What is a commerce editor?
Faced with all kinds of challenges, the media industry is quickly evolving. The changes have led to the elimination of some jobs and the creation of new ones. One of those new roles is that of the commerce editor. These editors work alongside a publication’s editorial, sales, and advertising teams. Their role is to generate content that not only appeals to an audience but also increases the publication’s revenue.
Monetization Challenges
The transition to digital platforms created a big problem for publishers: how to make money when traditional advertising just won’t work. Subscription models, paywalls, branded content, and affiliate marketing are among the innovative approaches media organizations are adopting to generate revenue. This is where the role of the commerce editor comes into play. The commerce editor creates and optimizes content to get people to click and buy.
Commerce editors look at things like seasonality, online trends, and customer demand to determine the best products to feature for their publication. They also need to make sure the content is optimized for SEO so that it gets the most visibility possible online.
You know those product roundup ‘listicles’ you often see in online publications? A commerce editor often puts those together. The commerce editor might also create sponsored content and advertorials for a digital magazine or blog. The resulting content should generate traffic and revenue for the publication and publicity for the brands included in the articles.
Commerce Editors, ‘Listicles’, and Affiliate Marketing
You’ll notice just about every product roundup piece includes a line that looks something like the screenshot below taken from Buzzfeed:
Many magazines have expanded their online presence and integrated ecommerce platforms into their websites. The largest digital publisher in the United States, Dotdash Meredith, is a perfect example of this. They’ve successfully integrated affiliate marketing into almost every listicle-style article they publish while still maintaining the editorial authenticity that readers want to see when they read a magazine.
Commerce Editors and PR Outreach
The addition of commerce editors has changed the PR game. Truly editorial opportunities still exist, but for brands that have high-selling, highly rated products and/or are set up with an affiliate marketing platform, it may make sense to pitch to commerce editors as part of the PR strategy. But a good affiliate deal alone often isn’t enough to convince an editor to cover a brand. Storytelling is still a very important part of the process. Commerce editors are looking to feature brands that fit their planned topics (gift guides are an example of this) and have a story that will appeal to their readers.
They often collaborate with editorial teams on cross-promotion between editorial content and sponsored products. Part of their job is walking the fine line between advertising and editorial in order to maintain editorial integrity. Maintaining the publication’s reputation as a trusted source is crucial.
This is why having a PR expert work alongside your affiliate marketing team is important for brands looking to make an impact in earned media. An experienced publicist will know which angles and stories to pitch that will best appeal to the commerce editor. The team at Orca Communications is experienced in working with commerce editors and would be happy to help you!