It’s a sad fact of life but sometimes we crave too much attention. Business leaders are no different. They are perhaps more worthy of attention than others since they are the ones putting their neck on the line to run a business. And of course, again, it’s human nature to want to be recognized for overachieving. Leaders will want to schedule interviews and new night pieces about them and their business. It’s okay to want to do these things as long as you’re not going to be consumed by your ego. In order to bring about these pathways into the limelight, traditional media has to give you a platform. New channels and newspapers come to interview you and you have to meet with their presenters and only give answers to the questions they pose to you. It’s a very controlled process which in reality, you have no control over. Even if you feel as if you have been able to speak your piece, the post-filming editing could create a totally different narrative to the on-location film you made with the media outlet. So why give so much control away of your public image?
Relevance and power
What is happening to the world of media right now is astonishing. It’s even more powerful than the dawn of radio. Traditional media is dying out. Fewer and fewer people are actually listening and or watching new broadcast networks. Their techniques of making broadcasts, having slot shows, bulletins and breaking news reporting is going down the drain. More and more people of all ages are expressing their lack of trust for the mainstream media. Unfortunately, bias has bled into the reporting of the narrative and now it seems like the media want to influence the way people think rather than just be a neutral force for good.
So what does all this mean for your business? Total freedom! You no longer have to beg and plead with the mainstream media to give you airtime or show you in a good light. YouTube is the world’s largest video sharing platform. Here you can make your own content of only the things you’re comfortable with. You can hire professional filming teams for video marketing who will conduct and record interviews with you. They’ll also shoot the business how you want them too, such as going around your factory or office. You can do voice-overs and when the editing is all done, they will even help your website Google page ranks to increase by using long-tail keywords.
Haven’t you started vlogging?
Business leaders are just people, or at least that’s how the majority of the world sees them like that. And the truth is, behind that sharp white blouse or pinstripe suit, you are just a normal person. The public wants to see what your day is like, they want to see the creative and analytical process you go through. How products evolve from the early sketches and ideas into something that is ready to hit the shelves is a fascinating journey. Showing people this by hiring a professional recorder or simply grab a handheld Ultra-HD camera yourself and record your day, will be beneficial in more ways than one.
First of all, you get humanized. Being in the news and spotlight is great, but more than likely you’ll be on pieces about the economy, subject matters and issues related to issues in your respective industry etc. However, when you ditch the old media and start becoming hands-on involved in new media, creating your own videos to share with the world, you can become more than a talking head. Your customers will especially get a front row seat and see why you do what you do. They might have previously disagreed with an update you made that changed a software product you sell. Giving people a perspective and the behind the scenes coverage of what you’re dealing with to make those decisions will enlighten them to see it through your eyes. Figuring out that it’s not so easy to improve a product and keep everybody happy, will lend you the viewer’s understanding and greater respect is achieved because of it.
It’s a major step for a business to shun the old media ways and culture. The media had a lot of power and control of public discourse. However their channels of reporting are becoming tiresome and meddling. Consumers are choosing to go online and look up issues they’re concerned about and become informed about them by themselves. Now is your chance to start your own platform from which you will not only have more power to shape your image, but a more powerful connection with your audience.
