DigFin died sometime last summer. But March 15 marks its third anniversary, and Digital Finance Media Limited is in the best shape it’s ever been.
The website launched on March 15, 2017 as a news site dedicated to fintech in Asia that would create the authority and visibility to help my then-partner, Chris Ryan, sell consulting services. This didn’t work and Chris exited the business in mid-2019. We also lacked the track record and resources to sell traditional B2B media sponsorships.
The good news was the audience continued to grow and the feedback on our stories was encouraging. I had to change tack. Instead of working to help a partner’s sales activity, I began selling my own content service directly to clients.
For a traditional journalist used to having a sales team handle such matters, this required a shift in attitude. But the commercial value of B2B media has changed. What works for both a journalist and for a client-facing creator is publishing stories that are high in quality and relevant for the audience. That’s a good place to begin.
Right now, with the coronavirus, webinars are hot. But DigFin provides video scripts, white papers, articles, and anything else to support a firm that wants to say something about fintech or innovation to support their own business goals.
Initially I assumed this would be an honorable transition to freelancing, and some of the work I do now is just that. It turns out, however, that many clients want the DigFin identity along with the content. DigFin is another distribution channel with an engaged audience (the average time people spend on the site is quite high). Co-branding also gives the content a little distance from the client’s own corporate marketing. Authenticity, you might call it.
After more than two years in commercial limbo, DigFin now has a value proposition as a media site and a content agency combined. The challenge now is how to make this repeatable, so it becomes a business that can scale, without sacrificing the quality of the journalism. That will require building a small team, which in turn needs seed money and partnerships.
That means a lot of hard work lies ahead, but it’s worth it because growing both the media and agency sides will benefit clients and readers alike. Plus it’s fun being part of the fintech community and building a brand that people enjoy. Happy birthday, DigFin!
Thanks to a few “friends of DigFin”: Kelvin Fok at MCIT has been my patient I.T. provider. Noel de Guzman has provided emergency design assistance. Charles Edwards at The Media Village has produced some of our videos (the good ones). Charles D’Haussy remains a contributor with his Block Kong series of profiles.
As ever, a shout-out to our clients, who have been great to work with. But the biggest thank-you goes to DigFin’s newsletter readers. You are inundated with content choices, yet you have chosen to make DigFin part of your day. Here’s to a new year of providing you with valuable insight into digital finance, fintech, and digital assets.
