John Yedinak on Finding New Verticals to Build B2B Media

John Yedinak, co-founder and president of Aging Media, joins Erik Torenberg to talk about his journey from the mortgage industry to building a powerful media company focused on the senior care sector. They explore the strategies for building a profitable media company in the B2B sector, the creator economy, and how traditional trade shows are being reimagined to engage audiences more effectively.

Listen on Spotify, Apple, and Subscribe on YouTube

Key Takeaways:

• Business media offers significant opportunities for growth and innovation.

• Expanding into different sectors requires careful consideration of market size, complexity, and potential for value creation.

• Partnerships with creators and talent can be complex, and finding a fair and mutually beneficial arrangement is crucial.

• Data collection and analysis are essential for targeting, optimizing, and monetizing business media. Selling the lifecycle of customers requires multiple products and the use of data to sell to advertisers.

• Lessons from Workweek include the importance of a consumer-focused approach to ad spend and audience funnel, as well as scaling and focusing on the right target audience.

• The creator-driven events business offers opportunities to disrupt traditional trade shows and create more engaging and valuable experiences.

• Paid communities provide a valuable peer group for entrepreneurs and professionals in various industries, and the paid model can increase engagement and value.

• Podcasting has potential for monetization, but it requires building a strong audience and leveraging first-party data.

• Growing a multi-platform business involves converting audience members into different channels and owning and monetizing first-party data.

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LINKS:
Aging Media Network: https://www.agingmedia.com/ 

X/ TWITTER:
@eriktorenberg (Erik)
@jryedinak (John)

TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(00:52) John’s journey from Mortgage Industry to Media Mogul
(05:17) Strategies for Growth and Diversification
(10:04) Building Vertical Media from Scratch
(14:46) Sponsor: Beehiiv
(15:56) Team Composition and Investment in Building a Media Empire
(18:21) Evolution of Business Media
(29:37) Investment and Growth Strategies in the Creator Space
(34:41) Data Collection and Monetization
(42:24) Leveraging Creator Partnerships for Event Success
(46:56) Potential of Paid Communities in Niche Markets
(51:10) Podcasting Insights and the Future of Media
(54:53) Wrap

This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at [email protected].