While being on staff, I not only learned more about my community and the impact of journalism, but I also began to understand the statistical and marketing side of it. During my junior year, I was the Junior Editor and Business Manager of the Echo. In this role, it was my duty to be in charge of the finances in order to print our monthly issue.
As I created layouts for advertising, I began to understand that gaining these advertisements and sponsorships was deeper than just a deposit.
To successfully market our paper, I needed to showcase impact. As the Print Editor, Margaret Korte, and I called businesses, I began my speech with the impact and reach our paper has, reaching over 1,000 students and staff members every month. Following this, I understood that each business needed to feel like students were their target audience. For example, when we called a tutoring company, I marketed the idea of how many students are in need of tutoring but unsure of where to find it. When we called pastry stores from the area, I suggested that seeing an advertisement might prompt students to visit after school.
Understanding the marketing aspect of managing the Echo, not only helped us stay in publication, but also, developed my communication abilities that I will carry with me throughout my life.
For audience engagement, I realized that students do not want to hear about the same stories every month, making it crucial that we cover a large variety of topics. From popular trends, clubs, events, opinions, policies, and unique feature stories, the Echo is adamant about ensuring wide coverage to enhance our engagement from students and community members.
Arianna Peper 