Paid, Earned, Owned Media The Difference

Content is a broad term. However, it’s important to understand that there are three primary content types that can be used to support your content marketing strategy: paid, earned, and owned media. Knowing how to combine these three types of content is critical to the success of your online marketing. Here, we’ll look at the differences between these content types and how you can strengthen your online marketing by developing each type of content. The Differences Between Paid, Earned, and Owned Media What is Paid Media? In digital marketing, paid media is any form of advertising you pay for to promote your business online. You can use it to direct traffic to existing content and also to encourage earned media (see below). There are various paid techniques you can use: †¢ Social media advertising. †¢ Native advertising (advertising on third-party websites). †¢ Pay-per-click advertising, such as Google Ads. †¢ Display advertising. What is Earned Media? Earned media refers to any online publicity you gain from promotional efforts other than paid or owned media. For example, it happens when people talk about your brand on social media, or if a news site mentions your business. It could be the most valuable form of content because it’s the most trusted. Examples of earned media: †¢ Brand mentions on third-party websites. †¢ Reviews, recommendations, and testimonials. †¢ Shared articles and social media posts. †¢ Social media comments. †¢ Guest blog posts. †¢ A listing in organic search engine results pages. What is Owned Media? Owned media is simply any content that you have created or have control over. This type of content has three main goals: to engage prospects with valuable content, drive conversions, and build customer relationships. The primary forms of owned media include: †¢ Website content. †¢ Blog content. †¢ Social media content. †¢ Email newsletters. †¢ Gated content such as whitepapers. Amplifying Your Content with Paid, Earned, and Owned Media By combining these three types of media, you can strengthen your content marketing considerably in terms of engaging your audience and generating leads. Here are 10 common ways to use these types of content in your marketing efforts. Paid Media 1. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter Ads Paid promotion on social media is easy to set up, but it’s important to use the channels that are most appropriate for your audience. You can then target your posts based on user demographics, location, interests, or the device being used. Content promotion networks work by promoting your content on relevant third-party sites. You usually pay on a cost-per-click basis and your content appears as a featured snippet or link. As your content appears on topic-related sites, it’s less off-putting than traditional advertising and can be more effective. According to one study, consumers look at native ads 53 percent more than display ads. 3. Search Engine Marketing One of the most common ways to promote content is with paid search ads. Google Ads is the most popular, but you can do the same on Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines. Your ads will appear alongside organic search results and are based on search engine queries, so it’s an efficient way to get your content in front of your target audience. Earned Media 4. Reviews and Testimonials Reviews and testimonials are important for building your brand’s credibility. The right endorsement at the right time could be the social proof your prospect needs to make a purchase decision. Around 59 percent of consumers say user-generated product reviews affect their buying behavior. During the sales process, encourage customers to leave reviews on suggested sites and ask for positive testimonials to publish on-site. 5. User-Generated Content Encourage user-generated content by asking users questions about how they use your products and services. Hold social media contests. For example, ask users to submit photos using your product and offer a prize to the best entry. You can also use original social media hashtags based around a common theme or question. Encourage your audience to join in the conversation. 6. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) SEO is earned media because you can’t pay for higher organic search engine rankings. You have to earn your search rankings by delivering content that includes search terms you want to rank for. A large part of this strategy is on-page SEO, which means you need to keep your website content updated with relevant content and ensure your metadata is aligned with your marketing goals. 7. Guest Blogging Are you developing relationships with other organizations and websites? For earned media to be effective, you need to build connections with journalists, influencers, customers, and social media followers. These connections will ultimately lead to more content shares, mentions, and comments based around your brand. Reach out to other bloggers with content that shows your expertise and is also interesting to their readers. 8. Social Media Content It’s also important to reach your audience on the channels they regularly visit. Listening to conversations on social media will give you some great insights into your customers’ needs, which can help shape your content strategy. Post links to your top-performing content to drive more traffic to your owned media. If you post an infographic or image, include your brand’s logo so you get the credit when it’s shared. 9. Email Newsletters You don’t have to have years of marketing experience to get positive results from email marketing. There are various online platforms you can use to create and deliver compelling email content to your audience. You might pay for an email marketing service, but it doesn’t make it a â€Å"paid† channel. Essentially, you own your list of subscribers, and it’s up to you to encourage action with engaging content delivered to their inbox. 10. Gated Content Long-form content helps to build your brand’s credibility on particular topics. Think white papers, ebooks, and how-to guides. Consider â€Å"gating† your best content behind a form. This means users have to provide their email address to gain access to the content. It’s a simple way to add perceived value to your owned content and build your email list at the same time. Just remember to add clear calls-to-action to guide prospects in the direction you want them to go. A Healthy Balance Paid, earned, and owned media each have their own advantages. Paid media is more targeted, you’ll see immediate results, and the costs are predictable. Earned media can reach a wider audience and is the most credible. With owned media, you can deliver a more diverse range of content that you have more control over. The right balance depends on your industry, your budget, your goals, and how much time you have. A healthy strategy is to use them in harmony to enhance results. For example, you can share a blog post on social media and also pay to promote it so that it reaches a wider audience. This way, you may earn some extra views, shares, and links. Now you have owned, paid, and earned media working in unison. How can you use paid, earned, and owned media together to enhance your content marketing?