The challenge Valor Econômico faced: how to become more digitally agile and diversify its audience traffic sources to reach new users and expand its reach and relevance.

It started with a focus on metrics and SEO, said Catherine Vieira, executive editor. But it soon became apparent it made sense to create a Growth Desk.

“We tried a lot of things that weren’t working so we wanted to create this desk,” Vieira said. “And everyone needed to come to the desk for a time to understand the routines and do this type of work.”

Diogo Max, journalist for SEO and growth, said the Growth Desk has been key to Valor Econômico’s digital transformation. Journalists on the team start with an early morning meeting that covers the top stories and what readers are interested in (via Google Trends). That meeting sets the tone for the day.

However, the team’s goal isn’t to just chase trending stories. It aims to fill gaps in information in Brazil, Max said.

“Search results showed people wanted more detailed information,” Max said. “There were clear signs for explainers to be written. They wanted to know what happened.”

A key component of the Growth Desk’s routine: The entire team meets every Friday for an hour to openly discuss what went well and what could be improved upon.

The results have been impressive.

However, there is still work to be done, Max said.

Journalists across the room are doing more explainers. But continuing to replicate the Growth Desk’s success across the newsroom remains a challenge, Max said.

“We still don’t have the solution for the optimal training duration,” he said. “It’s not just about metrics — it’s also about culture. The Growth Desk has helped to initiate a digital culture. The Growth Desk is part of a broader strategy.”

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