#MidsizeWednesday: Why Every Smart Midsize Business is in the Media Business

Patrick McFadden

By now smart midsize businesses are in the media business, but most aren’t thinking like a media company. When midsize businesses start to think like a media company they will reap the huge rewards that come from content marketing. And it can work for any midsize business.

Yes, even yours.

Here are a five characteristics of media companies that midsize businesses must adopt if they expect to make an impact, breakthrough the noise, reach consumers and change their behavior.

  1. Content: The most obvious characteristic is that media companies produce mass amounts of content. They are content machines with an “always on” mentality. It doesn’t matter what time a day it is or what the hour, media companies distribute content constantly.
  2. Relevancy: Media companies only provide content that’s relevant to those who are seeking information at a very specific moment in time.
  3. Recency: Media companies aren’t in the business of providing content that’s a few days, weeks or even hours old. The content is recent and in many cases, real-time.
  4. Omnipresent : Media companies are everywhere. They dominate the search results. Their content is shared across every social network. They produce videos, advertise and their journalists have personal brands which also feeds the content engine day in and day out.
  5. Agile (BUZZ WORD): Media companies move quickly. They have subject matter experts and contributing writers that are prepared to write about any topic at any time; and creative teams that can produce visual content at a moments notice. They aren’t held captive by approvals from marketing teams or lawyers.

Midsize businesses not only must be in the media business they must think, act, and operate like a media company. And the reason why is right in plain sight. There is a content surplus in the marketplace today and consumers have an attention deficit.

In order for midsize businesses to reach them with a value message, they need to create the right content, in the right format, in the right place and at the right time.

Question: What characteristic(s) would you add that are of a media company?

Forget “Perfect Workspaces.” Customers Want Perfect Installation Days — Here’s What Happened When One Furniture Installation Company Got That Right

By Patrick McFadden • March 31, 2025
1. The Challenge: VMI was like many service providers — positioning their value around what they thought clients wanted : “Office furniture installation and assembly — let us handle creating your perfect workspace.” But the actual buyers — facility managers, project managers, furniture reps — weren’t looking for “perfect workspaces.” They were trying to avoid installation nightmares . Their real priority? ✅ Great installation days. ✅ No chaos. ✅ No missed deadlines. ✅ No angry phone calls from clients. 2. The Insight: After conducting stakeholder interviews under our marketing strategy consulting engagement , the Indispensable Marketing team uncovered critical feedback: “We need installers who maintain a professional site and follow instructions.” “We lose relationships when installations go badly.” “I need quotes back quickly or I can’t sell the job.” This wasn’t just about services , it was about trust, problem-solving , and professional reliability . So we reframed their differentiators not by what they did, but how they showed up : Same-day project quotes Problem-solving on-site Update protocol with clients Professionalism guarantee Lasting Impression Insurance 3. The Shift: We shifted the positioning from vague benefits to real-world, emotional triggers : Instead of: “Let us create your perfect workspace.” Now: “Get the perfect installation day, every time.” That subtle shift aligns with who’s actually buying (and who feels the pain when things go wrong). The end-user may care about the workspace. But the buyer cares about the install . 4. The Lesson for Others: If you’re selling a service, don’t describe what you do. Describe what the client wants to avoid or achieve — and who the real buyer is. Then, systematize what you’re already doing well and give it a name. Just like our team did with: “Same Day Quotes” “Lasting Impression Insurance” “Reliable Presence Protocol” 5. The Outcome Within weeks of updating their messaging and positioning: The company reported more qualified leads asking the right questions Furniture reps began referring them because they were “easy to work with and made them look good” They were shortlisted for larger, multi-phase projects due to increased confidence in their process But most importantly, they stopped competing on price — because they weren’t selling perfect workspaces anymore. They were selling peace of mind on installation day.

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