Understanding The Basics Of Earned Media
Learning more about earned media can help you grow your business. Building recognition for your brand and for your business begins with getting your name before potential customers and consumers. The cost of spreading the word about your company, products, and services can cut deep into your marketing budget. Earned media offers one avenue of exposure that costs little to nothing for you.
What is Earned Media?
Earned media could be defined as word of mouth. It can come from social media, public relations efforts, or media connections. It now includes traditional media outlets, but also influencers within your community, niche, or industry (bloggers, vloggers, and social media leaders).
How can Earned Media work for my company?
The best results for earned media develop from relationships that have been cultivated and grown. Influencers that have met you or that have experienced your company will be more open to sharing that experience. Consumers that have had a positive experience (or even a negative experience that has been resolved in a positive way) will be more likely to share that experience with others. A news outlet or reporter will be more open to sharing your story if there is a personal connection – either to you, your business, or the story in some way. Strong earned media efforts begin with relationships.
What are the steps for integrating Earned Media into a marketing plan?
Adding in earned media into a marketing plan can be simple and free (or at least low cost).
- Develop lines of communication with consumers. Create a way for consumers or clients to engage with your company about your services and products. It could be a forum on your website. It could be something as simple as adding a comment section to your blogs. Make it easy and make it enjoyable.
- Create a line of communication with influencers. Invest in knowing the influencers that are connected to your niche and your target market. Visit and engage on their sites. Reach out and connect with the influencers before you ask for support or endorsements.
- Attend events that allow you to connect with media when possible. Meet the reporters of your local media face-to-face. Follow up the meetings with a note or email acknowledging the meeting.
- Once the relationships are in place, begin to formulate a campaign to utilize the relationships. Create a giveaway, a contest, or an event that will engage the consumers and the influencers but that will also catch the attention of the media. Always keep your campaigns focused within your brand values.
Earned media focuses on getting others to talk about you, your brand, your products and your services so that you are not doing all the talking. It is important to keep it in a positive light so earned media thrives off of relationships.
Growing up a strong earned media foundation begins with investing in the relationships with consumers, clients, influencers and the media. Taking time to engage in these relationships will help you grow up earned media to support your marketing plan.
