Startland News: Entrepreneurship is booming in Kansas City

It’s no secret that Kansas City is gaining traction as a hotbed for technology startups and entrepreneurship in general. Startland News, a digital publication, is not only giving a voice to startup businesses, but offers a platform for individuals, corporations and organizations that support entrepreneurship to be heard and to spread the news about innovation in the metro area.

Bobby Burch, Editor-in-Chief of Startland News, itself a startup, shared insights about the impressive growth of entrepreneurial business in Kansas City, particularly in the hardware and software tech sector, at a lunch meeting with Kansas City IABC’s Independent Communicators group.

Bobby is first and foremost a journalist. He learned the ins and outs of the trade at the Ottawa Herald and the Kansas City Business Journal, where he honed his reporting and electronic publishing skills. But he soon yearned to try something new and saw a niche opportunity that the mainstream media was not sufficiently covering.

In May 2015, he launched Startland News as a website and digital publication. Initially the goal was to grow profits by the traditional method of selling advertising space on the site, but that model has evolved to that of a nonprofit, under the umbrella of the KC Startup Foundation. Funding comes from various sources; major contributors include the Kauffman Foundation and the Polsinelli law firm, Bobby says.

Although based in Kansas City with a focus on the KC startup community, about 50 percent of subscribers are based elsewhere, with large pockets in St. Louis, Chicago, and of course, Silicon Valley, Bobby says. Startland News pushes out three new editions weekly and subscriptions are free.

Startland News was honored in April with a 2017 Cornerstone Award, presented by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City. The annual awards, which just celebrated their 30th year, recognize people, projects, businesses, programs, initiatives and events that drive economic development and growth in Kansas City.

“We aim to be a resource and advocate for innovators and early-stage businesses, but also serve as storytellers for the larger network of stakeholders in the entrepreneurial community,” Bobby explains.

Not just a cheerleader for startups, Startland News also covers failed businesses, mainly from the standpoint of lessons learned from the experience, he adds. “Sometimes it’s just cathartic to be able to talk about a business that started out as a great idea, but that didn’t succeed for various reasons,” he said.

For a free subscription, visit Startlandnews.com. For more on the impressive growth of entrepreneurship in Kansas City, see Bobby’s recent article, Kauffman report: KC startup momentum builds for 3 years running, improves national rank.

KC Studio offers discerning coverage of visual and performing arts

When the mainstream media decides to curtail coverage in a particular area, a golden opportunity may arise for a niche publisher to step in and dominate the market. That’s exactly what happened when the Kansas City Star mostly dismantled its arts and entertainment department a few years back in light of declining advertising and circulation revenues and the need to reduce staff.

KC Studio, a bimonthly specialty magazine that covers the arts, saw a chance to expand its coverage to include more serious, in-depth reporting and critique of the vibrant and growing KC arts scene, said Alice Thorson, Editor of KC Studio. Alice talked about the evolution of the publication, founded in 2008, and the ever-increasing depth and breadth of arts offerings in the metro area at a meeting of the Kansas City Freelance Exchange.

Breaking with tradition

Alice came on board KC Studio in 2015 with the charge of continuing to expand the editorial mission of the magazine to cover “what artists are saying and how it relates to the world, instead of the traditional focus on arts organizations and what they want to tell the public,” she explained. The result was an expanded publication with often lengthy and always meaty articles by experienced arts and entertainment writers about the movers and shakers who are constantly raising the bar in Kansas City.

At the same time, the magazine was divided into two distinct parts – at the front of the magazine the Editorial section, where Alice and the editorial team decides what is worthy of coverage; and paid Advertorial at the back of the magazine, where arts organizations can deliver their message to the public and can control the content because they pay for space in the magazine.

Performing, visual, cinematic and literary arts

The many arts organizations in the community accepted the change with good spirits, Alice said. “We told them we will cover them when they do projects that are worthy of coverage,” she said, and of course, many projects are deemed worthy. The transition from a focus on organizations to a focus on artists has proceeded very smoothly, she added. Editorial coverage encompasses the performing, visual, cinematic and literary arts.

At the same time the magazine shifted its focus away from coverage of organizations, it expanded its online presence, with frequent articles about current exhibitions and performances, giving the public up-to-date and relevant information that helps them decide what events to attend.

Online reviews by arts critics of current and past productions and exhibitions are easy to search and access, providing excellent resources for the discerning public. “Weekend Picks” by Alice help draw attention to worthy events and performances that might otherwise be overlooked. An active presence for KC Studio on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter provide yet more platforms for arts coverage, sharing and public comments.

As a controlled circulation magazine, a print subscription is free. Sign up at KCStudio.org.

Boost your site’s SEO ranking with rock solid content

If you think Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is all about having the right keywords on your web pages, think more broadly.

“Think things, not strings,” advises Jeremy Sterling, SEO manager for DEG, a full-service digital agency based in Overland Park, KS. Jeremy and colleague Meghan Nuckolls, DEG copywriter, talked about the present and future of SEO at a lunch meeting of IndyComm.

Smarter searching

Jeremy Sterling, SEO Manager

 Google searches are getting smarter, Jeremy says, so SEO is changing constantly. A string of the right keywords used to be a guaranteed way to boost your site’s search results position, but not so much these days. More sophisticated searching tools look for solid content, not just a string of words.

 “You need to speak your users’ language. What are people searching for?” Meghan advises. All content on your website should be informed by solid data and research, she adds. “Use data to craft your story and dig into the personas who use your website. Understand what they care about. Look at your website as a journey and each page is a door. What’s your user’s mindset on each page?”

