We’ve written before about the different types of media. But it’s a topic worth revisiting.
The media landscape has changed dramatically since I began my career as a copywriter in a small Midwest advertising agency more than 25 years ago. This agency worked exclusively with paid media. Back then, paid media consisted of radio, TV and print advertising and included whatever collateral materials a client needed. I spent my time typing radio and television scripts (yes, typing, no computers), writing annual reports and brochures, and proofreading Valassis inserts.
Today there are many different media types that businesses can use to reach potential customers: paid, earned, owned and, some suggest a fourth, shared media, which I view as a blending of owned and earned media.
Despite the many changes and media opportunities available, there are still occasions where a client will come to us asking for one thing in isolation such as getting them in the news or building them a website. This may be due to budgetary limitations, but more likely, it’s due to a lack of understanding of how the different types of media can work together.
Earned media builds credibility
Earned media is what we refer to as media relations or PR. In its traditional form, earned media involves getting a client in print, on the air or online.
Earned media carries greater credibility than say a paid ad because someone else—a third party—has produced the story. The client hasn’t paid the media outlet to have that story appear.
The downside is that you can’t guarantee the media outlet will run your story or when or how it will appear if it does run. You may have provided everything needed (solid facts and figures and excellent quotes from resources), but that information is subject to the interpretation and edits of the journalists/reporters or their editors. Plus, a decent story can always fall victim to the rest of the day’s news: a bigger story or breaking news can always come along.
Another challenge is that newsrooms and staffs are stretched thin today. Rarely does a reporter have the time to dedicate themselves to a single beat or to do an in-depth story. They’re working with immediate deadlines and seeking stories that will appeal to their readers’ or viewers’ limited attention spans.
If a business or organization has zero visibility in the media, cranking up the PR machine from a cold start takes a lot of time and effort. That “ink” or visibility can be painstakingly slow in coming. But once it starts, the PR effort can build on itself. It’s an effective way to make a lasting impact. But if fast is what you’re looking for, paid media may be a better option.
Paid media builds buzz
While earned media takes time and muscle to get rolling, paid media can provide a faster way to get visibility and build buzz for your company. Fast, in that it doesn’t take much time to produce a radio spot and get it on the air or to create a print or electronic ad and get it in your local papers or online. With paid media, you have total control over the message. You (or your marketing firm) writes the radio script or designs the ad—and you pay for the space.
And pay, you will. Depending on the media type, it can be costly. To use paid media effectively, your message must be seen or heard a lot. It’s important to know your audience and their media preferences to reach them most effectively and start building the buzz that you desire.
Owned media provides control
Owned media has proliferated with the growth of the Internet and social media. While websites were non-existent when I first started my career, there is rarely a business today that doesn’t have one. A website is a great example of owned media—as is a blog, podcast, webinar, or a FaceBook page. You create the content, you design the look and feel. You own it. You control it.
Yes, it takes time and money to create the content and keep it fresh. But many of the tools are free. The key is to have a solid strategy, a professional design and quality content that supports your company brand. Free tools allow virtually anyone to create a website or blog, but using them well takes much more.
Like paid media, however, owned media lacks the credibility that earned media provides. Credibility in owned media comes from how widely it is shared.
Shared media spreads your content
They say “content is king.” But no matter how wonderful your content is, unless it gets seen, it is worthless. This is where shared media comes in.
Through sharing icons and search engines, your content can be distributed to the masses. How often your content is shared by others and how widely it is distributed brings a certain amount of credibility. Perhaps not quite as much as with earned media, but credibility nonetheless. What’s most important is to create content that others find valuable and worth sharing.
I view shared media as a blending of owned and earned media because while you create the content (or curate it from others), you must earn the trust and respect of others so they engage with it and deem it worth sharing.
Put all the media types to work for you
Each form of media has its strengths and limitations, and sometimes the lines between them can get a little blurred. But working together, they offer your business or organization a great way to build your brand, grow your customer base and bring the results you’re looking for.
How is your business making use of the different media types?
