Hey there. Brandon Lewin here. I’m going spare you all the fluff about marketing and what startups are missing. What I am going to share with you is a very short, straight to the point piece on why all startups are media companies.
In the 21st century and the continued evolution of the internet, we all communicate through technology. I don’t need to tell you that...you are a startup and most likely a tech startup.
You understand that everyone gets their info from the internet. You use the internet to get all your news, to find out about upcoming events, to see what your friends are doing and so much.
Then why are you, the startups of the world, not acting like a media company? It’s baffling on how many startups don’t produce content or good content or valuable content. To be relevant, to make it as a company, as a brand, you need to be a media company.
You need to write blog posts. You need to produce videos. Be on or start your own podcasts. Create long form informational pieces like guides, ebooks, or whatever else people will consume. Whatever it is...you need to do it. Or you will be left for the vultures to pick up your remains. (Dramatic, I know, but true.)
Geek Squad before they were sold to Best Buy and even afterward, produced hundreds of FREE how to videos about the services they provided. Geek Squad Founder, Robert Stephenson was asked after the merger, “why would you make videos that gave away what you sold to people?” Robert answered, “People who are do-it-themselves are our best customers. They try to do it themselves and make the problem even worse. Who do you think they call after watching our videos?” You know the answer.
The secret lies in that statement. Although, they were giving away essentially what they were selling, knowing that most people would not be able to actually make it work...leading to an even bigger need to call Geek Squad.
What they did was build trust, loyalty, and brand recognition. People remembered them from the videos and having their little logo in the bottom corner of each video.
Nowadays, it’s not about just giving away free information on what you do, it’s about telling a story and a story within the story that resonates with your target customer.
Without going into much detail, let me use two examples that will show you what it looks like when a “startup” either becomes a media company verse when a “startup” company has no idea what they are doing with their content marketing efforts.
The Bad and The Ugly
First example is Civitas Learning, an EdTech company. A perfect industry to become a media company. There is so much to talk about from the subjects you teach to the audience you serve. Go take a look at their website: https://www.civitaslearningspace.com/
Can you find their blog? Or any videos? I looked high (top navigation). I looked low (secondary navigation). Nothing. I found the blog by clicking on a recent tweet that they had embedded at the bottom of the website.
Now, go to the blog: https://www.civitaslearningspace.com/CatalyticConversations/
Look at some of their posts. I didn’t fully read all of them, but just from the titles to the short descriptions it is mostly self indulgent posts. Mark tries to tell stories, but between the titles and the content...there is NOT a whole lot of value in them. You can tell because of the lack of comments in the post. And well, by reading them.
The Good
Let’s flip this to the other side of the equation. We are going to look at Sparefoot, a website that makes finding self storage easier. (Pulled directly from the site.) A middle person website that stands between a self storage facility and the customer. A very typical type of website.
Take a look at their website: https://www.sparefoot.com/
Can you find their blog? Sure you can. It’s right there at the top navigation. One of five options. Smart! A few brownie points right away for the Sparefoot.
How much could a self storage finding website have to talk about? Apparently, a whole lot!
Go to the blog: https://blog.sparefoot.com/
What do you see? That’s right...article after article of useful, engaging tips about stuff you would store. There is even tips about garage sales. That is VALUE! Sparefoot is helping their customers. They are bringing value to their lives in different, creative ways. Trust is being built. Capital is being established. Reciprocity is being created.
Customers or prospective customers will read this information, share it, and remember it...whether they want to or not. That is being a media company as a startup.
Don’t take it from me. You see it with your own eyes. You have the choice. Be relevant or be forgotten.
