Paid media that cracks open serious growth.

I'm Sara C, a freelance paid media strategist. I help purpose-led brands, nonprofits and start-ups run smart, scroll-stopping campaigns across Meta, Google, LinkedIn and TikTok.

10+ yrsperformance marketing
$2M+annual budgets managed
20+markets worldwide
A determined gorilla cracking out of an egg, the Gorilla Egg Creative mascot.

Trusted by mission-led organisations worldwide

UN Migration (IOM) International Rescue Committee Oxfam International The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Conrad N. Hilton Foundation M&C Saatchi
Services

What I do

I can run your campaigns end to end, or slot in beside your in-house team. Whatever gets you growing.

📈

Digital Marketing Strategy

Audience targeting, creative direction, testing frameworks and full-funnel planning, all optimised for ROAS.

🎯

Paid Media Management

Hands-on campaign management across Meta, Google (Search, PMAX, YouTube), LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest and Reddit.

✍️

Creatives

Ad creative concepts and direction, campaign copy, ad copy and brand voice development. Words and visuals that stop the scroll.

How we'll work together

01Intro call

Tell me your goals and budget. You'll get quick, no-nonsense advice on whether paid media is right for you, and where to start.

02Strategy & setup

Account structures, tracking, audiences, creative direction and a testing plan built around your objectives.

03Launch, test, optimise

Campaigns go live with structured tests. You get clear reporting, honest insights and continuous optimisation.

Selected work

Case studies

A few highlights from campaigns I've built, launched and scaled for global organisations.

Paid media strategy · Tracking · Optimisation

UN Migration (IOM)

Problem
IOM needed to launch its first-ever digital fundraising campaign, with no ad accounts, tracking infrastructure or benchmarks to build on, timed to engage donors during Ramadan.
Solution
I built IOM's inaugural digital fundraising programme from scratch: new Meta and Google ad accounts, full tracking systems, and cross-channel campaigns driving Zakat contributions, managing a six-figure USD monthly budget.
2.5xROI on first rollout
6-figuremonthly budget managed
Global digital fundraising · 20+ markets

International Rescue Committee

Role
Managed a $2M USD digital fundraising budget across 20+ markets in Europe, Asia and the Americas, leading full-funnel campaigns across Meta, Google (including Google Grants), TikTok, LinkedIn, Reddit and email.
Approach
Full-funnel, multi-platform planning with continuous testing. Meta delivered the highest donation volume at a CPA 20% below target, while Paid Search drove the highest total income.
+6.75%over fundraising target
+4.2%sustainer acquisition
-20%CPA vs target
Messaging testing · Multi-market execution

Oxfam International

Problem
Ahead of a major international rollout, Oxfam needed to know which messaging themes would resonate across global audiences, and there was no existing testing framework to lean on.
Solution
I designed and ran multi-market paid social campaigns comparing messaging angles, plus a reporting framework analysing creative performance against key KPIs.
Data-backedglobal creative decisions
Repeatabletesting framework delivered

More projects

Paid media launch · Creative testing

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Designed a three-phase, full-funnel paid media launch for the "This is Youth Award" campaign, running five structured messaging and creative tests to build DofE's first conversion baseline.

Strategy support · Team coaching

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

Coached the in-house team through a LinkedIn lead-gen campaign for the Hilton Humanitarian Prize: targeting, formats, creative feedback and best practices they now run independently.

Full-funnel pilot · Meta & LinkedIn

Homely Energy

Built a lead-generation engine with structured creative testing, delivering strong lead volume at efficient CPLs and channel learnings that shaped Homely's acquisition strategy.

Launch campaign · Creative consulting

Gym & Tonic

Launched a new athleisure brand's first online store with a full-funnel awareness-to-conversion strategy, generating early engagement at a $0.65 cost per click.

Social audit · Strategic playbook

Boys' & Girls' Clubs Association (HK)

Audited 50+ Facebook pages and 15+ Instagram accounts, led stakeholder research, and delivered a social media playbook unifying brand voice across five business units.

Paid social · PPC · SEO

M&C Saatchi (Ofcom, NCSC)

Strategy and execution across cybersecurity, regulation and global development, including Ofcom's Online Safety paid media campaign and National Cyber Security Centre SEO.

LinkedIn · Thought leadership

Acasus

Developed and promoted LinkedIn thought leadership pieces for the global development consultancy, raising organisational awareness among the audiences that matter to them.

Digital marketing manager · Organic & paid

Cancer charity (UK)

Led organic and paid media strategy in-house as Digital Marketing Manager, shaping content, social and paid campaigns that supported awareness, supporter growth and fundraising.

Evergreen paid strategy · Multi-platform

Islamic charity (UK, AU, CA, US)

Built an always-on, evergreen fundraising engine across paid platforms, from campaign structure to creative rotation, sustaining a blended ROI of 5-10x. First-year performance helped the charity scale massively, and it is now expanding into new global markets.

Lead gen strategy · Creative testing

Environmental charity (EU)

Led the overarching lead generation strategy, delivering around 5,000 leads a month at roughly 60p per lead, alongside creative refresh testing and reactive paid ads tied to the news cycle.

Google Search · Brand defence

MCS installer specialist (UK)

Generated qualified installer leads at around £30 per lead via Google Search, plus brand defence campaigns to protect their search presence when competitors bid on their name.

Alternative platforms · Fundraising

Global Islamic charity

Helped raise funds beyond the usual channels, testing and scaling donation campaigns on alternative paid platforms like Reddit and Pinterest.

…plus a range of small and mid-size UK companies: lead generation, customer acquisition, event sign-ups and lottery enrolment campaigns.

About

Hi, I'm Sara.

I'm a freelance paid media and ads strategist with 10+ years of performance marketing experience, based between the UK and Hong Kong. I've helped global brands and nonprofits scale reach, boost sign-ups and drive revenue through smart strategy, structured testing frameworks and creative that converts.

I started Gorilla Egg Copywriting in 2017, which later grew into Gorilla Egg Creative to offer broader digital marketing solutions.

A smiling gorilla hatching from a cracked egg
"Why can't gorillas lay eggs?"

The name came from a random thought. And yes, I like to think of myself as that gorilla: creative, curious, and always cracking something new.

FAQ

Common questions

Do you offer full campaign management or just strategy/consulting?

Both. I can run your campaigns end to end, covering setup, copywriting, targeting, testing and optimisation. Or if you already have an in-house team, I can provide strategic support instead.

Which platforms do you work with?

Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google Ads (Search, PMAX and YouTube), LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest and Reddit. I help clients grow awareness, generate leads and drive conversions across multiple channels.

Can you help grow and retain an audience, not just acquire one?

My focus is acquisition: bringing in the right audience through smart targeting and full-funnel campaigns. For retention, I work with trusted specialists who focus on keeping audiences engaged, so you get the best of both.

Do you work with nonprofits and Google Ad Grants?

Absolutely. Nonprofits are a core focus for me. I've built digital fundraising programmes for organisations like IOM and the IRC, and I can help you set up and make the most of Google Ad Grants.

What budget do I need to get started?

There's no fixed minimum, it depends on your goals and channels. Tell me your budget and I'll give you quick, honest advice on what's realistic and where to start.

Let's crack your next campaign.

Want to launch ads on Meta, Google (including Ad Grants), YouTube, TikTok or LinkedIn? Tell me your budget and I'll send you quick, no-nonsense advice.