Meet a Member: Rebecca Dolan

Rebecca Dolan is the Marketing Coordinator at Delap in Lake Oswego, OR. She was a 2022 AAM-MAA recruiting campaign nominee for her career page redesign and employee testimonial videos. Learn more about Rebecca and her recruiting campaign in this article.

ABOUT REBECCA
• Name: Rebecca Dolan
• Title: Marketing Coordinator
• Years of Experience: 5
• College Name & Degree(s): University of Oregon, Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and English
• Firm Name: Delap
• Firm City & State: Lake Oswego, OR
• Firm Size: 120 employees
• Email Address: [email protected]
• Professional Memberships: AAM, LEA (Leading Edge Alliance) Global
• LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-sedlak-dolan/

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

What types of ways do you use your website as a recruiting tool and/or showcase your culture?
We feature photos of our people on our About Us and Careers pages to showcase our unique culture and camaraderie, and we try to update the photos from recent events when possible to keep the content fresh. We have three Careers webpages: one general page, one page aimed at experienced professionals, and one page meant for college students and recent grads. In summer 2021, we filmed several video testimonials from employees and our summer interns to showcase why our firm is a great place to work and what the experience of working here is like. Our Recruiting Manager has received a lot of positive feedback about the testimonial videos.

What is the structure of your marketing department?
I am a marketing team of one, and I report to our COO, who is a partner.

What have you learned the hard way?
Communication really is key. When you need help with a project or ongoing set of tasks, ask for it – especially if you are on a small team.

What is a “must know” for new accounting marketers?
Learn your firm’s business goals, and then align your marketing goals accordingly.

What are your special skills or what is something people may not know about you?
Before I transitioned to a career in marketing, I started out as an arts and entertainment journalist at a community newspaper. I have a great eye for digital and print design, and I enjoy writing and editing blog posts and website copy.

What is the biggest benefit you receive from your AAM membership or what affect has AAM had on your career?
I have only been a member of AAM for two years, so I’m excited to see what impact AAM has on my career. So far, I have really enjoyed the AAM Circles that I’m a part of. As a marketing team of one, being able to hear from other accounting marketers is very insightful and helpful!

Share one marketing tip.
Obsess over your clients’ questions. If an accountant at your firm keeps answering the same question for different clients via email – that should be a lightbulb moment to create marketing content that will answer the question and save your people time.

What would you be doing if you had not become a marketer?
I would either still work in journalism or would have pivoted to work at a PR and communications firm.

What is the biggest project you are working on right now?
Since the spring, I have been focusing a lot of my time on recruiting marketing projects, including LinkedIn ads, organic social posts, focus groups with our summer interns, and more video testimonials from employees and interns.

If you had an unlimited budget, what is one thing you would implement immediately?
If I had an unlimited budget, I would hire an outside company to help my firm research its customers, create a customer journey map, and set up infrastructure for a strong client experience program.

What blogs or social feeds do you subscribe to that are helpful?
Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media is an amazing content marketing, web design and analytics expert. I first watched a webinar he did for Marketing Profs on Google Analytics, and I was hooked. Orbit Media’s blog is also very insightful on these topics. I also follow Jay Schwedelson on LinkedIn and am subscribed to his newsletter. I first saw Jay present at HubSpot’s 2021 Inbound conference, and his humor and personality made his session on email subject lines one of the most enjoyable of the conference.

Rebecca was interviewed by AAM Minute Committee member Tanya Doescher.

About Tanya
Tanya is the Marketing Director at Melton & Melton, LLP, one of Houston’s largest independently owned accounting firms. She is responsible for developing and executing the firm’s overall growth goals and objectives. She oversees and leads the marketing, strategic partnerships and business development activities, and is responsible for branding, strategy, advertising, corporate communications, public relations and improving organizational efficiency.