For the second iteration of our ‘Publishing POV’ fireside chat series, we tapped Deanne Kaczerski, Editor in Chief & Global VP of Digital of Travel Curator. With over 500,000 high-net-worth subscribers, Travel Curator offers readers a highly-curated, inspirational set of destinations, hotels, and experiences. We learned about how data shapes editorial decisions, the art of creating emotionally engaging content, effective strategies for crafting compelling pitches, and more.

The takeaways: 

• Keep your reader as the north star.
• Growing an audience organically takes time but is crucial for young brands to remain authentic.
• Use data to inform decisions; the audience tells you what they like.
• Understand how to read, analyze, and interpret data, including time spent and scrolling behavior on articles.
• Identify themes and trends through data analysis (i.e. compare this fall to last fall)
• Deliver succinct and to-the-point pitches, and try to capture interest within the first four sentences. Use the same approach for your subject lines
• Including images in pitches are especially valuable in the travel space
• The top qualities looked for in hotels right now are experiences, service and wellness offerings
• Stand-out service is the ultimate luxury. Guests want to feel special and looked after (i.e. knowing someone’s allergies before they arrive, knowing their preferences like tea over coffee, etc.)
• Tips for growing an audience: Organic growth over time is ultimately more successful.
  • Implement a strong SEO strategy.
  • Develop a strategic approach to social media growth.
  • Support marketing campaigns with email promotions through the site and social media.
  • Utilize sweepstakes to encourage email sign-ups.
• For rapid growth, invest in paid strategies.