Her Expliciet totem name is Brave Digikid, and there are several good reasons for that. In this edition of our magazine, we introduce you to Michelle Pinxten. Online marketer and social lead in her professional life, explorer outside of it, and never afraid to try something new.
Within the online marketing team, Michelle takes on a dual role. On one hand, she helps ensure that advertising campaigns for her regular clients deliver optimal returns; on the other, she is the go-to person for everything related to social media.
‘From implementing campaign strategies and posting social content to performing quality audits and optimizing campaigns: my work at Expliciet has both a strategic and a very practical side.’
‘Our goal as a team is to create the strongest possible digital impact for our clients. We do this for clients who focus purely on performance through long-term advertising, but also for those who have a content trajectory with us, or those who combine both.’
‘How can I strengthen my team and the rest of my colleagues? After graduating, I had the chance to experience many different roles. So far, I’ve spent seven years in agencies. Not just as an online marketer; I also took on tasks more related to account management and strategy. That has helped me understand the broader story behind a marketing challenge. I’m happy that I now have the opportunity at Expliciet to share those seven years of experience with everyone.’
‘For nearly a year now, I’ve also been passing on experience in life in a different way. Our son Arlo is almost celebrating his first birthday. Of course, he provides new adventures every day (laughs).’
‘Although life as a parent makes for a busier schedule at home, we still try to discover as many new things around us as possible. Mainly by being outdoors a lot: walking, jogging, working in the vegetable garden, reading, and especially traveling. Every year, I look forward to planning the next trips. Iceland is the next destination on the list, and Patagonia and Namibia are also still on the wishlist. The best trip so far? Indonesia, without a doubt!’
‘But I also keep challenging myself to discover new things closer to home. For instance, I try at least one new hobby every year. To motivate myself, I buy a small bottle of champagne in advance. As soon as I’ve actually achieved my goal, the bottle is opened to celebrate. This year I started pottery, but I’ve also learned kickboxing, bouldering, and lead climbing. Hopefully, it leads to many more beautiful discoveries in the future.’
How do you challenge yourself to go that extra mile in your job every day?
‘Expliciet is a place that never stands still anyway. You never work on autopilot here and you are challenged to contribute ideas, but also to constantly question your own way of working. Aside from that, every two weeks we dive deeper as a team into what is changing within our expertise. Personally, I read a lot of articles, regularly participate in webinars, and follow various experts closely. And that’s necessary, because sometimes things move incredibly fast.’
What advice can you give to (potential) clients to ensure your work delivers maximum results for them?
‘It’s important that clients communicate with us as openly as possible from the start. That they don’t see us as an external party or supplier, but as an extension of their team. A lot can change in a short time in the world of online marketing. And not everything that is new necessarily works better right away. So it’s important that they give us their full trust, so we can test and optimize wherever necessary. That way, we can achieve the strongest possible impact.’
How do you hope to further enrich your professional life in the future?
‘In the short term, I’m looking forward to diving deeper into the conceptual work and being involved at an even earlier stage in designing digital strategies. And if I really had to choose, I would love to have more NGOs as clients or to assist such organizations on a voluntary basis. To have an even more direct impact on society. In the past, for example, I’ve been able to work on marketing initiatives for Relay for Life and Mama’s voor Afrika. Projects like that give me an extra sense of pride.’