Welcome to my portfolio

Paid media, strategy, project management, and analytics—all working together.

I’m Joe McKinney, a seasoned digital advertising expert. This portfolio brings together selected campaigns, how I analyze performance, my education, and the skills I bring to every project.

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Selected portfolio work

Campaign Reports

III FORKSPrime Steakhouse

Meta AdsProgrammatic DisplayGA4

Driving awareness and OpenTable reservations for III Forks Jacksonville.

This campaign combined Meta and programmatic display to reach high-value dining audiences, build awareness, and drive qualified users to OpenTable. I supported the strategy, campaign build, management, optimization, performance analysis, and client reporting. The final report connected reservation results with creative performance, post-impression behavior, and GA4 trends.

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III FORKSPrime Steakhouse

Meta AdsGoogle SearchProgrammatic DisplayCTVStreaming AudioGA4

Building awareness and reservation demand for III Forks Addison.

This multichannel campaign was designed to build awareness for the newer III Forks Addison location and turn high-value dining interest into reservations. Meta, Google Search, display, CTV, and streaming audio worked across the funnel, with Meta producing the most reservation activity and GA4 showing strong growth in location-page engagement. My work covered campaign strategy, execution, optimization, performance analysis, and client-facing reporting across the campaign.

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Meta AdsProgrammatic DisplayOTT

Turning multichannel reach into Watch Stander course enrollments.

The campaign was built to expand awareness of The Fire Watch’s Veteran suicide-prevention mission and drive enrollments for its Watch Stander training program. I built, managed, and optimized the campaign across Meta, display, and OTT while monitoring delivery, engagement, site activity, and enrollment performance. I also developed the reporting and presented results and recommendations directly to the client during biweekly meetings.

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Google AdsMeta AdsLinkedIn AdsStackAdaptCTV & Online VideoGA4

Positioning Los Angeles as a premier destination for meetings and conventions.

This year-long meetings marketing program positioned Los Angeles as a premier destination for planners and convention decision-makers. Eleven campaigns across Google, Meta, LinkedIn, StackAdapt, connected TV, and online video delivered more than 12.7 million impressions while helping increase total website users by 120.64% year over year. My work covered multichannel strategy, campaign management, optimization, performance analysis, and the development of a client-facing annual report.

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III FORKSPrime Steakhouse

Reservation growth · Meta + programmatic display

Building demand for a premium dining experience.

The goal: increase awareness of III Forks Jacksonville while driving qualified diners directly to OpenTable to complete reservations. The campaign also needed to identify which audiences and dining occasions created the strongest response so future budget and creative decisions could be based on clear performance signals.

My role: I was involved throughout the full campaign lifecycle. I helped develop the Meta and programmatic display strategy, built the campaign structure, selected premium-dining and occasion-based audiences, organized the creative around private dining and general reservations, and managed launch, delivery, and ongoing performance.

Optimization and reporting: I monitored engagement, click efficiency, reservation activity, audience performance, and post-impression behavior, then used those findings to refine the campaign direction. I also analyzed Meta, display, OpenTable, and GA4 results together and translated them into a client-facing report with practical recommendations for budget allocation, creative testing, and the next Jacksonville campaign.

447KMeta impressions

11KMeta clicks

2.58%Meta CTR

65Reservations

$82.93Cost per reservation

Creative that converted, supported by market-wide reach.

Performance was evaluated by channel role: Meta for direct reservation activity and display for awareness, brand recall, and post-impression behavior.

III Forks Jacksonville Meta campaign report page — Meta creative and reservation analysis

III Forks Jacksonville display campaign report page — Programmatic delivery and post-impression analysis

Google Analytics review · May-June vs. March-April

What happened beyond the reservation click?

The paid campaign sent users directly to OpenTable, not to the III Forks website. That makes the growth on the Jacksonville location page especially useful: it shows that more people were independently searching for the restaurant, visiting the location page, and engaging with its content during the campaign window.

Google Analytics review for the III Forks Jacksonville location page — Jacksonville location-page performance during the campaign period

Traffic growth20,512 page views45% increase

The strongest top-line change was the rise in page views. Because the ads linked elsewhere, this lift suggests the campaign was creating enough awareness and interest for diners to seek out III Forks Jacksonville on their own.

