{"id":139274,"date":"2024-05-13T09:27:31","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T13:27:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constantcontact.com\/blog\/?p=139274"},"modified":"2024-05-31T16:04:48","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T20:04:48","slug":"earned-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constantcontact.com\/blog\/earned-media\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Earned Media?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Picture this: Your brand is being talked about on social media platforms, featured in news articles, and recommended in personal conversations — all without you spending a dime on advertising. What you’re seeing is earned media and the key to amplifying your brand’s voice. Instead of merely reaching your audience, turn them into brand ambassadors who share your content and recommend your business to their friends. The result? A wave of visibility and credibility that money can’t buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small and medium-sized brands always hope for earned media attention — who doesn’t want their latest post to go viral? All you need to claim it are strategy, effort, and some simple social media tools<\/a>. So, let’s talk about the high-level strategy and day-to-day tactics that unlock one of the major marketing categories and help brands attain long-term success and connection with their audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding earned media<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The concept of earned media has been around forever but has evolved with digital platforms. Social media platforms, online reviews, and digital news have changed the standard earned media definition. They’ve opened possibilities for engagement and amplification, making the benefits of earned media more accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is earned media?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Earned media<\/a> is any publicity or exposure your brand receives through means other than paid advertising or owned media channels. It includes simple word-of-mouth, social media mentions, and formal news coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s always more effective when someone else compliments you than when you brag about your accomplishments, and earned media happens when other people find your brand or content compelling, valuable, and worth sharing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is another name for earned media?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Another common term for earned media is “free media.” The name emphasizes that this type of media exposure is not bought but earned<\/em> through the quality of your offerings and engagement with your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is earned or unearned media?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

While earned media refers to organic exposure, unearned media refers to paid forms of advertising. It’s another way to frame the contrast between earned and paid media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paid, owned, and earned media<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Paid, owned, and earned media all have roles to play in the digital marketing landscape. A balanced marketing strategy leverages all three to maximize reach and impact. The differences between them lie in control, reach, and credibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paid media involves paying for advertising space or sponsorships, giving you complete control over the message and placement. You can use paid advertising to reach new audiences outside of your circles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Owned media — such as your website, email marketing<\/a>, and social media profiles — is content you create and control. It keeps you connected to your existing audiences and creates more opportunities for earned attention, as content can be organically shared or discovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earned media comes when people (1) mention or review your brand in their own words and images or (2) share paid or owned content you created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much time does earned media take?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Instant viral success is the exception, not the rule. Most earned media coverage doesn’t happen overnight. It requires a consistent effort in building relationships, creating valuable content, and engaging with your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The time investment — both in immediate work and patience for that work to pay off — leads some brands to neglect earned media as part of their small business marketing<\/a>. That would be a mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of it this way: Earned media receives a little over 11% of advertising budgets<\/a> for larger companies. They don’t pay for it directly but invest in cultivating related opportunities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What could you do if you spent 11% of your marketing time and energy working to extend your reach through the strategies below?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why earned media matters for brands<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The power of earned media lies in its ability to build and reinforce credibility and trust. Since earned media is essentially an endorsement from a third party, it carries more weight than self-promotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A study about trust in advertising found that 50% more people<\/a> trust recommendations than paid digital channels such as banner, mobile, and search ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earned media value (EMV)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Earned media value (EMV) is a metric used to quantify the worth of the exposure and engagement a brand gains through earned media. It is challenging to measure precisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenge of identifying EMV has made it easy to overlook, but earned media is becoming a priority<\/a> for top brands, even if they struggle to quantify the results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are examples of earned media?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A few earned media examples include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n