Jon Payne Email & Phone Number

President and founder of Vocational Media Group, a digital marketing agency that helps clients grow their footprint on the two largest online marketplaces: Amazon and Google. We help our clients increase sales, generate leads and boost website traffic through search marketing (both SEO & PPC). Our style is to work with a "full-scope" for a very small number of clients who want to grow their digital presence quite aggressively. We can help your firm to:* Optimize for GOOGLE: full-service SEO: identify & prioritize keywords, create engaging content, build links, increase authority and outrank competitors in the SERPs in order to generate more leads and sales through your website* Optimize for AMAZON: full-service account management: rank products (seo), increase sales, optimize sponsored ads (ppc), improve conversion rates, increase margins, reduce fees, replenish inventory and manage your 3P Seller Central account for you (DFY)We also practice what we preach by building, buying, growing and operating our own web properties and product brands (see below) that monetize through a variety of display advertising, affiliate partnerships and D2C e-commerce.

Charlotte, Nc, Us

Currently serving as VP of Marketing for Viking Mergers & Acquisitions. Viking is a leading business advisory and brokerage service that helps entrepreneurs with the most important transaction of their career - the sale or purchase of a business. Interested in selling your business? Send me a DM, or visit our website at VikingMergers.com to learn more or request a complementary valuation on your business. All inquiries and engagements are treated with full confidentiality, of course.

Illuminated Goods is the parent company of a few niche product brands. This is effectively "round 2" of my Amazon-focused e-commerce career after starting round 1 in 2015 and selling those brands to an aggregator in 2022. We've hired an awesome agency (see above) to skyrocket our sales ;)

*** Product Division Sold in June 2022 to Razor Group *** Net Focus Media is an e-commerce company that designs, develops and grows direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands in a variety of verticals. Our brands focus on providing high-quality products at competitive prices by eliminating distribution overhead, primarily selling via the Amazon Marketplace.I built out the business model, developed products, hired the team, set up our warehouse and operational systems, closely-managed all advertising, and grew the company from $0 to over $3.5mm in annual sales at 20% net margins. I then sold the three brands (our product division) to Razor Group in 2022, so that I could turn my focus to my next venture.*** Consulting Division Acquired in June 2022 by Vocational Media Group ***Net Focus Media's consulting services division was merged into my new entity, Vocational Media Group, in June 2022.

*** Exited in September 2021 - sold interest to the other partners. ***Partner in SSP Brands, which owns and markets the "Shirt Stay Plus" brand of professional shirt stays - popular with police/LEO, military and first responders. After reselling this brand's products for several years, I joined forces with the manufacturer and helped create a DTC channel by selling directly through the Amazon 3P Marketplace. I invested both financially and managerially (part-time), and completed my objective after 18 months - creating higher margins and doubling sales in the process.

Downers Grove, Il, Us

*** Left in April 2014 as the acquisition of my agency (Ephricon) and the subsequent transition was completed. ***Transitional role to help integrate Ephricon with Straight North, following Straight North's acquisition of my agency in mid-2013. The Ephricon office essentially became a regional office for the combined agency and continued to handle account management for the roughly 60 Ephricon clients as well as roughly 40 additional clients.During this time I oversaw the strategy, execution and delivery of Internet marketing services for over 100 clients in the new-combined agency's most profitable service category, SEO/PPC. I managed a team of Account Managers and aided in strategy for the agency’s largest accounts. I also led much of the integration efforts to combine the two agencies with regard to software, process, organizational structure, etc.

*** Sold in 2013 to Straight North. ***In 2003 I formed Ephricon Web Marketing, an internet marketing agency with a heavy focus on organic SEO. I served as the President of the agency from it's founding in 2003 through 2013, when I sold the business to another digital marketing agency who wanted to integrate our SEO services into their portfolio.While running Ephricon, I managed the overall agency operations and personally handled all agency marketing, sales, accounting, finances, and hiring/HR. I also led all client strategy for the better part of 10 years.The agency started in the bedroom of my apartment (literally) while I was finishing college and grew to 15 employees serving over 60 retainer-based clients. We were profitable since day 1, and revenue grew on average by 50% per year each year for the last few years (from 2009 through 2012). What I'm most proud of, however, are the close relationships we formed with clients and the superior team we've built, both of which have given us a strong reputation in our industry.

*** Sold largest web property in 2008 ****** Exited partnership in 2011 (sold to partners) ***(Side Business) Co-Owner and Partner at Lead Storm Media, LLC - a firm that developed and managed various internet properties in several niches, monetizing primarily through lead generation affiliate programs.Handled negotiations and due diligence in the sale of LSM's largest web property "All Around the Home" to a strategic buyer in 2008. Later sold my ownership stake to other partners in 2011 in order to focus on my core agency business at the time (Ephricon).

Hunt Valley, Md, Us

Started the SEO and PPC efforts for TESSCO's B2B and B2C channels - handling everything from strategy through implementation. Coordinated efforts between executive management, marketing and IT (development). Transitioned after 9 months to an outside consulting role (via my agency, Ephricon) where I continued to consult for Tessco for another 2+ years before training their team to take this function in-house.While there, the initiatives I led grew traffic, conversions and revenue from non-branded search traffic each several fold in less than a year. We did this by identifying and championing "low hanging fruit" on-site optimizations, fixing technical SEO issues, and starting a concentrated link building campaign to build the site's authority.

Owings Mills, Md, Us

Started as an internship my senior year of college... was hired as employee #3 at a small internet marketing agency and was trusted with both strategy and implementation for key accounts. Researched and implemented various SEO and PPC strategies for clients, with impressive success rates. Also assisted with website design, website maintenance, email marketing campaigns and virtually every other aspect of internet marketing at the time.

Towson, Md, Us

Started as a part-time job in college working in the Accounts Receivable department doing credit claims investigation and analysis. Then transferred into an internship in the E-Business department, doing QA and testing of the company's primary intranet-based database application for product specifications.

Mba, Marketing

Bs, Marketing, E-Business

Bachelor Of Business Administration - Bba, Marketing