Storiad Company Profile

Background

Overview

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Pasadena, California, Storiad is a technology company specializing in book marketing solutions for authors and publishers. The company's mission is to empower authors to effectively promote their books by providing comprehensive, user-friendly tools that streamline the marketing process. Storiad's vision is to democratize book marketing, enabling authors of all backgrounds to reach their target audiences efficiently. Operating within the business/productivity software industry, Storiad has established itself as a significant player by integrating advanced technologies into the book promotion landscape.

Key Strategic Focus

Core Objectives

Storiad's primary objective is to offer a centralized platform where authors can design, build, and manage their book promotion campaigns. The company focuses on providing tools that address common challenges in book marketing, such as setting realistic sales goals, reaching target audiences, and managing time constraints.

Areas of Specialization

Storiad specializes in developing interactive book marketing technologies and databases that enable publishers and authors to engage, inform, and entertain their target reading audiences. The platform offers features like campaign management, contact databases, and financial projection tools tailored specifically for the publishing industry.

Key Technologies Utilized

The company leverages a robust tech stack, including Amazon Web Services for cloud hosting, Cloudflare CDN for content delivery, and various analytics tools to enhance platform performance and user experience. Additionally, Storiad incorporates AI-driven capabilities to provide personalized marketing assistance to authors.

Primary Markets Targeted

Storiad primarily targets independent authors, small to mid-sized publishers, and literary agencies seeking efficient and cost-effective book marketing solutions. By offering customizable tools and resources, Storiad aims to cater to the diverse needs of the publishing community.

Financials and Funding

Funding History

Storiad has undergone several funding rounds to support its growth and development:

February 2015: Completed a seed funding round.

March 2017: Secured an additional $50,000 in seed funding.

June 2017: Raised $44,250 through an equity crowdfunding campaign on StartEngine.

Notable Investors

The equity crowdfunding campaign in 2017 was facilitated through StartEngine, a platform that connects startups with investors.

Utilization of Capital

The funds raised have been allocated towards enhancing the platform's features, expanding the media contacts database, and integrating AI-driven tools to provide personalized marketing assistance to authors.

Technological Platform and Innovation

Proprietary Technologies

Storiad has developed several proprietary tools to assist authors in their marketing efforts:

Marketing Plan Wizard: Generates customized book marketing plans, including timing and budget parameters.

Author Website Builder: A drag-and-drop tool to create and launch customizable author websites with unique URLs.

Book Publicity Media Database: A database of over 47,000 verified book publicity contacts, including publishers, journalists, and influencers.

Email Messaging Integration: Manages marketing and publicity outreach from a single platform.

Financial Tools: Calculates a book's worth, estimates revenue from royalties, and generates Title Profit & Loss Statements.

Public Profile Author Page: Creates shareable author profiles that appear in search engine results and are visible to non-registered users.

Significant Scientific Methods

Storiad employs machine learning algorithms to analyze market trends and provide authors with data-driven insights for their marketing campaigns. These algorithms help in identifying target audiences, optimizing outreach strategies, and predicting sales performance.

Leadership Team

Executive Profiles

Ramzi S. Hajj: Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer. With an MBA in economics from the University of Chicago and prior experience at Ernst & Young, Hajj leads Storiad's strategic vision and overall operations.

Nathan Tyler: Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer. Tyler oversees the technological development and innovation of the Storiad platform, ensuring the integration of advanced features and tools.

Competitor Profile

Market Insights and Dynamics

The book marketing industry has seen a significant shift towards digital solutions, with an increasing number of authors and publishers seeking efficient and cost-effective platforms to promote their works. The market is characterized by a growing demand for tools that offer comprehensive campaign management, audience targeting, and performance analytics.

Competitor Analysis

Storiad operates in a competitive landscape with several notable players:

Meltwater: Offers media and influencer targeting tools, enabling users to manage and measure data-driven PR programs.

impact.com: Provides a platform for managing affiliate partnerships, focusing on performance-based marketing strategies.

CisionOne: Delivers a communications cloud that allows users to target journalists and influencers, engage audiences, and measure earned media value.

Afluencer: Connects brands with influencers, creators, and ambassadors, facilitating partnerships for product promotion.

Newswire: An online press release distribution platform that helps businesses increase online visibility and web presence.

While these competitors offer various marketing solutions, Storiad differentiates itself by providing a platform specifically tailored to the unique needs of authors and publishers, integrating tools that address the entire book marketing lifecycle.

Strategic Collaborations and Partnerships

Storiad has established partnerships with various entities within the publishing industry, including book publishers, literary agencies, bookstores, retailers, writing conferences, book review websites, bloggers, writing software companies, and literary events and festivals. These collaborations aim to provide authors with the support and resources needed to succeed in their marketing endeavors.

Operational Insights

Storiad's strategic positioning focuses on offering a comprehensive, user-friendly platform that addresses the specific challenges faced by authors in book marketing. By integrating AI-driven tools, extensive media contacts databases, and customizable marketing plans, Storiad provides a distinct competitive advantage over more generalized marketing platforms.

Strategic Opportunities and Future Directions

Looking ahead, Storiad plans to expand its technological capabilities by further enhancing its AI-driven features and analytics tools. The company also aims to grow its media contacts database and explore additional partnerships within the publishing industry to provide more value to its users. By continuously innovating and adapting to the evolving needs of authors and publishers, Storiad is well-positioned to solidify its role as a leader in the book marketing solutions sector.