Benjamin A. Joslin

benajoslin@gmail.com

617-645-9954

Professional Summary

Senior Internet executive with over a decade of successful Web company building experience. Results driven general manager who has owned a P/L for over 20 years. Deep understanding about how to create highly functioning teams that deliver great business results. Co-founder of Life123.com, a profitable business unit of IAC.  Managed the Internet’s first home valuation site Domania.com, and brought the company from operating losses to profitability and sale to LendingTree.  Led teams as small as six to as large as 400.  Skilled in Web marketing, site monetization, customer acquisition, public relations, corporate branding, contract negotiation, sales, and product development. Proven history of working amongst the most successful internet companies and brands.

Generating sales, building traffic, customer acquisition, fostering communities, creating leads, through multi channel, test, measure, scale, marketing approach.  Experience in tactical disciplines:

SEO, Content Creation                              SEM, Paid Search

Affiliate Marketing                                     User Testing and Optimization

Web Page Optimization                            Telemarketing

Email Acquisition & Retention             Testing, A/B, multivariate

Public Relations                                          Banner Ads

Print Ads                                                        Expert Article Writing

Link Building                                                Webinars

Direct Mail                                                    Social Media

Community Building                                 Blogging

Professional History

Vice President Online Marketing

MD Connect, Inc

October 2011 – Present

Responsible for online marketing performance for over 100 Medical clients including US News World Report top Hospitals, SMB Medical Clinics, and individual Physician practices.  Oversee and drive strategic account management, web operations, and consumer facing lead generation activity.   Deliver 10,000+ leads per month to clients, manage $2.5+ mm marketing budget.

• Created a scalable platform to build client micro-Web sites based on a template executable content management system.  Cut development costs per a site by 80%, while saving weeks of development time and increasing customer satisfaction.   Increased conversion rates as much as 50% due to new site optimization.
• Site Examples:  Virginia Vein Care, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, SonoBello Atlanta
• Expanded company service offerings to include a more robust suite of performance based online marketing channels including: Facebook, Mobile, Banner Re-Targeting, Video, and SEO.  New product offering has allowed for 50% price increase in major markets.
• Led the redesign and launch of corporate Web site: www.mdconnectinc.com, launched a lead generation strategy based on content downloads, inbound SEO rank, and marketing score reports. 
• Working on development of www.lipo-sculpting.com as a portal for body sculpting information, lead generation activity for client base, and advertising revenue.  Model will serve as portal creation tool for other company owned properties, www.vein-tretament.com, and future verticals.

Web Strategy Consultant, Entrepreneur

March 2010-September 2011

Strategic Web consulting focused on marketing strategy, business development, and web site development.  Clients and projects include:

• Developed CharneyRealestate.com, a real estate Web site and integrated Blog network designed to generate traffic and leads via SEO.
• Business development consulting for  CheapToday.com, a user generated social shopping Web site.  Develop business summaries, presentations, and co-lead go to market capital fundraising.
• Provided six months of CMO services for FuneralHomeResource.com, including product pricing strategy, email marketing, expert article writing, webinars, and web optimization.
• Developed and launched Bostonelectronicwaste.com, a leading provider of e-waste services in the New England area.  Managed all project aspects, UI, design, content.
• Business consultant to Condodomain.com, Boston’s #1 condo real estate portal.
• Business consultant to Freeinvestmentscore.com, a lead generation tool for Investment Advisors

Senior Vice President

IAC, General Manager Life123.com

June 2007 – February 2010

Conceptualized and founded the How-To Web site Life123.com.  Delivered a user base from search engine optimized content, resulting in a robust advertising platform. Full P/L accountability and responsible for all aspects of strategy, budgeting, marketing, product development.   Managed 15 full time employees.  Company is a brand and profitable asset at IAC, Ask.com.

• Scaled user base to 2 million visitors and a Google page rank 7 within 18 months of launch.
• Systematic search engine optimization tactics resulted in 90% of traffic coming from natural search engine rankings.
• Launched an on-line pay for performance writer community, yielding 5,000 writer-members producing content at 90% cost savings.
• Sought out M&A opportunities, including successful purchase of Gardenandhearth.com. Led integration strategy of newly acquired assets.
• Led a revenue optimization team that doubled on page advertising revenue via test, measure and page layout optimization tactics.
• Negotiated content relationships with branded sources of print and video content from partners such as 5min.com, Demand Media, Legal Zoom, Simon & Schuster.
• Worked cross functionally amongst other business units (Match.com, LendingTree, Pronto, Excite.com, etc.) to leverage content assets, providing traffic to other IAC businesses at zero cost.
• Launched Pronto.com’s Buying Guide Web site in ninety days from concept to launch.

GM & VP of Marketing

Domania a Lending Tree Company

September 2000 – June 2007

Led the Domania business unit for LendingTree. Full P/L responsibility and team manager of an eight person staff comprised of marketing operations, client relations, Web development. Provided a sophisticated email marketing and retention product designed to retain and acquire new mortgage customers for banks. Operated the Domania.com Web site as a lead generation and advertising portal. Acted in a marketing agency capacity providing both B2B and B2C internet leads for Real Estate.com. Grew the Domania business unit from operating losses to multi-million dollar profitability.

