: 20–30%

Execution:

Built a HubSpot dashboard for real-time tracking.
Conducted weekly performance reviews to optimize messaging and lead flow.

Result Snapshot

Estimated Revenue Generated:

~$200,000 from WFE enrollments

Enrollments Secured:

100+ enrollments (~5% conversion rate)

Email Performance:

Open Rate: 23.89%
Click-Through Rate (CTR): 18.13%

SMS Engagement:

Open Rate: 21%

Upsell Impact:

Increase in Upsold Enrollments: ~12–15%* driven by Career Pathways bundles and advisor outreach

"In the time I've worked with Britney, she's consistently demonstrated strong organizational and project management skills. Her expertise in campaign marketing strategies was particularly evident during the Workforce Edge email campaign, where her strategic segmentation and messaging drove engagement and conversions."

- Eric Robertson, SVP of Workforce Accelerator, SkillStorm

Scaling the Strategy

Next Steps:

Retargeting with LinkedIn Ads
Personalized Landing Pages by Industry
Ongoing Nuture Campaign

LinkedIn InMail Pilot Overview:

1-month pilot via Sponsored InMail
Targeted WFE employees to drive tech certification enrollments
$1,000 budget, with potential expansion via marketing match dollars

Campaign Objective

Increase tech certification enrollments
Build a future-ready subscriber base
Position SkillStorm as the top tuition benefit training provider

Key Message

Certifications as career accelerators
Leverage tuition benefits for high-demand skills

Key Takeaways

This campaign reinforced the importance of staying agile, building strategic segmentation, leveraging real-time data, collaborating across teams, and creating content with clear value.

Be agile. Pivoting from paid to organic showed the power of flexibility and resourceful thinking.
Segment smart. Industry-based messaging drove higher engagement and will guide future personalization strategies.
Track early, optimize often. Real-time HubSpot data enabled continuous improvement.
Collaborate to scale. Sales, advising, and WFE alignment produced stronger results.
Create with purpose. Value-driven content like the Career Pathways Guide built trust and drove conversions.