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.co

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Ben May and Code Company
02:50 The Evolution of WordPress and High-Traffic Sites
05:57 Community Engagement and Comment Systems
08:55 The Shift from Social Media to Community Ownership
12:09 Working with Established Publishers and Creators
15:13 Headless WordPress: Pros and Cons
17:54 Case Studies: Media Operator and Substack Migrations
20:48 Building a Business Around a Platform
24:40 The Value of Ownership in Technology
25:31 Niche Success in Publishing
28:40 Innovative Media Strategies for Growth
30:57 Community Engagement and Passion Projects
34:07 The Future of Multilingual Content
38:20 Technical Approaches to Multilingual WordPress
46:04 Improving WordPress for Competitive Edge
48:08 Admired Publishers and Their Impact

Topics 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.