Meet Matt, our new Content Marketing Manager

With a strong background in higher education, copywriting and digital strategy, he brings both creativity and strategic insight to our growing content team.

With Matt now a couple of months into his new role, we sat down for a quick chat to learn about his content marketing insights and how he plans to make his mark at Bluestorm.

Welcome aboard, Matt! Can you tell us a bit about your journey so far and what led you to join Bluestorm?

Sure! I started out in journalism more years ago than I care to remember. That laid the foundations in copywriting and taught me how to actually write for a living. I later transitioned into professional sport, working first for Hull FC before being headhunted by a couple of other clubs to lead various communications and marketing teams.

Then a little thing called Covid hit and I swapped trudging up and down the M62 to find a new passion in higher education. I spent four brilliant years working at the University of Hull in various content, social media and SEO roles before Bluestorm got in touch and created a new position for me here.

It seemed a great fit – a full-service marketing agency that’s not too big, not too small, filled with really talented people and with a chilled out office vibe.

How would you describe your professional background in three words?

Copywriting, communications, content. Probably evolving in that order over time.

Do you have a favourite type of content to create?

I’m a writer at heart so I’ll always enjoy the chance to get stuck into some copy. I’ve probably spent more of my career working on platforms like social media and emails where every character counts, so I do enjoy those occasions where I can craft the longer formats such as blogs.

But the most enjoyable piece of content I’ve worked on over the last 12 months was creating the script for a short, snappy national TV advert for the university. It involved locking myself in a room for a few hours to thrash it out with one of the most talented writers I’ve ever worked with (Chris, you know who you are!). Seeing our words brought to life on the big screen was pretty cool.

You’ve worked across different areas of digital marketing – what trends are you seeing right now?

We’re seeing bigger differences than ever in how different demographics behave online. For some audiences, it’s not just digital-first – it’s digital-only. They rely on influencers, reviews and online communities far more than face-to-face interactions, while for others traditional content still has real impact.

For Gen Z especially, hyper-personalisation isn’t going anywhere, but brands are learning how to balance it against information overload and decision fatigue. It’s something I’m hoping to explore more in future Bluestorm blogs.

And of course, the way people search is evolving fast, with TikTok, Instagram and AI now acting as search engines in their own right – something that’s already reshaping SEO and GEO and will only continue to do so.

What have your previous roles taught you about connecting with audiences?

Sport was about building relationships with a captive fanbase and competing for disposal income with new audiences, whereas higher education (HE) was about selling this huge lifestyle choice in a competitive, strongly regulated market. It taught me a lot about connecting the dots across various platforms within integrated campaigns – without losing clarity on what the ask or action is. For a marketer, it often boils down to the same thing: find your story, tell it well and be clear on what your goal is for each piece of content.

How do you think working in higher education shaped your approach to content marketing?

It sharpened my ability to work within the structure of audience segmentation and across a much longer nurture period. I mainly created content for prospective students but there were also parents, researchers, alumni. All with different priorities. All demanding personalised content on social media, email, web and more. It’s less about just sharing information and more about building a connection and a sense of belonging – something that translates beautifully into brand storytelling.

What role does content play in building a brand?

It’s pretty crucial, isn’t it. But the important thing is that the content we create serves our brand, not the other way around. Content is the voice that brings a brand to life and every piece of content – however big or small – should reinforce what the brand stands for.

It has to be strategic but also relevant. It must mean something to the audience, not just the brand. There’s something really powerful about creating content that feels genuine, that highlights real people, real successes but also real challenges. I think we’re seeing more brands lean into this honesty now.

How do you strike the right balance between maintaining a brand’s established voice and keeping content fresh and innovative?

For me, it’s about remaining authentic because audiences can tell when you’re chasing trends – but still finding the right moments to push the boundaries. We’ve all fallen into the trap of producing content that’s too safe.

One of the things I enjoyed most at the university was leading a regular brand workshop for our copywriters across various teams. Getting different perspectives, bouncing ideas around and reminding ourselves to be bolder really helped elevate our content. And seeing brand guidelines as exactly that. Guidelines, not a rigid rule book.

What’s your process when you’re developing content that balances creativity with strategy?

For me, it always starts with understanding the goal and what the client wants to achieve. Who are we talking to, what do we want them to do, and why does it matter? And then it’s about finding out where our audience is comfortable. Where do we reach them, what tools do we have to get there and what is the data telling us? That all feeds into the strategy, which we’ll continue to tweak through insights, analytics and A/B testing where possible.

Once that’s clear, I like to explore creative ways to bring the message to life – whether that’s through storytelling, tone or format. The best results consistently happen when creativity serves strategy rather than distracting from it.

What do you like to do when you’re not crafting copy or thinking about campaigns?

I’ve remained a big sports fan and still spend more hours than I should following rugby, football, cricket, NFL – you name it. I’ve recently caught the Sudoku bug (thanks LinkedIn) and love anything that involves coffee. Outside of that, I enjoy getting out and exploring places on foot when the kids allow.

And finally, what are you most looking forward to achieving at Bluestorm?

I’m here to elevate our content – inside the agency and for every client we support.
Having already helped shape some exciting internal plans and the direction we'd like to go with our own marketing during my first couple of months here, I'm now diving into the pace of agency life. My background in education marketing and understanding of those audiences really fits in with Bluestorm's strength, but I've relished the challenge of getting to know a range of clients. My goal is simple: help brands tell authentic stories that drive real results.