Cari Wira Dineen
Verified Expert in Marketing
Branded Content Writer and Expert
Stuart, FL, United States
Toptal member since June 14, 2024
Cari is a content marketing and editorial expert. Her work has appeared in magazines like Cosmopolitan, Weight Watchers, Health, Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, The Knot, The New York Post, and Shape. A former senior editor at Redbook and Woman's Day, she loves creating content and marketing strategies in the lifestyle space, focusing on health, wellness, beauty, travel, and home. Cari is adept at weaving narrative and strategy to bring a unique depth to brands and engage audiences.
Expertise
- Article Writing
- Content Writing
- Marketing
- Reporting
- SEO Content
- Web UX
- WordPress
- Writing & Editing
Work Experience
Content Creator and Strategist | Editorial and Brand Marketing Consultant
Freelance
- Wrote search engine optimization (SEO)-driven editorial and advertorial articles for Better Homes & Gardens, Real Simple, Cosmopolitan, Weight Watchers, Shape, Women's Health, Parents, The New York Post, Modern Luxury, Reader's Digest, and Brides.
- Formulated editorial strategies and forged marketing partnerships for Worldbridemagazine.com, Dailyworth.com, and Theknot.com.
- Devised social media strategies and enhanced user experience (UX) for lifestyle brands, including Drybar, Splendid, Ella Moss, Blushington Beauty Bar, and Modern Twist Home Decor.
- Won the Gold Award at the 2017 National Health Information Awards for "The New Rules on Raising Babies" in Parents magazine.
Senior Editor
Linkwell Health
- Produced branded content for multiple healthcare clients, encompassing print newsletters, digital articles, and videos tailored to various audiences and topical subjects.
- Collaborated with art, analytics, client services, digital, and editorial teams.
- Engaged with clients regularly to understand and meet their goals and expectations. Pitched strategies to new and existing clients.
Editor
iProspect, Dentsu Aegis Network (formerly John Brown Media)
- Produced branded content for a range of clients, including Hannaford, John Hancock, and Slimming World, encompassing various platforms such as print, digital, text, email, and social media.
- Edited and authored branded content for multi-platform US versions of slimmingworld.com, the Slimming World digital magazine, and UX for the Slimming World iOS and Android applications.
- Developed storyboards and collaborated on photo shoots, videos, and GIFs for social and digital strategy.
Contributing Editor
Weight Watchers
- Conceived and wrote regular multi-page front-of-book columns on trends, gifts, and products for a print publication. Wrote beauty and wellness features. Additionally, created digital branded content such as blogs and editorial articles.
- Top-edited and shipped print magazine, collaborating closely with art and photo departments, fact-checkers, copy editors, and marketing and product development teams.
- Cultivated partnerships with publicists and influencers and attended key events like NY NOW and the New York Times Travel Show to gather insights on emerging trends in cooking, home decor, beauty, travel, and wellness.
Senior Editor
Redbook, Hearst
- Pitched, assigned, and edited women's lifestyle features, collaborating with freelance and staff writers on various topics from relationships to personal essays, including parenting, finance, home decor, health, career, travel, and in-depth features.
- Partnered on multi-platform collaborations, including those tied to annual awards and contests, and served as a media-trained spokesperson for various marketing initiatives, participating in local and national news segments.
- Generated cover lines, pitched new writers and ideas, supervised assistants, managed book excerpts, and tracked features inventory. Developed and sustained relationships with publicists.
Features Editor
Woman's Day
- Progressed from editorial assistant to features editor at a leading women's magazine with a 20-million-strong readership. Reported and wrote features on health, profiles, lifestyle, and travel while devising celebrity and real-women-focused features.
- Initiated and launched a volunteerism recognition initiative. This multi-platform awards program involved several partnerships and spanned digital and print content. Assisted in organizing award luncheons graced by celebrities and prominent figures.
- Conceived For Me, a women's lifestyle magazine, and presented a test issue to the CEO. Helped form an editorial team, assigned multiple features per issue, and worked with the editor-in-chief and publisher on content, marketing, and sales strategies.
- Received the Star Employee award in 2005 from Hachette Filipacchi US CEO Jack Kliger, acknowledging my instrumental contribution to the launch of For Me magazine.
