XANET SCHEEPERS
Former Digital Lifestyle Editor At The Citizen
Benoni,GP
Summary
Talented former Digital Lifestyle Editor of The Citizen offering 17-year's background in SEO and creative copywriting and editing for media platforms. Skilled communicator adept at collaborating effectively and cohesively with multidisciplinary teams and contract professionals.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
2
2
years of post-secondary education
2
2
Languages
Work History
Digital Lifestyle Editor
The Citizen News
10.2021 - 05.2024
- Develop editorial content strategies for all Lifestyle pillars that are in line with the Citizen's vision to successfully grow www.citizen.co.za's audience and secure online advertising income growth
- Work with the Digital Editor to develop strategies to monetise the lifestyle pillars
- Help identify and create trending/viral content across the identified pillars of Travel, Food & Drink, Health & Fitness, as well as other relevant lifestyle content that will distinguish citizen.co.za as having an excellent softer offering in line with our readers' habits
- Analyse statistics by monitoring digital platforms, website performance, traffic, engagement of audience, data available and working closely with the Digital Editor
- Utilise analytics to maximise all stories and articles published on citizen.co.za
- Ensure that social media platforms are used optimally.
Data Analyst
The Citizen News
01.2021 - 09.2021
- Measure various metrics such as engagement, conversation, competitive analyses by using the various measuring tools online
- Create daily, weekly and monthly reports to measure and make recommendations on articles / stories
- Identify ways in which our content can be improved or changed to better meet their objectives and the needs of our online community
- Load advertising sponsored content as needed
- Ensure content adhere to Citizen style requirements and SEO practices
- Providing advertising representatives with link to content as well as content shared on social media platforms
- Provide appropriate training to team members as needed
- Monitor implementation of best practices
- Create guidelines and share with the team as needed
- Ensure that all members are updated when changes are implemented
- Liaise with the technical team to ensure editorial staff members are up to date on back end and SEO requirements
- Develop and distribute reports to the team and have meeting with each of the team heads to review content and make recommendations and improvements where necessary
- Remain updated on emerging trends that can help us to understand our performance better and increase performance
- Monitor implementation by team members
- Monitor social media generated traffic and recommend improvements
- Assist deputy online editors with management processes and admin.
Digital Editor
Caxton Magazines
10.2012 - 01.2021
- Develop and execute an insights-based digital editorial strategy and editorial calendar in consultation with the Brand Editor and Digital Media Strategist
- Manage digital marketing
- Leverage data and insights to influence brand strategy and make tactical recommendations in consultation with the Digital Media Strategist to drive audience and engagement growth across digital platforms
- Create and implement a digital content marketing strategy in consultation with the Brand Editor
- Produce and optimise compelling content that garners a high volume of visits, is strategic and consistently accelerates engagement across digital platforms
- Ensure all published content meets or exceeds prescribed quality standards, is aligned to brand identity and target market
- Upload content and manage the uploading process when done by the team
- Manage online contributors ie
- Photographers in consultation with the Brand Editor
- Liaise with editorial team to leverage print content for online
- Conceptualise and execute innovative and engaging brand-appropriate campaigns to develop brand awareness
- Understand brand and competitor content performance to provide recommendations, identify topical insights and trends
- Develop and implement a social media strategy in collaboration with Digital Media Strategist and Brand Editor
- Boost Facebook posts whilst adhering to prescribed digital budgets and guidelines set by management
- Plan, maintain and update the social media calendar
- Ensure social media channels are consistently populated with fun, relevant and compelling content
- Create, schedule, and analyse social media updates
- Identify appropriate influencers and blogger partners
- Proactively innovate to identify new ways to grow social audiences and revenue opportunities where appropriate
- Communicate with followers, respond to queries in a timely and courteous manner as well as monitor customer reviews
- Create and implement a brand marketing strategy in consultation with the Brand Editor
- Create and execute email campaigns and measure their success and failures
- Develop action plans to improve and address areas of weakness
- Develop and execute brand SEO strategy
- Optimise the brand's search engine presence through on-site activities
- Develop target keyword list
- Optimise copy for SEO
- Compile and analyse digital data reports with a focus on monitoring audience growth, traffic, engagement across key social channels, websites and content performance with key actions to be taken
- Create and implement actionable initiatives to optimise content quality and performance in support of the brand's digital strategies
- Provide a digital feedback report to the Brand Editor on the overall health of content and performance across all channels
- Partner with internal stakeholders ie
- Sales and Creative Studio to identify new commercial growth opportunities and support them in developing innovative content opportunities and digital campaigns for advertisers
- Implement digital elements of advertiser campaigns
- Monitor the functionality of the website
- Propose and initiate website changes and updates in consultation with the Digital Media Strategist and the development team to improve user engagement and user experience
- Support social media activities at events either in-person or remotely
- Keep abreast of new developments within the digital sphere, social media, on existing platforms and new areas
- Stay up-to-date with current technologies and trends in social media, design tools and applications and make recommendations regarding these where appropriate
- Monitor website and social media security, escalating any concerns to the Digital Media Strategist or Development Team.
