Menu
You undoubtedly already know that an innovative digital marketing plan should incorporate paid, owned, and earned media to stay successful. But what exactly do such phrases mean? And how can you utilize each one to its fullest?
This article will concentrate on the last one, earned media, and how our made media guide will rethink how your business approaches customer attraction. But first, let’s define each word and explain how those three components interact.
What Do “Paid, Owned, And Earned Media” Mean?
Paid media seems straightforward. It refers to media (or advertising) you purchase, such as PPC campaigns, social media advertisements, print ads, and partnerships.
Owned media comprises your company’s platforms, such as your social media pages, website, blog, etc.
Your brand is in charge of both owned and paid media, which is a problem. For instance, you choose how to target your sponsored advertisements and how much money to spend on them. You decide what information to provide on your website and produce blog entries to distribute on social media.
However, earned media doesn’t put your brand in command. How do you obtain earned media, then? It’s just made, then. It’s what outsiders, like the media, influencers, and your customers, have to say about your brand—not because they’re being paid to, but rather because they’re so moved or intrigued by it that they want to.
Now, it’s simple to fall into the myth that if your business provides a high-quality good or service and often interacts with customers and other companies online, earned media will materialize. It’s feasible but improbable. It takes effort to make that coverage, perhaps more work than maintaining your paid and owned range.
The good news is that you may employ various marketing strategies to your advantage.
Here is our comprehensive Earned Media How-To Guide.
First, Though: Why Is Earned Media Important?
As we are all aware, social media fundamentally altered the advertising industry. Customers were demanding to see actual customers of the goods and services sold by businesses rather than picture-perfect models in ideal locations.
One of the characteristics of the connected customer is this. They are incredibly idealistic about the companies they engage with (expecting high levels of authenticity in addition to high-quality goods and services), but they are also quite picky. They can immediately recognize an advertisement and are likely to browse right over it.
Earned media is crucial since it doesn’t originate from your company and connects customers, even if sponsored and owned media are still vital components of your marketing plan.
Earned media also has value for SEO. Earned media from third parties—fresh content about your brand in the form of articles, tweets, reviews, etc.—can raise your brand’s “freshness” score and increase it in search results because Google rewards new content.
How Long Does Earning Media Take?
Earned media frequently results from previous marketing initiatives. Let’s say someone reposts your most recent campaign flyer or shares your most recent blog post. This is made media, yet it wouldn’t exist if you hadn’t first designed, produced, and published the material.
Let’s take the scenario where you are conducting a Facebook advertising campaign and want to track the number of clicks on your advertisement. Directly tracking the number of clicks on Facebook is possible, but it will not reveal if those hits were worthwhile.
For information on what transpired next, consult your analytics reports. Has anyone generated a lead? When they got to your site, what did they do? How much time did they spend there? Was there any bounce rate? These are just some of the questions you might ask yourself, and answering them will help you understand the value of the clicks.
How Does Earned Media Value Work?
Earned media value (EMV) is the total amount of money a company makes through additional publicity and advertising. Any marketing activity, including paid advertisements, free promotions, word-of-mouth, sponsored events, etc., can be included in an EMV.
This indicator reveals your business’s revenue from being cited on other websites or social media platforms where your message is spread. It includes any mentions that could lead people to visit your website and any sales that might directly result from such references. It’s critical to keep in mind that earned media value encompasses more than simply your company’s branding and messaging. Any references made by others in the field are also included. If another person claims good about your business online, that counts as earned media.
How Does Earned Media Value Work?
Earned media value (EMV) is the amount of money the company makes through additional publicity and advertising. Any marketing activity, including paid advertisements, free promotions, word-of-mouth, sponsored events, etc., can be included in an EMV.
This indicator reveals your business’s revenue from being cited on other websites or social media platforms where your message is spread. It includes any mentions that could lead people to visit your website and any sales that might directly result from such references. It’s critical to keep in mind that earned media value encompasses more than simply your company’s branding and messaging. Any references made by others in the field are also included. If another person claims good about your business online, that counts as earned media.
Not All Earned Media is Created Equal
Press releases, articles, blog posts, social media engagements, etc., are examples of earned media. This is fantastic since it aids in spreading knowledge of your company, item, or service. There are several things to remember, though. Don’t take it personally, for instance, if someone says anything wrong about your company. Most likely, you’re making every effort to maintain a positive reputation. And if you do manage to offend someone, say you’re sorry right away.
Final Impressions
Earned media is one of the most effective weapons in a marketer’s toolbox. It may reach a sizable audience at a fraction of the price of paid advertising. And in recent years, as more and more people began to ignore conventional advertising, it’s grown even more crucial.
Earned media is more important than ever, whether through a press release, a product release, or an influencer’s aid. You may even use it to increase sales by reaching out to new consumers and promoting your brand. However, obtaining earned media attention takes a lot of work. If you follow this advice, you can fast enough get more coverage than ever.
To learn more on how to leverage earned media, contact us for a helping hand!
