The future of Digital Media can be fun as well as scary.

Fun, if you’re comfortable with software-as-a-service and creating experiences that everyone can participate in;

Scary if you just want to live in the analog media world and have control over the content and times that audiences watch and listen.

If you’re a Christian technology entrepreneur this is an exciting time because you see the opportunities to build great new media platforms for the gospel.

For any visionary plotting out his roadmap, there is a wealth of insights to light the way.

Here are eight favorite principles for Christian Digital Media startups to apply as a guiding light:

Have a clearly defined market segmentation. There is a reason why advertisers pay more for targeted marketing channels, it’s because targeted customers and marketing produces a higher ROI.

Relevant content reigns supreme. Provide people with something they want to consume and share. How useful is a shiny app without meaningful content?

Start with a minimum viable audience. In the startup we are currently working on, the target market is broadcasters and churches using media. We will work with a few to test our digital syndication network and how it can be used to reach and attract an audience. Their feedback and actual insights into how the end user will interact with the content and platform will enable us to make smarter development decisions.

Focus on cost effective marketing strategies. Word of mouth, buzz, blog, viral, grassroots, brand advocates and social media marketing can be inexpensive and highly effective.

Find the smartest people and defer on domain expertise. When choosing partners or members of the leadership team, the key is finding people that are smarter than you on specific topics.

Increase revenue while keeping expenses low. This allows a young enterprise  to get off the ground and profitable as soon as possible. It is feasible for many software startups that can scale through technology.

Make people happy by providing solutions to problems. Don’t forget to add classic business principles to new technological & social changes. Aaron Shapiro, CEO of a global digital agency, reminds innovative, free-thinking leaders of a bedrock principle – a business is only successful when customers find its solution worth more than the price tag or the time and effort required to solve it by themselves.

Intentionally surrender the business to God. Wayne Grudem says that business itself glorifies God when it is conducted in a way that imitates God’s character and creation. The way you allow Jesus to lead through you can be a critical part of how you impact lives for eternity. This is the one guiding principle that holds all the others together.