Sleeping on the Couch

The Desert of Arizona
Clear 50 Degrees – 7:19 a.m.

Here’s a small lesson in platform ownership and what can go wrong if you “build it” in the wrong spot.

A media platform is an asset that fuels the growth and success of your business.

If you build that media platform in a spot you do not own, you will run into trouble. Sooner, later, who knows? All I know is that you can count on it.

Let’s take Facebook as an example.

Just to be clear, you are Facebook’s PRODUCT. They have no interest in your well-being, your future, nothing. And that’s ok. You don’t have to get angry, just don’t be stupid. You can use these platforms, but you want to use them in the right way.

You use them to build YOUR platform. You don’t use them AS your platform.

Get it?

Ownership matters.

Each day, my Facebook feed is full of lewd garbage upon which Facebook grants its tacit approval by doing nothing to clean it up.

But when you show a picture of a baby being born, like my wife did (and will continue to do :), everyone decides to freak out.

So she got “banned” for three days. Mr. Zuckerberg’s minions decided to use their heavy hand and weed out “inappropriate” content. It seems empowering women is not on his agenda. Noted.

My wife and I share a common gene that makes us more than willing to say things others don’t, and to DO things most never will. I’m not patting myself on the back here. I didn’t do anything to get this way, I came like this. (Thanks Mom!)

But I digress…

The point is that others’ media platforms (like Facebook) exist with an arrangement where they basically allow you to “sleep on the couch” as long as you don’t ruffle any feathers.

At the first sign of trouble, they can say, “Get outta here!”

So don’t put yourself at risk like that.

If venture capitalists want to fund businesses like Facebook and use those funds to collect and aggregate an enormous amount of attention, by all means, leverage that.

But don’t think for a second that your invited guest status can’t be revoked at any time.

Build a media platform YOU own, that YOU control, where YOU can go to your subscribers at your discretion.

Siphon from other platforms INTO THAT.

Get it?

Create your media platform, and do it the smart way. If you need help, that’s what we do here with the Platform Lab.

Usually, the Platform Lab is a self-service affair. I provide feedback to your homework. For the next ten enrollees that go through it, I’ll ADD a private consultation at the end with me.

I’m trying to remove any possible excuse you could have for NOT building one of these media platforms.

In a day and age where trust and attention are at a minimum, you can’t “advertise” your way to becoming an Incomparable Expert.