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4/6/2022 6:04:28 PM
Substack's biggest competitor isn't who you think it is
It's no longer just a newsletter platform, and it's steadily encroaching on Patreon's turf.
6/29/2022 6:04:29 PM
Why Spotify's podcast bet is paying off
Spotify revolutionized the modern day music industry; that's earned it some benefit of the doubt.
7/22/2022 4:54:55 PM
It’s time for every podcaster to get on board with video podcasts
Several surveys have shown that YouTube is one of the most-used platforms for podcast consumption right behind Apple and Spotify
7/27/2022 8:34:26 PM
What we can learn from The Guardian's membership strategy
It reached 1 million recurring paid members without implementing a paywall.
8/9/2022 7:44:26 PM
4 things Axios did right
Why didn't Axios suffer the same fate as many other digital media startups?
8/24/2022 8:04:28 PM
4 ways publishers can nurture their communities
The build-it-and-they-will-come ethos doesn't work with online message boards.
8/22/2022 3:24:56 AM
Can you make real money on a paid newsletter while only writing part-time?
You'd probably be better off if you embrace business models other than paid subscriptions.
8/26/2022 5:24:36 PM
Are you leaning too much on your personal brand?
Welcome! I'm Simon Owens and this is my media industry newsletter. If you've received it, then you either subscribed or someone forwarded it to you. If you fit into the latter camp and want to
9/21/2022 5:54:32 PM
Proof that paid newsletters don’t just rely on hot takes
All sorts of solo newsletter creators are breaking news and moving the needle on important issues.
10/19/2022 6:54:30 PM
Why Patreon is struggling
Patreon's “valuation has decreased substantially — by 70% — over the past year."
10/21/2022 7:24:31 PM
How to solve the podcast discovery problem
Let's face it: podcast discovery is hard.
10/26/2022 9:14:29 PM
You should be surveying your audience more
You basically have your own homegrown focus group just waiting to be unleashed.
11/11/2022 8:54:28 PM
15 local news entrepreneurs walk into a Zoom call
Luckily for you, I recorded the entire discussion.
11/23/2022 7:04:27 PM
Why journalists are so desperate to find a Twitter alternative
Twitter has operated as the primary venue for writers to take their audiences with them as they move from job to job.
11/16/2022 7:04:27 AM
More creators reveal their #1 growth hack
Welcome! I'm Simon Owens and this is my media industry newsletter. If you've received it, then you either subscribed or someone forwarded it to you. If you fit into the latter camp and want to
12/22/2022 3:34:26 PM
The state of this newsletter
Plus: What I have planned for 2023
12/16/2022 9:14:41 AM
Why media companies struggle to act like tech companies
Quality journalism doesn't scale like tech; in fact, that may be one of its greatest features.
1/20/2023 4:44:28 PM
How to build a $525 million B2B media company
PLUS: Axios reaches 3000 paying subscribers
1/20/2023 6:34:43 AM
TikTok's monetization is "absolute garbage"
PLUS: How the business newsletter The Hustle has expanded under HubSpot ownership.
1/20/2023 4:54:47 AM
This YouTuber details his 12 separate revenue streams
PLUS: The waning influence of Apple's podcast app
1/25/2023 9:04:27 PM
The Creator Economy isn’t overhyped
PLUS: Why FiveThirtyEight is struggling
1/20/2023 3:05:20 AM
Every company eventually tries to become a media company
PLUS: Are publishers underestimating Twitter as a traffic driver?
2/1/2023 7:44:26 PM
Understanding Business Insider’s pivots
PLUS: Did the world really need a Gawker 2.0?
1/6/2023 4:44:27 PM
How to build a successful B2B media company
B2B used to be the least sexy space in media. That's no longer the case.
1/4/2023 4:24:31 PM
Why creators are in less of a rush to quit their day jobs
There are benefits to traditional employment that are incredibly difficult to replicate when you're out on your own.
2/8/2023 9:04:28 PM
The increasing importance of newsletters for selling books
PLUS: Tiktok's creator exodus
2/17/2023 6:04:28 PM
How to supercharge your newsletter growth
PLUS: You're probably not paying enough attention to your onboarding process for new paid subscribers
2/17/2023 8:14:51 AM
How Vice became the poster child for the Facebook media bubble
PLUS: You're not doing enough to repurpose your content
2/22/2023 11:34:27 PM
The shallow branding of shortform video
PLUS: Why don't publishers use affiliate links for their subscription products?
12/9/2022 5:34:28 PM
How to leverage paid marketing to drive newsletter signups
Welcome! I'm Simon Owens and this is my media industry newsletter. If you've received it, then you either subscribed or someone forwarded it to you. If you fit into the latter camp and want to
12/8/2022 1:54:28 AM
What the next crop of media startups will look like
As the Creator Economy matures, the media industry will need to adapt to the new economics of content creation.
3/9/2023 2:14:28 AM
What to make of the paltry payouts from YouTube Shorts
PLUS: Why aren't there newsletter ad agencies?
