In September 2017, I was hired as the Marketing Specialist for the Occupational & Life Skills (OLS) program at Bellevue College, a small (but mighty!), self-sustained associate degree program for students with learning disabilities. As the only marketing-dedicated staff member on the OLS team, I oversee every facet of our marketing efforts including:
- Website management
- Copy and content creation
- Social media management
- Editorial calendar management
- Newsletter writing, creation, and management
- Marketing strategy development
- Email marketing communication
- Event marketing
During my time at OLS, I have:
- Lead end-to-end marketing and communications strategy as sole marketing staff member, overseeing strategy, content, and execution across web, email, print, and events.
- Crafted inclusive, equity-driven copy to reach neurodiverse and underserved student populations.
- Implemented TargetX CRM: managed migration from Emma and WordPress forms, reducing manual data entry and improving lead capture, email marketing, and event sign-ups.
- Developed and launched new automated nurture and recruitment email series for students, parents, and educators, achieving a 60.8% open rate and 61% retention to final email (Aug 2023–Jan 2024).
- Directed the 2025 program website redesign, collaborating with design and IT to streamline site structure.
- Contributed to record program applications and enrollment in 2023 through strategic campaigns.
Website
In summer 2020, I led a revision of the OLS website to improve layout, UX/UI, and visual appeal while condensing content. The challenge: creating a site that primarily speaks to prospective students while also meeting the needs of parents and special education professionals—all within Bellevue College’s broader web and style guidelines.
In 2025, the college redesigned all department pages. I oversaw the process from start to finish, determining which program pages to keep, delete, combine, and rewrite, and working with the IT and web design teams to streamline all pages and navigation.
Google Analytics Stats (September 2017 – September 2023):
- Increased web traffic from email sources by 1904%
- Increased page views by 279%
- Increased unique page views by 323%
- Increased organic search web traffic by 411%
Social Media
When I began at OLS, the program had Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube social media accounts. Posting was infrequent, with no obvious scheduling plan and little cohesion or branding across posts. Within the first year, I created Instagram and LinkedIn pages, created an editorial calendar, and crafted branded graphics for posts.
- Increased Facebook following/likes by 45.18%
- Launched Instagram account and organically grew an audience of 408 followers
- Created branded graphical elements for posts
- Created a LinkedIn page for the program
- Created editorial calendar
Audience segments include prospective students, prospective families, and special education teachers/counselors/service providers throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Hawaii.
Total newsletter stats (2022-2024):
- Open rate: 31.42%
- Click rate: 7.6%
- Unsubscribe rate: .27%
Automation
Target audience: Prospective students and family members who have attended an Info Session
Automation Stats (Aug 2023 – Jan 2024):
- Open rate: 60.8%
- Click rate: 10.3%
- Audience retention rate to end of automation series: 61%
Pre-Application Drip
Target audience: Prospective students and parents, sent leading up to each application deadline
Drip Series Stats (Jan 2023 – Jan 2024):
- Average open rate: 56.2%
- Average click rate: 5.14%
Examples
Blog
Throughout the academic year, I write news-style stories showcasing student successes and what they are learning in their OLS classes.
Featured Story
This story was initially shared as an OLS news story, but it was picked up by three publications: two local news publications and the Bellevue College Exceptional Magazine.
Maile Allen 