Work History

Ray van Hilst

Hi! I’m Director of Client Results at
Yoko Co, a web design and marketing agency with a mission to help organizations “Do good. Better.”

My passion is blending my 25+ years of marketing experience with modern web principles to create high value websites that help organizations meet their goals. (I describe myself as “pathologically helpful” and I love helping my clients and colleagues succeed.”

My diverse background includes Fortune 500 brands such as Disney and The Home Depot; non-profits including the National Wildlife Federation and Oceanic Society; and associations including EMDR International Association, American Association of Endodontists, and School Nutrition Association – and many more clients (my current client count is 125+ clients).

I work with organizations to set the strategic direction for their website and online marketing by helping them get beyond the “wouldn’t it be great if” conversations to the place of “this is what we should do.” I offer strategic consultation on web development, content strategy, creative direction, and on-going web operations. 

I’m also a frequent speaker about web strategy, web operations and marketing technology (See this page to learn more). I’m an active member of ASAE: The American Society of Association Executives and currently serve on ASAE’s Technology Section Council (and have volunteered in other roles for ASAE).  

Gigs

  • Yoko Co (2016 to Present) – Director of Client Results
  • Vanguard Technology (2011 to 2016) – Director of Client Strategy and Marketing
  • van Hilst Communications (2010 to 2016) – Chief Noisemaker
  • Avectra, now part of Community Brands (2008 to 2010) – Communications Director
  • Imre Communications (2003 to 2008) – Director, Digital Communications & Account Supervisor
  • Feld Entertainment (1998 to 2003) – Brand Manager, Disney on Ice and Marketing Services Coordinator

Skills

Strategic Planning

  • Digital Transformation
  • Marketing Strategy and Planning
  • Brand Strategy
  • Content Strategy

Web & Digital Strategy

  • User Experience (UX) Strategy including user research, personas, user flow, wire frames
  • Information Architecture including sitemaps, taxonomy, structured content, site search
  • Web Governance
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Google Analytics

Marketing

  • Creative Direction
  • Marketing Automation
  • Copywriting
  • Public Relations

Awards

To quote an old client “I don’t do marketing to win awards, I do it to sell power tools.” (You can guess which client that was.)

So as a rule of thumb, I don’t enter award competitions. That being said… some of my work is “award winning.” Here is some of that recognition.

  • Association Trends Gold TRENDY Award (2023)- American Association of Endodontists FindMyEndodontist.com
  • ASAE Gold Circle Best Website  (2022) – EMDRIA Website 
  • Marcom Award  (2018) – AAE Patient Website
  • AVA Digital Award (2018) – AAE Website Redesign
  • Sitefinity Top Website of the Quarter (2015) – American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
  • American Marketing Association M-Award (2006) – Dynea Booth and Networking Events at the International Woodworking Fair
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