What Is Earned Media?
In press and public relations, there are a few key terms that are used. One of those terms is “earned media.” It’s a term that many people don’t understand and with that, they’re unaware of the power of this type of media. So, let’s clear it up. In this article, we’ll take a look at the definition of earned media, provide a few examples of what earned media is, and we’ll talk about why it’s so effective for marketing your business.
What is Earned Media?
Earned media is essentially online word of mouth. It happens when someone shares a post that you’ve written. They’ve recommended or mentioned you online or they’ve included your company name or products in an article or review that they’ve written. Earned media is media that isn’t bought or owned by you.
What Drives Earned Media?
As you might suspect, there is some overlap between earned, owned, and paid media. For example, you might create a Facebook ad that is shared on social media by other followers. You could also publish a blog post, which would be owned media, that is shared by others on social media.
Content, by and large, is what drives earned media. If you have strong organic search rankings and a solid content marketing strategy, earned media increases. People enjoy sharing, mentioning, reviewing, and talking about great content and for them to find your great content, it must be readily available.
Examples of Earned Media
We’ve already shared a few examples. Earned media is shares, mentions, reposts, reviews, and other online efforts to promote you from a third party. You can boost your earned media through consistent content. Write a blog post, create an infographic, or issue a press release. Promote that content, make sure it’s valuable, and track the earned media you receive.
Why is Earned Media So Effective at Marketing Your Business?
Earned media means that you’re earning mentions, recommendations, reviews, and press from other sites. This is the type of media that drives new traffic to your website and gets people into the top of your funnel. It’s a key lead generation tactic.
How Do You Get Earned Media?
To get earned media for your organization, you need a comprehensive content marketing strategy. It needs to ensure that you’re producing valuable quality content across multiple channels – from blog posts to press releases, and everything in between. Visual content is more effective at gaining attention (and earned media) than print content without any visual interest. A solid SEO strategy that helps your content get good organic rankings is the next step along with a strong social media presence.
Earned media is a positive consequence of a solid content marketing strategy. It’s a benefit of putting in the work to know what your audience wants and needs. Start cultivating earned media and paying attention to the content that drives the most engagement. That’s where you refocus your efforts.
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