2.  Managed blogs big and
small; SEJ has about
1m page views monthly,
my own sites have 4-5k
monthly
 Contributed to several
outlets*
 Since I’ve been managing
editor and help shape
SEJ’s editorial guidelines,
page views have
increased 35% and visits
have increased 45%
 Creative Writing/English
degree; background in
Journalism

3.  Basics for Editors
 Why Branding
Matters
 Editorial
Guidelines
 Guest Writers
 Engagement
Building

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

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:

11. Think of all the logos you
instantly recognize…

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. Blog Topic Idea
Generators

17. Poll Question
In your opinion, what is most
important when starting your
blog?
 A base of high quality content
 Great design and navigation
 Knowing goals ahead of time

19. • 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

20.  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

21. Make your process well-known to increase
transparency and easier for writers to access.
Outlining the Editorial Process

23.  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

24. Example of a Fake
Email

25.  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*

26. Poll Question
In your opinion, what is the most
important quality when it comes
to accepting a new guest
contributor?
 Experience
 Writing Skills
 Enthusiasm

28.  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

29.  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