4 ways the online editor position has changed in the digital realm
If you told journalists ten years ago that in 2011 they would be writing, editing, engaging on social media, learning SEO, tracking metrics and handling audience development requirements, they probably wouldn’t believe you.
If you told them there would be better tools for discovering the content audience members are the most interested in, they probably wouldn’t believe you either.
Any online editor will tell you that times have changed, especially those who were editors long before the digital transformation began.
In a recent article from eMedia Vitals, senior editor Ellie Behling discussed four business trends that have helped shape the modern online editor position. These four trends are listed below with additional commentary.
The importance of content marketing
Editorial content and marketing have blurred together. Instead of blatant advertisements, online editors show the value of information products long before money is asked for.
Content marketing is audience centric, unlike interruptive marketing that looks for an impulse buy. The activities behind content marketing have grown to allow editors to target keywords, track the performance of articles and monitor what content is most accepted by their audience.
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News jobs in brand journalism
Brands are telling stories more often in modern times. More custom publishers have emerged, covering issues pertaining to their market while sharing information on their products.
In order to do this properly, brands look for online editors that can create great content while also being able to write marketing collateral when needed.
Diverse business models
Although there is separation between editorial and advertising materials, the two sides are working closer to understand the role the other plays. This of course also impacts the way they perform their own jobs.
Understanding how each part of an organization operates helps everyone move towards an aligned goal.
A focus on entrepreneurship
In addition to trying new methods of creating attention and building upon an audience, editors have the opportunity to create content directly based on topics an audience enjoys.
I personally love going in Google Analytics and finding the topics that generate the most website traffic and user engagement. I know these are core topics to my audience and I strive to produce more content aligned with such topics.
What do you think of the new role of an online editor? I’d love to hear from anyone currently working as an online.
For Behling’s insight on these four trends she originally listed, check out the article from eMedia Vitals.
