You may have heard of these three terms, or not. But if you have any kind of business-orientated website or social media, then taking a small amount of time out to understand the difference, and how each one interacts with the other, is vital.
Being Visible Is Key – Earned Media
What good is your website, if nobody is seeing it? Or interacting with it? That’s the point of ‘earned’ media. These are the re-posts, the shares, the comments, the re-tweets, the recommendations (etc) that bring your message to the attention of others. Anything with strong ‘viral’ tendencies, a kind of online word of mouth.
First-page organic rankings on search engines are a strong driving force towards earned media, placing you in a strong position for more shares and better engagement.
This is why a planned SEO strategy to get you there is crucial. Part of this strategy will entail regular content updates to your site with fresh, relevant information to engage the audience and encourage more sharing.
Obviously, blogs will be part of this, but don’t just be limited to the obvious. How about an informative ‘how to’ video or a webinar? Then there’s infographics, press releases or even an e-book. Again – this all has to be relevant to your brand and of value to your audience.
Owned media
Owned media constitutes any web ‘property’ that you own (or control). This will be unique to your business or brand and will include things like your website, social media channels, mobile site and even specific blog channels etc…
For most businesses, the website will always be the main focal point, where the majority of the business is seen to be done. But don’t underestimate the support that the other channels (or streams) can provide. They are all extensions of your brand and should all be treated with the same levels of consideration and professionalism.
Paid media
Treat paid media as a way to promote your content, which then in turn will drive earned media, and subsequently win you more traffic to your owned media too.
Opportunities for paid media include sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, which all offer advertising outlets to boost your content (and of course, your website).
Or have you thought about paying ‘influencers’ to share your links or tweets? If someone with thousands of followers shares your message, this will have a positive impact on the recognition and the reach of your information. According to a 2016 twitter blog post, 40% of users have made an impulse purchase, based on the recommendation of a Twitter influencer! Here’s a great link to help you start tracking down the movers and shakers in your industry.
There’s also the PPC (pay-per-click) method, which uses re-targeting, and is much more direct way to drive people to your sites. This will help increase traffic and conversion rates. Your ads will be placed alongside organic search results, encouraging people to click through to find more information on your business. You then pay the provider the fee per click. Think of it like a digital billboard – you pay for prime real-estate and this is the same – you pay for a prime placement online.
Summary
Each of the three elements has its own role and value, but a considered digital strategy should include all three for maximum efficiency. So in short think:
Earned media – sharing, mentions, re-tweets, reviews, reposts
Owned media – websites, mobile sites, blog sites, social media channels
Paid media (advertising) – display ads, pay per click, paid influencers, social media ads etc…
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