How to Get the Most from Your Earned Media
Earned media is one of the fastest growing marketing objectives being embraced by companies around the globe. Earned media differs from owned or paid media in that it’s essentially word of mouth marketing. An example would be when a customer shares a photo of themselves on Instagram or Facebook and they’re using your product in the photo.
As you might imagine, this type of marketing gives you a much wider reach. Your company is now being shared with users you may never have reached otherwise. It also boosts brand credibility and authority, drives traffic, and increases conversions. All in, earned media is worth your time and effort.
This is why it’s so important to leverage every earned media opportunity that you have. It’s great to get a mention on social media, but the value is stunted if you don’t take steps to boost that exposure.
Engage
Mentions, comments, likes, shares and more. Whenever you have any earned media, engage with the person. For example, if someone tweets about you, retweet their tweet. Thank them for the tweet and comment on their tweet. If someone mentions you on Instagram or Facebook, you can share their post, comment on it and thank them. Why do this? It shows that you appreciate your fans and customers. It builds a community and builds on all of those earned media benefits.
Add It to Your Marketing
Beyond liking and engaging earned media, you can pull it into your marketing strategy. For example, you might use comments found online in memes that you create and share online. You can add earned media to press releases, infographics, videos, and other content formats. Get creative and think outside of the box a bit. For example, you could even use the negative things that people say about you on a review site like an Australian bar did. They created a sign that listed the unfavorable comments shared on a review site with the tagline, “Come see why 7% of people don’t like us.” It grabs attention, right? And the negative comments, as they often are, can be funny.
The point is that you don’t want to let earned media slip through your fingers. It’s too valuable. When you receive mentions online, leverage them. Even if it’s only to say, “thank you for your comments,” you’re still sharing your appreciation and growing your community.
And if earned media isn’t a part of your current marketing strategy, it’s time to take advantage of this powerful, and relatively straightforward, marketing tactic. Use online word of mouth to grow your business.
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