Why You Need to Think of Your Personal Brand as an Online Media Company

As an entrepreneur, you have a lot of different roles. Some of them you sign up for, and some you discover are part of the job. Sales, finance, marketing, and admin, are all things you are responsible for, whether you enjoy them or not. You might not realise this but you are also a media executive.

Every Youpreneur should think of themselves as an online media company. Not long ago the idea of having your own TV show with an audience of millions was something only the big networks could do. Now you can achieve this sitting in your basement.

Publishing a niche magazine was expensive. Now you don’t need a printed publication to share the latest news with your community, you can do it online.

Setting up a radio station involves getting a license and all kinds of other things but now you can create radio shows and broadcast them over the internet. Think about it: blogging is publishing, podcasting is having a radio show, and your YouTube channel is a TV station.

You have to show up

Alright Chris, I hear you say, you’ve made your point. How does thinking like an online media company help me? For starters, media companies have a plan for what they are going to put out each day, week, and month. Have you ever turned on your favorite radio station and heard silence?

Picked up a newspaper and seen blank pages? Or worse, found they hadn’t bothered to print a paper that day? No of course not. Being a media company means you go to press or broadcast day in, day out. Your audience expects the same thing of you. You have to show up.

That might feel like a chore. But it’s a wonderful position to be in. People want to hear from you. You’re their favorite person to hear from about your niche.

They are waiting for the next installment, wondering what your take on the latest industry happening is or what value bombs you have for them this time. If your content doesn’t arrive, they’re going to be disappointed.

You need to think like a media company: they have a clear idea of who their audience is, they have a strategy, and they have a content plan.

Let’s start with the strategy. You need a clear idea of what you are creating and what you want to achieve. Don’t start doing video because everyone else seems to be doing video. Do it because it is right for your audience and you have a clear strategy for how it helps your business.

Decide how often you’re going to put content out. Be realistic about this. Your content strategy needs to fit into your timetable and you also need to think about whether you need anyone to help you with it. For instance, are you going to edit everything yourself?

Think about the platforms you’re going to use, how you are going to market your content, and what you are going to talk about. This might seem obvious but by being really clear about the topics you are going to cover, your audience knows what they are getting and you’re not going to lose them by going off-message.

Once you know what your strategy is, you can plan out your content. What are you going to share with your audience? What do they need to know?

If you’re wondering what to talk or write about, then check out my blog on creating content your audience will love. A useful productivity hack is batching. Use this to line up your content ready to go so there are no last-minute panics about what you’re going to put out.

You are setting the agenda

Media companies have influence. That’s why people are keen to go on TV or appear in publications. Those magic words: “as seen on…” As a media company you have influence too.

You’re the go-to person in your industry, therefore you are driving the agenda. What are the hot topics right now? What do people interested in your field of expertise need to know?

You get to introduce the latest thinking. You signpost people to the material you think is worth reading or listening to. You’re talking to people your audience needs to know about. Your message influences the conversation. People will be buying books and following people because you have said they’re worth your audience’s time.

This means you have a responsibility. Stick to what you know. You need to give people your honest opinion. Help people to take action. Show them how things work. People are relying on you, lead them in the right direction.

Spread your message and widen your network

Being an online media company means you get to hone your message and spread it to the people who need to hear it. Don’t feel the need to copy what other people are doing. You are an original. Youpreneurs have their own knowledge, experience and personality to build on. That’s what people come to you for. That’s how you become somebody’s favorite.

If there is something new taking off and you don’t know about it in sufficient depth to speak as an authority, invite someone who is an expert to come on your show or write for you.

Guest spots are great for people trying to spread their own message. You both benefit from talking to each other, sparking conversation, and you both get introduced to new audiences by promoting the content.

Having an online media company mentality means you have to up your game. You need to be thinking about what it means to be an authority. Create a strategy for how you are going to build that authority to become a respected leader in your field.

Plan the content you are going to put out and how you are going to market it. By adopting this attitude you’ll get better at spreading your message to the people you want to serve.

Youpreneurs have their own knowledge, experience and personality to build on. That’s what people come to you for. That’s how you become somebody’s favorite. #Youpreneur Click To Tweet