Arturs Korolkovs Leading Media 24 into Its Next Chapter

(AsiaGameHub) –   To grasp the narrative of Media 24, one must first appreciate Arturs’ personal path. As the inaugural employee, he joined at the inception and was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the present-day company. Following a tenure as Head of Sales, he has now advanced to guide the entire organization into its subsequent phase.

This discussion will explore his progression from the first hire to Chief Executive Officer. We will cover his strategy for transforming Media 24 from a conventional affiliate into a contemporary digital ecosystem, his approach to internal management and empowerment, and the company’s preparations for a significant 2026.

How does a background as Head of Sales influence your perspective on the CEO role versus someone from a product or technical background?

A sales origin keeps your attention fixed on the end goal. An individual with a tech focus might become absorbed in perfecting details or incorporating features for their novelty. I don’t have that option. My priority is on initiatives that genuinely drive progress. Years of dialogue with partners have shown me precisely what generates revenue and what does not.

This has been the guiding principle at Media 24 since my start as employee number one. Move quickly, analyze the data, and refine successful tactics.

A sales background also fosters greater ease with the interpersonal aspects of the business. The CEO’s role extends beyond making choices; it also involves persuading the team to buy into a vision so they are motivated to follow. In sales, failure is certain if people lack belief in your message. I am simply transferring that same principle to this position.

As the first employee at Media 24, you handled everything personally. Now as CEO, how do you manage to step back and allow your team to assume leadership?

Initially, any task that required attention, I handled. However, a company cannot grow if one person controls every decision. My current responsibility is to provide my team with the tools and autonomy to lead.

We have a long-standing commitment to developing internal talent. For instance, we recently appointed our new Head of Growth and Head of Website Operations from within the company. Both individuals have been with us for years, have witnessed the company’s evolution, and have my full confidence.

I am not seeking individuals who consistently concur with me. I want experts who comprehend this business as thoroughly as I do, or perhaps more so. By promoting internally, I am assembling a team that shares the Media 24 mindset while contributing their own specialized viewpoints. My function now is to remove obstacles for them, enabling them to develop the products that will shape our standing in the industry for the coming years.

With constant core algorithm updates, how is Media 24 safeguarding itself against the instability of organic search?

You can never be fully protected from a Google update if your core strategy relies on deceiving an algorithm. If your efforts are dedicated to finding loopholes, you will perpetually be trailing the leaders.

Last year, we conducted a thorough review of our methodology and overhauled our product strategy. Currently, we are not constructing websites merely to achieve high rankings. Instead, we are developing platforms designed to be the definitive resource for their respective markets.

This entails significant investment in elements that are truly important to people, not just web crawlers. We are overhauling our content to deliver genuine value, intensifying our focus on user experience, and continuously enhancing the product itself. By prioritizing the end-user, strong search rankings become a natural outcome of our quality, rather than a temporary advantage we struggle to maintain.

Affiliates are typically viewed as “top of the funnel.” How is Media 24 attempting to capture more of the user journey after the first click?

It is accurate that many affiliates conclude their role at the click, but we perceive this as an overlooked chance. We recognize that attracting a new depositor is invariably far more costly than keeping a current one.

We are progressing towards establishing genuine communities around our leading platforms. A user may visit us for a particular bonus, but they are probably open to other offers or new products in the future.

To harness this potential, we are establishing points of contact beyond our website. We are developing a presence on social media and other channels where our users are genuinely active. If we can maintain visibility with the user in relevant spaces, then we are not merely directing traffic to operators. We are providing a far more loyal and valuable customer.

There are instances where operators terminate affiliate programs or reduce commission rates. How do you future-proof a business that relies on these partnerships?

Regrettably, this is occasionally an inherent part of the industry. One must acknowledge that these risks are present. For us, managing these changes is integral to forging lasting partnerships. You rapidly discover who your genuine partners are during challenging periods.

This is precisely why we dedicate considerable time to maintaining a visible presence. We participate in numerous conferences and industry events annually to interact with our partners in person. By remaining closely connected to the market and our partners, we can identify warning signs early and concentrate on operators who truly appreciate a fair, long-term relationship.

Is Media 24 considering diversifying its traffic sources away from pure SEO? Are PPC or social media traffic part of the 2026 plan?

In 2026, our strategy is to concentrate on our core strengths and what operators value most. SEO traffic remains the benchmark for quality in this sector. Achieving those rankings demands immense effort and patience, but the caliber of that traffic justifies the investment.

Concerning multi-channel expansion, it is a topic under discussion, and we are actively investigating how to extend our expertise into new niches. However, this will not occur within the current year. 2026 is a pivotal year for us due to the World Cup. All our focus, investment, and product development are currently directed towards ensuring our platforms are optimized for that event. We wish to avoid any diversions at this time.

The distinctions between affiliate, media company, and data business are becoming less clear. Does Media 24 envision itself moving beyond pure affiliate marketing?

I believe affiliate marketing is essentially a revenue model; it does not constitute an entire identity. Observing the most successful entities in our field today reveals that they have already transitioned into hybrid organizations.

We share that self-perception. We are a media company due to our team of skilled content writers and active social media management. We are a data business because deep comprehension of user behavior is essential for maintaining competitiveness.

The industry has changed substantially. The leading companies have adapted accordingly. At Media 24, we resist being categorized. We are a digital enterprise that utilizes an affiliate model for monetization. However, our true value is derived from our content, our product, our data, and our superior ability to connect with an audience.