Why Are You Here?

We hope it’s for the right reasons

I think it’s time that I go into a bit more detail about what we’re doing here on Guitar Business World and what the bigger Destination looks like for us.

First, I want to point out that we’ve begun the integration of more audio elements including Article Voiceovers. For the most part, these are audio versions of our post content where appropriate. While they may be verbatim readings of the post, they may not be. In any case, however, they are an integral part of the presentation.

Listen to the Voiceover for this article above.

While we’ve been podcasting in the traditional sense for many years, there are many other applications of audio content and we’re going to make use of those in whatever way it makes sense for us… and you. We’ll do our best to let you know where the audios are by applying our “GBW Voiceover” badge strategically. You can see an example of that in The Guitar Wall Story – Part 1. Much more to come.

The Art and Science of Being Different

After more than 40 years in this business (media, publishing, advertising, events, etc.), largely in the guitar-related world (but also in high-tech and medical), it’s hard not to feel at times overwhelmed by the enormous volume of information, products and service sources that are available to us. No need to elaborate on that. A question I’ve been asking for years now is, of course, how do you stand out? How do you make a difference?

My point of view is that most media efforts across the broader spectrum tend to be much the same.

In Episode 72 of Guitar Business Radio called The Pros and Cons of Standing Out, I talked about this on a 13-minute show about 5 years ago. You might find it interesting. It’s still relevant.

Those questions, however, absolutely apply to what we’re doing right here on GBW today. How will we stand out? How will we differentiate ourselves from literally thousands of other platforms. And what kind of value will we bring to our subscribers?

My point of view is that most media efforts across the broader spectrum tend to be much the same. Not all in the same way, though. If you want to bifurcate the example, on one side you find the tried and true, basically mainstream approaches which can yield longer-term sustainability. On the other side are those who are trying to be as radically different as possible to get whatever attention they can generate, even though in many cases it will be short-lived.

With that simple (but not the only) example in mind, our goal is to find the sweet spot in between. That means more unique and different approaches than the common mainstream. We seek creative and sometimes provocative presentations that capture attention but convey a message that translates into genuine interest and value. This in turn needs to compel action that completes the circle with benefits for us. That’s what we hope for… the big win/win.

How do we do this?

Part of the answer is… with your help! I’ll get to that in a bit. But the key factors are up to us. We are a hybrid business publication focused on virtually anything guitar related. That gives us wide latitude in the topics and information we bring to you, although it is always through a business-focused lens of one form or another.

Our audience is not limited to business owners or managers. It includes artists and enthusiasts who might often be considered consumers because there is a business aspect or relationship that exists for all of us in the guitar-related universe. Our job at Guitar Business World is to connect the dots in that realm in a useful, interesting and valuable way.

You’ve probably already noticed that our editorial mix is different. Since our launch in mid-May, we’ve already added well over 40 new posts of various kinds to the publication. But that’s just a small beginning. There’s much more in the queue but for now, we are trying to limit it to about two or three releases per week. We’ll see how that goes. It may be more later.

In the meantime, I said above that we could use your help if you’re so inclined. There are two primary areas where your participation would be immensely appreciated. Broadly defined, they are feedback and support.

Feedback

Your feedback can take many forms, either in the comments section or directly to us via email at guitarbusiness@substack.com. We’d like to hear your questions and thoughts, but also editorial suggestions or opportunities. Go ahead and take the step, we’re looking forward to it.

Support

We’ve just introduced some new subscriber options that will allow for expanded access to premium content and interaction opportunities, as well as incentives for helping us grow the publication. It’s all good. It’s all about the win/win.

We know that everyone is looking to monetize. We’re under no illusion that this part will be easy and it’s important that we earn your support. At the same time, it makes no sense for us to wait for some kind of imaginary critical mass to occur before we start the process. So, I hope that you’ll be among the few who will step up initially to be a part of this unique journey. We welcome you to the GBW Community.