Meet Lisa, a Content Marketing Manager at ScriptRunner

Can you tell us about your current role? 

I am a content marketing manager for ScriptRunner, part of the Adaptavist Group. It's only been six months since I joined, so I'm still relatively new and learning a lot. In my role, I assist ScriptRunner Product Marketing Managers in creating content to achieve their wider goals and strategies. Along with researching and writing copy, I also create visuals, edit and animate videos, and work on SEO and social media to make our content easier to discover for our target audience. I am very fortunate to work with some incredibly talented people at Adaptavist who have been very generous with their time in helping me settle in and get up to speed.

What does being a content marketing manager mean to you?

Content marketing is all about informing and entertaining your audience. For new customers, this means creating content that resonates with them and helps them decide if your company or product is right for them. And for existing customers, it’s about showing them all the cool things they can do with your product and ensuring they get the most out of their purchase or subscription. Typically, this takes the form of blog posts, infographics, eBooks, emails, webpages, and videos. But it can also be memes, gifs, podcasts, or an online event... the more creative, the better! The worst thing you can do is be too salesy—or boring! I respect my audience's time, so I want to create something genuinely useful for them.

I’ve worked in both general marketing roles and content-focused marketing roles. But I've always been more drawn to the writing side of marketing and felt too thinly spread when working in a general role. Marketing is a vast discipline, so working in a content role allows me to specialise in one area and do it really well.

How did you get into content marketing?

While I did well at school academically, I didn't have any idea what I wanted to do next, so at 16 years old, I left school and started working in an office as an administrator. At 23, I finally figured out I wanted to do something more creative, preferably where I could spend all day writing. So I decided to study for a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Communications at college, followed by a top-up degree in Communications and Public Relations at university.

At university, I did a marketing internship with a science centre and loved it. From that moment on, I knew marketing was the one for me! I was offered a job after my internship and was very lucky to spend my two years at university also working in the industry, gaining experience. After university, I worked in general marketing roles and found I was interested most in copywriting, website design and SEO. Next, I moved into a content marketing role so that I could focus my time learning and working in this area of marketing. 

Did you always want to work in tech? 

Having never worked in a technical role, I always assumed it wasn't an option for me. So I never actually set out to work in tech. Before Adaptavist, I worked in biotech but felt like a fraud saying, "I work in tech." Now that I'm at Adaptavist, I realise there is a difference between working in a technical role and working in the tech industry in a non-technical role.

In my search for a new job, I discovered Adaptavist and ScriptRunner. Because I love workload planning tools, I really wanted to explore the field further, so I gave it a go. The tech industry is open to people from different backgrounds, though, and benefits from a wide range of experience. 

I listened to a talk recently that discussed how diverse teams—not just in terms of race and gender but in experiences and points of view, too—solve problems faster and find more innovative solutions. So, the more perspectives within the tech industry, the better!

What does a typical day look like?

Although we have flexible working hours, I'm a creature of habit, so I'm usually at my home office by 9am with a cup of coffee. I prefer to write first thing in the morning—the blank page seems less daunting at the start of the day! So my mornings are spent on any writing tasks I have that day: it could be anything from a blog to an eBook or copy for a webpage or email campaign. My afternoons are focused on non-writing tasks, such as proofreading work, designing and building webpages, analysing campaign performance, and planning new pieces of content.

One of my favourite parts of the day is my team's mid-morning stand-up. It's perfect for catching up with colleagues and having some social time, but also for finding out what they are working on and any priorities that are coming up. I also love my lunch break because I can hang out with my dog!

What is a memorable moment in your career so far? 

Very early in my first content marketing role, I had an idea for an eBook. I did all the research and writing myself, and I worked with people across the company to fill it with content, then worked with a graphic designer to bring it to life. In truth, it was a huge project, and I underplayed the amount of time I spent on it because my boss wasn't really on board with it. 

As it turned out, customers loved it. In fact, it was the most successful marketing piece that year (aside from ads). My boss had a small run printed, and I still have my copy. That was the first project that taught me to trust my instincts and demonstrated how powerful content marketing can be.

What’s the worst part of your job? 

That's a tough one! If I HAD to pick something... I wish I were closer to an office and my colleagues! We recently had an incredible end-of-year celebration, and I met so many amazing people—I'd love for it to be easier to work alongside them.

Having said that, one of the benefits of working at Adaptavist is being able to work from anywhere. I live in Dundee, a small city in Scotland, and remote work means I can continue living in the city I love while working for a global tech company alongside these amazing people. Without remote work, I would have to move to work for a company like Adaptavist.

And the best? 

The best part of working at Adaptavist is being treated like an adult with complete trust. From day one, everyone assumes you are competent, reliable, and deserve to be there. As a result, you can work how you want to and take the time you need to complete projects. You don't have to work 12-hour days or rush through your work to prove you're good at your job. As an added bonus, the people at Adaptavist are incredibly talented and an absolute joy to work with.

What do you want to do next with your career?

I want to further my career at Adaptavist. Right now, I am focused on learning more about the group and all our products. I want to create some exciting content and feel more "settled in". After that, my goal is to become a senior content marketing manager within my team. The human resources department at Adaptavist is very supportive and transparent, so I have clear guidelines for achieving that promotion, and I plan to begin this journey in the next six months.

What’s it like working for ScriptRunner as part of The Adaptavist Group? 

It’s challenging, but in a good way, and very supportive. We are encouraged to work in new and better ways, working to build on our success and improve on it.

The team here are incredibly talented and knowledgeable, and they inspire me to do better because I want to be as good as they are. Luckily I have a heap of resources and people to help me get there!

How do you use The Adaptavist Group benefits?

I love the flexible working policy. I prefer to be up and working early, which means I can finish a little earlier. Alternatively, if you're not feeling well one morning, you can lie in and work later instead.

The benefits aren't just a fully stocked snack cupboard—they are thoughtfully considered to help you work better and ultimately give you the freedom to work however you want. You can take charge of any of the things that usually make you dread going to work. 

Don't want to work early? Set later working hours. Don't like where you live? Move literally anywhere, or become a digital nomad and live somewhere new every month. Don't want to work in the office? Work remotely. Don't want to work remotely? Work in any of their global offices. Having the flexibility to work how and where you want to enables you to focus on what you do best. 

What would you have told your younger self about work? 

Apply for that big scary dream job!

I have worked for managers who didn't appreciate my contribution to the team or didn't really understand what I was trying to achieve. It was difficult not to internalise that. But I knew I was doing the right thing; I knew I was good at my job. It was just that I wasn't in the right place and hadn't found my people yet.

So I would tell my younger self: you are the right person in the wrong place. Believe in yourself and apply for that big, scary dream job you’ve always wanted.

What has being a woman in a tech meant for you? Has it impacted your career or experiences? 

When I worked in biotech, there were few women in the room. As a result, we tended to gravitate towards one another, and we formed a small community of wonderful women who were open to meeting for a chat, sharing their experiences, and supporting each other.

Now I feel incredibly fortunate to work at Adaptavist, a company where women are visible in senior roles and encouraged to apply for promotions. Hopefully, initiatives like this Women in Tech series will encourage more women to enter the tech industry, and it's refreshing to see real action to support their good intentions.

Anything else you’d like to share? 

Thank you so much for allowing me to share my story!

If anyone has any questions about working at Adaptavist or about marketing and content marketing careers in general, please reach out on LinkedIn—I'm always happy to chat!

Watch our Women in Tech webinar to find out more about our technical roles, life at The Adaptavist Group, and what it takes to be a woman in tech.