The basics of editorial strategy, including creating editorial guidelines, working with contributors, and getting higher visibility for your blog or publication.

1. By Kelsey Jones
Founder and CEO, StoryShout
Executive Editor, Search Engine Journal

2.  Managed blogs big and
small; SEJ has about
1m page views monthly,
my own sites have 4-5k
monthly
 Contributed to several
outlets
 Just started a news
content marketing agency,
StoryShout, to help brands
grow their traffic and
engagement
 Creative Writing/English
degree; background in
Journalism

3.  Basics for Editors
 Why Branding Matters
 Editorial Guidelines
 Guest Writers
 Engagement Building
What We’ll Cover

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

17. • 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

18.  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

20.  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

21.  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*

23.  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

24.  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

25. Thank you!
• Email: kelsey@storyshoutnews.com
• http://storyshoutnews.com
• Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat: @wonderwall7