5 Reasons Why Earned Media Builds Trust
Earned media is one of the newer content marketing must-haves. With the acceleration of social media and the increasing savviness of the consumer, earned media is one way that marketers can authentically reach their audience. Earned media is akin to word-of-mouth marketing. It happens when a third party mentions your company, products/services, or brand online.
An example would be someone posting a pic of themselves on Instagram wearing your logo, or someone writing a review of your business and sharing it on Facebook. There are, of course, many different ways to obtain earned media.
However, before you can begin to create a solid earned media strategy, it’s important to fully understand the benefits of earned media. One of the most powerful benefits is that it builds trust with your audience. And trust, if you follow the science of buying behavior, triggers action.
- Brand Recognition
Consumers have started blocking ads from their experience. Whether they put up an actual ad blocker on their computer system or they simply overlook them, traditional paid media doesn’t work as well as it used to. We’re just too used to seeing advertisements, and quite often we skip right over them as we’re experiencing social media or a website.
This means it can be really difficult to grab the attention of a new prospect. This is where earned media can help. When a friend or an associate or someone that you respect posts about another company, you pay attention. And when this happens more than once, you begin to have brand recognition.
The company Stitch Fix may be a perfect example. One person may share photos of their new Stitch Fix outfits on social media, and their friends see the photos. Some of them may sign up for the styling service. Then more people begin sharing their photos and the circle grows.
- Endorsements from Friends
Multiple studies and annual research papers have shown that people are much more likely to buy something when they have an endorsement from a friend. If a friend says, “hey this coffee is amazing,” you’re more likely to check it out than if you see an ad that says, “try our coffee, it’s amazing.”
- Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is when a social media influencer, a notable person in your niche, endorses or mentions your company products or services. For example, if Beyoncé says she really likes ABC Shampoo, the sales of that shampoo are going to go up. Influencer marketing is earned media if it is obtained organically. If you pay Bey to say she loves your shampoo, then it’s paid media.
- Organically Obtained (Not A Paid Advertisement)
Earned media is viewed and received organically. We tend to put more credibility into information that we find rather than information that is strategically positioned in front of us, like a paid ad. Consumers are more likely to trust the information and to act on it.
- Community Through Engagement
Finally, if you track your earned media and engage with the person who is talking about your business, then you’ll also begin to build a community of leads and customers. By engaging you’re tapping into authenticity and transparency. You’re showing your audience that you care and that you’re a real person. It builds trust and ultimately it grows your business.
What content can you create that will motivate people to share, comment, and talk about your business online?
Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278
