What a newspaper tycoon from 1729 can teach you about content today

Before he was a Founding Father, Ben Franklin was a content machine.
In 1729, he bought The Pennsylvania Gazette, a struggling newspaper in colonial America.

He didn’t just write articles.
He used content to build trust, influence, and wealth.

Sound familiar?

Here’s how Franklin ran his media empire—and what creators and founders can steal from it today:

1. He controlled the channel
Franklin didn’t rely on anyone else’s platform.
He owned the Gazette and used it to distribute his ideas, shape public opinion, and promote his print shop.

→ Modern takeaway: Own your newsletter. Own your message. Stop relying on third-party platforms. Use social to grow—email to deepen.

2. He wrote under multiple personas
Franklin created characters like Silence Dogood and Busy-Body to share controversial or humorous ideas. This built curiosity, expanded his voice, and kept the public guessing.

→ Modern takeaway: You don’t need to reveal everything. Build intrigue. Vary your content tone. Speak to different sides of your audience.

3. He used content to promote his business—without selling
Franklin embedded value, wisdom, and wit into every piece. He didn’t hard-sell. He educated and entertained. His print shop flourished as a result.

→ Modern takeaway: Be the person people trust to learn from. Leads come from consistent value, not constant pitching.

4. He turned attention into assets
Franklin used his reputation to win contracts, build partnerships, and enter politics. The Gazette gave him leverage in every other arena.

→ Modern takeaway: Your content isn’t just marketing. It’s leverage. Position yourself as someone others want to work with—online and off.

Ben Franklin didn’t “go viral.”
He went valuable—again and again.

If he had lived in 2024, he’d be running a Substack, a LinkedIn ghostwriting agency, and hosting a podcast.
Instead, he built a nation.

Let’s take notes.

If you want to build a content empire like Franklin, you need a great profile and banger content. Sign up for my profile and content audit below:

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