From Local News Franchise to Modern Digital Media Brand
“Scaling a Local News Brand by 171% in 6 Months — Social Strategy + Audience Growth”
Hola, que tal?
Bienvenidos a Fox7 Español.
I helped grow this burgeoning local news franchise (Fox 7 Austin/KTBC) and brought it into the modern digital era.
When they brought me on to the project, the franchise had approximately 20k follower base on TikTok, and was essentially an afterthought at the station, designed as a simple additional content channel for Amanda Salinas, one of the premier morning show (Good Day Austin) anchors.
Currently, the brand has grown to 53.4k followers and 244.4k likes on TikTok in just a few months, and still growing everyday.
Social Media
TikTok
Meeting our international audience where they are today.
YouTube
Web
The Problem
The challenge was to:
Drive meaningful audience growth
Increase engagement without sacrificing editorial integrity
Position the brand as culturally relevant and digitally fluent
FOX 7 Español already had an established broadcast audience but a stagnant and under‑leveraged social media presence. The brand was posting content, but not capitalizing on platform‑specific behaviors, trends, or audience interaction. There was no optimization, and little strategy.
I believed in the viability of our product. I wanted to seize the market. I wanted to make waves. I wanted to get more people the news faster.
Lead Digital Producer & Social Strategist
I led:
Day‑to‑day social content strategy and execution
Editorial decision‑making for social platforms
Performance analysis and iterative optimization
Visual storytelling and short‑form video production
My Role
What began as a passion project has evolved into something more. We’re proud of where we’ve been and even more excited for what’s ahead.
Strategy & Execution
Before/after metrics, ROI, engagement lifts, qualitative feedback.
I treated FOX 7 Español’s Instagram as a media product, not a dumping ground for links.
Key strategic shifts included:
Platform‑first storytelling
Prioritized vertical video, native captions, and culturally relevant framing over repurposed broadcast clips.Consistency and cadence
Increased posting frequency with a clear content mix: breaking news, explainers, community stories, and lighter cultural moments.Audience participation
Encouraged comments, shares, and reactions by framing news as conversation, not monologue.Data‑informed iteration
Adjusted content based on performance trends rather than assumptions.
Results & Reflections
What I learned and how it affects future work.
Key Takeaways
News brands grow when they respect platform culture
Engagement is driven by relevance and clarity, not volume alone
Treating social as a product unlocks long‑term audience equity
Before/after metrics, ROI, engagement lifts, qualitative feedback.
Results
Follower growth: ~20K → 53.4k (+170%)
Total likes: 244.4k+
*Dynamic metrics, updated weekly
Stronger daily engagement and repeat audience behavior
Established FOX 7 Español as a recognizable digital voice, not just a TV brand
Business Impact
This growth expanded FOX 7 Español’s digital reach, increased its value to advertisers and partners, and future‑proofed the brand against declining broadcast‑only consumption.
It taught me a whole lot more about all the editing and digital software I was already using.
It was also a great chance to brush up on my Spanish and improve my bilingual skills. An added plus!