To me, it looks an awful lot like the crackdown procedures of the MPAA and the RIAA on the movie and music piracy scene. It does signal the perilous situation in which these organizations and their business models are. They are looking to make money from a changed world in a way that only worked in the old world. They’re trying to change the world instead of changing their business model.

Copying of content, piracy of audio and video, and music services on the web are not bad. It’s even a form of flattery. Apparently, it’s worth using and consuming. Attacking these practices and services is essentially also attacking the one they should be aiming for, consumption. They’re running their business into the ground while under the impression that they’re saving it.

Protecting the future by killing the now doesn’t work.

However, the importance is focus. By focusing your content on a handful of platforms that meet your content distribution criteria, you take (back) control of your content. Understand how each platform contributes to your social media goals and objectives and select the appropriate ones. The power of social media is that your users will spread your content to other platforms for you.

Focus on the most valuable tools. Take control of your content. Let social media do your work.

Opportunities will come and go, but the ones that you capitalize on should feel natural to you and the people you work with. One company executive told me about his bad experiences after the company bought themselves into certain markets only to find out that they had opened very expensive cans of worms. They forced the issue and are paying the price right now. Moreover, they’re stuck with a more difficult decision: continue and try to battle through all the complications that have now arisen—or—divest in the new activities and cut your losses? Neither is a desirable outcome and the experience will be an expensive lesson.

Don’t force the issue. Go naturally.

He also mentioned “protecting the future”. Every major business decision and business activity was made based on the protecting the future. Many companies capitalize on opportunities in the here and now, generate massive amounts of buzz for a certain (short) period of time, or are focused on quick wins. The question remains, however, whether these initiatives contribute to setting a company up for long-term success.

Using the “protect the future” mantra helps you analyze opportunities and make conscious decisions.

Are your initiatives focused on protecting the future?

In the same way, social media can be seen as a blend of various diverse technologies, such as publishing platforms, social networks, web applications and search. Being a proficient social media practitioner requires mastery of multiple disciplines.

Are you a black belt? Go through the various social media disciplines. See where you can sharpen your skills to improve overall performance.

Traditional media, such as TV stations and print publishers, are seeing consumption decline as consumers choose consume their content from a more diverse set of channels. Traditional media agencies, such as advertising agencies and PR agencies, are scrambling to keep up and justify their value/existence/involvement. Sometimes, the old business models won’t work in this new day and age, sometimes the talent isn’t available to deal with new media forms or the current regime is reluctant to change or in denial about the consequences. None of these are good reasons to continue “business as usual”. The world is changing and it requires a new approach.

Start preparing yourself to cope with the evolution of content.

This is roughly the basic layout for a press release:

• First paragraph: Provides answers to the questions who, what, where and when
• Second paragraph: Elaborates on the why and the how
• Third paragraph: Adds more context/history to the press release subject
• Fourth paragraph: Contains quotes from involved people
• Fifth paragraph: Provides some additional (non) essential information

It’s all very elementary but the advent of a more consumer-powered media culture makes the press release seem old-fashioned. While press releases are sent to the media, the media aren’t the target audience. The consumers are and the media are only a channel.

There is a case to be made for renaming “press releases” to “community releases” that spark both consumer (community) involvement and interactivity. People will have questions about your press release. Why not open up a channel towards them and start the dialogue with them? This might sound like more work, but think of it this way: you can focus a large part of the conversation to a single point, a single point that you control.

Empower your consumers to talk to you. Empower them to talk about you.

Where does the good old travel agency come in? Nowhere, really. Some may have their own websites where they provide a similar search service, but the fact is that any human involvement can be cut to zero.

Of course there will still be people who prefer to visit a travel agency. Some travel agencies will continue to exist, but they only do so because they differentiate themselves by offering more than being able to find the best deal for a customer. They offer knowledge and expertise in a special area, like adventure travel, or specialize in a particular niche/audience.

Differentiate. Improve your skills and knowledge, if only to prevent being replaced by a machine.