Shopping Writer

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as a news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, make its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over.

We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.

In 2024 The Independent’s portfolio of brands increased through a new licencing partnership with BuzzFeed Inc. to operate the BuzzFeed brands in the UK - BuzzFeed UK, Tasty, Seasoned and HuffPost UK. The additional brands echo the existing business ethos and allow for increased audiences and a further strategic diversification of revenue streams.

About the role

Independent Media is looking for an experienced and knowledgeable shopping writer to help drive growth, quality and affiliate performance for BuzzFeed and HuffPost.

The ideal candidate will be passionate and confident in covering all shopping verticals – from parenting and beauty to tech and home. The role will play a strategic role in shaping consumer coverage for both HuffPost and BuzzFeed.

They will write new reviews and buying guides, cover product launches and sale events (Black Friday, Prime Day, and Boxing Day sales), and optimise existing content. They will also analyse traffic and conversion from past content to make recommendations for future pieces. An ability to brainstorm new ways to engage our audience is crucial.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone
• We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.

The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

• Pitch, write and update buying guides, reviews and product-led features while adhering to best editorial, affiliate and SEO practices
• Proactively secure exclusives for new launches
• Monitor retailers and brands for deals that will be of interest to the different audiences, and cover when commissioned
• Complete daily SEO updates of evergreen content and proactively identify articles to update if/when rankings drop
• Work with the audience and commercial teams and editors to strategise around editorial categories, analysing traffic and affiliate performance, using GA4, Domo and Trackonomics, to spot further opportunities
• Generate new ideas for engaging audiences and promoting content on social media and other platforms
• Suggest new tenancy opportunities to the commercial team based on existing relationships with brands and retailers
• Film content for social and the site

Essential skills and experience

• SEO
• Copywriting
• Copyediting

Our values – you will deliver across all our values

Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.

Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.

Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.

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