Hey everyone—
Jacob here. I hope you’re having a great weekend. As a free subscriber to A Media Operator, you’ve been getting my Tuesday issues that contain my thoughts on the latest happenings in the business of media.
On Fridays, I write more in-depth strategic and tactical essays, diving much deeper into specific topics for paying subscribers. Over 150 people now receive those essays. Additionally, these same paying subscribers receive invites to private 10-person Zoom meetings to discuss media.
If you would like to take part in these conversations or gain access to the more in-depth essays, become a paying subscriber today. You can sign up here:
Not sure? Here are a four essays you’ve already missed.
With everyone focusing on general media, there are huge opportunities that exist in business media. For entrepreneurial operators looking for their next opportunity, identifying the right niche and growing into it could be lucrative. Additionally, so much of legacy media is, as one operator-friend said, “lazy,” that a digital-first approach can catch up quickly.
I haven’t hidden the fact that this is one of my favorite sectors of media. I believe the next decade will be full of new b2b digital media companies that are holding their industries accountable, have diversified revenue streams and, most importantly, are profitable.
Producing great content is 100% a precursor to building a subscription business; however, what keeps people engaged for the long-term and reduces churn is a feeling of community. There’s a lot that publishers can learn about community from OnlyFans.
Specifically? The importance of acknowledgement. This is why paid newsletters have exploded so much. The fact that a reader can reply and that goes right into my inbox means I have a much closer relationship with that person. That keeps the subscription fresh and lengthens the time a person pays.
 |
The hardest part about media isn’t producing content. Honestly, that’s the easiest part. The hardest part is building an audience. That’s the mistake many of these newer newsletter writers have yet to figure out. They believe producing more content will help them build audience; however, if no one is reading one article, why would producing more content suddenly change that?
The best part about this is that by focusing on audience development, you’re creating a flywheel for the business. You create a piece of content, build audience for it, earn revenue from it and then use that revenue to produce more content. Do that right and the work starts to compound.
It has become common practice to criticize the ad business and suggest that media companies that rely on it for revenue will not survive. However, that narrative could not be further from the truth. It’s true, Facebook and Google have taken the lion’s share of the market, but there is a way for publishers to fight back.
How? The conversation needs to go from just audience data to contextual targeting. With 3rd party cookies going away, this is the best opportunity for publishers to start offering richer ad formats that target people based on the type of content they’re offering. Facebook and Google won’t lose much, but there’s plenty of room for publishers to grow.
And this is just a few of the essays. The archive of paid essays goes back to the end of January, so there’s plenty that you can read and glean insights from. Additionally, as a paying subscriber to A Media Operator, you’ll gain access to community features like commenting and the twice-a-month Zoom calls.
Interested?
If you’re not, that’s totally fine too! You’ll continue receiving the Tuesday newsletters for free.
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
Jacob
