About the Project
Cheltenham Chamber of Commerce is a long-established business membership organisation supporting and connecting businesses across Cheltenham and the surrounding area.
I joined the Chamber’s Executive Board as Digital Marketing Executive in 2021, at a time when much of the marketing activity was reactive. There was no clear overarching strategy, limited reporting or KPIs, and the existing website was not fully supporting the organisation or its members.
The goal was to bring greater structure, consistency and purpose to the Chamber’s digital marketing.
Each year, I developed a full marketing strategy and presented it to the Board, setting out priorities, campaigns, budgets and KPIs for the year ahead. This was supported by a structured content calendar built around five key content pillars: Member Focus, Benefits of Membership, Events, Lobbying and Business Education.
Monthly reporting was introduced to track performance across the Chamber’s digital channels, including follower growth, engagement, click-through rates, audience demographics and top-performing content. Performance was reported to the Board every month, with the wider strategy reviewed over longer periods so that decisions were based on meaningful trends rather than reacting to individual months.
Alongside the strategic work, I remained hands-on with delivery throughout my time with the Chamber, reflecting the voluntary nature of the Board roles.
"Keeley isn't just super proficient at digital and social media marketing, she really ‘gets’ strategy and the importance of working within a disciplined framework."
Michael Ellyatt
Cheltenham Chamber of Commerce
A major part of the project was overseeing the redevelopment of the Chamber website. I project managed the process alongside the appointed web design agency, supplied website copy where required, reviewed the user journey and ensured digital marketing activity directed people towards the most relevant areas of the site. Before launch, I tested the website, presented it to the Board and coordinated amendments and feedback.
Email marketing was also developed through regular newsletters and automated welcome emails for new subscribers.
Across social media, I managed Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and the newly introduced Instagram account, covering campaign planning, strategy, copywriting, graphic and video creation, member promotion, event marketing, Board visibility, engagement and reporting.
The result was a shift from reactive marketing activity to a much more proactive, planned and measurable approach.
KEY DELIVERABLES
A blend of strategic planning and hands-on delivery helped turn fragmented marketing activity into a more structured, consistent and measurable approach.
Marketing Strategy & Planning
Created and presented an annual marketing strategy to the Executive Board, covering priorities, campaigns, budgets and measurable KPIs. Introduced structured content planning around clear marketing pillars to move the organisation away from reactive communications.
Website Redevelopment
Project managed the complete redesign of the Chamber website alongside the appointed web design agency. Supported copy development, reviewed the customer journey, carried out pre-launch testing, presented the new website to the Board and coordinated final amendments.
Social Media Strategy & Management
Managed Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter, including campaign planning, content strategy, copywriting, graphic and video creation, engagement, member promotion, event marketing and Board visibility. Instagram was introduced as a new channel and developed into a growing part of the Chamber’s digital presence, while LinkedIn helped strengthen connections and engagement with members.
Email Marketing & Subscriber Journeys
Produced regular Chamber newsletters and introduced automated welcome communications for new subscribers, helping create a more joined-up experience from first contact onwards.
Content & Messaging
Developed five core content pillars, Member Focus, Benefits of Membership, Events, Lobbying and Business Education, helping create clearer, more consistent messaging across platforms.
I also completely redesigned and rewrote the Chamber’s member benefits brochure, making the value of membership clearer, more engaging and easier for prospective and existing members to understand.
Reporting & Performance
Introduced monthly marketing reporting for the Board, covering follower growth, engagement, click-through rates, audience demographics and top-performing content.
Performance was monitored monthly while strategic changes were considered over longer periods, avoiding knee-jerk decisions based on short-term fluctuations and allowing marketing decisions to be informed by meaningful data.
RESULTS
Over the course of the project, the Chamber moved from largely reactive digital marketing to a more structured, proactive and measurable approach.
Marketing moved from being something that happened reactively when something needed promoting to something that was planned, measured and connected to the wider objectives of the Chamber.
Increase in membership enquiries and membership numbers
Clearer communication of member benefits, stronger member-focused content and improved digital journeys supported greater interest in Chamber membership.
A measurable marketing framework
For the first time, marketing performance was consistently reported to the Board, giving the Chamber visibility over what was working and allowing longer-term decisions to be made using real performance data.