493: Build an Online Business Through Content, Marketplaces, Feedback and Customer Education with Bernie Thompson

Bernie Thompson has founded 5 companies, including the global electronics brand Plugable. He's also the founder of Efficient Era, a company that helps other companies sell on Amazon. He's an engineer and inventor with 4 patents. And he considers marketing his greatest weakness. He explains to us that his business has thrived without traditional marketing, but instead through content marketing (YouTube) and high traffic marketplaces. His company's 1-2 published videos per week solve common problems, market specific features, and educate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuYc8P9Y_78 Quotes:                                                                                                                                    “We don't know which of the videos are going to catch fire. You'll post a video and think, ‘Oh, that's so informative,’ or ‘That's so clever,’ and it just ends up being a dud—no one reacts to it.” – Bernie Thompson “If you're selling a product right now in the United States, you have to be on Amazon—and that's a big part of what we do.” – Bernie Thompson “We try to have different employees in the company empowered to do videos, and we don't put a lot of gatekeepers in front of them.” – Bernie Thompson Takeaways: 03:44 Marketplace platforms like Amazon can be a powerful channel for businesses to reach customers without heavy traditional marketing investments. 05:50 Content marketing through targeted, solution-focused videos can effectively showcase product capabilities without overwhelming viewers with technical features. 08:47 Building a successful online business requires consistent content creation and adapting strategies based on audience feedback and data. 18:07 Empowering employees to create content across different styles can help maintain engagement and provide diverse perspectives. 22:14 Solving internal business challenges can lead to creating valuable software tools that can be marketed to other businesses facing similar problems. Resources Plugable (USB and Bluetooth Devices) Efficient Era (Tools for Amazon Sellers)