How to be a digital media company: A primer in 5 steps

How To Be A Digital Media CompanyIn Five Easy StepsVictor Amani A Primer for Traditional Publishers

Why change? Why now? Keeping up with the Joneses – NOT a

good idea unless you’ve got cash to burn.

Market pressures – fine, but what if they abate? Will you ditch your Digital switch?

Transformation is possible, BUT you must pace yourself.

Why change? Why now? Traditional publishing value systems will

need to change. (Q: Do you have one, what is it anyway?)

Can’t slash and crash this like some sort of short-term project. Commitment. YOU Must Commit.

Step 1: So what’s the deal? Popular news brands NOT always

popular on the Web.

Few regular updates, long news cycles, too deep, not ‘spicey.’

Textual, monolithic content. Few visuals. Site flow – restrictive.

Step 1: Culture/ValuesThis Is YOU

Dreamers

Ambitious

Consensus-seekingIndecisi

ve

Restrictive

Reactive

Solitary Compar

tmentalized / Siloed

Secretive

Step 1: Culture/ValuesThis Is The Internet

Proactive

Utilitarian

Collaborative

Quick

CasualOblique (Random)

Creative Dynamic

/ In A Flux

Open

Q: Do you see THE GAPS? What should you change?

Step 2: Check your resources How popular is your brand? How’s your network? Local journos?

Deploy them to create a niche-player advantage.

Goodwill: Are you trusted, credible? Is your audience willing to pay for content?

Corporate buy-in: Are your corporate overlords even talking ‘Digital’? Convergence?

Q: What ELSE do you have going for you?

What assets/advantages can you leverage to turn your company into a DMC?

Step 3: What you need to do Change How You Work Urgency, speed, responsive reporting as

cultural values. Links to:

Decentralize Upskill, Empower, Step Back, Lead From

The Middle. The Web is a democracy. Everyone is an editor.

Step 3: What you need to do Share Plans, Tips, Strategy. Collaborate. Don’t be

resistant. Kill the silos.

Speculate To Accumulate Spend. Buy Up, Buy In, Take Risks. It’s how

Big Media gets into tech.

Q: There IS a LOT more you can/ought to do, so what else?

Step 4: When? How Soon? If you’re reading this you’re probably sort

of late already. So GO! Now!

Macro factors: Greater access to the net (12-15% of EA online), lower data costs, cheaper connectivity (cheap smartphones, Mi-Fi, unrestricted connection sharing).

Are YOU taking advantage of ALL this?

Step 5: Emergent Digital Strategy BANZAI! ATTACK

RETREAT

REGROUP ADAPT

DEPLOY