Employment
Audience Development Marketing Manager
Director of Marketing and Audience Development
Audience Development Marketing Manager
Job Overview: The Audience Development Manager is responsible for building and growing audiences and increasing engagement across The Forward’s digital properties. The ideal candidate is experienced in audience building tactics such as SEO & SEM campaigns, keyword research, database segmentation, retargeting, and social media marketing, with the goal of turning website visitors into loyal return visitors who will subscribe to the site, the print product or an email newsletter.
Strategic Goals: Increasing total audience statistics, creating happy and engaged readers, users and customers while maximizing revenue and profit from web traffic, paywall and/or advertising.
This position is heavily goals-oriented and data-driven using Google Analytics.
Reports To: The Audience Development Marketing Manager reports to a Marketing Team Leader, and works with internal marketing staff, the Forward’s outside PR Firm, Editorial and Web Development to continually enhance audience metrics. Also, works closely internal clients support initiatives through marketing strategies and campaigns.
Primary Responsibilities:
Brainstorm new and creative audience growth strategies for the brand with focus on growing digital subscriptions; plan, execute, and measure conversion tests.
Search Engine Optimization of content for search engines and manages SEO & SEM Campaigns.
Link Building: Initiates and maintains relationships with a range of media outlets and their websites
Website to Email Conversion: Plans, executes and optimizes all website conversion architecture
Email Marketing: Plans, executes and optimizes daily email marketing campaigns using links, product reviews, embedded advertising and display advertising
Competitive Analysis: Conduct competitive analysis and market research; measure market share and size against a group of sites in our competitive set.
Experience:
Degree in media, journalism, communications, marketing, creative writing or equivalent experience with strong skills in computing, logic and analysis all preferred.
One to three years of relevant organic marketing experience with working knowledge of open source content management systems, search engines, and related software tools.
To apply, please email search@forward.com with “Audience Development Marketing Manager” in the subject line.
Associate Marketing Manager
Job Overview: Responsible for implementation of the Forward’s marketing strategies, marketing communications, public relations, audience development and company events both B2B and B2C.
Contributes to development and oversees implementation of all support materials, sales collateral, barter and sponsorships implementation as well as of marketing, communications and public relations material messaging both internal and external.
Coordinates and synchronizes the efforts of the marketing, communications, public relations, social media and audience development staff internally, and coordinates at the strategic and tactical levels with other organizations externally, including the Jewish world.
Ensure articulation of Forward’s desired image and position, assure consistent communication of image and position throughout the organization, and assure communication of image and position to all constituencies, both internal and external.
Coordinate media interest as well as Donor interest in the Forward and ensure regular contact with target media building awareness within the American Jewish community, Digital Media and Advertising industries.
Required Experience: The right candidate is eager to meet and exceed actionable growth goals and driven by a desire to build and grow both revenue and brand identity.
S/he has demonstrated skills, knowledge and experience in the design and execution of marketing, communications and public relations activities as well as digital audience development. Attributes:
- Strong creative, strategic, analytical, organizational skills.
- Experience managing budgets
- Successful experience writing press releases, making presentations and negotiating with media vendors as well as an understanding of search marketing and social media.
- Experience overseeing the design and production of external facing documents both online and in print.
Minimum of 5 years’ experience in marketing, communications or public relations with demonstrated success, preferably in the not-for-profit or association sector.
Degree in journalism, marketing, public relations preferred. Graduate degree in a related field is desirable. To apply, please email search@forward.com with “Associate Marketing Manager” in the subject line.
Director of Marketing and Audience Development
Headline
The Forward is looking for a Director of Marketing and Audience Development to grow and lead a brand development team that addresses all marketing-related strategy, messaging, creative, operations, and analytic tasks and initiatives, in support of advertising, digital audience development, fundraising, and circulation.
Job Description
Reporting directly to the Publisher, the Director of Marketing and Audience Development is an inspiring leader with strong digital chops, whose passion for the Forward’s brand translates to strategies and tactics that increase industry and audience awareness for the Forward’s digital and print properties; drive multi-platform advertising sales, major gifts and grants; and maximize revenue from subscriptions and memberships.
About us
Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily, the Forward became the world’s most widely read Jewish newspaper. The English Forward was launched in 1990. Its perspective on world and national news, and its unparalleled coverage of Jewish arts, culture, and opinion, have made it the most influential nationwide Jewish media outlet today. Always independent and nonprofit, the Forward became a 501(c)(3) just a few years ago, reflecting and facilitating the increasingly central role of donations to support its ambitious journalistic mission.
Role Responsibilities
STRATEGY
- Serve as a proactive thought leader: looking at cutting-edge marketing/branding trends and innovations; envisioning how these can be effectively leveraged at the Forward; and spreading these ideas throughout the organization.
- Leverage this critical moment — our 120th year — to create campaigns that help raise awareness, drive giving and advertising, and win new audience.
- Engage with editorial and advertising colleagues to develop, test and launch new “vertical” content products – such as e-newsletters, special sections, and events – that will enlarge our audience, increase their engagement and create new advertising opportunities.
- Develop and execute a cross-platform branding and audience development plan that describes and prioritizes marketing, public/media relations and operational initiatives to optimize the Forward’s distribution and sales, increase print and online audiences, and improve subscriber acquisition and renewal efforts.
MARKETING
- Draft the annual marketing plan and manage spending according to the departmental budget.
- Develop and leverage a deep understanding of the Forward’s audience demographics, psychographics and behavior patterns, the Forward’s online and print editorial products, trends in the Forward’s competitive space, and insight on advertiser needs, to create effective ad sales stories. Direct design and delivery of all messaging, media kit, presentations and proposals, RFP responses, sell sheets and other creative executions.
