Earned media is news about you, your company, or your business that you did not pay for or make yourself. This kind of media usually comes from a third party or an outside source. However, ads, marketers, or brands can set themselves up for earned media branding.
Earned media could also be defined as the growth or spread of a business through natural or organic means. This type of content marketing works very well in getting your business in front of the right people, but it is also the hardest to get right. This post will discuss why earned media is important and how to get it for your business!
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What is Earned Media?
Earned media, or “free media” or “free publicity,” is any unpaid attention a business or brand gets from news media, traditional media, word of mouth, other channels, or officially earned through social media accounts. One of the best and least expensive ways to market is through earned media, which can be helpful for brands.
It is a free media channel, but for it to work, brands or companies need to get the attention of media brands, influencers, or fans. These people can help you reach their audiences, talk about your brand, mention your brand, and share your content. These days, content marketing, digital marketing, social media marketing, and other methods are used to get good organic media coverage, also known as positive earned media, unlike paid coverage.
Key Takeaways
- “Earned media” is when a brand or business gets free publicity through news outlets, word of mouth, and digital platforms.
- Utilizing the power of media brands, influencers, and fans to reach more people cheaply is a practical marketing approach.
- Earned media must be exciting and full of material people want to discuss and share.
- Content marketing, internet marketing, and social media marketing are all ways to maximize earned media.
Understanding Earned Media
There are three categories of media: paid, owned, and earned.
Paid media refers to anything that costs money, such as a sponsored post in a magazine, a social media advertisement, advertisements on display ad networks, or a paid influencer post. It is commonly found in print advertising, television advertising, and other forms of media.
Owned media refers to the content you generate or the distribution channels you control. Owned media outlets can include a blog post on your website, a social media post from your accounts, or an email newsletter booklet.
The third option is earned media, which differs from the previous two in that it is media over which you have no control. Some common examples of earned media include social media mentions when someone visits your shop, an unsolicited Yelp review, or even a reshare of your article.
This is how earned, owned, and paid media outlets differ. Some people include social media or shared media as a fourth form of media to separate the social media outlets.
How Earned Media Has Changed?
Earned media has evolved from an exclusive feature on television broadcasts, generally emphasizing new retail products, to a more comprehensive and diverse world in the digital age. It is now presented as an Instagram story by an enthusiastic concertgoer sharing an “unforgettable gig!” at a music venue, which has received a lot of likes and shares.
It is also an awful TripAdvisor review, which mentions “the dismal performance” at the same establishment. It is also an aspiring tech vlogger’s “Game-Changing Gadgets of the Year” YouTube video, which has received a lot of views and shares since the release of your innovative tech device.
What Earned Media Isn’t?
Earned media does not include self-promotional material or advertising expenses. For example, sponsoring a video review of your service on a popular YouTube channel is paid media, not earned. Similarly, publishing updates about your services on your company’s social media sites is considered owned media, not earned media, because these venues are directly under your control.
Understanding these differences is crucial for marketers who want to comprehend media engagement methods.
Why earned media is important for brands?
Earned media is essential for brands because it is a way to build trust and credibility with potential customers.
When consumers see a company featured in the news or on social media, they are likelier to believe it is a reputable brand. Earned media can also effectively drive sales and leads, as it exposes potential customers to your product or service.
Earned media is one of the most cost-effective forms of marketing available, and it can be mighty. A Nielson study found that earned media has up to nine times more impact than paid advertising.
Furthermore, 68% of consumers say they trust earned and paid social media ads, such as online reviews and recommendations from friends, more than any other type of marketing.
How effective is Earned Media?
Earned media is often more effective than paid or owned media, as it comes across as more credible to potential customers.
Paid media, such as advertising, can be perceived as biased, while earned media is seen as more trustworthy. Additionally, earned media typically reaches a larger audience than paid or owned media, making it more cost-effective.
Earned media can be highly effective for brands as it is one of the most credible forms of marketing. When a company or product is featured in the news, on social media, or on other channels, it lends it an air of credibility and trustworthiness.
In a world where consumers are bombarded with advertising messages, earned media can help your brand stand out.
Earned Media Examples
Earned media can come in many forms, including review sites, media coverage, social media shoutouts, search engine results, TV news segments, newspaper articles, tweets, and more. Below are a few examples of earned media:
1. Review sites
If you have a product or service that is being reviewed on a website or blog, this is considered earned media. This type of exposure can be extremely valuable for brands, as it provides potential customers with an unbiased opinion of your product or service. Earned media review sites include input from places like Yelp, Google My Business, TripAdvisor, etc. Fair and positive reviews help organically promote a brand.
2. Media coverage
This is also considered earned media if you are featured in the same news or magazine article. This type of exposure can be very beneficial for brands.
It can also help promote a brand organically through traditional media and digital and social media channels.
3. Social media shoutouts
There are strategies to help a brand when influencers or customers mention it on social media. Your user may have had a great experience with you and want to share it on social media. Or, your product or service satisfied a buyer who wished to recommend it. You may have posted something fantastic and relevant on social media that must be shared.
