Looking for a managing editor to run your blog? Sadly, you’re going to need to look beyond your candidate’s writing ability. Blog management takes more than an ability to write well or come up with creative article ideas.
Here are the 10 skills you need to look for in a successful blog editor.
1. Marketing
Content is marketing. Which is why a business blog editor needs to understand the intricacies of a marketing plan, including lead generation, lead nurturing, driving action, conversion rate optimization, and more.
Your editor will likely be part of the marketing team. To be an asset, she needs to be able to review a marketing campaign and develop messaging and content pieces that will support it.
2. Publishing
Marketing isn’t your only agenda, though. Your managing editor is also a publisher.
Publishing is about being a media distributor for a specific audience. It’s not just about being creative, but about serving a niche group with content that’s worth paying for.
Of course, since content is being published for a business blog, much of it will be free, so a blog’s managing editor needs to be able to create content that builds engagement and brand loyalty. And in that content, she needs to be able to create interest in your products or services without being pushy or manipulative.
3. Writing
Your editor may do less writing and more management, but she still needs a strong feel for words. In particular, she needs expertise in three types of writing: copywriting, content writing, and journalism.
Great writing and reporting keep eyeballs on your message. So you need a managing editor who can share information without getting academic. By keeping your content easy to read and fun, she’ll give you the results you’re looking for.
But for that to happen, she needs to know the basics of good writing: how to write clearly and concisely, find the nut graf, structure an argument, write persuasively and passionately without resorting to hype or manipulation. And she needs to be able to help her writers do the same.
4. Editing
A skilled editor can recognize good writing and diagnose bad writing. She knows how to review a piece of content from the top down and knows which tweaks will encourage readership and engagement.
A great editor will perfectly balance the needs of your brand with the needs of your audience. And she’ll be able to keep that balance while wrangling with an “almost there” piece of writing.
Of course, she’ll also need to know when a piece isn’t worth the work. Sometimes, the framework isn’t solid enough to warrant a lot of wrangling. It’s better to put the post (and the writer) out of its misery.
5. Working with and motivating writers
A good managing editor is a good manager of people as well as ideas and words.
She’s able to work with writers of all skill levels, motivating them to improve their writing and giving them critical review and encouragement in one breath. She’ll understand that writers are a delicate bunch, and she’ll respect that. She’ll walk that fine line between protecting your brand and taking care of your writers.
6. Design
Your best managing editor will have a good eye for design. Even if she isn’t an artist, she’ll have a discerning eye, and she’ll know how to add graphic elements to your content to make it more engaging and interesting.
Ideally, she’ll know how to create graphics, ebook covers, and sidebar ads.
7. HTML, CSS and minor coding
Managing a blog requires technical expertise, including HTML, CSS, and minor coding. If your managing editor also uploads blog posts and lays out the page, she’ll need to be able to code feature boxes and tables, add videos and more.
8. Analytics and conversion rate optimization
Your blog editor needs to be able to evaluate (and sometimes prove) the effectiveness of your strategies. That means she needs to be tracking the numbers.
Based on those numbers, she needs to be able to set goals and identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter most. She also needs to test new strategies for increasing engagement, reducing bounce, and supporting the marketing and sales teams.
9. User psychology
The blog is often the first touch point a brand has with its customers. So your editor needs to know who your best customers are and what engages them. She then needs to translate that information into smart tactics for building relationship—with little more than an editorial calendar and a few plugins at her disposal.
10. Flexibility
Finally, your managing editor needs to be able to address whatever challenge du jour may arise. (Trust me, there are many.)
Plugins break. Glitches occur that create a bad user experience. Updates fail. It happens. You need a managing editor who is on top of these situations, diagnosing and resolving them quickly and professionally.
As a result, your managing editor needs to be able to learn new skills on the fly. She may need to be a PR guru, an IT pro, or a janitor. It just depends on the crisis and the day of the week.
Bottom line
A good managing editor is a rare find. She’ll be able to get your blog running like a well-oiled machine, so you consistently publish top-shelf content that attracts and engages your audience. And she should know how to adjust her strategy to achieve your top business goals.
What skills are you looking for in a blog editor?
To learn more about how to run a business blog, read The Business Blog Handbook, available on Amazon.
