Katie Wayles - Professional Website

Professional Experience

Paccar Leasing Co. – Fort Worth, Texas        Sept 2019 – Present

Rental Sales Representative                                                            

• Supporting corporate communication efforts by designing and executing social media campaigns, increasing audience participation and engagement
• Creating graphic content to promote brand image and advertising efforts on social media
• Conducting research (including SWOT analyses) to advance company message and brand image amongst a developing clientele
• Owner of company Google page, analyzing data and engagement to further SEO efforts
• Distinguished member of PACCAR Mentorship program and Diversity and Inclusion Council

Peterbilt Motors Company – Denton, Texas     May 2018- Aug 2018

External Communications Intern                                                                      

• Developed news releases featured in leading industry magazines
• Designed and executed social media campaigns to boost public knowledge of the company’s branded image and language
• Organized communication plans to support new product launches and promotional events

Sells Agency – Fayetteville, Ark.                        Feb 2018- May 2018

Marketing Intern                                                                                     

• Created blog posts and creative content for clients like Experience Fayetteville
• Maintained the blog’s desired image by researching and adapting language and writing style

FanSpotz – Fayetteville, Ark.                         Oct 2017- Dec. 2017

Digital Development and Communications Intern                            

• Implemented social media campaigns on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram

Company Politics – Fayetteville, Ark.               Feb 2017- May 2017

Public Relations Intern                                        

• Produced, proofread and edited a city Request for Proposal (RFP)

Education

Master of Arts in Journalism

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR           May 2020

• Strategic Advertising and Public Relations

Bachelor of Arts in Journalism

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR           May 2018

• Advertising and Public Relations Sequence                      

Collegiate Honors Program – Magna Cum Laude                  

Technical Skills

• Professional writing skills including, but not limited to, news releases, social media posts, persuasive corporate presentations, etc.

News Release – This first section includes the press releases I composed and published at Peterbilt Motors Company. I drafted these with very little direction and created the quotes with little structure or guidance. This experience taught me to take constructive criticism as I re-wrote each article several times. These press releases were published on the Peterbilt website and featured in top industry magazines (CCJ, FleetOwner, Transport Topics, etc.).

News Release – I created the following press release while in class at the University of Arkansas. This assignment was for the Volunteer Action Center, a student-run board for volunteer opportunities.

News Release – I created the following news release in class at the University of Arkansas. This assignment was performed in my Public Relations Writing course.

Campaign Proposal – I created the following proposal for my campaign #TruckingTraditions. I researched the customer base and followed the Peterbilt social media voice.

Multi-Platform Social Media Posts- Each of these posts contain the same image and similar wording. I adapted my voice to fit each unique social platform’s intended audience. The Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages for Peterbilt were slight variations of one another. I reflected this in my campaign execution.

Example One –

Example Two –

Example Three –

PacLease LinkedIn – Our General Manager created a PacLease Texas Company Stores LinkedIn page which I volunteered to take over. I increased our following by 550% and engagement by 7.18% in less than six months through customer service and advertising efforts. I completed industry research to find articles my customers and prospects would find compelling.

PacLease YouTube – Aside from the corporate YouTube page, we did not have a presence on YouTube. I thought this was an avenue we should delve into as videos are a compelling medium to transfer information. I created the scripts and coordinated the recording sessions for this informative series.

Graphics – I designed the following graphics through Canva. I took the initiative to create these on my own, coming up with my own verbiage and designs.

Blog posts – I created these when I worked for Sells Agency in Fayetteville, Arkansas. One of our clients was Experience Fayetteville, a tourism-centered hospitality blog. I reflected the verbiage and voice of the light-hearted blog while utilizing SEO vocabulary to gain organic traction.