Audience Engagement Contractor

Date Posted	January 27, 2026
Industry	Nonprofit
Specialty	Politics
Required Education	Bachelor's Degree
Remote / Telecommute	Telecommute
Job Status	Freelance
Salary	Not Specified

Description:

Audience Engagement Contractor 

This is a fully remote contract position (10-15 hours per week) 

Hourly rate: $35 

Start Date: ASAP

Barn Raiser, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit newsroom, seeks a forward-looking, creative strategist to support our audience development and social media efforts. Our primary goal is to attract new readers while engaging current readers and donors to further Barn Raiser’s mission to provide independent news and analysis covering rural America. The Audience Engagement Contractor will work with our small team, reporting to the CEO.

This position will remain open until filled

Primary job responsibilities will include:

• Data-driven Audience growth and development

• Work with Barn Raiser’s marketing consultant to create and develop lead advertisements. Devise best strategies for driving new readers and engagement

• Perform analysis and reporting of paid promotions through social channels and media placement buys to determine ROIs. Manage paid promotional campaigns

• Research, initiate and manage sponsored email exchange programs with publishing partners 

• Social media management

• Oversee Barn Raiser’s social media strategy and messaging on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and others, including analyzing engagement data, identifying trends, and setting goals and benchmarks

• Manage posts on Barn Raiser’s YouTube channel to meet agreed upon goals and benchmarks

• Work closely with Barn Raiser’s video editors to repurpose existing assets for social posts

• Implement strategy, including working with the editorial team when necessary to ensure a flow of engaging content across Barn Raiser’s social media platforms.

• Communications and Reporting

• Create and deliver weekly and monthly audience progress reports featuring insights, learnings, and data-driven recommendations

• Work with the editorial team to create and develop communication materials on a quarterly or semi-annual basis (for instance, a newsletter, printed mailing or some other form) to share with current donors and readers documenting Barn Raiser’s work, impact and “behind the scenes” view.

• Work with the editorial team to identify and feature reader voices on Barn Raiser’s website and YouTube channel

• Help organize focus groups of engaged Barn Raiser readers

The successful candidate will bring many of the following qualities:

• Deep knowledge of and connection to rural America preferred

• Experience with audience engagement or strategy;

• Deep knowledge of current social media platforms, algorithms, and best practices

• Experience with email marketing providers (Active Campaign a huge plus) and email best practices

• Strong word editing and organizational skills

• Working knowledge of video production and editing (CapCut, Adobe)

• Understanding of visual aesthetics and design tools (Canva, Adobe) preferred

• Strong analytic skills, with familiarity using spreadsheets, audience metrics and analytics

• Agreement to abide by Barn Raiser’s ethics and social media policies

• Strong people skills, including collaborative instincts and a willingness to develop one-on-one relationships with Barn Raiser’s partners

• A willingness to learn and a love of experimentation

• A commitment to fostering diverse voices and viewpoints

To apply, please send a letter of interest, resume and work examples/portfolio to jobs@barnraisingmedia.com. Applications without work examples will not be considered.  Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a paid, in-depth skills assessment as part of our interview process. Reach out to editorial@barnraisingmedia.com with the subject line “Audience Engagement Contractor” with any questions.