Advice from Vanessa De Luca, Editor-in-Chief, ESSENCE magazine on building a career in journalism
The profession of journalism has evolved over time, greatly propelled by social media platforms. From print to digital, the various mediums in which information is now presented to the world can be a little overwhelming for a novice who wants to make their mark within the industry. At She Hive NYC 2016 Vanessa De Luca, Editor-in-Chief of ESSENCE Magazine, shared with us some of the important guidelines needed to build a career in journalism. Here are some of the gems of information Vanessa shared. Keep it short In the age of technology many people have a very short attention span. You have to be masterful at telling a great story within a short time frame. Create content that shows your target audience that you understand them. Be as direct in your message as you can possibly be. Keeping your content simple and authentic allows your target audience to connect with it. Be Adaptable Be very comfortable with adapting to constant change. See what type of content your target audience is engaged around and give them that. Take the time to learn what the “new thing” is and what will set you apart from everyone else. You may go into work spaces where others who have been in the industry much longer than yourself may not understand how to use the newest technological platform that others are using to connect with core audiences. By keeping on top of these various platforms, and showing them how it’s done, you can make yourself more of an asset to your team. Know Your Audience Use data metrics to measure your engagement, but do not solely rely on it. Let your connection to your audience guide you in making intuitive decisions. Use data as a guide but also ask your audience what they would like to see. Engage on Social Media If you are looking for a job as a social media manager but your personal social media page has only 25 followers, employers are not likely to take you very seriously. If you are not engaged on your own personal social media platforms, how can someone trust that you will be engaging on theirs? When branding your business you can’t hide in the background. You must have a presence, know what you stand for and what you don’t. You must humanize your brand; people want to know who you are and they want to connect with the pieces of you that resonate with them. You have to tell a story; people want to know how what you do changes the lives of the people that you serve. Telling the story of how you built your business for example, this allows others to be inspired by your journey.