7,537Total users+26%

6,460New users+22%

64,261Total events+38%

25:18:55Total engagement time+16%

Audience growth was real

Total users increased 26%, while new users rose 22%. The location was not only attracting more repeat attention—it was also reaching a larger pool of people who had not previously visited the page.

Visitors showed meaningful intent

A 98.89% engagement rate indicates that nearly all recorded visits qualified as engaged sessions. Combined with the increase in total engagement time, the audience was doing more than briefly landing on the page.

Behavior deepened with traffic

Total events climbed 38%, showing that increased traffic also produced more on-page activity. That supported the broader campaign story: paid media drove measurable reservations while awareness contributed to additional research behavior.

How I reported it:

I treated the GA4 lift as supporting evidence rather than claiming direct attribution. The campaign’s clearest conversion measure remained OpenTable reservations, while GA4 helped demonstrate the wider increase in brand interest and location-page engagement during the same period.

How I work

How I Analyze and Optimize Campaign Performance

I don’t judge a campaign from one metric. I move from tracking quality to delivery, engagement, conversion, and business value—then decide what to change.

Validate

Confirm pixels, events, UTMs, forms, calls, and GA4 data before interpreting performance.

Diagnose

Read delivery, cost, engagement, conversion, and lead-quality metrics together.

Segment

Break results down by creative, audience, keyword, placement, device, location, and time.

Act

Shift budget, refine targeting, test creative, adjust bids, improve the landing page, or repair tracking.

What I look at

Reach, impressions, CPM, frequency, link CTR, cost per landing-page view, conversion rate, cost per result, qualified-lead rate, and creative fatigue.

Questions I ask

Is delivery efficient? Is creative earning attention? Are clicks becoming page visits? Are leads qualified? Is frequency climbing while response declines?

Common action

Move spend toward the strongest audience-and-creative combination, refresh fatigued concepts, and optimize to the deepest reliable conversion event.

What I look at

Search terms, CTR, CPC, conversion rate, CPA, impression share, lost share from budget or rank, Quality Score components, and lead quality.

Questions I ask

Does the query match intent? Is the ad relevant? Is budget limiting valuable demand? Does the landing page fulfill the promise?

Common action

Expand proven intent, add negatives, restructure themes, improve ad-to-page alignment, and adjust bids or budget based on qualified conversion value.

What I look at

Reach, frequency, CTR, CPC, lead-form completion rate, cost per lead, audience attributes, company engagement, and qualified-lead rate.

Questions I ask

Are we reaching the right roles and companies? Does the offer match the audience's level of intent? Are lead forms producing sales-ready contacts?

Common action

Refine job-function and seniority targeting, exclude low-value segments, test stronger professional proof points, and optimize toward qualified pipeline.

What I look at

CPM, viewability, completion rate, frequency, reach, placement and publisher performance, audience delivery, conversions, and post-view behavior.

Questions I ask

Is inventory high quality? Are we balancing reach and frequency? Which audiences, devices, placements, and creative formats contribute to meaningful action?

Common action

Shift spend toward efficient inventory and audiences, remove weak placements, manage frequency, refresh creative, and align optimization with campaign goals.

Professional experience

Strategy, execution, and analysis across the full campaign lifecycle.

My experience combines hands-on platform work with planning, reporting, client communication, and cross-functional leadership.

2026–Present

Majority Strategies

Ad Operations Coordinator · Contract

Set up and monitor a high volume of digital campaigns across Meta, Google Ads, and the Zeta programmatic platform. Campaigns range from conversion-focused initiatives to awareness efforts, with budgets spanning four to six figures. Partner with a QA specialist to verify campaign setup, execution, and performance, helping ensure every campaign runs accurately and as intended.

Oct 2024–Jul 2026

3D Digital

Media Manager · Paid Media Specialist

Led strategic planning and execution of integrated campaigns across search, social, programmatic, and CTV. Served as the primary client contact, presenting proposals, forecasts, performance analysis, growth projections, and budget recommendations while maintaining long-term stakeholder relationships. Built cross-functional workflows and campaign calendars, mentored media and social team members, and turned performance data into actionable strategies for brand awareness and demand generation.

