Why Owning Your Content Platform Is Valuable
Lesson from the one-day TikTok U.S. blackout.
On Jan 19, U.S. social media consumers were met with the end of Tik Tok– or so we thought (it only lasted a day). We did have some fun with it tho (see below)
I never believed for a moment that the platform would be gone forever, if for no other reason than this media platform made too many people too much money — advertisers and creators alike. So in my mind, it was only a matter of time before platform access was restored.
This said one primary lesson resonated with me from this experience. As creators, we must own the platforms in which our content is distributed. Marketing thoughtleader Seth Godin has espoused this for years. Opting to distribute his daily blog posts on seths.blog for years. His site has the option to share his content via other platforms. His model, I have long thought about, but never done. But honestly, now maybe I will make the time. I have my own website in my own name, oliviafscott.com, and truly plan to begin publishing content there first.
And at a super bare minimum, if you continue to use third party publishers (likeI am doing with this Medium.com post right now), please let this ban be a reason to keep all of your content stored in secure digital storage — portable hard drives, just in case platforms go down or your website with said content is hacked and your don’t have a backup.
As we celebrate MLK Jr. Day today, we all think of freedom. Honor your freedom to create by considering owning the platforms on which your content is distributed. You can still use the other platforms, but do consider using your own website (with your own URL first), and using the other platforms’ audience to drive your agenda (vs the other way around). Just think about it.
Olivia is a C-Suite Marketing Exec, Author of 51 Brand Marketing Tips for Creators & Founder of Omerge Alliances & Freedom at The Mat. An NYU & Loyola Professor, she has led mktg at influential organizations such as Carol’s Daughter, VIBE, Live Nation, Ogilvy & more for 25+ years. A Native Memphian, now based in New Orleans, is a forever Harlemite (NYC) who travels extensively and blooms where she is planted.
