Here’s the deal, WPEngine is funding an independent voice for WordPress news with the acquisition of the WPDaily archives.
Dubbed a publication, no WordPressy title in the name and almost magazine-like it’s a twist on what seems to be a tough nut to crack these days.
The WordPress media transformation is upon us. Not news — media.
Things are going to get interesting around here and I love it. Why does it matter?
- Where are your eyeballs going to spend their time?
- What about your ears?
- What about your inbox?
- Who are you going to follow on Twitter?
- Which page will you Like?
- Your 6 seconds on Vine?
- Who you got in your Feedly?
- YouTubes?
- Instapaper?!
Let’s talk about this.
The thing about media
Get on the scale.
Anyone who is thinking scale is ultimately thinking traffic. If you’re thinking traffic you’re thinking content. If you’re thinking content, you’re thinking as much as you can produce.
If you’re WPEngine you already know this.
I don’t want to hear quality vs quantity or long form versus how-to. Podcasts or web shows. No matter how you spin it, if you’re staking your flag into the proverbial field you need to produce and producing content is more than just words on a blog.
Sure, if you’re doing it as a hobby you don’t really care about what’s going on. Hell, even if you do care what’s going on — you might say you don’t need traffic or WordPress media in general.
That’s fine. Someday you will.
Matt, get to the freaking point.
I might not really have a direct conclusion on the state of WordPress news and media but I’m a theoretical guy so here’s what I find interesting:
- More WordPress based podcasts that you can shake a stick at.
- WPDaily ramping up and then selling off the archives of WPDaily as we know it.
- Sites that took the reign and those that seek to claim it.
- Those who say WordPress news is useless vs. those who lust after it.
- WordPress is becoming a household name.
- People will want WordPress news, they just don’t know it yet.
“I’m on the pursuit of awesomeness: excellence is the bare minimum.” Kanye West on producing Watch The Throne
My sentiments on competition probably aren’t very popular amongst those in the community that feel that competition doesn’t exist — or even worse — feel that competition shouldn’t exist.
Forgive me, I grew up in the automotive industry where competition was the lifeblood of an organization.
I’m constantly competing to be a different voice in the community. When I think WordPress media, I think of the hip hop industry.
When I think of the most audacious hip hop personalities, I think of today’s featured image.
What happens when you mash them together?
Can you imagine Jake Goldman chillin’ with Rick Ross? Just picture it for a moment and let that sink in.
Crazy right?
More on personalities in media
The guys at Dradcast have their unique personality and niche even if it includes starving me out. (hint hint wink wink — love you guys)
My buddy Chris Lema is the WordPress preacher man. Kneel to him and confess your sins — he heals all.
Robert Neu. Bacon meets the Stern of WordPress podcasting.
Dustin Hartzler is the Sunday Morning broadcast of WordPress.
There’s a bunch of other personalities I didn’t mention, but you get the point.
WordPress media is a different space and you’re going to have to choose who to follow, what site to read and which show to tune into.
The crux of a WordPress content producer
News and media sites consume your time for which you can’t trade back or interchange. So we’ll all be vying for your time.
WordPress media is different than competing themes or plugins.
Digital products can be placed in your toolkit and called upon when you need them on a specific project. You might use Gravity Forms on one project and Ninja Forms on the next. So it’s easy to coexist when each solves a unique itch.
Why would you read the same news on two different sites? Why listen to a podcast that has the same format as the next?
You won’t unless your an absolute freak like me.
#Coopetition
Thankfully Carrie Dils just talked about this at WordCamp San Francisco 2013.
So don’t confuse this little rant with being afraid of competition.
I love the fact there’s so much awesome stuff happening in this new WordPress media universe.
It motivates and validates what everyone is doing — it’s all positive. I’m just saying, it’s going to get interesting round these parts.
Who’s going to win in the end?
The good news is (no pun intended) — it’s you the reader, the viewer and the fan.
My advice to WPEngine’s new WordPress media investment (not that they need it) — do you.
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