The WP Minute

March 22 2024
It’s the WP Minute! 

Today we ask, “Who’s responsible for WordPress marketing?” 

Coming up next! 

Josepha Haden Chomphosy, Executive Director of the WordPress Open Source project, posted an idea that shifts the dynamics of the WordPress Marketing team. 

A call for a Media Press Corps. Also known as a Dramatic Shift.

It’s still too early to tell if this initiative will stick, so I won’t comment directly on the idea of a Media Press Corps at the moment. Stay tuned to this space as that story develops.

However, this shift begs the question, Who is responsible for WordPress marketing?

[Classified]

Let me TL;DR it for you first, as my boss at Gravity Forms Carl Hancock says, “It’s the entire ecosystem.” Something I agree with, and not just because he signs my paycheck. 

The ecosystem as a whole has always been the biggest driving force for WordPress adoption. Because WordPress is not a product first organization. It’s not a corporate entity. 

It’s open source software & community. 

Sure, it happens to be lead by Matt Mullenweg who founded the software, who also owns Automattic, can irritate us at times, but also pours a tremendous amount of resources into a project that we all enjoy. Still, doesn’t make WordPress.org a product first initiative. 

There’s no budget, there’s no access to crucial data, there’s no access to social channels, and the marketing team has no influence on the direction of the project. I’m sure I’m missing something else. 

How far could an official Marketing Team take it? An insurmountable task I wouldn’t want to take on. 

Which leaves the marketing of WordPress up to you and I: 
  • You’re an agency owner, you’re preaching to clients about the advantages of WordPress.
  • You’re a blogger, you’re telling people to own their own content & platform.
  • You’re a YouTuber, you’re teaching viewers how to use WordPress.
  • You’re a Managed WordPress hosting provider, you’re talking about how fast and scalable WordPress is.
  • You’re a plugin author, you’re selling on the idea that you’re making a good platform even better.
  • You’re a WordPress Media outlet, you’re informing, educating, and entertaining an audience.

Whether we call it a Marketing Team or a Media Press Corps, WordPress biggest marketing advantages — even in the face of Wix/squarespace Super Bowl ads — is us, like it always has been.

So tell me, how would you spread awareness and brand positioning for WordPress? Got a thought about a WordPress Media Corps? Hit reply and let me know.

Together with The Repository
Coming up in The Repository this week: We unpack the announcement that WordPress is getting a media corps and cover Do the Woo’s big move to WordPress.com. Plus, the latest on the upcoming WordPress 6.5 release.

Not a subscriber? Sign up at therepository.email for more on what’s happening in WordPress – and what everyone’s saying about it.

Important Links
It’s that time again! More link goodies for WordPress news!
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What is The WP Minute ?

The WP Minute brings you news about WordPress in under 5 minutes -- every week! Follow The WP Minute for the WordPress headlines before you get lost in the headlines. Hosted by Matt Medeiros, host of The Matt Report podcast.

It's the WP Minute.

Today we ask, Who's responsible
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Coming up next.

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Josefa Hayden Champosi, Executive
Director of the WordPress Open Source

Project, posted an idea that shifts the
dynamics of the WordPress marketing team.

A call for a media core.

Also known as a dramatic shift.

It's still too early to tell if this
initiative will stick, so I won't

comment directly on the idea of a
media core officially at the moment.

Stay tuned to this space
as that story develops.

However, the shift begs the question, who
is responsible for WordPress marketing.

Let me TLDR it for you.

As my boss at Gravity Forms, Carl Hancock
says, quote, it's the entire ecosystem

and quote, something I agree with and
not just because he signs my paycheck.

The ecosystem as a whole has always
been the biggest driving force for

WordPress adoption because WordPress
is not a product first organization.

It's not a corporate entity.

It's open source software and community.

Sure.

It happens to be led by Matt
Mullenweg, who founded the

software, who also owns Automatic.

Can irritate us at times, but also
pours a tremendous amount of resources

into the project that we all enjoy.

Still doesn't make wordpress.

org a product first initiative.

There's no budget.

There's no access to crucial data.

There's no access to social channels
and the marketing team has no influence

on the direction of the project.

I'm sure I'm missing something else too.

How far could that official
marketing team take it?

It's an insurmountable task
I wouldn't want to take on.

Which leaves the marketing
of WordPress up to you and I.

You're an agency owner.

You're preaching to clients about
the advantages of WordPress.

You're a blogger.

You're telling people to own
their content and their platform.

You're a YouTuber.

You're teaching viewers
how to use WordPress.

You're a managed WordPress
hosting provider.

You're talking about how fast
and scalable WordPress is.

You're a plug in author.

You're selling on the idea
that That you're making a

good platform, even better.

You're a WordPress media outlet.

You're informing, educating, and
entertaining an audience about WordPress.

Whether we call it a marketing team
or a media core WordPress, biggest

marketing advantage advantages, even
in the face of Wix and Squarespace

Superbowl ads is us like it's always been.

So tell me how would you spread awareness
and brand positioning for WordPress?

Got a thought about the
WordPress media core hit reply.

And let me know

together with the repository coming up
in the repository email this week we

unpack the announcements that WordPress
is getting a media core and cover

do the woos big move to wordpress.

com plus the latest on
the upcoming WordPress 6.

5 release if you're not a subscriber yet.

To the repository email newsletter.

What are you waiting for?

Sign up at the repository dot email.

That's the repository dot email.

For more on what's happening in WordPress.

And what everyone's saying about it.

Now it's time for those important links.

More.

WordPress goodies for you this week.

As I mentioned at the top of the episode,
Josefa Hayden Champosi introduces

the idea of a WordPress media core.

WP Umbrella is getting hit with
another widespread phishing attack.

Marcus Burnett ponders if we
have a versus problem, us versus

them, WordPress versus whoever.

WordPress 6.

5 is coming next week.

Here's what's new.

According to Courtney Robertson,
also see the WordPress 6.

5 source of truth quiz, coincidentally
posted at Anne McCarthy's blog, wordpress.

com now supports GitHub deployments.

Be sure to register for using the
site editor in production for clients

hallway hangout coming next week.

Product owners optimize your read me file.

According to Matt Cromwell, master
WP newsletter is shifting focus to

focus on just AI, no longer WordPress.

Uh, at least for a majority of the
time is seemingly what that email said.

I discussed WordPress media with
Jonathan Deadwood from WP tonic and two

new videos from yours truly this week.

Use the global block styles to change
your blocks everywhere in WordPress.

And then also the one big
update coming to WordPress 6.

5 that I'm super excited about.

Check out the links to those videos
in the newsletter or the show notes.