Since content will live on a website for a long time, perhaps years, it’s important to review it regularly. “You need to be sure you’re speaking users’ language,” Jeremy advises, “and make sure your content is current and modern.” Create strong internal linking on your site in order to keep visitors consuming more of your content.

Meghan Nuckolls, DEG Copywriter

Study analytics

Gauge your site’s relevance by checking individual page views. When you find pages that are dropping in popularity, add stronger content to increase the value of the page.

Show, don’t just tell

If your website doesn’t offer short videos to pull in users, you’re missing out on an increasingly popular trend, Meghan and Jeremy say. A narrative video about a feature or service can hold a user’s attention for about 30 seconds, but a solid how-to video can engage viewers for up to four minutes. As a bonus for your site, videos are increasingly searchable, as long as you use good meta descriptions on your pages.

Sometimes less is more

Finally, the length of time a user spends on your site is not an accurate gauge of your site’s strength. When users can’t find what they want, they may spend considerable time, but then they bail and never return.

So, sometimes shorter is better. Find your best way to determine if users are getting the content they need. Again, research is the key – usability testing, surveys and analyzing your website statistics and trends.

Liven up communications with podcasts and video

With just a few electronic tools and some practice, you can create low-cost, yet high quality podcasts or videos for your business or your clients.

Roy Harryman, long-time KC IABC member and owner of Roy Harryman Marketing Communications, presented top tips at a KC IABC lunch meeting.

First things first

Start with the basics before you pick up a piece of equipment or schedule a recording session. Determine your objective, deadline, resources and the forum/medium you will use. If you’re absolutely new to creating A/V content, start with a podcast, Roy advises.

Podcast basics

Podcasts are more suitable to longer form content – 10 to 30 minutes – and allow your subscribers to multitask while listening – driving, exercising, etc. Podcasts spur subscriptions and are easily shareable. Subscribers receive an email notification when a new segment is available, so podcasts are low maintenance.

“Podcasts are a low entry point,” Roy says. “You can even use your smart phone to record a podcast, they’re great for camera-shy people and are low cost to produce.”

Audio recording tips

Be yourself, but the best version of yourself, Roy advises. Bring a little bit of zip to your delivery and if the podcast is more than just a few minutes long, enlist one or two subjects to interview. Present your interview questions in advance to your subjects and create an intro and an exit to your podcast, perhaps with catchy music. Record in a quiet place using a wired lapel microphone for your interview subjects and yourself. Edit your recording with Garage Band on the Mac or with a program like Adobe Audition or Audacity for the PC.

Stepping up to video

Although a bit more complex in production, creating a video can also be a low-cost venture, and you can even use a smart phone or tablet device to record. Always use a tripod, mic the talkers and use ample lighting when shooting footage. If you’re the interviewer and the camera operator, keep yourself out of the picture and audio and let the subjects do all of the talking. Supplement your interviews with B roll that you shoot on location and edit into the final version. It can contain interesting video, supplemented with still photos and slides to illustrate points.

As for editing, upload your video footage into a cloud-based service. Macs have a built-in video editor, while you can use Adobe Premiere or Sony Vegas for editing on a PC.

If this all sounds a bit intimidating, don’t let it be. “Push yourself to take a chance in an environment where it’s OK to fail,” Roy advises. Practice with friends and family. You might just end up surprising yourself and delighting your audience with your newfound audio and video talents.

Transform your print or online work from weak to wow!

To get noticed in today’s crowded marketplace, your message cannot be boring. The “special sauce” that makes it stand out from other messages is good use of clean, graphic design, says Chad Wagner.

Two approaches to make your proposal, marketing materials or website stand out are to hire a good graphic designer or design it yourself, employing tested and true design tricks.

Wagner, owner of chad wagner design, provided an overview of good design in a session with the Kansas City IABC IndyComm group.

3 factors in hiring a graphic designer: Portfolio, experience, rate

Expect to see 8-10 pieces in a designer’s portfolio that relate to your particular needs. Ideally, have another creative involved in the discussion. Ask the designer’s specific role in the portfolio samples and in the positions the designer previously held. Set job requirements and expectations up front, in order to preclude misunderstandings.

Establish if the designer charges by the hour or by the project. If design work is to be ongoing, ask if the designer will offer a reduced rate if you guarantee a certain number of hours per week or month. For hourly work, expect to pay between $50 and $100 per hour in Kansas City.

The do-it-yourself approach: Rock your visuals

• Tool box method

Collect all of your materials before you start designing – copy, logos, photos and other graphics. You’re a collector first, an editor later. Delegate this task to another team member if you can. Depositphotos.com and shutterfly.com are good sources for affordable, royalty-free stock photos. 

• Grid structure

It’s hard to go terribly wrong when you lay out your work on a well-designed grid. Grids add structure to a design and help maintain good proportions among the elements on a page. Google “print design grids” for examples you can download.

• Visual hierarch

Size matters. Emphasize your central point with larger text set in a pleasing arrangement. 

Shape counts, too. Set your key element in an eye-catching shape, say a circle, for emphasis.

A pop of color helps. Draw attention to your key message with a single spot of color in an otherwise black and white layout.

Consider your client’s style

When designing a piece that will go to a particular client, mirror the client’s look and feel as much as you can with colors and text. Larger companies often publish their standards on their website. In early meetings with a client, bring your design partners – photographer, writer, videographer, etc. – with you.

Top trends

Wagner recommends the following for further research on design trends and examples of good design:

How

Fast Company

Inc.