about me…

I’ve spent the last decade in just about every corner of media, marketing, and entertainment. If you are looking for normal or someone easily satisfied, you will not find it here.

My first job was in college as a touring photographer and content strategist for large musicians and entertainers based in Nashville, Tennessee.

I traveled the country as the hidden figure behind the Instagram accounts of musical artists. I did this while also a full time student at The University of Texas at Austin. Listening to lectures from my bunk on tour buses, I did remote before it was cool.

At UT, I earned a BBA in Marketing from the McCombs School of Business, where my focus was in content strategy and social media. I had some great mentors like Steve Wille, former VP of Marketing for the Sacramento Kings. I also spent considerable time creating Instagram content for outdoor brands and state/national parks.

Unfortunately, I graduated into a global pandemic. Like many of us, I used this strange moment in history to pursue new passions and hobbies.

I wanted to make a movie.

With a deep family background in scuba diving and exploration, I began to pursue a pirate treasure legend I remembered fondly from my childhood with the intentions of turning the entire search into a documentary. Crazy, I know.

My persistence paid off, and my team actually ended up solving much of the mystery behind the legend. My documentary idea was quickly turned into a Hollywood series, and legendary television mogul Kevin Burns took me under his wing to be one of the new faces of the History Channel. I still occasionally appear in series across History Channel, Discovery, Hulu, and others as an expert on maritime folklore and pirate research.

Having learned quite a bit about audiences and the inner workings of Hollywood, I continued in my mission to entertain. I founded Roper Media, where I was responsible for the development, production, distribution, and marketing of over a dozen documentary films and series. It was here that I really honed my skills in marketing.

Effective marketing requires two things: knowing your audience and serving them with a purpose. Once you realize that, everything begins to click.

I oversaw the creation and marketing of numerous independent series for streaming services like Tubi, Prime Video, and Roku - sometimes even solely responsible for the entire project start to finish. I became a very adept video editor and graphic designer, creating some of the highest performing posters on platforms like Tubi and Amazon.

I learned the value of optics and how to respond to analytics and insight, especially the value of learning site-specific algorithms as it relates to performance. The majority of my marketing strategy was pre-built into audience-facing content.

I’ve been able to share stories with the world, producing an award-winning wildlife documentary that helped me become one of a handful of Americans to ever have a film screened in China. Another one of my completed projects, a documentary about deep-sea exploration, is set to be part of Chile’s upcoming “Festival of the Sea” celebration.

Never too far from social media, I continued assisting in content creation and strategy from a number of brands. Aquariums, hotel chains, media organizations, you name it - and of course maintaining my own “Christian B. Roper” brand, taking fans behind the scenes of many of my television projects. 

I even designed viral social media thumbnails for fantasy football companies. There are very few areas of content creation that I have not been part of.

However, due to recent impacts to the streaming landscape like recent wildfires and the influence of AI, I am looking to translate all of my media and analytics experience away from filmmaking and back into the world of social media.

I feel that my deep background in media and often unconventional marketing can bring a lot to your opening.

Instagram

No marketing tool has ever served me better than Instagram, and social media in general remains the best way to get your ideas, whatever they may be, in front of your audience.

Did you know 63.9% of the world uses social media, with an average daily use of 2 hours and 21 minutes? (SmartInsights)

Or that 62% of millennials are more likely to recommend your brand if you interact with them online? (Sprinklr)

Imagine if someone stood outside your offices for 2 hours each day with a willingness to learn more about your brand. That’s the opportunity you have through social media with over half the world’s population.

But what do you tell them? And why?

This is where I believe I would be able to provide direct impact to your social strategy. And to show you where I could assist, I’ve created a 30-60-90 day plan summary for the development and implementation of a revamped Instagram strategy.

Day 1 - 30

For the first month of implementation, much of the strategy would be focused on familiarization. Familiarizing myself with the entire brand history, motivations, and brand voice. I would want to get to know existing marketing staff and get well-defined answer to the following:

• What is our mission as a brand, and how do we envision social media fulfilling that mission?

• Who is our intended audience, and why? Where would we find them? What are they interested in? And what do we have to offer them?

• What is our purpose in our messaging on each platform? Is there unity, platform variance, or something in between?

After getting clear answers to our mission and motive, I would begin on the development of a content strategies assessment - a deeply researched overview of who our audience is, how we can reach them, and a framework for getting effective messaging to them digitally. After a deep dive into your Instagram presence, I believe I would bring very effective ideas that would immediately boost your presence, especially if the brand leaned into Reels.

Did you know that 78% of people prefer to learn about new products through short video content? (SproutSocial)

Day 30 - 60

In the second month, I would focus on the implementation of content that results from what is learned in the first month.

It has never been easier to access information, and it has never been easier to deliver information to an audience.

Consistency is also key. My personal recommendation is 3 to 5 posts a week, with at least one of these being video format. This is also backed by recent industry feedback. (Shopify)

Effective social media content should also be multipurpose, accomplishing each of these:

The post should inform: your audience gathers something of value.

The post should position your brand: your audience learns where your brand fits in, and how you set yourself apart.

The post should persuade: your audience is moved to action - whether it be trying a product, inspired to learn more about your brand, or just doing more good in the world. 

I believe your Instagram presence has the unique ability to position your brand as a major thought leader within the software industry.

One of the first content types I would recommend is a weekly or biweekly Reels series simply showcasing the top current headlines in the software industry - be the go-to source for breaking news in the software industry as a whole.

Reach an audience that is interested while keeping them informed and positioning the brand as being at the forefront of the industry.

Another great opportunity you have with your Instagram presence is an ability to humanize your company. A great way to do that is through a series of employee spotlights - it can be anything from simple on-camera interviews to showcasing their odd hobbies. Have them participate in trends, and invent trends of your own. Doing as much hiring as you do, it’s also a great way to appeal to top talent.

I think you have a wonderful opportunity to be educational, humorous, and inspirational, all while fostering community and really solidifying a space at the front of the industry. I have many more specific ideas I’d love to discuss.

I am based remotely in Waco, Texas, just up the road from the office in Austin. I am also open to occasional travel to Washington and Utah (two of my favorite places) for the purposes of creating content there as well.

Day 60 - 90

The third month would be focused on refinement. I would review the first month of content implementation and begin to tweak strategies. Which hashtags seem to expand our reach, and which don’t? What types of content perform better and when? Continue to try new things, tweak, and observe.

By the end of three months, the Instagram strategy should be a well-oiled machine, running full speed ahead without a worry. I think it’s more than possible to double, if not triple your average Instagram reach within weeks.

I have a lot of experience in some unconventional areas that would bring a game-changing presence to your current Instagram operations. Whether it’s photographing rappers, creating a television show, or becoming an industry leader in software, the concepts never change. All of them have an audience that seeks a connection and wants to find a home.

My passion is identifying those audiences and creating content and campaigns that deliver what they didn’t yet know they needed.