Hey, its Tony.

You know that 'like' on your latest post?

It may not mean they like you. Not that much anyway.
It means they liked a thing you did, for a second, before a fresh cat video caught their attention.
Social followings aren’t “owned”, they’re rented. And Zuck is a fickle landlord.

How do you transition from tenant farmer to online Media Barron? Let's get into it.

Today we cover…

  • Owned Real Estate: Do you own or are you Algo-renting?

  • Is Alex Hormozi an “Influencer”: Matt McGarry doesn’t think so…..

For all the Creators going Places…if you haven’t joined the FREE One of One Community - Sign up here…

Own Your Digital Future: A Creator's Guide to Platform-Independent Assets

Sorry! Your Instagram followers aren’t following you.

Brutal as it may be…the people who “like” your content don’t necessarily like you.

If you wanted to invite a couple of them to hang out and eat a burrito, you couldn’t. Do you know any of them?

Unless you have a direct connection with your audience, those fleeting interactions are the digital equivalent of them walking past your front yard and waving to say “Hi”.

Social media followings are not really followings - they are loose affiliations.
How many people that you “follow” do you “follow”.

That type of audience is vulnerable and potentially fleeting - one click of a tech billionaire’s fingers and…..gone. Truly owned assets remain steadfast and within your control. If YouTube shuts you down and you don’t have an email list, 99 out of 100 people won’t search for you elsewhere. But with an email list, you can reconnect directly at your leisure and convenience.

Even if you’re not shut down, you can reach out directly to people and deliver a message straight to their inbox whenever the mood compels you.

What are the things Creators can "own" in the digital space to make sure their followers aren’t like those “friends” who drink the beer at you party but disappear before it’s time to pick up bottles off the front lawn?

Here are 7 key assets giving Creators independence and direct audience access across digital real estate and broadcast assets:

  1. Email List: The crown jewel of owned broadcast assets. Your email list is platform-independent, algorithm-proof, and provides direct access to your audience's inbox. Unlike social media followers, you can export your email list and take it anywhere. Additionally, email marketing consistently delivers the highest ROI among digital channels.

  2. SMS List: A wisely used list of Mobile Numbers gives you near-perfect SMS open rates and immediate audience access. Use it sparingly for your most important announcements and offers.

  3. Communities: A hybrid broadcast medium / digital real estate. A Skool community, or a dedicated community platform is a valuable asset. Owning the space where your audience connects with each other helps build strong relationships and high engagement. Communities often become self-sustaining ecosystems that generate significant value. Instead of broadcasting from a virtual stage, you OWN the room.

  4. Newsletters: A powerful hybrid asset that combines content ownership with direct distribution. Unlike social posts that disappear into the algorithmic void, newsletters create a searchable archive while maintaining regular audience touchpoints. A growing audience engaged in the right content can be a valuable asset.

  5. Customer Database: Owning detailed data about your audience's preferences, purchase history, and engagement patterns is invaluable for creating targeted offerings and personalized experiences.

  6. Digital Products: Courses, ebooks, templates, or software you create belong entirely to you. When sold through your channels, you keep 100% of the revenue and maintain direct customer relationships.

  7. Websites & Blogs: Your digital home base. A website you own and control serves as your permanent online presence, unaffected by platform changes. Showcase your work, collect email addresses, and sell products without intermediaries taking a cut.

The critical advantage of you owning these assets?

Control.

And Direct Connection.

Owning the relationship with your audience shields you from platform mood swings or algorithmajigging. You can communicate directly, test ideas, and monetize on your terms.

Building owned assets takes time and consistent effort, but the investment pays dividends.

More effort for longer periods compounds and blesses you with:

  • Higher conversion rates (3-10x better than relying on social platforms)

  • Better audience insights

  • Increased revenue per customer

  • True business stability

  • Deeper connection and relationship development

Email lists are the best starting point to build other owned assets and expand your online “Empire.” It’s not about abandoning social platforms, just using them strategically to funnel audience members into your owned channels.

The future of creator businesses lies not in amassing a mob of casual followers, but in building genuine connections and giving people a reason to want to hear from you directly on your channel.

What can you do about it? 👇

IMPLEMENTATION

  1. Have a think about your “owned” assets vs your “rented” audiences online

  2. If you have an email list, think about how to leverage that to build more value for your audience and for yourself.

  3. Pick something to build and start slowly working at it. Starting a Skool Community is easy to do and Beehiiv makes it really easy to start a newsletter.

If you want to chat with people about building online assets, sign up to our FREE Community for Deal Making Creators.

CONTENT I LOVED THIS WEEK

Alex Hormozi built one of the largest OWNED MEDIA COMPANIES on the Planet. Matt McGarry’s recent X post, nails the analysis….

"This is what people get wrong about Hormozi: He's not a guru or an influencer. He's a MEDIA founder who's built one of the largest media companies in the world.."
- Matt McGarry

Until next time…
Stay One of One,

Tony M

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