Brand Creative & Social Media Manager, New York

Brand
Vision
In Motion

Brand creative, social media manager, and content director. I translate brand identity into visual worlds — through content, shoots, social strategy, and creative that converts.

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"Where aesthetic vision meets measurable impact." Content Strategy · Social Media · Art Direction

Projects
& Campaigns

@nailsbydvilay as featured in Real Simple
Creator Brand · 2022–2023
@nailsbydvilay
Brand Partnerships
Lead feature in Real Simple — opening image. Real Simple editorial. 8+ brand partnerships. 68.7% Linktree CTR.
@nailsbydvilay  ·  As seen in Real Simple
Creator & Brand Strategy
The Customer Wall — Planted by Christy
Brand Concept · 2021
The Customer
Wall Concept
Original UGC installation for Planted by Christy. A community-first activation that built brand loyalty through physical storytelling.
Planted by Christy
The Customer Wall

Work recognized by editors, without paid placement.

Bustle Beauty

Lead feature, opening image of the micro French manicure trend piece. Chosen by editorial, not paid.

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Real Simple

Editorial feature in the classic nail trends roundup, content selected by the Real Simple team without paid placement.

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Brand Channels

Content reposted on official brand accounts and websites across 3+ brand partners.

Diana Vilay, @nailsbydvilay

I build brands
that feel like
something.

I'm Diana — a brand creative and social media manager based in New York. My work lives at the intersection of visual identity, content creation, and brand storytelling. Whether I'm art directing a shoot, building a content system from scratch, or executing a sell-out brand activation at a luxury beauty pop-up, I approach every project with the same question: what does this feel like to the person on the other side?

I've built social worlds for Trinny London, managed partnerships with 8+ beauty brands, grown audiences from zero on platforms where most people are still figuring out the algorithm, and earned press features in Bustle Beauty and Real Simple along the way. My goal is Creative Director — and every project I take on is a deliberate step toward leading brand vision at scale.

$522K
Pop-up gross revenue directed
8+
Brand partnerships managed
3.9%
Peak platform engagement rate
68.7%
Linktree CTR achieved

What
I Do

My work spans the full creative lifecycle, from the first brief to the final brand moment. I bring both the vision and the execution.

01
Creative Direction
Visual identity direction across all brand touchpoints: photography, shoot styling, social aesthetics, and digital presence. I build cohesive brand worlds, not disconnected assets.
02
Content Strategy & Social Media
Multi-platform content strategy across Instagram, TikTok, and Lemon8, built on brand identity first, trend intelligence second. Consistent high engagement and content that converts, not just performs.
03
Brand Activation
Experiential events and retail activations that create genuine moments of brand connection. Sold-out events with 100+ attendees and $10K+ returns per event.
04
Art Direction & Production
End-to-end shoot direction: concepting, styling, on-set direction, and final edit. I translate vision boards and creative briefs into camera-ready reality.
05
Influencer & Partnerships
Partnership negotiation and management from the creator side: deliverable briefs, creative approvals, performance reporting, and audience trust preservation.
06
Community Building
Growing audiences through authentic community initiatives, UGC activations, brand moments, and content that makes customers feel like insiders.

Selected Work

A closer look at the thinking, strategy, and execution behind the work.

Lemon8 Content Creation

Challenge
Launch a personal creator brand on an emerging platform from zero, establish authentic community engagement, and secure brand partnerships without an existing audience.

The Approach

Built a content mix that balanced evergreen posts, including nail tutorials and foundational technique guides, with trend-responsive content like spring seasonal looks and viral moments such as the Hailey Bieber chrome nail aesthetic. Developed a consistent visual identity and brand voice across every post, optimized for the platform's algorithm through observation and testing, and approached brand partnerships selectively to protect audience trust.

1.5M+
Total impressions
3.9%
Peak engagement rate
6+
Brand partnerships secured
2x
Platform average engagement

Key Learning

Authenticity drives engagement more than follower count. A clear creative point of view, paired with the strategic ability to move between timeless content and timely trends, beats viral trend-chasing every time.

@NailsByDVilay Instagram

Challenge
Build a personal brand while working full-time and demonstrate real influence and conversion power without a large initial following.

The Approach

Created high-quality nail art content with a distinct and consistent aesthetic. Pursued brand partnerships through direct outreach, executed sponsored content that felt native rather than transactional, and built a monetization stream through affiliate marketing and commission-based sales.

$2.5K+
Amazon sales driven (3-4% commission)
$3.40/follower
Sales per follower (2-3x industry avg)
8+
Brand partnerships secured
2
Press features (Bustle, Real Simple)

Key Learning

716 followers generated $2,500+ in tracked sales at $3.40 per follower, 2 to 3x the industry average. Engaged audiences drive real business results. Earned press features in Bustle Beauty and Real Simple along the way.

Planted by Christy

Challenge
Build a social media presence and brand identity for a newly opened rare plant retailer from pre-launch through opening, with no existing following and no paid budget.

The Approach

Developed an integrated content strategy balancing product, education, and community. Conceived and executed the Customer Wall, a curated photo installation featuring local and remote community members that became a signature brand moment. Built a content calendar that made customers feel like insiders rather than consumers.

2K+
Engaged followers
100%
UGC-generated community wall
High
Participation in initiatives
Retail & greenhouse sales

Key Learning

Community building beats traditional marketing every time. Creating a sense of belonging drives loyalty and word-of-mouth that no paid campaign can replicate. Grew to 2K engaged followers in under 5 months.

Trinny London D2C Launch

Challenge
Launch an independent D2C storefront while simultaneously managing an existing luxury department store counter and a team of 9, maintaining brand consistency and sales performance across both.

The Approach

Led the creative vision for storefront design and visual merchandising, managed dual-location operations, collaborated directly with the Trinny London marketing team on brand activations and in-store campaigns, and directed sold-out experiential events that generated genuine brand connection with customers.

£522K
6-month launch revenue
99.7%
Sales target achieved
30-75
Attendees per event
100%
Sold-out events

Key Learning

Creative vision and operational excellence are not separate skills. The storefront hit £522K in revenue in its first six months at 99.7% of target, with every brand event selling out.

Let's
Connect.

Open to social media manager, brand creative, and content strategy roles in New York. Available for full-time opportunities, including hybrid and remote.

Location
New York, NY
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