Wearing Many Hats With Estrella Alvarado

At Brafton, Estrella Alvarado is an SEO and Demand Gen Specialist. “But to put it in simpler terms,” she says, “I do SEO-related stuff.”

To tell you the truth, that doesn’t even begin to describe Estrella’s role at Brafton. With her hands in many different pots, she is an integral part of Brafton’s marketing team.

But the funny thing? Originally, Estrella envisioned a career in arts and culture. Early in her professional life she worked in museums, on curatorial projects and culture promotion programs.

“When I went to study for my master’s in France I thought I was going to learn how to write about pieces of art and culture-related topics,” says Estrella. “Little did I know that I’d end up making a living out of writing, but about completely different things.”

From Freelance to Teamwork

With a bachelor’s in Communications and two master’s degrees in Aesthetics and Digital Marketing, it’s safe to say that Estrella isn’t afraid of hard work. In fact, before joining Brafton, Estrella started freelancing on her own.

As a freelancer, Estrella mainly worked on creating content strategies for her clients. From pitching and closing deals to project management and performance measurement, Estrella says she learned a great deal from the enriching experience. But after five years freelancing, she decided it was time to move onto something new.

“Although this career gave me the flexibility I needed to focus on personal projects, I missed being part of a team and having a more structured job,” explains Estrella. “So, I started looking for remote-based job opportunities, and then I found Brafton.” 

Wearing Many Hats at Brafton

Transitioning to agency life has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences for Estrella. On one hand, working on new tasks all the time and being part of an experienced remote team has taken her out of her comfort zone.

“On the other hand, having the opportunity to share my opinions and propose new things has been refreshing and encouraging,” says Estrella. “I’m grateful to be part of a team that’s open to new ideas.”

Since starting at Brafton, Estrella has taken on a wide variety of projects and responsibilities. In the beginning, she was performing more operative tasks. Over time, she’s had the opportunity to contribute with a more strategic approach — which she really enjoys.

“On top of that, I’ve had the chance to dust off my writing skills by creating email copy and messaging for internal marketing materials,” adds Estrella. “Even though they’re not 100% SEO-related tasks, I love having the opportunity to write.”

To put it simply — or, as Estrella says, “in an SEO fashion” — every day is different. Early in the month, you can find her knee-deep in reporting, jumping from one tool to another. On other days, she spends her time brand monitoring, looking for HARO opportunities for Brafton, building up long-lasting partnerships and finding the perfect spot to execute surround sound SEO strategies.

But Estrella’s proudest achievement? Her colleagues! As one of the many hats she wears daily, Estrella has been working on publishing her team’s content outside of Brafton (“In case you’re curious, here’s one of the guest posts the marketing team has written in the last year,” she adds).

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: This is the best team I’ve ever been part of,” says Estrella. “I’m constantly in awe of the amazing work my teammates perform every single day. Being surrounded by incredibly smart and talented people has been a great uplift. It motivates me to learn from them and become a better digital marketer myself.”

Traveling the World, One Book at a Time

When she isn’t grinding away writing emails or supporting her colleagues, Estrella can probably be found traveling (did we mention she studied in France?). Although she hasn’t been able to travel the globe nearly as much as she’d like to in recent years, books have been there to fill the void.

“As much of a cliché as it can be, I love reading,” says Estrella. “I’m a content marketer, I can’t help it.”

If there’s been any silver lining to the pandemic, it’s that she’s had plenty of time at home to catch up on her reading. Among her favorites: “The Truce” by Mario Benedetti and pretty much everything written by Jose Saramago. Lately, Estrella’s been reading Sylvia Plath and Michel Houellebecq.

“I try to read novels in their original versions as much as I can,” says Estrella. “I feel there are some nuances that get lost in translation. Also, there’s a lot to learn from a person when you read their work in their native language.”

With so many passions, Estrella’s worldly experience is invaluable. Lucky for us, digital marketing is one of them.