Joseph Rako went from pouring pints in Fitzroy to founding RAKO Media, a Melbourne social media agency built on a contrarian bet: organic content beats paid advertising for most small businesses.

MELBOURNE, Australia - Joseph Rako was pouring pints in a Fitzroy pub three years ago. Today the 24-year-old runs RAKO Media, a Melbourne social media agency built on a position most of his industry won't say out loud: the majority of small businesses shouldn't be paying for ads at all.

"Small business owners keep getting told the only way to grow is to hand Meta a few grand a month," Rako said. "Short-form video reach is the closest thing to free attention a small business will ever get, and most of them are ignoring it because nobody profits from telling them."

Rako is part of a growing wave of Gen Z founders skipping the corporate ladder entirely, at a time when record numbers of young Australians are choosing to build businesses rather than climb one. His route ran through hospitality: bartender, then bar manager, then a stint at one of Melbourne's most respected social media agencies before launching RAKO Media.

He argues the bar taught him more about marketing than any course could.

"Hospitality teaches you what people actually respond to, face to face, every single night," Rako said. "Most marketers have never had to read a room in real time. That's the whole job."
RAKO Media now delivers content strategy, short-form video production and full organic social management for clients across hospitality, retail, professional services and consumer brands, from single-venue operators to multi-site retailers and B2B companies.

With advertising costs on major platforms continuing to climb, he believes the gap between businesses that build audiences and businesses that rent them will keep widening.

"Paid ads are rent. Organic content is equity," Rako said. "Every month spent building an audience is an asset you own. Every month spent on ads disappears the moment you stop paying."
About RAKO Media

RAKO Media is a Melbourne-based social media marketing agency specialising in organic social, content strategy, short-form video and creative execution for small and medium businesses. The agency works with brands across Australia to build audiences through content rather than ad spend. Founded by Joseph Rako, the agency operates from Cremorne, Melbourne.

Media Contact

Joseph Rako
Founder, RAKO Media
[email protected]
www.rakomedia.com.au