Sep 2021–Sep 2024

Digital Edge Marketing

Paid Media Specialist & Content Writer

Developed data-driven proposals, media plans, KPI forecasts, and channel strategies using audience research, competitive analysis, and financial forecasting. Managed campaigns across StackAdapt, Google Ads, Meta, and LinkedIn; led monthly and quarterly client reporting; and used performance analysis and A/B testing to refine creative and budget allocation. Also created landing pages, blogs, email campaigns, video scripts, case studies, white papers, and social calendars aligned with campaign strategy and brand standards.

2018–Present

Freelance consulting

Digital Marketing Consultant

Provide end-to-end digital marketing strategy and campaign management for independent clients. Pitch services directly to business owners and develop custom proposals, pricing, agreements, audience strategies, budget forecasts, and performance benchmarks. Deliver recurring reports and translate campaign analytics into clear recommendations clients can act on.

Jan–May 2019

Dalton Agency

Public Relations Intern

Developed press releases, media advisories, and fact sheets for agency clients; conducted targeted media outreach; and tracked earned coverage with analytics tools. Assisted with client reporting and participated in strategic planning meetings, building a foundation in integrated communications and measurable media relations.

Education & development

Communication meets analytics.

Bachelor of Science · 2019

Communication

Public Relations concentration

A practical foundation in understanding audiences, shaping messages, managing reputation, and building communication campaigns that move people toward action.

What I studied and learned

Research

Audience & media insight

Communication research, media theory, statistics, and the process of turning audience information into strategy.

Writing

Clear, persuasive messaging

Advanced media and PR writing taught me to make complex ideas understandable, accurate, and compelling.

Strategy

Campaign development

PR principles, cases, and campaign work connected objectives, audiences, messages, tactics, and evaluation.

Judgment

Media law & ethics

Media literacy, law, and ethics built a foundation for responsible advertising and thoughtful brand stewardship.

Creative

Advertising & branding

Creative strategy, visual communication, and branding strengthened how I evaluate ideas and message fit.

Leadership

Teamwork & presentation

Working with teams, delegating tasks, analyzing information, preparing presentations, and speaking publicly strengthened my ability to communicate ideas clearly and deliver polished work.

Media LiteracyAdvanced Media WritingAdvertising & PR ResearchPR CampaignsCreative StrategyStrategic BrandingEmerging Media

Executive Education Certificate · 2018

Business Analytics

From Data to Insights

Advanced analytical thinking focused on moving from historical performance to forecasts, predictions, and practical recommendations grounded in the business question.

How the analytical process works

Descriptive analytics

Collect useful data, evaluate behavior, recognize patterns, and explain what performance history is saying.

Predictive analytics

Use trends, forecasting, and predictive tools to estimate what may happen next and understand model limitations.

Prescriptive analytics

Apply decision trees, optimization, and simulation to compare choices and recommend a strong path forward.

How I use it in paid media

Campaign diagnosisForecasting & budget allocationPerformance visualizationRisk–reward decisionsActionable client recommendations

Professional certifications

Continued platform training

Google Ads Search, Display & Video · Google Analytics · Google Tag Manager · StackAdapt Programmatic · LinkedIn Marketing Solutions · HubSpot Content Marketing

About Joe

Equal parts strategist, operator, and translator.

I’m Joe McKinney, a media professional who enjoys taking campaigns from the first idea all the way through the final report. My experience covers proposal development and presentation, media planning, campaign launches, hands-on optimization, and performance analysis. I work across Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, and programmatic platforms, with experience in search, display, native, CTV, OTT, and digital out-of-home.

My background also includes copywriting and earned media—from blogs and website pages to press releases, fact sheets, media alerts, media summaries, and outreach. I’ve supported everyone from local auto shops and dental clinics to tourism boards and healthcare organizations, across large and small budgets, B2B and B2C audiences, and goals ranging from lead generation to brand awareness. I’m a self-starter who loves bringing fresh ideas to the table, but I’m at my best when I’m collaborating with a great team.

When I’m not working, I’m at home in Jacksonville with my wife, Jenna, and our dog. We love running marathons, surfing, taking beach walks, and running our coffee cart business, JAE’s Coffee.

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