Monetizing Content with Membership Platforms | Amir Shahzeidi from Uscreen

Ernesto Quezada: Pathmonk is the intelligent tool for website lead generation. With increasing online competition, over 98% of website visitors don’t convert. The ability to successfully show your value proposition and support visitors in their buying journey separates you from the competition online. Pathmonk qualifies and converts leads on your website by figuring out where they are in the buying journey and influencing them in key decision moments. With relevant micro experiences like case studies, intro videos, and much more, stay relevant to your visitors and increase conversions by 50%. Add Pathmonk to your website in seconds. Let the AI do all the work and get access to 50% more qualified leads while you keep doing marketing and sales as usual. Check us on pathmonk.com. Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Amir from Uscreen, head of demand generation with them. How are you doing today, Amir?

Amir Shahzeidi: Hi Ernesto, great to be here, thanks for having me on.

Ernesto: It’s great to have you on. And while I’m sure our listeners are tuning in, Amir, wondering what Uscreen is all about. So, in your own words, tell us a little bit more.

Amir: Uscreen is an all-in-one platform for creators looking to create a membership platform and offer community and branded apps all in one place. It allows you to build your own membership platform, community, and branded apps.

Ernesto: Really nice. So, for our listeners to get a good understanding of Uscreen, Amir, what would you say is the key problem that you guys like to solve for clients?

Amir: Uscreen as a product is really a white-label membership solution where creators can offer subscriptions for access to their content. It’s very much a Netflix-like catalog. That’s the base platform, but we also offer a built-in community similar to Facebook groups or Slack, integrated into the membership experience, as well as branded apps on mobile and TV devices. Together, they make up what Uscreen is as a solution.

Ernesto: Perfect. So then, would content creators be the only vertical that you guys target, or are there other types of ICPs you focus on as well?

Amir: I think “content creator” is a general umbrella term, but there are many types of content creators. Specifically, we also target streaming businesses, which can include entertainment companies as well as fitness, health, and yoga creators. It also includes any creators looking to create and launch a membership and community platform. But in each of these verticals, the ICP and persona are a bit different. The use cases vary. For instance, fitness or yoga instructors have different needs and features compared to streaming media services like sports or entertainment.

Ernesto: Awesome, great to hear that. So how would someone typically find out about Uscreen? What’s your top client acquisition channel?

Amir: For most of Uscreen’s history, one of our top acquisition channels has been search—both SEO and paid search. Our team has done amazing work building a solid SEO foundation with great content marketing. Virality is also another big channel for us. Our creators launch branded experiences hosted on Uscreen, and many times, their end users find out about Uscreen through their service. You see this kind of virality with many other SaaS businesses like Squarespace and Wix. Additionally, YouTube is a big space for us because many of our customers are YouTubers or regularly watch YouTube.

Ernesto: Definitely important. Awesome to hear that. And for our listeners tuning in, they can always visit you at uscreen.tv. What role does the website play in client acquisition, Amir?

Amir: As an online business, the website plays a massive role. It’s where people can learn more about Uscreen, discover the next steps if they want to explore, and access our case studies, blog content, or lead magnets to go through a nurture process, demo, or free trial. The website is usually one of the first or second steps in the customer buying journey. For instance, if someone watches a YouTube sponsorship, we want them to click on the link and go to the website—not only for tracking attribution but also to start their buying journey there.

Ernesto: Awesome to hear that. So talking about website and lead generation, are there any tools, tips, or methods you would recommend to our listeners?

Amir: One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned recently is the importance of website creatives, copy, and the offer strategy. It’s not just about listing a bunch of features. We need to talk to our audience in a way that resonates, capturing their interest while addressing their pain points and objections. Whether it’s the homepage or specific feature pages, we need to handle objections effectively and educate users. That has been a big unlock for us in the past year.

Ernesto: Interesting. Great insights, Amir. Let’s switch gears a bit and talk about you as a leader. As the head of demand generation at Uscreen, what are some key tasks you focus on in your day-to-day work?

Amir: As head of demand gen, I wear many hats, and my work changes day to day. Generally, I approach demand generation in a data-driven way. I set quarterly or bi-annual forecasts for our inbound pipeline and work on both inbound and outbound to ensure we have clear targets. I’m hands-on with SEO, content, and paid acquisition. I work closely with teams to set priorities and strategies to achieve our targets.

Ernesto: It sounds like you have a lot on your plate. So, in the times in between, how do you stay up to date with the latest trends and strategies in the marketing world?

Amir: I love LinkedIn. I’m not as active in creating content, but I do read a lot of others’ content on the platform. It’s probably my primary source. I also rely on networks and connections.

Ernesto: Agreed, LinkedIn is a great resource. Let’s move into our next section, Amir: rapid-fire questions. Are you ready?

Amir: Sure.

Ernesto: Great. First up, what is the last book you read?

Amir: I recently finished “The Anxious Achiever” by Morra Aarons-Mele. As a chronic anxious achiever myself, I found it very helpful.

Ernesto: Awesome, great read. Next, if there were no boundaries in technology, what would be the one thing you’d like to have fixed for your role as a marketer?

Amir: More data. I’d love to have a complete view of the entire buying journey—from awareness to becoming a customer. It would help us better understand what’s working and what isn’t.

Ernesto: Absolutely. If there was one repetitive task you could automate, what would it be?

Amir: It would be something related to data analysis. Data analysis takes a lot of time. If we had a tool that could pull all the data, analyze it, and show trends, that would be great.

Ernesto: Thanks for sharing, Amir. Lastly, you have a lot of experience, but what’s one piece of advice you’d give yourself if you could restart your marketing journey?

Amir: Honestly, I’d say just follow the journey and learn as you go. It’s all about failing, learning, and growing. I think that’s what shapes who we are.

Ernesto: Great advice, Amir. We’re coming to the end of our show, but before we finish, if someone forgets everything else from today, what’s the one thing they should remember about Uscreen?

Amir: Uscreen is an all-in-one membership platform for content creators looking to monetize and distribute content through subscription, offering community and branded apps all in one place. If that sounds interesting, check us out at uscreen.tv.

Ernesto: Awesome, you guys heard it—turn your videos into a subscription business at Uscreen.tv. Amir, thank you so much for being on with us today. To our listeners, thank you for tuning in. I look forward to our next episode of Pathmonk Presents. Thanks a lot, Amir.

Amir: Thank you, Ernesto.