Welcome

I decided to create a playground using the newsletter format. This is a test really. Let me explain.

This is just a place to lay down my thoughts, play with Beehiiv and connect with others across the space.

I love using Beehiiv. I think websites have lost their way. Sure when I need to know something, I do a search and viola - I click on a website. But when I want to consume and be delighted - my inbox gives me what I need. The problem as I see it, is the ad space. We in ‘the business’ have killed the website - the amount of ads given content is growing and keeps growing.

Let’s use TV as an example:

4 Good Minutes

Once upon a time, TV ads were like a well-behaved houseguest: they’d pop in for a quick chat during your favorite show, then politely exit after four minutes. But oh, how times have changed! Nowadays, those four minutes have ballooned into a five-minute-plus ad extravaganza. It’s like the ads are throwing a wild party and forgot to invite the content.

Why the ad overload? Well, it’s all about the money. Networks rake in big bucks from advertisers, and those precious minutes are prime real estate. But here’s the catch: the cost of creating and distributing content must be less than the revenue generated. It’s the same dance every business does—the hustle of profit margins.

Back to Newsletters

Now, let’s talk media consumption. We all have 24 hours in a day (unless you’re a vampire, in which case, lucky you). Subtract sleep, and you’re left with 14 to 16 hours of media time. Some of it’s passive—like zoning out to Spotify podcasts. Other times, it’s active—like binge-watching a movie. And then there’s super-active mode: reading.

If you’re an advertiser, the first thing on your list is an active media where the user needs to be engaged in the content - are you paying attention? You also want places where your potential customers are. You want the customers that are most likely to engage with your ad and ultimately buy your product or service. This is why Newsletters are winning the day

Nothing more active than an a hot Newsletter hitting the inbox. It’s also targeted and the important part, it’s self-selected by the user. You have to subscribe. If we throw in better demographics, surveys and segmentation, it’s more valuable than website pageview.

So why Newsletters?

• Content creation is cost effective

• Distribution is efficient

• Advertising and sponsorship scales

More to come …