Think of earned media, owned media and paid media like a tripod. Each element is an important part of the whole and all contribute to a complete digital marketing strategy.
Â
Earned Media
Earned media is publicity or exposure gained from methods other than paid advertising.
If owned media sites are the destination then earned media is the vehicle that helps people get there. What good is a website or social media site if no one is seeing or interacting with it? That’s where earned media comes in. Earned media is essentially online word of mouth, usually seen in the form of ‘viral’ tendencies, mentions, shares, reposts, reviews, recommendations, or content picked up by 3rd party sites. One of the most effective driving forces of earned media is usually a combination of strong organic rankings on the Search Engines, and content distributed by the brand. First page rankings and good content are typically the biggest drivers.
Owned Media
Owned media is any web property that you can control and is unique to your brand.
One of the most common examples of owned media is a website, although blog sites and social media channels are other examples of owned media properties too. Channels like social media and blogs are extensions of your website, and all three are extensions of your brand as a whole. The more owned media you have, the more chances you have to extend your brand presence in the digital sphere.
Paid Media
Simply put, paid media is marketing you pay for. Holistically, it is used to promote content in order to drive earned media, as well as direct traffic to owned media properties.
Paying to promote content can help get the ball rolling and create more exposure. Social Media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn offer paid media advertising that could potentially help boost your content as well as your website. Another way to gain more exposure for your content is to pay influencers to rep your products or services, impacting the reach and recognition your pieces receive.
Â
Write below your Earned Media, Owned Media and Paid Media