Every Business should be a Media Company

It’s been almost 2 weeks since the incident called the ‘Cat-astrophe at Shangri-La’ and the PR nightmare is not over. As of this writing, the one Facebook post decrying Shangri-La at the Fort and Pestbuster’s actions went viral, and as of press time has 12,000+ shares, 3,000+ comments, and 24,000+ reactions.

In an era of technology and social media, transparency is the new integrity as well as currency.

"If your organization’s intentions transcend the mere act of selling a product or service, and it is brave enough to expose its heart and soul, people will respond. They will connect. They will like you. They will talk. They will buy." – Gary Vaynerchuk

8 years ago, I started a social media firm which for various reasons failed. However today, I still encounter entrepreneurs/businesses still hesitant or struggling to understand social media. I still do social media stuff but solely for my personal brand (at some point it is tiresome to convince people not willing to be convinced).

Do you have any idea how the market has already changed? You may think that almost a decade ago, foreign companies receiving a backlash from consumers and the like communities was an isolated incident in the internet, should wake up now to this new reality.

Business is only as strong as its closest customer relationships, and what those customers say about your business beyond your four walls will in some way shape your future; and social media not only makes interaction with businesses intimate and direct, but it also amplifies it’s reach far more than you can ever imagine .

“Social media relationships and personal relationships work exactly the same way— you get out of them what you put into them. You can’t buy, force, or make them into something they’re not ready to be.”

Will You Become the Media?

In the modern digital landscape, you can produce SO much more content as you have access to volume while still maintaining quality. Ten years ago, it was very expensive to create, produce video or even live broadcasts but today, you only need a stable internet connection, and choose between facebook, youtube or other live streaming platforms with the use of a smartphone. The costs have gone down.

The content you produce doesn’t have to be related to your product. You can post about the weather, current trends or news, and people! As long as you are focused on bringing value to the end consumer, you are going to build reputation and relationship.

I truly believe this is the way to go in order to get serious about your content marketing efforts and attract your target audience, get them to subscribe to you, and ultimately create a loyal following. The evidence is overwhelming, consumers’ attention is on their phones and big brands are producing their own content to reach directly to consumers beyond the usual traditional content strategies.

The media ecosystem includes different kinds of companies: creators, packagers, distributors, service providers, and aggregators. Choose the type of media company you aim to be.

If you don’t start thinking like a media company and prioritizing brand along with content, you are going to lose. This is the way the world works now and this is why I’m a content creator.

I don’t intend to instill fear; I just want to help people understand why it’s important to at least not ignore our ever-changing market landscape and by extension, the world.

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