Ben May runs The Code Company, one of the most successful WordPress agencies in Australia. In this episode of the PublishPress Podcast, we discuss Ben's journey in the Australian publishing industry, the evolution of WordPress, and the importance of community engagement.Ben has tons of experience with scaling WordPress sites, particularly with comment and community systems. He believes we're seeing a shift from social media to owning community interactions.Ben's agency: https://thecode.coTimestamps:00:00 Introduction to Ben May and Code Company02:50 The Evolution of WordPress and High-Traffic Sites05:57 Community Engagement and Comment Systems08:55 The Shift from Social Media to Community Ownership12:09 Working with Established Publishers and Creators15:13 Headless WordPress: Pros and Cons17:54 Case Studies: Media Operator and Substack Migrations20:48 Building a Business Around a Platform24:40 The Value of Ownership in Technology25:31 Niche Success in Publishing28:40 Innovative Media Strategies for Growth30:57 Community Engagement and Passion Projects34:07 The Future of Multilingual Content38:20 Technical Approaches to Multilingual WordPress46:04 Improving WordPress for Competitive Edge48:08 Admired Publishers and Their ImpactTopics we covered in this episode:- Scaling WordPress for high traffic events was a major challenge.- Community engagement through comments can drive traffic and loyalty.- Publishers are moving away from social media to own their communities.- Established publishers often have a better foundation for community building.- Headless WordPress can add complexity without solving core problems.- Successful migrations from Substack to WordPress are on the rise.- Building a business around a platform is crucial for long-term success.- Publishers must be wary of relying on third-party platforms for their business. - Ownership of technology allows for flexibility and control.- Niche markets can lead to significant success in publishing.- B2B media can effectively serve specific audience needs.- Community engagement is crucial for media success.- Innovative media strategies can drive growth and revenue.- Multilingual content requires more than just translation.- Technical challenges exist in implementing multilingual solutions in WordPress.- Improving basic functionalities in WordPress can enhance its competitiveness.- Specialty media can foster strong community connections.- Passion-driven content can create highly engaged audiences.

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