How the Next Audience Is Rewriting the Media Business Model скачать в хорошем качестве

How the Next Audience Is Rewriting the Media Business Model

In this episode of The Revenue Room™ Podcast, Heather Holst-Knudsen sits down with Billy Carney, Co-Founder of RocaNews, to explore how a next-generation media company built for Gen Z turned social attention into owned revenue and profitability. Launched in 2020 as an Instagram experiment, RocaNews has grown to more than 3 million followers and subscribers across social platforms, newsletters, a gamified news app, and YouTube. With a lean team of roughly 11 people, the company became profitable in late 2024 and quickly crossed $1M in annual recurring revenue, challenging long-held assumptions about young audiences, subscriptions, and media economics. Connect with Billy:   / billy-carney-02a041152   What You’ll Learn in This Episode 02:13 - Why Roca Exists & Product Approach Billy explains that legacy media didn’t resonate with young audiences due to bias and assumed knowledge. Roca’s Instagram “Quick Cards” provide short, digestible news bites with memes, making it accessible and engaging. 07:32 – Subscription & Gamified App Roca launched a gamified news app and a paid newsletter. The app incentivizes engagement through games, while the newsletter delivers daily long-form deep dives. Younger audiences are willing to pay for value-added experiences. 14:06 – Growth Strategy & Social Partnerships Roca scaled from zero to over a million Instagram followers through scrappy collaborations with niche accounts. Growth now leverages short-form video and Reels across Instagram and YouTube. 19:00 – Revenue Mix & Lean Operations Roca’s revenue is now about 60% subscription and video, 40% advertising. The model is product-led, minimizing sales headcount, and providing predictable revenue while keeping operations lean. 25:16 – Team & Community Building The small team handles content creation, video production, and growth. Billy discusses opportunities for online discussion forums and in-person events to build community among Gen Z readers. 33:28 – Lessons for Legacy Media Billy advises legacy media to engage directly with younger audiences and make news more transparent and conversational rather than preachy. Why Listen This episode is essential listening for CEOs and media executives who are: Rethinking audience growth in a platform-first world Looking to diversify revenue beyond advertising Exploring product-led growth in media and information services Trying to reach Gen Z without eroding brand trust Building sustainable, profitable media businesses in a data-driven economy About RevvedUP 2026 RevvedUP 2026 is where CEOs and revenue-critical C-suite leaders reset their growth playbook for the AI-first economy.📍 March 23–24, 2026 | The Vinoy Resort, St. Petersburg, FL. A two-day strategy lab focused on turning AI from cost center into growth driver. Learn more: https://www.accelevents.com/e/revvedu... About Heather Holst-Knudsen Heather Holst-Knudsen is Founder and CEO of H2K Labs and Revenue Room™ Connect. She is a recognized operator and thought leader in digital transformation, data, and revenue growth across media, marketplaces, and adjacent technologies. Connect with Heather on LinkedIn:   / heatherholstknudsen   About Revenue Room™ CXO Revenue Room™ CXO is a private executive community for CEOs and revenue-critical leaders shaping growth in the data and AI economy. Through confidential peer sessions and strategy sprints, members tackle real-world revenue transformation and enterprise value creation. Apply or learn more: info.h2klabs.com/apply-cxo