The Changing Information Landscape

It’s been long overdue, but I’m finally publishing this newsletter.

For anyone reading this sitting on a project.

Just get started. 

Start typing.

Hit publish.

Improve as you go.

Don’t stop.

I aim to provide actionable advice that you can directly apply to your content efforts to build your media machine.

However, let’s look at this inaugural newsletter as a philosophical table-setter because it’s important to know the macro forces.

Understanding current communications dynamics is the only way to grasp the unique opportunity in front of us.

Riches in the Niches

There are hundreds of thousands of niches that exist that need to be supplied content to satisfy their interests.

Instead, they are served generic and shallow information.

While the breadth of information is at an ever-increasing all-time high, the specific subject matter depth of many of these long-tail niches is an inch deep. 

As human beings, we’re burdened by the cognitive overload stemming from this mass information, while still feeling an emptiness inside by not consuming the right information.

It’s the dietary equivalent of feasting on junk food all day, yet still feeling low on energy because we don’t satisfy our nutritional needs.

Within this void lies a unique opportunity.

There are No More Gatekeepers

Communication as we know it has forever changed.

We no longer need to be in the newspaper to share our thoughts. We can write a newsletter instead.

We no longer need a Hollywood deal to make movies. We can start a YouTube channel.

We no longer need a radio show to share opinions. We can launch a podcast.

A company no longer needs a write-up in Forbes to be recognized. It can build an industry-focused content platform.

The examples are endless. The opportunities are boundless.

Traditional branding, content creation, marketing, and advertising methods no longer work.

Brands, which used to be mass-produced and grown through mass media advertising, are now micro-targeted to highly segmented groups of consumers.

These brands successfully engage these audiences by serving them valuable and unique information.

We’ve all experienced those “whoa!” moments after reading, listening, or watching something that really hits you from deep within and makes you feel like, “Wow! I feel understood!”

Only through these profound connections can attention be captured and held onto. Attention is THE NUMBER ONE currency in the world today!

Given the technology and platforms that exist today, every single one of us has the opportunity to cash in!

Think & Execute Like a Media Company

Every single touchpoint someone has with your brand is a form of content. Being a media company goes far beyond building a company blog.

While company blogs can be an important component of building a successful media strategy (when they are not overly self-serving, corporately filled wastelands of information), they are just one piece of a much larger puzzle.

Successful brands create premium content that is purpose-built for multiple platforms and channels.

This content captures targeted audiences and engages them in meaningful discussions.

It comes down to serving your audience the content they want where they want it.

And what if you don’t know your audience or what they want?

Publishing different forms of content in different places and gauging its impact is the best way to find your audience and understand their interests.

The only way to be successful in today’s information landscape is to change your mindset.

You’ll need to stop thinking strictly in terms of funnels and customer journeys.

Instead, consider audience acquisition, engagement and retention.

You’ll need to stop thinking like a marketer and start thinking like a creator.

We’re firmly entrenched in the creator economy. Creators are shaping the world. Either join them or be left behind. 

In the following newsletters, I will show you exactly how.