• Negotiated and closed $5+ million in product sales to JP Morgan Chase, Countrywide, Fleet, Bank of America, Charter One Mortgage, IndyMac Bank, CitiMortgage, E-Loan.
• Created Portfolio Protect, a Web application & email marketing product for mortgage industry loan retention and acquisition.
• Led client marketing (B2B) effort through direct mail, direct email, collateral development resulting in significant company brand and product awareness in target markets.
• Delivered 300,000 sales leads per year for both consumer (B2C) and client (B2B) products. Marketing initiatives led to a 500% year over year monthly lead flow to various business units.
• Led test, and optimization overhaul of Domania.com resulting in a 5x increase in customer conversion, and a new flow of lead channels.
• Managed the company press strategy. Acted as expert source on home prices including Boston Business Journal, CBS Market Watch. National press attention in the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Money Magazine, and USA Today resulted in low cost user acquisition channel.
• Continual site optimization created email house files at Domania.com in excess of 1 million registrants, and created a profitable advertising asset.

Director of Business Development

Domania

August 1999-September 2000

Responsible for finding new partnerships for advertising revenue and content for the Domania.com Web site. Structured deals based pay for performance, slotting fees and CPM buys.

• Closed $1.2 million in advertising contract sales & negotiated real estate data licensing contracts.
• Pioneered email marketing resulting in repeat site usage, and creating a response based advertising solution.
• Sourced, and managed all email marketing infrastructure platforms.

National Call Center Director

The Share Group

March 1998-August 1999

Started as a part time associate caller in 1992 and was promoted through various management levels until ultimately in charge of all outbound telemarketing operations and a member of company’s Executive Committee. Responsible for budgeting, bonus creation, staff training, client project performance. Managed a P/L with annual revenue in excess of $25 million.

• Directed a staff of 5 Call Center Directors, managerial, and associate staff of 400 employees.
• Designed sales training materials, oversaw national re-training, resulting in 20% higher funds fulfillment of pledged dollars.
• Raised funds for national non-profits including Greenpeace, Sierra Club, Public Television, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and many other socially progressive organizations.
• Consistently won national head-to-head tests against other national direct marketing firms.
• Increased operating efficiency 20% in one year and increased gross margin 15%.

Senior Account Executive

The Share Group

October 1996–February 1998

Hired to oversee the company’s largest “head to head” test against three other telemarketing competitors, all vying for a major account with Kessler Financial. Ultimately led a team to win the account through superior performance.

• Managed 2 offices with annual revenue of $3.7 million. P/L responsibility.
• Acquired over 150,000 new credit card & long distance customer.
• Implemented high affinity direct marketing tele-sales strategy for national clientele.
• Major clients included Kessler Financial Services and Working Assets Long Distance.
• Managed a staff of staff of 2 call center directors, managerial, and associate staff of 100 employees.

Press Summary

Selected Coverage, 2002-2011

CNBC – “Who’s Ready to Put the Social Back into Shopping?”

FreelanceWriting.com – “Life123.com Launches Writers Community Portal”

PC World – “IAC Joins How-To Site With Life123.com”

Motley Fool – “The Facts of Life”

PaidContent.org – IAC’s Life123 Comes to Life

USA Today – “Sites can help you buy or sell your home”

USA Today – “How Much is that House Next Door”

Business Week – “After the Housing Boom”

Business Week – “How to E-Appraise Your Home”

Mortgage Technology – “CitiMortgage Calls In Domania”

National Mortgage News – “Domania Product Aids Cross Selling”

Home Equity News – “Ad Ideas”

Inman News – “No More Bye-Bye Borrowers”

DM News – “Mortgage Firms Aim to Boost Loyalty, Retention”

Click Z – “Expanding Your Customer Base”

Authored Articles, 2002-2012

MD Connect Blog – Various authored posts, including Its a Great Time To Be an Online Marketer

Funeral Business Advisor –“Why Page One of Google Isn’t Enough”, ghost author

Nation Funeral Directors –“Social Media and the Funeral Home Industry”, ghost author

Kates Boylston – “Strategies to Expand Your Market Share”, ghost author

DM News – “5 Pillars of Mortgage Industry Customer Retention”, byline article

DIRECT Magazine – Direct Mail,“Opt Out, Screen Out, Throw Out”, byline article

DIRECT Magazine – Best Practices, “Results on the Spot”, byline article

Education

Boston University 1985-1989

Bachelor’s of Science in Economics and International Relations.  Cum Laude.

“MBA Equivalent” – garnered through 20 years P/L management, 3 company acquisitions, and various entrepreneurial endeavors – including T-Shirt selling at Fenway Park and 5+ years of self directed portfolio management.

Personal

Avid Skier – “re-launch” after a 20 plus year hiatus.  Ski it if you can.

Meadow Gardener – turning bad lawns into natural meadows.

Paddle Board Enthusiast & Biker – friend of outdoors, seeker of urban and suburban oasis.

Volunteer at Y.E.S. – Youth Enrichment Services.  Ski instructor to urban youth, and ski shop tech.

Family – married (Susie), two boys (Elias & Charlie), and adopted Pug (Titus)