Portfolio
Michelle Lewis, Writing Samples
1. Yankee Candle – Fragrance by Room
Link: https://www.yankeecandle.com/fragrancebyroomhub.html
All content for this “content cluster” for Yankee Candle was written by me, including the introductory copy and content for each room. I was a partner in conceptualizing this idea that was intended to increase search traffic. I wrote the content for a single room to provide proof-of-concept and ultimately completed the copy for the remaining rooms. The approach was to provide a hub to funnel users to other site content, such as product pages, and to complete actions on the site. It also provided additional landing pages and established content silos that could be cross-linked to other sections of the site to support page rank.
The process of creating the content included brainstorming ideas that would incorporate products currently being promoted as well as those that would provide keyword opportunities based on current research, “dining room centerpiece,” for example. It was to be web-friendly and scannable, assume the brand voice, and adhere to the brand guidelines by product line. The project has been successful in driving new traffic and widening the audience.
In addition, I wrote all blog posts that currently exist for this client; here is the most recent:
https://www.yankeecandle.com/inspiration/Decorate-a-room-for-instant-appeal.html
2. Tyler Technologies
This is a piece recently commissioned by Tyler Technologies that was created from a transcript from an interview to create a case study about one of their software solutions. I have written, proofed, and edited many articles for this client.
3. Wild Blueberries of North America, sample blog post
Link: https://www.wildblueberries.com/blog/wild-blueberry-antioxidant-superstar/
This site was established to promote awareness of the health benefits of wild blueberries, and the mission of the blog was to heighten public awareness and bring related health news to the consumer without directly promoting the product. I was the sole writer and editor for the blog during its conception in 2008 until 2012. I based posts on topics that were popularly searched, including Health & Nutrition, Brain Health, Research, and Recipes, and I maintained an editorial calendar that included ideas for posts that would revisit popular themes and include breaking news, showcase new authors, and provide nutritious recipes. Posts were developed based on the calendar in conjunction with site analytics. I looked at trending keywords, what pages received/needed traffic, link opportunities, popular site searches, and leverageable cultural moments. Many posts relied on interviews with authors, nutritionists, and scientists. Some of the posts served as anchor pieces in a monthly newsletter that I also wrote. This blog/newsletter concept was replicated for another client, the French National Federation of Farming Unions (dubbed Cheeses of France) to raise awareness and increase sales of French cheeses in the United States.
While this post is not as recent as the Yankee Candle sample, it, and other posts I wrote during this time still serve to support the robust content on this site. The blog was successful in driving traffic and well received by the client for being a rich resource of information that they continue to leverage today. The post I have selected provides a little history of the research group and was chosen in part because it uses interviews that I conducted. However, I authored dozens of other posts that include research, interviews, and multi-part “spotlight” pieces.
4. I have written for many literary publications.
Here is an example of a review of a book of poetry by Maine’s Poet Laureate, Julia Bouwsma:
Link: https://medium.com/anomalyblog/the-consequences-of-silence-in-julia-bouwsmas-midden- c07a0797ff27
You can find more like the above at whitechicken.com