About Me
TLDR version: I am not afraid of change and I love to try new things.
I am the Digital Distribution Strategy Lead for WNYC Studios — the podcast arm of WNYC, the most listened-to public radio station in the United States — where I work closely with our audience, marketing and editorial teams. Always with the listener in mind, I optimize content distribution across digital platforms and formats — video and YouTube production, social media, content packaging and CMS work, newsletter performance and new platforms as they emerge. I develop best practices for those digital platforms, and assist in creating show- and brand-level digital platform strategies to drive podcast listening and downloads.
This current role builds on my previous work at WNYC Studios as senior social media lead, and I continue to develop robust, full-funnel social media campaigns and audience engagement strategies to grow brand awareness, engagement, trust and membership across a large slate of amazing podcasts, as well as the WNYC newsroom and live talk shows. I create bespoke static and video social content to spark discovery and delight in the shows we make — and drive millions of impressions each month. I also ran audience engagement for our Werk It podcast festival. For the three-day 2019 event, our social media footprint had a reach of 9.5 million.
Before moving to WNYC Studios, I was the senior producer for social and digital at its classical music sister station WQXR, the most listened to classical music station in the country. A Jack of many social and digital trades, I led a team of two in audience growth and engagement across multiple social media and video platforms, analyzed metrics to guide data-driven strategies and worked with staff on best practices and voice. I ran daily Facebook Live video shoots where I operated five robotic cameras and live cut musical performances and interviews. I then post-produced those live shoots for YouTube.
I have more than 15 years of experience as a print, video and digital journalist. My passion for working across digital platforms grew organically out of my career as an award-winning print newspaper reporter where I was a vocal proponent for giving the newspaper a stronger presence online and spearheaded the use of video and social media in the newsroom.
SKILLS:
• Adobe Creative Suite: video, motion graphics and photo.
• YouTube video creation, metadata, publishing and monetization for video and podcasts.
• Social content marketing, audience growth and engagement strategy, analytics and best practices.
• Content packaging creation and best practices.
• Reporting, writing and copy editing.
• Newsletter and push notification content and strategy.
• Highly organized and detail oriented.
• A fun collaborator.
• A great laugh!
Where My Work
Has Appeared:
The New York Times, WNYC, WQXR, NPR Music, Kickstarter, LAist (Los Angeles), The Seattle Times, Willamette Week (Portland, Ore), Weekend Argus (Cape Town, South Africa) and more.
Experience
Digital Distribution Strategy Lead | WNYC STUDIOS | NEW YORK CITY
July 2024 — present
SENIOR DIGITAL PLATFORMS Lead | WNYC Studios | New YOrk City
October 2022 — June 2024
Always with the listener in mind, I optimize content distribution across digital platforms and formats — video and YouTube, social media, SEO packaging, newsletter performance and new platforms as they emerge — to develop best practices for those digital platforms, and create show- and brand-level digital platform strategies to drive podcast awareness, growth and downloads. I led the strategy, creation and production for publishing our podcasts on our YouTube channels and I create sustainable workflows, graphics templates and publishing best practices for discovery and monetization.
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SENIOR Social Media Lead | WNYC Studios | New YOrk City
April 2018 — October 2022
Much of this work I continue to do in my expanded role above. I work closely with the audience, marketing and editorial teams to develop robust, full- funnel social media campaigns and audience engagement strategies to grow brand awareness, engagement, trust and membership across a large slate of amazing podcasts, as well as the WNYC newsroom and live talk shows. And I create bespoke static and video social content to spark discovery and delight in the shows we make — and drive millions of impressions each month. The shows and podcasts I’ve worked with include, the WNYC newsroom, The Brian Lehrer Show, Radiolab, Dolly Parton's America, The Other Latif, The United States of Anxiety/The Stakes, Trump, Inc., On the Media, Death, Sex & Money, Nancy, 10 Things That Scare Me, American Fiasco with Roger Bennett, Scattered with Chris Garcia, Come Through with Rebecca Carroll, and Adulting with Michelle Buteau and Jordan Carlos, among many others. [Click on the links to see examples of my social content work.]
I am adept at working with partners, including The HISTORY Channel, The Atlantic, ProPublica and The Boston Globe, and with producers and talent with all levels of social media knowledge. And while my background is focused on organic social, I definitley know my way around Meta Business Manager, as well as a host of social publishing and analytic platforms.
I was the lead for audience engagement leading up to and during our Werk It podcast festival. For the three-day 2019 event in downtown Los Angeles, our social media footprint had a reach of 9.5 million.
I'm highly organized, a detail-oriented creator, a great collaborator and an analytic thinker with the agility required to act digital- and social-first. I’m adept at recognizing trending topics across different platforms and how to become a part of those conversations. I also believe in data-driven decision making and I keep a mean spreadsheet of all our social metrics.
“I really love your content. Brilliantly done.”
“In episode 3, there is a moment when Alexi Lalas — who is supposed to be hanging back on defense — comes rushing forward and surprises everyone with a goal against Argentina. Let me just say that Kim Nowacki has rushed forward to score several goals against Argentina throughout this process.”
“You are a joy — and I can’t wait to see what you do next here.”
