Hello Builders & Content Creators!
This is going to be short, but important. I wanted to give you a heads up of what to expect on this podcast going forward. If you’re an entrepreneur, you’re going to be really excited about some of the new topics and guests coming up, so stick with me for a couple minutes.
Here’s the audio version, or just keep reading for the lowdown with links:
Long time listeners will notice I haven’t published a new episode in quite a while, and here’s why.
As many of you know, I also run Bikerumor.com. I launched it in 2008 and have grown it into the world’s largest cycling tech blog with millions of monthly pageviews and a massive global audience.
As a digital publisher, I’ve watched a lot of competitors go out of business over the past couple of years. And that was before the COVID 19 pandemic hit. The simple truth is, some magazines and websites didn’t evolve, and their business model became irrelevant and hard to monetize.
Bikerumor could have suffered the same fate. For almost a decade, it published all the latest cycling products and tech, and that’s about it.
But, over the past three years, we launched a content marketing program, created ethical paid editorial opportunities, upped our video production game, and basically gave our content strategy a complete rethink. (you can read all about Bikerumor’s strategy here)
Along the way, I spoke with hundreds of cycling, outdoor, and active lifestyle brands and learned that many of YOU were facing the same challenges we were. And just like us, you’re trying to figure out how the media landscape has changed.
What used to work, things like banner ads and generic advertorials, simply don’t work anymore. Even worse, they could be damaging your brand if used incorrectly.
So, I’ve been interviewing content marketing experts and other premium digital publishers. And I’ve started asking some of my guests more questions about their marketing.
Because it’s always fascinating to learn how successful founders, like you, have launched their companies. But to grow them, content marketing and being able to work with the media has become a massively important part of creating a brand, building authority, establishing credibility, engaging with customers, and increasing sales.
In early 2020, I launched the Bite Size Content Strategy Newsletter. It’s a weekly email with one big idea presented in a quick, bite sized portion. There’s a few other goodies in there, too, Subscribe here to get it.
I’ve also been stockpiling short, 10-15 minute podcast interviews with some of the best known content marketing experts in the world! I’ll be mixing these in between regular Build Cycle episodes, which will simply be called Bite Size Content Strategy Episodes.
They’re quick hits focusing on one single pro tip that you can implement right away to help grow your business.
I think you’re going to love them, and you’re going to really like the next few Build Cycle episodes, too.
Why I have a new sound for the podcast
One last thing. You may have noticed my fresh new intro music. As much as I loved my original intro and the killer voice over from my friend Anna Schwinn, it was time to change things up a bit. This also helps me streamline production, which, quite honestly, was the biggest hurdle to me publishing more episodes.
This has been one of my goals for a while, and a practice I’ve been applying to many of my activities. What can I take away so that I can be more productive.
For this podcast, it’s the layers of sound that have to be manipulated to produce each intro and outro. Believe it or not, these would add an insane amount of time.
Going forward, it may sound a little less polished, but the content will be better than ever, and more consistent.
No matter where you are in your business, it’s always helpful to take a step back and put all the little stuff under a microscope…is all that little stuff you feel like you “have to do” really moving the needle?
Thanks a ton for staying subscribed during my little hiatus. I’m stoked to be back with you, and can’t wait to share more startup stories!
Keep up the good work, and as always, keep building!