- Stay abreast of industry best practices and monitor competitive media to inform and lead senior management consideration of pricing, product, promotion and distribution.
- Initiate and manage market research, from readership surveys to discrete category research projects that support the sales effort.
- Manage public and media relations activities to maximize the visibility of the Forward, its editorial content and its leadership as a key element of broader audience development activity.
- Conceive, manage, test, and optimize online marketing, event-based, direct mail, telemarketing, and affinity marketing campaigns designed to grow donor/membership, online readership and print circulation, and to increase penetration into key audience segments.
- Work with the editorial departments to effectively use social media and SEO to deepen the Forward’s relationship with various audience segments.
- Work with distributor(s) and point-of-sale partners to improve the Forward’s placement.
- Identify, execute upon, test, and optimize the full range of renewal-increasing opportunities.
- Oversee management of all Forward public, advertiser and donor events.
OPERATIONS
- In partnership with the Vice President of Sales, develop and implement:
An effective process to develop and create collateral materials to support an aggressive sales effort to develop a broader base of advertisers for digital and print products.
Innovative packaging and positioning programs to drive multimedia sales. - In partnership with the Director of Development, create a segmented communications plan and messaging for donor acquisition and retention.
- Report regularly on departmental financial results
- Work with the circulation department to ensure legal compliance and timely, cost-effective delivery of the English and Yiddish print editions.
Requirements
The Director of Marketing and Audience Development must have:
- Creativity and drive
- A proven track record of building audience and revenues for a media company
- Experience with digital advertising and audience development methods (e.g., social media, SEO, etc) and strong experience with best practices.
- Outstanding project management and analytical skills, including use of metrics to guide projects/decisions.
- Financial management skills, to include budgeting and forecasting.
- The ability to write effective marketing copy for online and offline environments.
- The proven ability to hire and manage a successful marketing team.
- Proficiency in Microsoft, Adobe, and analytics software
To apply, please email rachel@forward.com with “Director of Marketing” in the subject line. —>
Culture Intern
The Forward seeks an aspiring journalist to join its culture desk for a paid internship. The culture intern will work 25 hours a week at $10 an hour and must commit to a 10-week program at a minimum. The internship may be renewable, subject to management approval.
The intern will:
- Pitch, write and report stories on Jewish cultural events and trends for the Forward’s blogs, website, and print edition.
- Work with the Forward’s content management system to post blogs and stories to the internet.
- Assist the culture editor with photo research, fact-checking, and administration.
- Help with proofing of the weekly print paper.
- Contribute to Forward special sections like the Forward 50.
- Have the opportunity to contribute to the Forward’s news and opinion desks.
The ideal candidate will be a perceptive, motivated writer with a strong voice who is eager to gain experience writing a variety of pieces, from brief blog posts to profiles and features. S/he will also be a quick writer with well-honed research skills, ready to turn pieces around on quick deadlines.
The intern will cultivate reporting, writing, editing, and research skills by working alongside seasoned reporters and editors. S/he will be closely supervised and mentored by the culture editor, and will take part in the same professional opportunities afforded the staff. Previous fellows and interns have gone on to work for The New York Times, The New Yorker, and elsewhere.
To Apply:
Send a cover letter, resumé and 3 clips to Talya Zax at zax@forward.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will be contacted within two weeks of submitting your application; otherwise, you may assume that The Forward cannot offer you a fellowship at this time. No phone calls or follow-up emails, please.
News Intern
Job description:
The Forward seeks an aspiring journalist for a paid internship on its news team. The internship would run for at least 10 weeks. A minimum of 15 hours per week is desired, although work hours are flexible.
The ideal candidate will create content and write. He/she might also play a key role managing our presence on a number of social media and other platforms.
Requirements
- Proven experience in journalism.
- Outstanding oral and written communication, collaboration and teamwork skills.
- Some experience with content management systems and other web-based publishing tools.
- Experience in social media management.
- Superior writing and editing skills — and great nose for news.
- Knowledge of the Jewish world is a plus.
- Working knowledge of either Hebrew or Yiddish would be a plus.
Compensation
Forward interns are paid $10 an hour or may receive academic credit.
About The Forward
The Forward is American Jewry’s essential, independent news organization, delivering incisive coverage of the issues, ideas and institutions that matter to American Jews with rigorous, unbiased reporting and balanced, thoughtful commentary on news, politics, arts and culture that are acclaimed in the news industry. The Forward produces enlightening and entertaining multimedia content in English and Yiddish through a variety of newspapers, websites, blogs, videos, podcasts, e-books and apps.
Founded in 1897, the Forward has the entrepreneurial spirit of a startup. It occupies a unique position of independence as a nonprofit news organization, beholden to no institution, denomination or political faction.
To Apply
Send a resume, cover letter and samples of work (including graphics) to chernikoff@forward.com.
The Forward Association, Inc., is an equal opportunity employer.
About the Forward
The Forward delivers incisive coverage of the issues, ideas and institutions that matter to American Jews. Its rigorous reporting and balanced commentary on politics, arts and culture have won numerous awards year after year, including repeated recognition by the Society of Professional Journalists.
Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily, the Forward soon became the most widely read Jewish newspaper anywhere, with a larger circulation in the 1920s than the New York Times. It chronicled the events that affected a population of immigrants eager to take their place in American life, and published regional editions around the country before any other newspaper.
The English Forward was launched as a weekly in 1990. Its perspective on world and national news, and its unparalleled coverage of Jewish arts and culture, have made it the most influential nationwide Jewish media outlet today. More than half a million readers visit forward.com each month for award-winning news, thoughtful commentary, and captivating videos. And more than 40,000 subscribers receive e-newsletters that highlight the latest stories and areas of special interest like Arts & Entertainment and Food & Drink.
The Forward has always been a nonprofit association and is supported by the contributions of its readers.
