About Jill S. P. Watkins,

Founder of  Write On Target Communications, LLC

“I’ve always wanted to be a promotional writer— even as a kid I used to watch TV commercials and imagine better slogans for fun,” says Jill.  Born in Bay Shore, NY and raised in Danville, VA, Jill was encouraged early on to build her writing talent. “My 10th grade English teacher urged me to develop my writing skills after she read a short story I had authored,” states Jill.

Jill took her love for writing and combined it with her interest in marketing and headed to the Northern Virginia/Washington, DC area to go to college and take advantage of the robust job market there. She received her Liberal Arts degree from Northern Virginia Community College in 1991, and went on to earn her B.A. in Speech Communications from George Mason University in 1994.

Today, Jill is known as "The Go To Copywriter Of Hampton Roads" and she has an enviable skill set that makes her different from most marketing communication professionals. She has over 12 years of marketing experience. Jill has written copy for just about everything including brochures, postcards, booklets, ads, newsletters, Web sites, e-books, reports, press releases, letters, as well as tagline creation—making her a highly sought after promotional writer. Additionally, she is very knowledgeable in direct mail, a result of years of managing major direct mail campaigns for companies large and small. 

Project management is an area in which Jill excels. “It is a vital skill I learned quickly when I worked for smaller firms. Small and even medium-sized companies expect their marketing person to not only write copy, but to complete a project from start to finish. That means one must learn how to design, produce, as well as write marketing literature,” cites Jill. “Thanks to my experience with smaller firms I gained design and production expertise which enabled me to offer these services to my clients.”

Jill has traveled internationally and over much of the U.S. doing tradeshow and meeting promotion work, handing tradeshow & meeting logistics, public relations (PR), and marketing campaigns. Her PR and promotional work has landed stories in many media outlets, including CBS affiliates, The USA Network, The Chicago Tribune, and The Washington Post to name a few.

Not resting on her laurels, Jill is always looking for the next challenge. In 2004, she moved to Virginia Beach, VA after residing in the Northern Virginia/Washington, DC area for 17 years. “I was looking to make a change in my life, live near the ocean and start my own business,” Jill explains, “at the same time I wanted make a difference. I’ve seen so many businesses fail, falter, or grow stagnant because of poor marketing, and I wanted to help local businesses avoid these costly, common marketing mistakes.” So in 2005 Jill started Write On Target Communications, LLC.  The company serves businesses in need of help with their marketing efforts. Services include promotional writing (copywriting), logo creation, light design work, marketing consultation/planning, and project management for printed materials and direct mail campaigns. 

Jill, her husband John, and their two cats Chance and Sammy are enjoying life in Hampton Roads. Jill and John like to travel, cook, fish, and relax with friends and family. Says Jill, “Hampton Roads is a very special place to be, and I’m proud to call it home.”