Tracey Allen

Writer • Designer • Communicator

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

About

I began my career earning a BA in Journalism, working through the ranks of an independent student newsroom along the way. In the years since, I've become a Swiss Army communicator with a diverse skill set encompassing communications, journalism, content strategy, marketing, public relations, web and graphic design, and site optimization. My work sits at the intersection of storytelling and discoverability. Whether that's optimizing a webpage, crafting a press release with a journalist's nose for the news angle, writing newsletters that grow a following, or editing a headline that earns the click, I approach all work purposefully and audience-first, drawing on my journalism background to guide every layer. I've led full digital operations, managed PR and media relations, built editorial calendars, managed agency partnerships, and executed campaigns that drove real results. Currently open to roles in communications, PR, content, editorial, SEO, and newsletter strategy — particularly where strong writing and digital fluency go hand in hand. You can explore some of my work at traceyallen.bio.

Experience

  • Digital Marketing Manager at Association of College and University Educators (ACUE)
    May 2022 - May 2025 · 3 yrs 1 mo

    Owned the digital presence for a national organization serving higher education institutions and faculty — website, social media, newsletter, video, and analytics. › Drove a 151% increase in engaged sessions and 115% growth in unique users in one year through SEO, content optimization, and UX improvements; grew organic traffic to nearly 25% of total site traffic › Optimized 20+ high-impact pages with audience-first, SEO-informed content — rewriting headlines, restructuring copy, building internal links, and optimizing images, meta, and social previews › Wrote and distributed a monthly newsletter to 35,000+ subscribers at 20–30% open rates; launched a LinkedIn edition that gained 5,200+ subscribers in two months › Owned social strategy across LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and YouTube; drove 165% growth in organic web traffic from social in six months › Coached internal contributors on headline writing and SEO best practices, preserving editorial voice while improving discoverability

  • Ivy Tech Community College (Indianapolis, Indiana)
    • Executive Director of Marketing and Communications
      Jan 2019 - May 2022 · 3 yrs 5 mos

      Led all marketing, communications, and PR for Ivy Tech Indianapolis, the institution's largest service area, directing a $460K budget and integrated campaigns for 1,000+ employees and 30,000+ students. › Served as primary media contact: wrote and pitched press releases in AP style, cultivated reporter relationships, fielded inquiries, and monitored coverage — generating approximately $117K in earned media value in a single year › Researched, wrote, and edited digital articles, press releases, blogs, op-eds, and scripts, applying journalistic standards across all formats › Directed campaigns generating 83K+ impressions and 1,873 completed applications in four months; doubled email open rates from 20% to 40% › Ghostwrote op-eds, speeches, and media talking points for senior leadership; led crisis communications › Launched Ivy Indy Magazine, a 24-page print and digital publication highlighting student success — wrote all content, designed all pages; still in circulation today

    • Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications
      Sep 2016 - Jan 2019 · 2 yrs 5 mos

      Supported marketing and communications across Ivy Tech's statewide office and Indianapolis service area — web, campaigns, media relations, and social. › Co-managed the institutional website system-wide; built and launched Ivy Tech's first statewide blog on WordPress with SEO best practices › Wrote press releases, talking points, and op-eds for the college president; researched and fact-checked all press content under deadline › Co-led statewide social media strategy, including daily content, crisis communications, and live-stream production › Developed class start campaign content driving 5,700+ pageviews and converting 14% of visitors into 800+ application starts

  • Writer at F.C. Tucker Company
    Nov 2017 - Feb 2019 · 1 yr 4 mos

    Developed lifestyle features and neighborhood guides for FC Tucker's local marketing efforts, writing audience-specific content for the Indianapolis market.

  • Contributing Writer at Denver Website Designs
    Feb 2016 - Nov 2018 · 2 yrs 10 mos

    Wrote five to fifteen SEO-optimized articles per week for a web design agency serving clients across diverse industries. Handled full on-page optimization for every piece — keyword integration, meta writing, image sourcing, and content structure — to meet strict client standards.

  • Content Specialist at Central Restaurant Products
    Aug 2010 - Sep 2016 · 6 yrs 2 mos

    Lead content coordinator for a nationwide B2B restaurant supplier — blog, product content, e-commerce, social, PR, and brand storytelling. › Optimized blog and product pages for SEO: keyword research, meta writing, image optimization, and content restructuring at scale; contributed to uploading and optimizing 1M+ products to the e-commerce site › Served as lead editor for the content team, writing and refining blogs, newsletters, emails, press releases, and digital ads › Led PR efforts, writing and distributing press releases to national industry publications › Tracked performance monthly using Google Analytics, heatmaps, UTM tracking, and SEMrush › Produced short-form video, animations, and a weekly internal podcast