Digital Strategist

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Digital Editor, the Digital Strategist is an audience-first digital professional whose expertise will drive traffic, engagement and subscriptions for The Denver Gazette newspapers. This role combines strategy, journalistic standards, data-driven insights and hands-on content production and distribution to meet the needs of the audience, while achieving The Gazette's growth goals.


The Digital Strategist will embed within a mini-publisher beat team and collaborate closely with editors, reporters, photojournalists and the subscriptions team to help frame content for digital audiences, optimize content for various platforms and deliver analytics-driven strategies.


The work hours often include nights, weekends and holidays working in a hybrid environment (in-office and at home).

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Audience Growth & Content Strategy:
  1. Oversee homepage management, while collaborating on digital content strategies, including the sourcing, creation, curation and editing of all written and visual digital content - such as graphs, polls, charts, videos and infographics - to engage and grow the audience.
  2. Monitor and update the website to ensure it is current, engaging and visually appealing.
  3. Ensure accuracy, timeliness, and quality presentation of digital content
  4. Create original content, such as news stories, listicles, FAQs, video content, graphics and more as needed.
  5. Assist in gathering news ideas, especially from social media and other digital platforms to help ensure we're staying competitive and relevant, while upholding high news standards.
  6. Identify opportunities to improve visibility, performance and user engagement on the website, newsletters and social media platforms.
  7. Manage, repurpose and promote content, including video, articles, and multimedia, to maximize reach and engagement.
  8. Schedule and send news alerts as needed.
  9. Within a mini-publisher team, set measurable goals for traffic and subscriptions, and work collaboratively to achieve them.
  10. Serve as the primary audience advocate within the mini-publisher team, ensuring an audience-first approach to content and strategy.
  11. Research, present and test innovative strategies for audience acquisition and retention.
• Social Media & Newsletters:
  1. Manage and grow the publication's presence on Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, YouTube and other platforms on both daily content and long-term projects.
  2. Build and send newsletters as needed and grow newsletter audiences.
  3. Explore and use technology to manage, build, schedule and optimize posts and newsletters.
• Analytics & Goal Tracking:
  
  1. Track and analyze audience metrics using tools, such as Google Analytics and Chartbeat.
  2. Work with the Subscriptions Team to provide weekly and monthly reports on mini-publisher team's performance, identifying trends and areas for improvement.
• Training & Team Development:
  1. Coach the assigned mini-publisher team on SEO, headline optimization and audience engagement strategies.
  2. Provide examples of content that succeeded and content that did not, and an explanation of why.

Other Duties:

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Minimum Education & Work Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in journalism, marketing, digital media, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 2-5 years of experience in audience development, digital content strategy, or digital media.
• Experience with tools such as Google Analytics, Chartbeat, CMS platforms, and social media management tools.
• Proficient in SEO, content management, and audience engagement strategies.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into actionable insights.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-starter with excellent time-management and multitasking abilities.
• Knowledge of video editing tools and familiarity with HTML and WordPress is a plus.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required :

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disability to perform the essential functions.

• Experience working in a newsroom or digital media environment.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 20 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is often noisy and fast-paced.