Earned, Owned, and Paid Media: How To Connect Them.

Owned Media.  This type of media refers to the web channels that are your brand´s property and is unique to it. Within these channels, you communicate with your audience, users, or subscribers. The brand is the one that has total power over what is published, when it is sent, and where.   Owned media includes:

• Websites.
• Blogs.
• Newsletters.
• Landing pages.
• Profiles.
• Social pages.

Paid Media. Paid media is content or materials that exist in a third-party space independent from your brand, through payment. This means that you decide to advertise in those spaces, investing your brand´s resources. This will help you reach a greater amount of people quickly if it is correctly executed (good segmentation, appropriate content, right media, and more that an expert can help with).   Some examples of paid media include:

• Ads.
• Affiliate platforms.
• Paid content.
• Pay per click.
• Remarketing.
• Retargeting.

Earned Media. Earned media is exposure or publicity gained from methods that do not involve payment. Essentially, this media is online word-of-mouth, or the organic exposure of your brand, which can happen through viralization or satisfaction and recommendation through your customers. An independent channel can be a free promotional medium for your brand. Brands can get earned media through:

• Reviews.
• Mentions.
• Social shares.
• Free influences.
• Guest posts.
• Media coverage.
• Recommendations.

Although the three types exist independently, it doesn´t mean they shouldn´t be connected to optimize your strategy. On the contrary, they must be connected, and here are some ways you can do it:

1. Amplify your owned media through paid media: If your company has created content on any of its Owned Media channels and wants to amplify its dissemination, you can use Paid Media to have a greater reach.
2. Use branded content: When creating content, make sure to think about it being distributed to third-party spaces. Create content that is linked to your products, brand, or services, with the thought of it being interesting for another audience that otherwise would not have been in contact with your company. This will allow you to get more exposure without paying sources, which would make it Earned media.
3. Aligned channels: You´ll need to align all your channels to deliver a consistent message, which is achieved through an overall cohesive image of your brand through all channels: same color scheme, message, tone, and voice.
4. Get your audience involved: The opinions of other people are an important element in converged media (using the three kinds of media in the same strategy). Boost your reach by producing engaging content, and grab your audience’s attention to share your paid, earned, or owned media.

  Do You Need Help With Your Content?  Content creation is a strategy that should be planned beforehand, tailored to your brand´s needs and objectives, especially when it comes to converged media. At Miss Ink, we are ready to help you with your content marketing strategy. Fill out this form to get started on your digital marketing journey.