Anna Lindow

Bio:

Graduated from Columbia and started working in digital marketing/audience development at Forbes Media/RealClearPolitics.com immediately. Survived the 2008 election at a political polling/news site and loved the fast pace of the web. Eventually moved over to The New York Observer to run audience development there and write every once in awhile. Decided to test the startup waters in early summer 2010 and became hooked. Work part time with Betterment.com doing writing, marketing, and strategy. Like the Jets and karaoke... And meeting new people. A lot. Preferably over breakfast or happy hour.

• Title: Audience Development Manager for New York Observer. Digital Marketing for Betterment.com
• Age: 25
• Location: Upper West Side
• Contact: @annalindow

What are your daily responsibilities as Audience Development Manager for the NY Observer?

I handle analytics (site traffic, email campaign results, etc.), social media (Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, and a little Foursquare), content strategy, and pitching. I also handle syndication partnerships we have with other sites and I work with the editorial team on positioning stories so that they make the biggest impact. I’m responsible for our ad-hoc relationships with other publishers and sending them content that might fit their needs; that's one of the ways we grow traffic. I also do promotions -- e.g. get a free observer tshirt! -- and copy writing for things like emails to readers, as well as business dev partnerships with 3rd parties who provide site products/services. I also write every once in awhile about tech stuff.

You’re pretty active on Twitter, what are some of the best thing that you’ve gotten out of it?

Meeting people I might not have otherwise. I've become real friends with some of them; they're not necessarily complete strangers, more like people who are a couple of degrees away. My first boss (@msmith) told me that there's no substitute for meeting people in person, and I agree with that for the most part.

What are going to be the breakout companies in 2011?

Hashable, Yipit, HowAboutWe. And I'm biased since I work for them, but Betterment.

What industry would prefer to work in if you were to start your own company?

Maybe online dating, just to throw you a total curve ball. I like to write about it as an industry -- I'm hoping to get a column going for the Observer called Digital Love. This is the first one: Digital Love: Test-Driving Dating App MeetMoi NOW

How do you convince a hesitant group of friends to go karaoke? What’s your favorite place to go?

I don't try to convince hesitant people to go to karaoke because that's a great way to make your friends either 1) hate you or 2) become so drunk they hate you the next day.

Hearing Journey during karaoke, overdone or gets better every time?

Overdone. 100% overdone. Journey in LIFE is overdone.