Earned Media: Maximizing Your Brand's Organic Reach

Earned media and public relations (PR) are closely related but not the same. Earned media is organic exposure from third-party entities, while PR encompasses broader activities to manage and foster a brand’s public image.

Earned media is unpaid publicity gained through organic means like reviews and word-of-mouth, while unearned media, or paid media, involves direct payment for promotion, like advertisements and sponsored posts.

Paid social media is content promoted through advertisements and sponsored posts, while earned social media gains traction through organic engagement like shares and comments without direct payment.

An earned media plan involves leveraging PR efforts to generate buzz, reaching out to influencers and journalists, hosting events, and encouraging organic publicity like reviews and social shares.

All right, welcome back everyone ready for another deep dive. Today we’re tackling something that can be super powerful, but also kind of tricky to master. Earned media. It’s a bit of a buzzword, isn’t it? Yeah, I feel like I hear it everywhere these days, but honestly, I’m not always sure what people really mean by it. Well, at its core, earned media is all about, well, earning it, right? Okay, that makes sense, but how is that different from like paid advertising or just posting on your own social media? So think of it this way, paid media is like, you know, you’re renting a billboard. You’re paying to get your message out there. Own media is like decorating your own storefront. You have control over the message and how it looks. Gotcha. But earned media. That’s when someone else is talking about you. They’re recommending your product, sharing your article, or raving about their experience with your brand, and you’re not paying them to do it. So it’s like word of mouth, but on a bigger scale. Exactly, and that’s why it’s so valuable, because it comes from a place of authenticity. People are more likely to trust a recommendation from a friend, a family member, or even, you know, a stranger online than they are to trust a paid advertisement. Right, because there’s no incentive for them to say nice things unless they actually mean it. Precisely, and that trust, that credibility, that’s gold for any brand. So basically you’re saying that with earned media, your audience becomes your marketing team. In a way, yes, it’s about harnessing the power of organic buzz, getting people excited about your brand, and letting them spread the word. Hmm, that sounds amazing in theory, but honestly it also sounds kind of, well, out of your control. Like what if people start saying bad things about your brand? That’s a valid concern, and to be honest, one of the biggest challenges with earned media is that you can’t control the narrative completely. So how do you deal with that? Well, for one, you need to be proactive about managing your online reputation, monitoring what people are saying about you responding to feedback, both positive and negative, and addressing any issues head on. Okay, so it’s not just about sitting back and hoping for the best. You actually have to put in some work to guide the conversation. Absolutely, but even with those challenges, the potential benefits of earned media are huge. Think about it, increased brand awareness, improved credibility, and ultimately more customers. Okay, I’m starting to see the appeal here, but let’s get practical. How do we actually make earned media happen? Where do we even begin? Content, content, content. Creating high quality, valuable content is the foundation of any successful earned media strategy. So blog posts, videos, infographics, that kind of thing. Yep, all of that. But it’s not just about churning out any old content. You need to create content that your target audience actually cares about, content that’s informative, entertaining, or even better, solves a problem for them. Right, because nobody’s gonna share something that’s boring or irrelevant to their lives. Exactly, and think about it. When you create something truly valuable, people naturally wanna share it with their friends, family, and followers. That’s how you get that organic reach and amplification. So it’s about becoming a go-to resource, a thought leader in your industry, right? Exactly, and one way to do that is to focus on what’s called utility. It’s a term coined by a marketer, Jaybear, and it basically means creating content that’s so helpful, so useful, that people would be willing to pay for it, even if you’re giving it away for free. Utility, I love that, I’m totally stealing that term. Okay, so we’ve got the content piece down. What else can we do to boost our earned media game? Well, influencer marketing can be a really effective strategy. Right, working with those big names on social media to promote your brand. It can be, but it’s important to be strategic about it. Don’t just chase after the influencers with the most followers. Focus on finding influencers who genuinely align with your brand values and whose audience overlaps with your target market. So it’s about finding those authentic connections rather than just trying to go viral. Exactly, and remember, relationships take time to build. Engage with influencers’ content, share their work, and establish a rapport before you even think about reaching out for a collaboration. Good advice. Okay, so let’s say we’re creating awesome content, we’re building relationships with influencers, and we’re starting to see some buzz around our brand. How do we actually know if our earned media efforts are working? What are we measuring here? Well, it’s not always as straightforward as tracking website clicks or sales, although those can definitely be part of the equation. With earned media, you also need to consider things like brand awareness, sentiment, and share a voice. Okay, break those down for me. What do those terms actually mean in a practical sense? Sure, brand awareness is, you know, how familiar are people with your brand? Have they heard of you? Do they recognize your logo? Sentiment is all about how people feel about your brand. Is the conversation positive, negative, neutral? And share a voice is about, you know, how much are people talking about you compared to your competitors? Gotcha. So we want high awareness, positive sentiment, and a big share of voice. Makes sense, but how do we track all of that? Well, there are a few key metrics you can look at. Things like mentions of your brand name across different online platforms, social media engagement, the number of backlinks to your website from other authoritative sites, and even, you know, media coverage in traditional outlets. That sounds like a lot to keep track of. Are there any tools that can help with this? Oh, absolutely. There are some amazing social listening platforms and media monitoring services out there that can aggregate all of this data for you and give you really valuable insights into how your brand is being perceived online. Hidnology to the rescue, again. Yeah. All right, so we’re monitoring all these metrics. We’re tracking our progress. But we can’t just rely on earned media alone, right? It needs to be part of a bigger strategy. You’re absolutely right. Earned media works best when it’s part of an integrated marketing approach that includes paid and owned media as well. So how do we tie all of these pieces together? Well, one example would be using paid social media advertising to amplify positive earned media coverage. So let’s say you get a great review from an influencer or a journalist features your product in a positive light. You can then use paid advertising to promote that content to a wider audience, basically, maximizing its reach and impact. So you’re using paid media to give your earned media a boost. Smart. Exactly. And by aligning your messaging across all channels, you’re creating a more cohesive and powerful brand narrative. It’s all about synergy. OK, so the takeaway here is, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Use a mix of strategies and make them work together. Precisely. And remember, building a strong brand reputation takes time. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results overnight. Focus on creating value, nurturing those relationships, and being patient. The payoff will be worth it. That’s a great reminder. OK, so we’ve covered a lot of ground today. Before we wrap up, any final words of wisdom for our listeners who are eager to dive into the world of earned media? Sure. I’d say start by thinking about what unique value you can offer to your audience. What problem can you solve? What story can you tell? And then start creating and sharing that content. Even small steps can make a big difference over time. Awesome advice. All right, folks. That’s a wrap for today’s Deep Dive into Earned Media. Until next time, happy marketing.