NaBeela Washington - Audience Development Portfolio
Audience Development Portfolio
NABEELA
WASHINGTON

At the heart of growing an audience is community. I pair data with community feedback because numbers tell you what is working, but community tells you why. In 2014 I was building awareness. By 2021 I was building trust. Now I build belonging.

10+ Years of Audience Development
2014
Building Awareness
Alabama Environmental Council / AmeriCorps. Creating AEC's first communications plan, building social from scratch, and learning how to reach people who don't know you exist yet.
2021
Building Trust
826CHI, 826 National, AARP. Moving from formulaic to relationship-building. Developing editorial calendars, multi-platform strategy, and content that made audiences feel seen and heard.
NOW
Building Belonging
15 West. 60% e-news open rate. More than 11 reporters. A community that doesn't just read the news, they are the newsroom.
What I Bring to the Table
Methodology 01
Community-Led Growth

Build the community first. The audience follows. I use existing community infrastructure - groups, alumni networks, trusted spaces - to grow lists organically and create audiences that are ready to act, not just scroll.

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Methodology 02
Community Presence

Show up where your audience already is. I build community through physical and digital presence - tabling at conferences, organizing, community education, activating alumni and partner networks, and creating ongoing spaces for engagement beyond the campaign.

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Methodology 03
Content Strategy

Meet your audience where they are, in the format they prefer, with language that feels like it was written for them. I use SEO, short-form content, and relatable voice to grow readership without paid acquisition.

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Methodology 04
Mission-Aligned Partnerships

The right partner multiplies your reach without diluting your message. I identify organizations whose audiences overlap with your mission and build campaigns that serve both communities authentically.

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Case Study 01 · Birmingham 2015
RAFIKI'S GRILL
GREEN TUESDAY
Community audience acquisition via environmental partnership
65-76
Attendees
$100+
Donations
10%
Proceeds to Partners
x2
Event Repeated
Challenge

Birmingham's only full-service African cuisine restaurant needed new community-minded audiences and increased brand awareness in an unfamiliar market.


Strategy

Partnered with Alabama Environmental Council and Magic City Agriculture Project to reach organic food lovers, environmentalists, and community preservationists.

Execution

Multi-platform social campaign across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with physical creative placed throughout Birmingham. Targeted messaging to aligned community audiences.


Result

"I'm so happy to see everyone here enjoying the food." – Charles, Rafiki's Owner

Rafiki's Green Tuesday Facebook post

Facebook Campaign Creative

Campaign Creative

Social media campaign created via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to highlight the Green Tuesday event, Birmingham, and Kenyan cuisine. Targeted organic food lovers, environmentalists, and community members looking to support local.

Case Study 02 · Birmingham 2015
T-BONE'S
DITCH THE FOOD COURT
Brand loyalty and audience diversification campaign
11%
Facebook Follower Growth
50%
Revenue Increase
3
Platforms Activated
REGULARLY
Sold Out
Challenge

Birmingham's home of the authentic Philly cheesesteak needed to raise menu awareness, increase buying diversity, and build customer loyalty beyond its core audience.


Strategy

Targeted hospital employees, clean eaters, and organic food enthusiasts. Positioned T-Bone's as the antidote to boring food court lunches through bold contrast messaging.

Execution

Multi-platform social campaign with physical creative placed throughout Birmingham. Contrast imagery of food court meals versus quality food drove the message home.


Result

"Next thing I knew we were sold out. Wow." – Anthony Crawford, T-Bone's Owner

Campaign Creative · Food Court Tray Liner
Ditch the Food Court tray liner on a real food court tray

Placed as physical tray liners in food courts across Birmingham

826CHI
Insert Title Here – Social Media Launch Campaign
↓ Download Toolkit ↓ Download Marketing Plan

Developed a comprehensive social media toolkit for the launch of 826CHI's student publication Insert Title Here, a collection of imaginative student writing translated into Spanish, Mandarin, and Bangla. Coordinated amplification across five platforms, wrote platform-specific copy, and guided community partners on sharing strategies.

Facebook
Long-form narrative, student quotes, purchase links
Instagram
Visual storytelling, cover art, #InsertTitleHere
Twitter / X
Concise shareable copy, network amplification
LinkedIn
Professional framing, educator audience
Email Newsletter
Student spotlight, purchase CTA, mission storytelling
Gmail Outreach
Direct email outreach to student families and community partners
826 National via 826 Digital · Content Engagement Manager
Digital Editorial Calendar
↓ Download Calendar

Managed a multi-year digital editorial calendar for 826 National's 9-chapter network, coordinating website, newsletter, and social platforms. Campaigns included Poets in Revolt! with Amanda Gorman, Cartoon Network's Inclusion Storytelling Project, and the Academy of American Poets. Also stepped up as a teaching artist, leading workshops on writing and creativity for students across the network. View resource →

Themes I built campaigns around:

SEL · Student Voice · Activism · Poetry
Poets in Revolt! with Amanda Gorman · Cartoon Network · SXSW EDU
Community · Identity · Post-COVID Reconnection
Write Your Way Back to School · Jason Reynolds · NWP Webinar
Collaboration · Revision · Student Publishing
826 Digital Yearbook · Academy of American Poets · ISTE
Reflection · Love · Women's Voices · Poetry
Black History Month collection · National Poetry Month campaign
Black Culture · Teen Focus · Civic Writing
DePaul University partnership · Civic journalism integration