Tara Bellucci
Verified Expert in Marketing
Marketing Expert
Boston, MA, United States
Toptal member since June 26, 2024
Tara has been covering lifestyle topics as a news director for over a decade, including home, food, design, DIY, real estate, wellness, and entertainment. She can run a newsroom, craft a must-click headline, put together an editorial calendar, and copyedit with the best of them. Tara is well-versed in SEO, social media, and commerce content and strategies.
Project Highlights
Expertise
- Adobe Photoshop
- Content Management Systems (CMS)
- Journalism
- Marketing
- Social Media
- Social Media Strategy
- Team Management
- Writing & Editing
Work Experience
Trending News Director
Apartment Therapy
- Drove significant audience engagement while leading the conception, planning, assignment, and editing of 100+ stories per month, including trending news and SEO-focused content, securing a monthly average of two to three million page views.
- Streamlined workflows for the short-lead content team, leading to enhanced productivity and efficiency.
- Created editorial tentpoles and franchise features that drove audience engagement and were sellable to sponsors.
- Executed special packages in collaboration with cross-functional teams, spanning editorial, art, video, growth, product, and production, resulting in engaging, innovative, and impactful content offerings.
- Monetized previously unshoppable content, earning up to $1,500 per post by integrating affiliate links into content about retailers without affiliate programs.
- Chaired monthly traffic postmortems, delivering insightful reports on evolving content trends to inform future editorial strategies.
- Acted as a prominent figure in editorial and sponsored content, including social media and video, while representing the brand in various interviews to enhance brand visibility and credibility.
News and Culture Editor
Apartment Therapy
- Managed the development of Apartment Therapy Media's first news vertical, ensuring a robust pipeline of content that aligned with brand voice and audience interests.
- Directed editorial strategy and content curation to increase story volume by up to 40% per month.
- Oversaw a team of editors, from hiring and training to performance management, fostering a collaborative environment that encouraged innovation and quality storytelling.
- Analyzed market trends to inform content planning and execution, positioning the brand as a leader in home and lifestyle news.
- Elevated monthly story output from 60 to 90 posts, expanding the brand's digital presence and reader engagement.
Assistant Editor | Social Media Manager
Apartment Therapy
- Crafted and disseminated 15 news articles weekly, ensuring timely and relevant content for a diverse audience.
- Administered daily newsletter operations, including content selection, email assembly, scheduling, and performance optimization through A/B testing.
- Developed and implemented comprehensive social media strategies across Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and X (formerly Twitter), enhancing brand presence and user engagement.
- Enhanced the brand's digital footprint by planning and executing a targeted social-first content strategy during a three-week national book tour.
- Introduced user-generated content in social media campaigns, setting media brand trends.
- Grew Instagram following to over 1 million, marking a significant social media reach and influence milestone.
- Utilized influencers to increase event attendance and online interaction. Directed the production of engaging video content and compelling before-and-after posts for five-room makeovers, boosting audience engagement and brand loyalty.
Freelance Writer | Editor | Designer | Strategist
Self-employed
- Developed and executed comprehensive social media and email marketing strategies for nonprofits, small businesses, startups, and agencies.
- Designed and implemented brand identity materials for clients in fashion and professional services, enhancing their market presence through business cards, clothing tags, and website design.
- Advised small businesses and entrepreneurs on content strategy, focusing on SEO and affiliate marketing to optimize online visibility and revenue.
- Delivered hands-on social media training for entrepreneurs at coworking spaces.
- Researched and developed engaging content across various mediums, including news stories, product reviews, house tours, and DIY projects for prominent online platforms.
- Created RFPs and marketing presentations for Arnold Worldwide, contributing to winning pitches and campaigns.
- Led the development of POP signage for high-profile marketing projects, improving customer engagement and sales.
- Conducted in-depth consultations on content strategy, leading to measurable improvements in client SEO rankings and affiliate marketing performance.
Managing Editor
Shoestring Magazine
- Managed a comprehensive editorial calendar in collaboration with the founder and editor-in-chief, ensuring timely publication and thematic coherence across platforms.
- Orchestrated monthly pop-up thrift shops and ticketed events, integrating editorial content to enhance audience engagement and brand visibility.
- Developed and executed a nationwide small-batch, budget-conscious, and eco-friendly holiday gift guide catering to diverse consumer interests and sustainability values.
Project History
Restival Week
https://www.tarabellucci.com/portfolio/features-packagesLed Restival, a successful Apartment Therapy package focused on making rest as event-worthy as a music festival.
Restival is a package I led for Apartment Therapy in 2021 and 2022 about making rest as event-worthy as a music festival. It highlighted several content types, including reported pieces, listicles, and commerce roundups. As the lead editor, I worked with our art team to creative-direct custom illustrations and photography, planned the content, worked with vertical leads, and built the landing pages.
Makeover America Campaign
Planned and executed social-first content from the road during Apartment Therapy's Makeover America campaign.
The Makeover America campaign was Apartment Therapy’s tour to promote its 2015 book, “Complete + Happy Home”. CEO Maxwell Ryan and I traveled cross-country for three weeks from Boston to Los Angeles, stopping to make over peoples’ homes with Wayfair (the tour’s sponsor).
I planned and executed social-first content from the road, encouraging followers to attend book signings and events, spot and repost Westy (our van), and engage with behind-the-scenes content across platforms. After, I supervised the production of video content and produced before and after posts for our five makeovers, as well as posts for behind-the-scenes video content.
HOME Magazine City Guide Feature
https://www.tarabellucci.com/s/Home_D_0316_150dpi.pdfWrote the Boston city guide feature for the March 2016 issue of Germany's HOME magazine.
This project involved interviewing Boston locals and leaders in food, nightlife, and design about their favorite area businesses and must-visit spots. I also wrote the city guide list section. In addition, I recommended and coordinated with a local photographer for the feature.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communication
Boston University - Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Certifications
Optimizing a Website for Google Search
University of California | via Coursera
Introduction to Google SEO
University of California | via Coursera
Google SEO Fundamentals
University of California | via Coursera
Skills
Core
Writing & Editing, Social Media, Content, Social Media Strategy, Marketing, Social Media Content, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), SEO Content, SEO Keyword Research, Influencer Marketing, Off-page SEO, Keyword Research, SEO Audits, Google SEO, Social Media Management, Copywriting, Brand Marketing, Content Marketing, Article Rewriting
Platforms & Tools
Content Management Systems (CMS), Adobe Photoshop, Asana
Other
Content Writing, Copy Editing, Web Content, Journalism, Article Writing, Interviewing, SEO Writing, Strategy, Team Management, Project Planning, Trend Forecasting, Collaboration, Planning, Photography, Advertising, Graphic Design, Data Analytics, Slack, Google Docs, Creative Direction, Event Planning, Scheduling, Reporting, Optimization, Communication, Team Building, Team Leadership, Newsletters, Advertising Copy, Event Marketing, Event Management
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