Why It's Critical For Every Business to Think Like a Media Company

You may not be running a media company, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't think like one.

In fact, a focus on publishing great videos, blog posts, and other content is the “secret sauce” for tons of successful brands.

Brands are the new publishers.

In a world where a lot of people feel like the quality of journalism per se has declined, devolving into poorly researched sensationalism…

Companies that sell products and services are now the ones that are creating and publishing some of the very best content on the web.

No matter what it is you're selling:

software, hardware, clothing, design services, or anything else you could possibly think of …

Modern marketing is all about content.

In a recent post on his blog, social media marketing guru Gary Vaynerchuck explains why thinking like a media company could be the key to your company's future success.

There is ZERO excuse not to be creating content around your brand, your product, your service or your business. If you don’t have something to say,document. It’s the advice I give to my entire community. Create a podcast, start a blog, do a Q&A show.

All of it works.

Show me your day-to-day process, interview your employees, interview your mom. Create a selfie on Instagram. Write three sentences about the news in your industry. Share and re-share other’s posts. All you have to do is start.

If you are thinking like a media company and or a publisher, then you are going to start prioritizing brand. And don’t get me wrong, no amount of marketing is going to sell a shit product. But brand is everything if you are trying to create a business of value.

The sad thing is that we’ve been growing up in a world, where for the last 70 years, every business has been selling to us, with every single word out of their mouth. And the reason for that is because they only had one right hook. It used to cost a lot to produce a commercial. It used to cost a lot to do a billboard. It used to cost a lot to do a radio ad.

But now in the modern digital landscape, you can produce SO much more content. You have access to volume while still maintaining quality.

This opportunity alone, has created an entirely new way of marketing to consumers. Instead of trying to sell, now you have the luxury of creating entertaining or utilitarian content as the gateway to the long term sale. This is the difference between building a brand vs being in sales.

This is the key. No sale required.

The content you produce doesn’t even need to be related to your product. You can post your favorite articles saying “these are the articles you need to read”

You can post about the weather, the news, your users, yourself! As long as you are focused on bringing value to the end consumer, you are going to build reputation and relationship.

For example, a plumbing service speaking about the Yankees game in a Facebook post isn’t going to confuse their customers into thinking they sell baseballs. But what it does, is it potentially connects a fanatic Yankees fan to use their service.

It also creates a culturally relevant piece of content that humanizes the brand and builds relationships. So not every word out of “Pat the Plumber’s” mouth is about 50% off sink repairs.

And lastly it provides a real and simple way for anyone, anywhere to begin creating content organically and easily for their product, service, business or brand.