In this edition of Content Marketing Rockstars, we meet Sean Foo, the rockstar behind Dear Straight People, Singapore’s leading LGBT media platform.

A double degree graduate in Arts (Comms) and Accounting, he started his career as an auditor at a Big 4 audit firm before he left to pursue a career in digital media. Sean is currently a Content Manager at The Smart Local, where he has delivered campaigns for numerous household brands which include DBS, Capitaland, UOB, Sentosa, Scoot, Expedia, Singapore Tourism Board and the Ministry of Social and Family Development.

1. Give us an elevator pitch of Dear Straight People.

Dear Straight People is Singapore’s leading LGBT media platform that reaches over 300,000 people monthly and boasts a social media following of over 10,000 highly engaged followers on Facebook.

As one of Asia’s fastest-growing LGBT platforms, Dear Straight People has successfully run marketing campaigns for a diverse range of brands targeting the ‘Pink Dollar.’

2. What inspired you to start Dear Straight People?

As I started to come out to my predominantly straight social circle, I realised that misconceptions were rife as queer publications were only talking to queer audiences. So, I founded Dear Straight People to address this gap.

3. What do you do to stay inspired?

I follow almost every media publisher on Facebook, including some rather obscure ones. Quality content can come from any source, and I get a lot of inspiration from observing what others are doing.

4. What are some valuable insights you would give to businesses/organisations that are starting up or have been struggling with content marketing?

More often than not, it’s about who does it first, not who does it best. So instead of doing what everyone else is doing, find your niche and spot trends early.

It’s also important to be honest with yourself. It’s very easy to blame Facebook’s changing algorithm for poor engagement, but I’m still a firm believer that quality content can still stand on its own. So if the content that your company produces is barely getting any engagement, it’s important to acknowledge that something is wrong and that there is a need to pivot.

5. What do you think is the future of Content Marketing?

The oversaturation of content creators means that it’s getting increasingly harder for content to get people’s attention. Content now needs to be even more creative and provide higher value in order for it to stand out. Thus, ideation is more important than ever, and Content Marketers should no longer depend on safe and predictable content.

Facebook’s news feed algorithm change also implies two things. One, SEO is now more relevant than before. Two, organisations need to produce content designed to stimulate interactions among their followers if they want to get any engagement at all.

And since we are now living in a Trump era where everyone wants to be an activist, socially conscious content would be the best way forward (for now) to generate meaningful interactions.

6. What else are you passionate about?

Empowering the LGBT community and giving a voice to those whose stories can positively impact others was why I started Dear Straight People. So as much as I enjoy seeing my content go viral, I still am passionate about contributing to the community.

7. How can people connect with you?

They can drop me an email at sean.fcx@gmail.com or connect with me via LinkedIn, Instagram (@mrseanfoo) or Facebook.