3/23/2023 1:04:27 AM
Creator funds are even more bullshit than we realized
PLUS: How Matt Navarra turned his marketing newsletter into a six-figure business
3/24/2023 6:55:13 PM
The low-hanging fruit for newsletter publishers
PLUS: I'm looking to expand my brand partnerships
3/16/2023 2:59:30 PM
Is the Morning Brew model crumbling?
PLUS: I want to get smarter about ad sales
3/10/2023 4:14:30 PM
Publishers shouldn't have closed down their comment sections
PLUS: A big announcement for Patreon podcasters
3/30/2023 12:34:26 AM
Local newspapers have lost the plot
...and what they can learn from the recent turnaround from Barnes & Noble.
3/31/2023 3:34:27 PM
If AI destroys the media industry, then who will feed the chatbots?
PLUS: AI-written content is riddled with cliches.
12/2/2022 6:44:27 PM
How to sell your media business
Welcome! I'm Simon Owens and this is my media industry newsletter. If you've received it, then you either subscribed or someone forwarded it to you. If you fit into the latter camp and want to
12/1/2022 1:44:27 AM
It’s time for the media to embrace self-service native advertising
News publishers haven't lifted a finger to copy the tech industry's most successful ad innovation.
4/6/2023 12:44:39 AM
Why some creators prefer selling online courses over subscriptions
PLUS: Why a newsletter decided to launch its own investment fund
4/7/2023 5:34:38 PM
Announcing my newest content series
PLUS: The growing shadow workforce that's fueling the Creator Economy boom.
4/21/2023 5:54:40 PM
Emanuel Cinca will generate over $1 million this year from his newsletter
PLUS: People tell me why I'm wrong about programmatic ads.
4/20/2023 12:14:27 AM
The media industry’s original sin
PLUS: Let's talk to Stephen Hayes and Taegan Goddard about monetizing political news.
4/19/2023 7:04:57 AM
Substack Notes could be the Twitter killer we've been waiting for
PLUS: How to monetize with online courses
4/19/2023 6:05:12 AM
Was I too bullish on Substack Notes?
PLUS: Twitter strikes back with new creator monetization features.
4/26/2023 10:55:05 PM
The Creator Economy "middle class" does exist
PLUS: How a college professor grew his newsletter to 23000 subscribers
4/28/2023 4:44:33 PM
One of the biggest mistakes newsletter writers make
PLUS: How to grow your sponsorship revenue
11/10/2022 11:35:12 AM
8 creators reveal their #1 growth hack
"Content is really just showing up every day and producing something valuable.”
5/2/2023 6:55:26 PM
Let's talk about growing your subscription business
I'm convening a panel of experts to dive into the nuances of subscription economics
5/4/2023 12:54:30 AM
The next era for bootstrapped media
PLUS: Has City Cast invented a new model for delivering local news?
5/5/2023 6:44:45 PM
The alternate universe where Gawker Media is still thriving
PLUS: How to build a thriving online community
11/2/2022 5:04:29 PM
Twitter has never understood the Creator Economy
The real incentive that keeps creators glued to any particular platform is its ability to help them make money.
5/19/2023 6:24:31 PM
How to leverage live audio to drive paid subscriptions
PLUS: How Richard Rushfield built The Ankler into a thriving industry newsletter
5/18/2023 12:34:27 AM
The perils of launching a subscription product too early
PLUS: How a veteran journalist built a thriving local news outlet
5/16/2023 6:44:28 PM
Let's talk to Richard Rushfield about building The Ankler
Richard kindly agreed to answer questions from us about everything related to running and growing a B2B media company.
5/25/2023 1:06:04 AM
The advertising recession is definitely here
PLUS: How a YouTuber used his channel to launch a tech company
5/12/2023 2:46:20 PM
Testing out new paid subscription perks
PLUS: How to build a successful local news outlet
5/26/2023 7:04:30 PM
Vice's biggest mistake
PLUS: How to sell your content business
5/12/2023 7:17:35 AM
In praise of outside-the-box media business models
PLUS: How to take your subscription business to the next level
6/1/2023 12:14:47 AM
You're not optimizing your newsletter enough
PLUS: I answer your questions
10/28/2022 3:44:28 PM
What is the exact optimal time to publish?
By giving yourself a weekly publication deadline, you're less likely to fall off that bandwagon.
10/14/2022 7:14:26 PM
How to build an effective content production schedule
It starts with being incredibly honest with yourself about your own limitations.
10/12/2022 6:14:28 PM
Is Spotify's podcast exclusivity strategy working?
The open podcast ecosystem isn't dead yet.
6/20/2023 6:24:29 PM
Let's talk about growing your sponsorship revenue
We've lined up top ad sales experts to answer your questions
6/20/2023 6:54:51 AM
Paywalls aren’t blocking access to high-quality news
PLUS: CNN is in denial
6/22/2023 1:14:42 AM
The valley of churn
PLUS: Why the new newsletter product from WordPress is so interesting
6/23/2023 6:14:36 PM
The culprit behind Business Insider's falling subscription numbers?
PLUS: How to grow your sponsorship revenue
6/12/2023 2:56:56 AM
5 case studies of successful media entrepreneurs
Let's go deep on what made their ventures so successful
6/28/2023 4:05:01 PM
When paywalls can be counterproductive
PLUS: Will human-produced content benefit from an AI backlash?