While brands can influence social media posts, they cannot control them. How your brand performs, how excellent your product is, and how interesting your content is are all things you can manage that could get you a shoutout on social media.
4. Search engine results
It occurs when your brand shows in the top search results for relevant terms. Web crawlers and search engines monitor your site’s content whenever you create it. Assuming a search query matches your content, you could rank first on SERPs.
SEO-earned media techniques allow you to organically optimize your brand presence to achieve a higher ranking on the web. They focus on keyword research and other on-site and off-site methods to maximize your brand, product, or service’s internet presence.
5. TV News Segment
It is one of the classic media venues that is used for earned content. If your company has achieved significant success in its field, it can still expect earned media as a 90-second news spot on a local TV news segment. This is the most classic form of earned media that still exists today.
Another example is a company that relocates its headquarters to another city and gives interviews to local news outlets about some of the new job prospects available.
6. Newspaper Article
Print and online newspapers share news that affects individuals locally and nationally.
Thus, like a story on a TV news segment, brands can let local newspaper articles tell about key news, developments, and job opportunities.
Is social media earned media?
Social media embodies a variety of media formats, including earned media, depending on the content’s origin and delivery channels. For example, a company-crafted tweet is owned media, but a consumer’s spontaneous endorsement or sharing on their feed represents earned media.
Is SEO earned media?
While SEO is not considered earned media, it impacts your content’s reach and visibility. Organic traffic is generated through intentional optimization, making it a derivative of earned media even though the original material is still owned media.
Tips for a Successful Earned Media Strategy
There are a few key things to keep in mind if you want to create a successful earned media strategy:
1. Create & maintain media relationships
Create a list of target publications or influencers from whom you want coverage.
Reach out to these publications or influencers and offer them an exclusive story, discount, or other incentives to write about your brand.
2. Create interesting & engaging content
First, focus on creating great content that is worth sharing. This could include blog posts, infographics, videos, or anything else that is interesting and informative.
Ensure your product or service is high-quality and newsworthy—this will make people more likely to want to write about or mention it.
3. Utilize all your distribution channels
Make sure you are active on social media and other online channels. This will help you reach a wider audience and get more people talking about your brand.
Monitor your online presence and track any mentions of your brand using Google Alerts or another monitoring tool.
4. Establish & demonstrate expertise
Your brand presence, product, service, and communications should show and establish your expertise and USP.
Track & measure your results so you can see what is working and what isn’t. Use Google Analytics or another analytics platform to track metrics such as website traffic,
5. Be amazing to your customers
Respond quickly and positively to any negative reviews or press coverage – this will help to improve your brand’s reputation.
Earned media can be an extremely valuable brand asset – but it takes time and effort to earn it. Following the tips above, you can create a successful earned media strategy for your business.
Here is a video by Marketing91 on Earned Media.
How to track & measure earned media
It’s essential to track and measure your earned media activity to gauge its effectiveness. There are a few different ways to do this:
Use Google Analytics or another analytics tool to track website traffic from sources such as press releases, mentions, or review sites.
Use a social media monitoring tool like Hootsuite Insights or Sprout Social to track how often your brand is mentioned on social media and the sentiment surrounding these mentions.
Set up Google Alerts for your brand name – this will notify you whenever your brand is mentioned online so that you can keep track of all the coverage.
Earned media is a valuable form of marketing, but tracking and measuring it is essential to ensure its effectiveness. The tools and tips above can help you do this easily.
How do you “earn” earned media?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question – every brand is different and must find its unique way to earn earned media. However, there are a few general things that all brands can do to increase their chances of getting covered:
- Engaging your fans and brand advocates to strengthen your relationship with the people who are talking about your brand
- Participating in industry trade shows can be quite useful, as more than 80% use live events in their content marketing strategy.
- Cultivating influencer marketing strategy by building relationships with industry leaders who have connections with your target audiences
Pros and cons of earned media
Pros of Earned Media
- Cost-effectiveness: Earned media is an affordable way to increase brand visibility.
- Reputation-building: It uniquely shapes a brand’s image by establishing trust and credibility in your target demographic.
- Extended reach: Earned media initiates a chain of engagement, which can increase your reach to a wider audience.
Cons of Earned Media
- Limited control: The most significant disadvantage of earned media is the limited control it provides to your organization.
- Potential Reputation Damage: Spreading unpleasant or erroneous information via earned media channels can ruin your brand’s reputation.
- Uncertain Return on Investment (ROI): Because earned media is unpredictable, it is difficult to evaluate its influence or determine the potential output from your efforts.
Conclusion
Advertisers and marketers desire earned media but do not always get it. Earned media demands an effective brand presence, and your techniques raise your chances of a positive outcome, not guarantee one.
Earned media is the most compelling and conversion-driven medium, so this must be done. When choosing between partnered, earned, and owned media, every firm needs more earned media to optimize regularly.
Following the preceding recommendations may help you acquire brand publicity. Earned media can help you stand out; therefore, it is worth the effort!
Finally, how well do earned media channels boost brand awareness, leads, and sales? Comment your ideas below.
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