Nicolas Magand is an engagement editor at the Global Editors Network
What led you to start working in digital/media publishing?
I started working in the fields of social media marketing and SEO, which are all about improving the visibility of content, and engagement of users; Two concerns shared both by brands and publishers. This is how I ended working as an engagement editor at the Global Editors Network.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I read a lot about media innovation, new tools, trends, updates about the news industry, to stay in touch, but also to curate interesting links to keep our audience engaged and efficiently informed. I also distribute our own content, focused on media innovation, on platforms, to which I sometimes contribute.
What’s your work setup look like?
I use Buffer for social media distribution and planning, but my favorite app is Copied, which is a clipboard manager. I like to work on drafts and edits on iA Writer, and I use the straightforward web app ZenPen.io a lot for taking random notes. I recently discovered Zoho Notebooks, which I use for my most of my to-dos. For photo editing, I use Lightroom. Of course, I also use a browser or two with dozens of open tabs, including Slack, Twitter lists, and Google Spreadsheets.
What do you to get inspired?
I observe a lot of publishers and brands I consider to be the bests at specific things: social media, homepages, newsletters, apps, engagement, tone, etc. Keeping in touch with what is considered best practices is very inspiring, and it helps me understand more what our audience is expecting, and what our audience (mostly people working in the media industry) might also get tired of.
What’s your favorite piece of writing or quote?
“Polish comes from the cities; wisdom from the desert.” (Frank Herbert in Dune)
What is the most interesting/innovative thing you have seen on another outlet other than your own?
This past year I was very impressed with the bold design and innovative advertising setup from The Outline. For me, the Quartz Obsession newsletter has rapidly become a classic.
What’s the passionate problem you are tackling at the moment?
Engagement! The word, like the word ‘content’, is widely used and can be very vague. For me, trying to improve it can involve many different things: Headlines, visuals, the frequency of posts, formats, etc. It is an always-changing environment.
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Any advice for ambitious digital publishing and media professionals just starting out?
My advice will be very cheesy but it will be “Do what you love, do it well. And do it now.” Oh and also invest some quality time in proper analytics.
