Shelby Hedges - JDM Impressions

Working remotely, like we do at JDM, doesn’t mean being disconnected from colleagues. As part of our culture-building initiative, and to introduce the digital marketing world to our awesome team members, we regularly peel back the curtain on the lives of JDMers. This week, we’ll get to know Performance Marketing Manager, Shelby Hedges!

Name: Shelby Hedges 
Position: Performance Marketing Manager
Location: San Diego, CA

When did you begin working at JDM?
I started working here in September 2022, but it feels like I’ve been here forever – and also like I’m just getting started! 

How did you know JDM was the right fit for you?
I’ve discovered that culture and transparency are non-negotiables for me when I join a new company. When I met with different people from the team during the hiring process, I knew that they were looking out for my best interest and truly wanted me to succeed. 

What’s your favorite part of the workday?
Typically after I finish a client call because I feel like those calls are always an opportunity to bounce ideas around and align on strategy so it makes me excited to continue pushing for my clients’ successes!  

What’s the most gratifying part of working with your clients?
The most gratifying part of working with clients is when we receive positive feedback from them. For example, one client recently messaged to say that he appreciates all the quick turnarounds and performance metrics recently and that he loves that JDM has been making his job easier. That’s such a good feeling!

In a remote company, how do you stay connected with your team?
Internal syncs and Slack messages are the best way to stay connected for me. It can be easy to get busy with work, so I definitely make it a point to humanize our time by staying up to date in my teammates’ lives through shows we’re watching, travel plans, etc. 

What three words would you use to describe the JDM culture?
Growth-minded, Transparent, Supportive

What's something you love about JDM?
The unlimited PTO is definitely up there! It helps me to work hard and give my best while I’m working so that I can enjoy time off guilt-free. 

I also love the growth opportunities and clearly-set expectations for how to get there! 

Can you recall a time when JDM challenged you, and how we supported you through that time?
When I first joined the company I was pushed into the deep-end in terms of managing multiple accounts at once and the JDM team really supported me in helping me understand the historical context while uplifting me to take ownership early on. I think that really helped me to grow confidence in my skills and also helped me to grow confidence in my team.

What’s the best thing you’ve done with your unlimited PTO?
I went to Hawaii for my first vacation since before COVID. And I’m also jet-setting to England and Scotland at the end of the month!

What's something you love about the marketing industry?
I love how the marketing industry is rapidly evolving. I’ve never liked feeling complacent in my knowledge/expertise, so the fact that there is always something new to test or implement makes it more interesting and more of a challenge for me. 

What do you think has been the most interesting change in the marketing industry or in your channel this year?
I think the most interesting change in the marketing industry is the decline in advertising and marketing for Twitter. The shift from using Twitter for paid ads wasn’t initially something anyone anticipated happening, and it doesn’t hold up against other platforms now the way it once did. 

What digital marketing platform, technology, or skill do you see gaining the most traction in the next 1-2 years, and why?
I’ll be interested to see what happens with the TikTok ban because either way, I see it continuing to gain traction as a paid advertising channel. 

What are the names and ages of your kids (or furbabies)?
I have 1 rescue pup and she’s roughly 9 years old! Her name is Lexi Grey and she’s a golden retriever/dachshund mix. But I describe her as unique :)

What's something you've implemented or tested, and what was the outcome?
Recently I ran an A/B test using a target bid strategy to determine if we were able to capture a stronger search impression share and more leads compared to a general tCPA bid. We found that SIS improved substantially and we have since migrated our campaign over to that bid strategy going forward. 

What’s a project that you’ve worked on that you’ve really enjoyed?
I really enjoyed working on measuring down-funnel conversions for one of my clients. We were able to identify the best source of truth for conversion data and have been working to integrate and optimize toward those down-funnel metrics these last few months.