“Kim has been a part of the New York Public Radio digital braintrust since 2011, during which she has served as a digital producer, photographer, writer and social media manager. We’re thrilled to have the multi-talented Kim join our team.”
A social asset for Radiolab.
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Senior Producer for Social and Digital| WQXR Classical | New York City
July 2017 — April 2018
• Social media manager: Lead efforts to grow audience and engagement across social media platforms existing and emerging, analyze metrics, work with staff on best practices, stay current on new platforms and strategies, have a lot of fun trying new things.
• Working in partnership with editorial/programming and senior team, devise social programming strategy, calendar and voice.
• Supervisor and mentor of the assistant digital producer.
• Maintain social media style guide and best practices document.
• Videographer and video robotics engineer/producer/director for all WQXR, Soundcheck and New Sounds in-studio performance videos and interviews.
• Create derivative video assets from video shoots, including segmented on-demand videos for YouTube/Facebook/Instagram.
• Maintain WQXR archive of digital assets (designs, photos, videos).
• Manage push notification messaging and analytics.
• Manage email newsletter strategy and editorial.
• Partner with the data research team to build social measurement, KPIs, dashboards and ongoing insights that inform our daily work.
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Digital Producer | WQXR CLASSICAL | New York City
September 2011 — June 2018
• Social media editor: Post to and grow social channels existing and emerging, analyze metrics, work with staff on best practices, stay current on new platforms and strategies, have a lot of fun trying new things.
• Manage social channels during live events and broadcasts.
• Produce music and documentary videos.
• Station photographer and photo editor, including creating shareable GIFs.
• Manage push notification messaging and analytics.
• Write weekly newsletter.
• Work across departments, including with marketing and membership.
• Manage that on-air information is represented online.
• Produce station contests and giveaways.
• Contribute to the WQXR news blog.
Q2 Spaces is a documentary video series I shot and edited that gives you an intimate guided tour inside the homes and studios of the composers, singers and instrumentalists behind some of today's most compelling new music.
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Digital Intern | The New York Times | New York City
June 2011 — September 2011
I was selected from hundreds of applications for a paid summer internship working on website production at The New York Times. My jobs included:
• Web producer for The New York Times Magazine.
• Producer of interactive online pieces — timelines, slideshows, audio players — to accompany print stories and blog posts.
• Writer and digital producer for The Times’ City Room metro blog and Lens photography/video blog.
• Read about my time at The Times: “My Three Months at The New York Times (and 10 Years in Journalism)”
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Reporting intern | Weekend Argus | Cape Town, South Africa
June 2010 — July 2010
• Old-school general assignment reporter for the Weekend Argus, a Saturday and Sunday newspaper in Cape Town, South Africa.
• I was one of 16 graduate students to spend two months in Cape Town as part of the International Internships in the Media program through USC Annenberg. (Lucky for us, our internships were during the men's World Cup.)
• Read my blog about the experience and see clips of my work at the Weekend Argus and photo galleries.
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Lead arts and entertainment writer | Yakima Herald-Republic | Yakima, Wash.
May 2003 — July 2009
• Responsible for planning local coverage for the Friday A&E section, On Magazine.
• Develop, research and write arts- and entertainment-related enterprise projects.
• Develop accompanying art with a photographer, illustrator or submitted pieces.
• Write a weekly column titled “Guilty Pleasures.”
• Edit A&E event calendars.
• Present a weekly, 90-second morning radio spot highlighting the weekend’s activities.
• Responsible for the On Magazine blog, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Flickr sites.
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Full Resume on LinkedIn
Education:
USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, Los Angeles
M.A. DIGITAL JOURNALISM
• USC Theodore Kruglak International Scholarship recipient for international journalism (2010)
Graduated May 2011
Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Wash.
B.A. JOURNALISM
• Minor: theater
• Recipient of the inaugural College of Arts and Humanities Outstanding Alumni Recognition Award, Communications Department. (2007)
• Dean’s Scholar in the College of Arts and Humanities. (2002)
Graduated June 2002, magna cum laude
UC Berkeley
FELLOW AT THE KNIGHT DIGITAL MEDIA CENTER MULTIMEDIA WORKSHOP
2008
National Endowment for the Arts &
Columbia University Graduate school of Journalism
FELLOW AT THE ARTS JOURNALISM INSTITUTE IN CLASSICAL MUSIC AND OPERA
2004
Volunteer:
USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism and Kinoinia Community Centre
Mentor for “Reporting Paarl,” a two-day multimedia workshop for young journalists at the Kinoinia Community Centre in Paarl, South Africa.
2010
yakima herald-republic
Mentor for “The Valley Workshop: Stories in Your Backyard,” an annual teen journalism workshop presented by the Yakima Herald-Republic.
2003, 2004, 2008
burning man media mecca
Member of the Media Mecca team charged with helping to register and acclimate journalists, filmmakers and photographers both off- and on-site at Burning Man, an annual event that draws more than 70,000 people from around the world.
2003-2013
BlOGS:
Spreader of Gossip and Vice: Journalism In a Brave New Media World
One Hectic Summer: Two months living, working and reporting in Cape Town, South Africa, during the 2010 Soccer World Cup.