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There was a time when making content for your business's marketing was expensive. But with the advancement of technology, media equipment became available to the masses at affordable prices, making it easier to create content.

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The rise in social media’s relevance in our everyday lives also changed the marketing landscape. Now it is more convenient and affordable to reach a wider audience and stay in front of them through valuable, entertaining, and engaging content on social media.

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That is how Malka Media, the media company founded by Louis Krubich, our guest for this episode of Brilliant Thoughts, a SUCCESS magazine podcast, managed to penetrate the market. They also had the “luck” of getting the timing right. Over the last ten years, Malka Media has provided content creation and distribution services to brands across different industries, and they have managed to adapt to the changing needs of the times.

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Today, the entry point in the content creation market is highly saturated. “Everybody can be a content creator [nowadays]… but at the core of any strategy for any brand is content,” Louis shares.

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People who worked with them love working with them because they offered a true partnership. “It’s a one-stop shop, A-to-Z,” Louis says. “There's so many creators out there that have to deal with making the content, doing the edits, putting it out, engaging with the audience. When do they have time to truly be creative and be creators on what they do? We want to be able to provide that to them.”

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And they’ll be able to do that better with their recent partnership with MoneyLion, a public fintech company.

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Content Creation

According to Louis, the success of your content strategy lies in focusing on strategy and purpose. Malka's dedication to producing "content at the speed of culture" is one of the secrets to its success in a market that is extremely cutthroat and oversaturated.

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“How do we connect with the audience on a day-to-day basis, everywhere they live?” Louis says. Their business focuses on offering a network of creators to meet the content requirements of their partners. Malka’s in-house network of 200 creatives is composed of editors, graphic designers, motion graphics, talent, live stream departments, and a sales team to manage brand sponsorship and merch distribution. They also have studios on both coasts, and all cameras, talents, and equipment are in-house, allowing them to provide both content production and distribution services at a lower price.

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Above all, their strength lies in building strategies that align with the brand’s purpose and creating content that stays relevant to changing trends in their audiences’ cultures.

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“There’s value in understanding the why and getting that out,” Louis says, “and then, the content is pretty, pretty low budget.”

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Content is not just meant to entertain, but to inform, educate, and engage your audience as well.

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Distribution

When it comes to where you put the content you created, Louis’s advice is to develop your own channel and leverage already developed channels with their established audiences.

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Creating an app or building a website that belongs to your company is valuable—because you will always own them and can curate all of your content and engage with your audience within your brand. It is a long game, according to Louis, and “your channels will support your marketing strategy no matter what,” he says.

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However, there is also value in anchoring your content on other websites with a recognizable audience, like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

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Louis calls this “digital stacks,” and he defines it as “a content strategy that spiderwebs out into all of the platforms where all of the consumers are.”

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“I say this a lot to the team,” Louis shares, “It's tough to change consumer behavior.” The general population is used to going to YouTube or TikTok to search for videos and discover brands—and more people are going on social media for e-commerce.

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“If there's another platform that can deliver as many eyeballs and as much programmatic value, it could be additive to the formula,” Louis says.

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It is similar to distributing podcasts on multiple platforms like Spotify and Apple Music—distribute your content on as many platforms as you want, but make sure the content is created with the culture of each platform in mind. You can then activate (and deactivate) as many revenue streams as you require or are able to. 

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Advice to small business owners and brands

For smaller businesses or established businesses that are looking to grow their brand through content, Louis’s advice is, “You don't have to act bigger than you are.”

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“…you don't have to speak from the voice of all the other big brands in the space,” he adds. Instead, leverage the fact that you can engage your audience and form deeper bonds. As your business scales or grows, it becomes harder to have that intimate engagement with your audience.

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“Use that to your benefit, and don't get caught up in needing it all to look beautiful and commercial level,” Louis says.

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TikTok and YouTube, as well as, to some extent, Instagram, are good places to start when building a social media stack because they operate similarly to search engines. Since TikTok's algorithm favors new brands, they would have an easier time creating their channels there.

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Newsletters, blogs, and SEO are still relevant, but you need to build your distribution lists first.

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Facebook still converts heavily for brands, and paid ads have a lot of value, although his company personally doesn’t use them as much.

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Lastly, “for people just getting into this space, yes, just start doing it and start doing it consistently,” Louis says. “Cadence and consistency are the most important thing.”

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Follow Louis Krubich

Louis Krubich 

• Instagram: @louiskrubich

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Malka Media

• Website: MalkaMedia.com
• Instagram: @malkamedia

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