I’ve written in the space several times about how those working in both radio and television need to start building their own digital projects as a fallback should the worst ever happen. But I’ve never really discussed who the best people in that lane are to emulate. But, I’m here to tell you that it’s Dave Ramsey and The Ramsey Network.
In the rise of independent content creators adopting platforms like YouTube, Rumble, Substack, or any other of the plethora of options these days, there’s one fundamental problem with that approach: You’re putting all of your eggs in one basket.
I understand that it’s hard — like, insanely hard — to build on more than one platform. And while I don’t think there’s much chance that YouTube or Substack will just up and wildly change the way creator are able to monetize their content on those platforms, it is never a bad thing to think of an alternative to the “Put all of your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket” theory.
Everywhere I turn, I see Dave Ramsey. TikTok, YouTube, in my podcast feed, on social media platforms like Facebook, X, or Instagram. No matter where I’m at, I see his content. That’s a valuable aspect to have, not just because it proves algorithms work, but because you should want your content to be as diverse as possible. Independent content creators need to be everywhere their audience is. Is that exhausting? Absolutely. But, like many other endeavors, it isn’t always the most talented or the most skilled people that find success. It’s those who persevere. Who outlasts the competition. The ones who never give up.
And, let’s be frank, if you’re going out on your own — like so many others have done in recent years — it’s going to be a difficult climb. But it doesn’t have to be that difficult! By repurposing your content, whether it be from podcasts to video, or from video to TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram Reels, there’s always a way to make one piece of content into dozens.
But, can you rely on YouTube or TikTok to be your only platform or only source of revenue? I’d argue that the answer to that is an unequivocal “hell no.”
Which is why I love the approach Dave Ramsey has taken to The Ramsey Network. Because it makes logical sense. Ramsey Solutions has done a phenomenal job in the social media space in getting the message of what Dave Ramsey preaches to the masses. Their content is everywhere. I shared this anecdote with folks at the company earlier this year when I told them that my wife knows who absolutely no one is. Recently, I had to explain to her who Buzz Aldrin was. But she knows Rachel Cruze, a Ramsey personality and Dave Ramsey’s daughter. Why? Because “she’s in my TikTok feed!”
The company has millions of followers across its wide array of social media platforms, with dozens of channels and accounts for users to interact with the content.
Despite all of that, they built out The Ramsey Network, a digital app to house all of the company’s content in one place. Why? Because it is future proof.
If YouTube makes some radical change to how creators monetize content, there are some who are going to be in a world of hurt. The same goes for Spotify, X, TikTok, Rumble, podcasts, or any other platform. Just last week, The Ramsey Show became available as a video simulcast on Spotify. Is that a necessity? No, of course not. When you think about being everywhere, though, you can’t ignore that podcast video usage on Spotify continues to rise. You have to be where the audience is at all times or you’ll get left behind.
Furthermore, it directly places all of your content in one spot. Content discovery is one of the major problems with digital media. Those in the podcast space say it’s awful, and those in the digital video space largely echo those sentiments. So, what’s the best way to ensure people find your content? You put it directly in front of them so they can’t miss it. I can’t think of a scenario where that’s a losing strategy.
It would be easy for Ramsey Solutions to simply just continue to put their content wherever they see an audience congregating, and find no need for The Ramsey Network. But when you use some foresight, something I’ve alleged many in the media space don’t often operate with, it is easy to see how such a platform and app could be a necessity in the future.
When you operate with conviction, which — even if you disagree with him — Dave Ramsey undeniably does, you do everything you can to make sure your content gets to the right people. But that also means having a metaphorical insurance policy against platforms that could act nefariously. Shouldn’t we all be at least a little concerned about that? Future-proof your media endeavors by being everywhere your audience is.
Now, I’m not saying go as far as to start your own app. Unless you have the means to do so, in which case, get after it. But I am saying be cognizant of the fact that you’re at the mercy of the whims of other platforms and the billion-dollar entities that operate them. Control what you can control, and build as many platforms and communities as possible.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
