Owned, earned and paid: 3 types of media to include in your strategy

Marketing communication is key to growing your brand, but deciding which type of communication to include in your strategy can be a challenge. 

As a business owner, you may have heard of “owned media,” “earned media” and “paid media.” Understanding the difference between these approaches and how they can fit into your digital marketing and communication strategy can help your company succeed.  

Read on to learn more about these three types of media, including their pros and cons, and how to leverage them to grow your small or mid-sized business. 

Owned media 

What is owned media? 

Owned media refers to communications created and distributed by your business through branded channels you control. This includes your website, blog posts, and email newsletters as well as the content you share through organic (i.e., not paid) social media posts on your company’s accounts.

However, keep in mind that although you control what you post on your brand’s social media accounts, these channels are never truly owned. The social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) ultimately control the platform rules, algorithms and policies, which can impact the visibility of your content. 

What are the pros and cons of owned media? 

• Pros:  

  • Full control over the message and when it’s shared 

  • Relatively low cost, especially compared to paid media 

  • Can boost your company website’s search engine optimization (SEO) 

• Cons:  

  • Limited reach without paid promotion or sharing 

  • Organic social media posts are subject to platform algorithms 

How can businesses use owned media effectively? 

Owned media can be one of the most impactful pieces of your business’ marketing communications strategy. Use it to consistently deliver valuable, relevant content to your target audience, keeping them engaged throughout the different stages of the sales funnel.  

For example, regularly publishing insightful blog posts on topics that resonate with your audience can strengthen your reputation as a thought leader and expert in your industry and can increase SEO, driving more traffic to your website. Sending engaging email newsletters can help your business to build brand awareness and nurture prospects and clients. Sharing customer case studies or testimonials on your website and social media accounts can boost credibility, build affinity, and drive sales. 

Earned media 

What is earned media? 

Earned media refers to content about your business that is published by a third-party without you paying for it. This includes public relations coverage, such as news articles, TV or radio interviews, and guest appearances on podcasts. It also includes online reviews from customers or non-paid influencers and social media shares.   

Earned media is largely regarded as the most credible type of media because it comes from sources the business doesn’t control, such as media outlets or individual customers.  

What are the pros and cons of earned media? 

• Pros:  

  • High credibility 

  • Visibility among third-party audience 

  • Can significantly boost brand awareness 

• Cons:  

  • Limited control over the message or how it’s presented 

  • Can be challenging to measure results 

  • Time-consuming to build media relationships  

How can businesses use earned media effectively? 

Earned media is a powerful tool for building credibility and trust with your audience.  

To generate media interest, you’ll need to invest time into establishing and maintaining relationships with journalists, podcasters, bloggers, and influencers in your industry, and regularly share newsworthy ideas, content, and expertise. To do this effectively and consistently, consider engaging a public relations agency that can provide guidance and leverage their extensive media network and experience to help identify media opportunities for your business. 

Additionally, encourage satisfied customers to help spread the word about your brand by sharing reviews of your products and services on Google, social media and with their contacts.  

Paid media 

What is paid media?  

Paid media refers to paying to promote your brand through advertisements, sponsored content, or paid placements in third-party publications. This includes everything from paid search ads, display ads, and print ads to sponsored articles in a publication’s newsletter, website, or magazine. 

While paid media does allow you to target specific audiences you may not otherwise be able to reach, it does not provide the credibility that earned media does. Most consumers are savvy enough to detect when articles are sponsored instead of earned placements. If you decide to invest in paid media to amplify your reach, be sure to balance your investment with other types of media to avoid over-reliance on this approach. 

What are the pros and cons of paid media? 

• Pros:  

  • Full control over the message 

  • Ability to target specific audiences 

  • Potential to generate leads quickly and measure results 

• Cons:  

  • Less credibility, especially compared to earned media 

  • Higher cost 

  • Requires ongoing investment 

How can businesses use paid media effectively? 

Paid media can help your business reach new audiences quickly.  

For example, paid search ads allow you to target people actively searching for solutions or expertise you offer. Social media ads can promote specific products or services to a specific audience. Distributing paid content through an industry publication that targets your audience can help you to build brand awareness within that industry.  

Regardless of which paid media channel you choose, it’s important to complement paid efforts with strong owned and earned media to maintain credibility and avoid reliance on paid channels. It’s also important to track and analyze performance so you can focus your investments on campaigns that deliver measurable results. 

Bringing it all together: A balanced approach to media  

The three types of media – owned, earned and paid – each have pros and cons, and each serve different purposes. Together, they can be a powerful communication combination to fuel your digital marketing and communications strategy, amplifying your message, expanding your reach, and boosting your business.