Organizing your team around the content
If you’d like your Mequoda System to be successful, you will have to know how to hire, retain and manage a multiplatform media team. These team members are the people who will be in charge of the content and distribution. Knowing the responsibilities they will have helps you find the correct people. It will also allow them to perform their jobs with a defined focus in mind.
Organigraph
Don Nicholas developed a strong appreciation for the Organigraph by studying Henry Mintzberg. Our version of the organigraph below shows the team members that make up a content marketing system, and how their jobs impact the flow of the business. In a modern organization, you need to look at more than the people and the reporting structures. You need to look at all of the system partners, clients and customers involved to get detailed insight on how and why everything works as it does.
The circles in red show the positions that add content to the system while the blue circles work on policy that affects the way the overall system works.
As one may conclude, having a well oiled, fully functioning content marketing system will allow you to reach new subscribers (who may turn into buyers) in two different ways. Your direct work will influence them, as will links from partners you’ve established a relationship with. The more posts you publish and SEO campaigns you run, the more traffic you can directly see. The more link and relationship building you entertain, the more indirect traffic you will see through your partners.
Job description of your managing editor
The managing editor is a key position in any content marketing system. The editor has to balance editorial aspects while incorporating marketing initiatives into the mix. In addition to creating content, editing content and then publishing that content, the editor has to focus on the company’s visibility.
[text_ad]
Below we have listed a brief job description used while looking for a new managing editor for the Mequoda Group.
Strategic Objectives: The managing editor needs to create happy Mequoda Daily readers while maximizing revenue and profit. The editor must manage, produce and monitor Mequoda.com’s search engine optimization campaigns.
Key Metrics: Areas the managing editor will monitor include website posts and email deadlines, the number of website pages, search engine impressions and arrivals, inbound links, web to email conversion rate, email circulation, contact frequency, revenue per thousand emails sent and retention rate.
The key in finding a managing editor
The key in this position is having the balance between editor and marketer. Leaning too far to the editorial side may result in too much focus on the written content the editor produces. It is certainly a positive thing to have great content, but it can’t be at the expense of the other job requirements. There is a need to market the content appropriately because honestly, what’s the point in having great content if no one can find it?
If an editor comes with too much of a marketing background, the editorial content may suffer a bit. This may not be a problem if you can afford to have your content created by others. If not, your overall visibility and traffic may suffer due to poor content.
Some individuals with a cumulative communications background will likely have knowledge of marketing, journalism and public relations. If you can find a candidate like this for the managing editor position, you will probably be happy with his or her performance.
To learn about all of the content marketing strategies, register now for one of our Content Marketing 2010 Seminars. The dates are quickly approaching and seats are filling up, so don’t delay.
