Media paywalls provide a marketing opportunity for brands

A growing number of companies recognize that there is a compelling business need to become media companies.

Dell and Intel have online feature magazines. Google has become the publisher of a high-end print magazine. Best Buy has established a multimedia content channel. Airvana and UPS are among companies that have begun curating content for their audiences.

Being a media company once meant you produced, distributed or sold media; it was how your company made money. In the current media environment, though, organizations that earn their keep through other means need to think of themselves as media companies, too.

As the number of mainstream media channels through which companies can tell their stories continues to shrink, and the number of reporters at news organizations declines, you need to think about taking matters into your own hands in order to get your stories into the public consciousness.