The basics of editorial strategy, including creating editorial guidelines, working with contributors, and getting higher visibility for your blog or publication.
2. Managed blogs big and
small; SEJ has about
1m page views monthly,
my own sites have 4-5k
monthly
Contributed to several
outlets
Just started a news
content marketing agency,
StoryShout, to help brands
grow their traffic and
engagement
Creative Writing/English
degree; background in
Journalism
3. Basics for Editors
Why Branding Matters
Editorial Guidelines
Guest Writers
Engagement Building
What We’ll Cover
4.
5. • WordPress or CMS knowledge
• HTML/PHP for text-based editing, formatting,
and SEO
• Good sense of organization/project
management:
• ToDoist
• Asana
• Basecamp
And finally….
Basic Editor Necessities
6.
7.
8.
9. Who is my target audience?
What does my target audience want to
read about?
Where am I going to share and promote
my posts when they are published?
Why should people care?
What’s a concrete milestone I can set now
for my blog?
To create a mini business plan,
answer these questions:
15. • Blog on your own for 6+ months before
expecting or recruiting guest contributors
• Good bloggers are in all corners of your
company
• Keep a running brainstorm list of ideas:
Help & support forums
Industry questions you have
Q&A sites like Quora
Creating a Base of Content
16.
17. • Your blog reputation is shaped on what you
do and don’t expect out of your writers.
• People usually try to push the envelope– set
boundaries*.
• Know what your audience expects out of you
• Read all the competitors you can: BlogLovin’,
Feedly
Start Shaping Your
Editorial Guidelines
18. Grammar/Spelling
Photo Attribution
SEO Best Practices
• ALT Tags, HTML formatting, WP Tags,
Headers
Linking Practices
• Set a self promotional linking policy
• Require links to back up argumentative
posts
SEJ’s Editorial Guidelines: http://goo.gl/b7Ynjm
19.
20. They say they require a link up
front
They say anything about “trading
links”
Their grammar/spelling is terrible
Their industry doesn’t match
They don’t have any applicable
writing samples
They look fake*
Extra Hardcore: Their website and
social media is terrible
21. They look like a real person in their
photo and on social media
They pitch you applicable ideas
They already attach an article that
is well-written and doesn’t contain
any shady links
They seem genuinely interested in
growing themselves but
contributing to the industry, not just
getting a link
Extra hardcore: They address you
by name*
22.
23. Set deadlines or story assignments
Get writers to agree to a weekly or monthly post to
keep commitment high
Motivate writers with rewards*
Give thoughtful feedback*: if writers know you spent
the time, they will too
Build them up: Comment, share, and interact on
social media
Providing Writer
Motivation & Engagement
24. Know when to hire editors and writers
Branding is just as important as content
Build a base of content before focusing on
anything else
Shape your Editorial Guidelines to keep
everyone on the same page
Build engagement with writers- make them
more than just content
Key Takeaways