- Served as a regular guest lecturer for the Magazine Editing and Writing course at The New School in New York City, imparting industry knowledge and expertise.
Project History
Real Simple
Authored freelance articles for both the print and digital platforms of Real Simple magazine.
Realsimple.com aimed to increase its daily SEO content to enhance readership and engagement. To achieve this, the publication engaged my services as a marketing expert and journalist to craft a series of freelance articles. Typically assigned in batches, my articles focused on SEO-optimized “how to” pieces on topical and trending subjects such as tipping etiquette and fitness initiation. Once completed, my articles were shared across numerous digital channels, spanning social media, email newsletters, and the website, ensuring a wide-reaching impact.
A few examples of the articles:
• www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/workouts/how-to-start-working-out
• www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/hair/how-much-to-tip-hairdresser
• www.realsimple.com/work-life/tipping-movers
• www.realsimple.com/work-life/work-life-etiquette/howAet-much-to-tip-for-massage
Reader's Digest
Updated and composed new content to enhance SEO for readersdigest.com.
Readersdigest.com hired me to write original content optimized for search engines and revise existing articles to comply with Google’s updated SEO algorithms. I compared similar competitor’s articles and rewrote, edited, and integrated quotations from authoritative sources. This ensured that the content remained high-quality and original, thereby improving its discoverability on Google and advancing the search rankings.
Links to some bylined articles:
• www.rd.com/article/wedding-gift-etiquette/
• www.rd.com/article/how-to-separate-laundry/
• www.rd.com/article/what-do-dryer-sheets-do/
Articles that I updated for SEO:
• www.rd.com/article/how-to-use-laundry-pods/
• www.rd.com/article/liquid-vs-powder-detergent/
• www.rd.com/article/what-temperature-to-wash-clothes/
Aetna
https://www.aetna.com/medicareCollaborated with a 5-person team at Linkwell Health to develop dynamic print newsletters, digital articles, and videos to increase member engagement.
Aetna is a health insurance company that aims to increase user engagement for its Medicare and Medicaid products and increase repeat and new members during open enrollment. It also wanted to educate members about taking care of their health, how to best use their plan benefits, and how to use partner brands, such as CVS.
World Bride Magazine
https://worldbridemagazine.com/author/cari-wira-dineen/Created content, content strategy, social media, and affiliate strategies for a bridal media brand.
World Bride Magazine is a media company focusing on bridal, honeymoon, and pre/post-nuptials. Their topics included travel, tabletop, beauty, fashion, etiquette, industry news and profiles, and product roundups.
As the acting editorial director for two print editions, I managed feature assignments and editing processes and collaborated with the publisher on partnership pitches and cover shoot arrangements. Also, I helped to pitch paid partnerships and advertorials to potential advertisers.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Journalism
University of Massachusetts at Amherst - Amherst, MA, USA
Skills
Core
SEO Content, Content, Writing & Editing, Social Media, Copywriting, Content Strategy, Brand Strategy, Content Creation, Content Marketing, Brand Marketing, Marketing, Cold Emailing, Email Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Go-to-market (GTM) Strategy, Landing Pages, SMS Marketing
Platforms & Tools
Microsoft 365, TikTok, HubSpot, Google Analytics
Technical
Direct Response Marketing
Other
Google Docs, Microsoft Teams, Apple, Slack, Journalism, Reporting, Content Writing, Article Writing, Critical Thinking, Project Management, Web UX, Web Content, Copy Editing, Brand Management, Direct to Consumer (D2C), SEO Copywriting, Content Management, Newsletters, Editorial Direction, Editorials, Startups, Team Building, Team Leadership, Value Proposition, Creative Strategy, Email Copywriting, Storytelling, Finance, Health, Creative Writing, Travel, WordPress, Instagram, Email Content, Video Scripts, Brand Positioning, Growth Strategy, Messaging, Market Research, Research, Quantitative Research, Qualitative Research, B2B Marketing, Executive Consulting, Organic Content Marketing, Thought Leadership, Advisory.Business Advisory.Growth Strategy, Luxury, Hospitality, Book Blurb Writing, Healthcare Sales, Google Slides, Corporate Strategy, Advisory.Business Advisory.Management Consulting, Advisory.Business Advisory.Strategic Planning, ClickUp, Microsoft Dynamics
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