Freelance Writer
Caxton Magazines
07.2012 - 10.2012
Reporter
Media 24
12.2011 - 02.2012
Senior Journalist
Caxton Magazines
02.2010 - 12.2011
Journalist
Caxton Magazines
09.2008 - 01.2010
Junior Journalist
Caxton Magazines
01.2008 - 09.2008
Education
Diploma -
Varsity College Pietermaritzburg
01.2005 - 05.2007
Search Engine Optimisation - undefined
The Red & Yellow School of Creative Business
06.2021 - 05.2021
Certificate: Writing for Digital: Foundations and Application Course - undefined
Quirk Education
01.2014 -
Certificate: Online Digital Marketing - undefined
Red & Yellow School
01.2014 -
Certificate: Web Analytics - undefined
Red & Yellow School
01.2015 -
Skills
SEO
Copywriting and editing
Content Strategy
Analytical Skills
Event and Story Coverage
Creative Writing
Strong attention to detail
Excellent Communication
Self Motivation
Teamwork and Collaboration
Personnel Management
Time management abilities
Achievements And Awards
- 2015: Winner: Best Use of a Social Media Campaign at Caxton Excellence Awards (The campaign was around Pregnancy Awareness Week)
- 2012: Winner: Best Use of Social Media at Caxton Excellence Awards
- 2011: Merit Award: Best Investigative Feature/Reportage (The article was about circumcision)
- 2011: Winner: Best Health & Wellness Feature at Caxton Excellence Awards (This article was about childhood pneumonia)
- 2011: Finalist: Discovery Best Health Consumer Reporting and Feature Writing (Article was about childhood pneumonia)
- 2009: Winner: Best Health & Wellness Feature at Caxton Excellence Awards (Article was about vaccinations)
- 2009: Finalist: Discovery Health Journalist of the Year (Article was about vaccinations)
- 2007: Graduated top of the class; Best Journalism Student of the Year
Running
I have ran several half marathons, two marathons and an ultramarathon. I will be running Comrades Marathon on 9 June 2024.
Timeline
Digital Lifestyle Editor
The Citizen News
10.2021 - 05.2024
Search Engine Optimisation - undefined
The Red & Yellow School of Creative Business
06.2021 - 05.2021
Data Analyst
The Citizen News
01.2021 - 09.2021
Certificate: Web Analytics - undefined
Red & Yellow School
01.2015 -
Certificate: Writing for Digital: Foundations and Application Course - undefined
Quirk Education
01.2014 -
Certificate: Online Digital Marketing - undefined
Red & Yellow School
01.2014 -
Digital Editor
Caxton Magazines
10.2012 - 01.2021
Freelance Writer
Caxton Magazines
07.2012 - 10.2012
Reporter
Media 24
12.2011 - 02.2012
Senior Journalist
Caxton Magazines
02.2010 - 12.2011
Journalist
Caxton Magazines
09.2008 - 01.2010
Junior Journalist
Caxton Magazines
01.2008 - 09.2008
Diploma -
Varsity College Pietermaritzburg
01.2005 - 05.2007