Mequoda Managing Editor Job Description � 2006 Edition

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Mequoda Managing Editor Job Description – 2006 Edition

Posted in Internet Marketing Strategy	October 13, 2005

Permalink: http://daily.mequoda.com/i//internet_marketing_strategy/Managing_Editor_Job_Description_66-1.html

Discuss the job responsibilities, key metrics, goals, objectives and activities for the managing editor of a vertically integrated new media organization

Executive Summary

The job description for a new media managing editor is robust
Media Network Managing Editors must be media agnostic domain experts
A Mequoda Method job description focuses on strategic vision and mission, objectives, goals and activities that link the managing editor to their organization

At the moment, I'm in the middle of hiring, training or advising Managing Editors for eight Mequoda Media Networks in the fields of media, spirituality, healthcare, organic living, personal finance, travel and college living. Each network is centered on a Mequoda Internet Hub and encircled with one of the six Mequoda Website Satellite Archetypes (Membership, Brand Marketing, Lead Generation, Classified, Catalog Marketing, Product Marketing).

General Responsibilities: In each case, the Media Network's Managing Editor is responsible for all content in the Hub. In many cases, the Managing Editor is also responsible for satellite content. And, depending on the total number of information products in their Mequoda Media Pyramid, they may also responsible for traditional media content that may include books, reports, magazines, newsletters and events.

We've spent a lot of time developing and documenting the job description for Kim Mateus, Managing Editor for the Mequoda Group, as a best practices example of how the Managing Editor for a small media group spends her time. I thought it might be helpful to share her job description and strategic goals for 2006 and to open up a discussion of what new media Managing Editors do at other organizations.

Mequoda Group
Managing Editor Job Description

Vision & Mission: To help periodical and book publishers harness the Internet by providing them best practice guidelines and relevant case studies on Internet strategy, marketing, design and technology via print, digital and live information products.

Specific Responsibilities: Mequoda Group's Managing Editor is responsible for all editorial and marketing content for online, print and event products. She heads a 15-person research team and works closely with the other five members of the group's senior leadership team. Her key metrics are active Mequoda Daily subscribers and the annualized revenue per Mequoda Daily subscriber.

2006 Strategic Objectives

Grow the Mequoda Daily subscriber file to 10,000 by year end 2006 by providing the highest quality user experience with available resources.
Generate an average of $20 in net revenue for each active Mequoda Daily subscriber via the sale of Mequoda Media products and trusted third parties like Amazon, Marketing Sherpa and the Nielsen Norman Group.

2006 Strategic Goals

Produce and market 52 short case studies on Internet strategy, marketing and design for the Mequoda Daily.
Produce and market 144 in-depth reports on Internet strategy, marketing, design and technology for the Mequoda Library.
Produce and market five Mequoda Method Handbooks, 12 Mequoda Method Guidebooks and one Mequoda Daily Yearbook, and their respective Mequoda Product Marketing Websites.
Produce and market the 2006 Mequoda Media Summit in September 2006.

Weekly Activities

Assign, edit and produce in-depth reports and short case studies
Initiate and manage SEO, PR and link-building for all network content pages
Monitor all network content, including forums and blogs
Read and respond to content-related user email and calls
Initiate PR and industry speaking engagements for research team members
Analyze and respond to website traffic reports
Coordinate activities with senior leadership team and research team

Suggested Discussion Topics

How similar or different is the job description for your Managing Editor?
Which of the above objectives, goals or activities is most important?
Is there anything missing in the job description?

Mequoda Library Members Only: For in-depth reporting on Internet Strategy visit the Internet Strategy for Publishers and Authors TOC Page, or check out these related reports:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Writers & Editors, by Don Nicholas and Peter A. Schaible
Mequoda Method Habit #1: Implement a Strategic Management System **Second Edition**, by Don Nicholas and Jane Zarem
Mequoda Method Habit #4: Organize Content Around the Customer, by Don Nicholas and Jane Zarem
Mequoda Method Habit #6: Using Content to Drive Traffic, by Don Nicholas and Jane Zarem

Other Resources

Note: The details of the case have been modified to protect the identity of the publisher and program. If you've got a case study you'd like to share, send me an email. Your privacy is my top concern. - Don Nicholas

COMMENTS

Thanks for sharing this. Our managing editor positions are primarily print-based currently, but over the next 24 months I expect we will begin to have purely (or primarily) web-based managing editor positions and this will be very helpful.

Plus, now we know all about what Kim's supposed to be doing -- she looks to be plenty busy over the next year.

Keep up the great work!

Comment by: Ed C | October 13, 2005

If this is basically a new type of job, what sort of individuals will be most qualified to do it? Is it enought to take a print ME and tell them, "Now you're going to do a web-based product"?

Comment by: Hugh R | October 13, 2005

Hi Hugh: It is a great question.

Most of the folks we work with who are new media MEs have been trained as print journalists. The younger folks have been trained for both print and online. Education is a big part of what we do to help broaden their skill base.

Many of the basic skills for gathering and packaging information still apply. The trick is to think about how to best use each medium to distribute the message. We look at information as blocks of content that must be versioned for use in email, Web, PDF, book, print newsletter, magazine, events, etc. The key for the ME is to be media agnostic and knowledgeable about how users interact with all the various distribution formats. Plus, we expect new media MEs to be good at the guerilla content marketing that includes PR, SEO and link building.

It is a much broader job than being the ME for a print-only product and merits the attention of the organization's most senior editorial talent.

Don

Comment by: Don N | October 13, 2005

One additional item that is refered to in "monitoring site content" but worth specific notation would be "monitoring the site content for long-term accuracy". Someone needs to pay attention to the content on the site to make sure it isn't out of date.

Comment by: Stuart J | October 13, 2005

Sjordan is certainly right. A web site that isn't carefully tended can quickly show it's age. (And it pays to remove references that show the date when you're archiving a page.)

But the larger issue is keeping fresh content coming. If you want one visit a week from your target audience, then you have to have make it worth while. If I tuned to a tv channel three days in a row and the same episode of the same program were playing, I'd write that channel off permanently.

Hugh

Comment by: Hugh R | October 21, 2005

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