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Audience Development Strategy

Online Publishing Job Description: Online Managing Editor

With an online editor’s job description changing from print to digital, it’s important to understand the role for digital publishing success

In order to succeed online, publishers need to have staff that understand the digital evolution.

A significant portion of our consulting strategy relies on properly staffing an organization. If you choose the wrong staff members, or


Note: This job description is one in a series of job descriptions for multiplatform publishers. If you operate or plan to operate a Mequoda System, this series of job descriptions will help you build a team that will command and conquer your multiplatform publishing effort.


The Online Managing Editor will operate and perform the editorial and promotional tasks for the online marketing system.  They will be primarily responsible for facilitating the implementation of the vision and values by creating daily editorial content, white papers and ebooks, using SEO campaign development, performing keyword research, creating a social media presence and turning website visitors into email subscribers.

Strategic GoalsCreate happy readers, users and customers while maximizing revenue and profit.

Key Metrics: Post and email deadlines, website pages, search engine impressions and arrivals, inbound links, web to email conversion rate, email circulation, contact frequency, revenue per thousand, and retention rate.

Five Strategic Activities and Key Metrics for Online Editors

  • Content Development: Works with content partners to create tips, information product reviews and website reviews for use in the [Company Name] website network (hub and retail satellites), email newsletter and content syndication (Key Metric: Website Pages).
  • Search Engine Optimization: Optimizes all content for search engines and manages three weekly SEO Campaigns (Key Metric: Search Engine Impressions & Arrivals).
  • Link Building: Initiates and maintains relationships with numerous media outlets and their websites by both monitoring their content and making frequent contribution, links, etc (Key Metric: External Inbound Links, Arrivals from Other Websites).
  • Website to Email Conversion: Plans, executes and optimizes all website conversion architecture including Rapid Conversion Landing Pages, Floaters, OFIEs, OFINs and test links required to build new email subscriber relationships (Key Metric: Website to Email Conversion Rate, Email Circulation).
  • Email Marketing: Plans, executes and optimizes daily email marketing campaigns using links, embedded advertising and display advertising (Key Metrics: Email Circulation, Contact Frequency, Revenue per M Emails Sent, Revenue per Subscriber).

Accountability: Manages agreed-upon expense budget, revenue metrics, key metrics and reports to Online Marketing Director, and interacts regularly with the Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Creative Officer, and Chief Technology Officer.

Skill Set:

Someone who would excel in the position of Online Editor will have a range of both technical and professional skills, but be more of a generalist than a specialist or technician. He or she is comfortable using their considerable communications skills both interpersonally and in writing. They enjoy the following activities: research, writing, editing and analysis.

  • Bachelor’s Degree in interactive media, journalism, communications, marketing, creative writing or equivalent experience with strong skills in computing, logic and analysis.
  • One to three years of relevant organic marketing experience with working knowledge of open source content management systems, search engines and related software tools.
  • Goal driven with the ability to adapt to change and to new opportunities.
  • Ability to work independently as well as a team and community member.
  • Enthusiastic attitude to all parties and a deep desire to manage by the numbers.

By Don Nicholas

Founder & Executive Publisher

Don Nicholas serves as Executive Publisher for Food Gardening Network and GreenPrints. He is responsible for all creative, technical, and financial aspects of these multiplatform brands. As senior member of the editorial team, he provides structural guidance, sets standards, and coordinates activities with the technology and business teams. Don is an active gardener whose favorite crops include tomatoes, basil, blueberries, and corn. He and his wife Gail live and work in southern Massachusetts surrounded by forests, family farms, cranberry bogs, and nearby beaches. Don is also the Founder of Mequoda Systems, LLC, which operates and supports numerous online communities including I Like Crochet, I Like Knitting, and We Like Sewing.

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