industry:
fintech / trading
services:
campaign strategy, creative direction, social media
the challenge:
Topstep wanted to drive social engagement with a campaign that felt relevant and fun for its trading community—mainly U.S. men in their 20s–50s. The goal: boost participation without straying from brand authenticity.
the solution:
I led campaign creation and execution for Market Mania, a March Madness-inspired bracket where financial products faced off based on price performance. The format sparked friendly competition, boosted engagement, and strengthened Topstep’s community connection.
The foremost challenge was enabling users to complete and submit a Market Mania bracket without developer support—a critical element for campaign success. I began researching for bracket software compatible with our hosting platform, HubSpot. After testing various tools, I found a versatile solution that met all requirements.
Execution & Expansion
Having overcome the initial obstacles of bracket submission and creation, the focus shifted to executing a comprehensive marketing strategy. I developed assets—including a landing pages, emails, and social media content—for each stage of the campaign lifecycle: announcement to submission period to tournament progression to winner announcement and tournament recap.
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The campaign surpassed expectations, captivating not only our growing community but also grabbing the attention from company leadership. The results spoke volumes:
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900+ bracket submissions
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150+ new leads
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$40,000 in revenue
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8% increase in Instagram followers
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30% surge in post engagement
Market Mania had become an integral part of Topstep's campaign strategy. My last year running Market Mania was it's most successful, garnishing impressive results:
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4,300+ bracket submissions
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1,000+ new leads
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$208,000 in revenue
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10% increase in Instagram followers
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64% surge in post engagement
How it Started
I came up with the idea for this campaign in 2019 with the goal of creating more engagement amongst our social media following. Our team was very small at the time, and I was fully aware of our limited resources. I knew the potential of our social media impact and fought for more investment through proven success on business goals.
With guidance from our in-house traders, I crafted a bracket comprising 16 products divided into four trading-themed regions. Each round pitted two products against each other, with the victor determined by the highest percentage change in price on a specified date.
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To qualify for bracket submission, participants had to be actively trading within our program—a strategic move that increased sign-ups. Winners stood to gain complimentary program subscriptions and gift cards, incentivizing engagement and participation.
In all, the Market Mania ran over the course of a month. It required tedious project management to ensure seamless execution:
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Precise calculation of round winners
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Timely updates to the leaderboard after each round
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Regular email and social media communications
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Providing comprehensive support to customer service representatives, addressing inquiries related to the campaign
Year Over Year Growth
The success of the campaign earned the trust of leadership, paving the way for increased budget allocation and team support. With the overwhelming response from our community, Market Mania evolved into an annual marketing staple. We expanded the campaign ambitiously, incorporating:
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Facebook and Instagram ads
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Expanded content coverage
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Video content production
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Enhanced prize offerings
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Website banners and pop-ups
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Custom branded assets
