This post is part of a blog series called Media Myths based on my book Lean Media and some of the questions I get from people interested in the framework. To see the earlier posts, check out the myths archive.
Myth #5: Lean Media is only for big brands or large media companies
A successful Lean Media project doesn’t have to be national or international in scope. It just has to truly lead to media that resonates with audiences!
In the Lean Media book, I give many other examples of small-scale projects and local media creation. Lean Media can be used for designing a book cover or the contents of a news article, writing a new song, or creating a niche website for people interested in a certain topic. I use it frequently for my own publishing company, which is not large (one FTE, two PT workers, and outsourced design and production).
In fact, one of the great things about small-scale media projects that are developed with smaller teams and smaller budgets, is they can iterate more quickly based on audience feedback. There is usually a small team making the decisions, so things move more quickly.
However, many small teams or solo creators (such as an author) may struggle with recruiting test audiences. I have some specific tips for addressing that issue in the book, such as using “surrogate audiences,” which are audiences who like the same things that you think your audience will like.
Larger media companies have a tendency toward bureaucratic processes, including meetings and approvals that frankly can slow the team down and introduce harmful feedback loops from people who are not in the target audience. Using Lean Media in such environments may require a cultural shift, which as many corporate managers know is a very hard thing to do. The book also includes some tips on how to address adopting Lean Media in large companies.