Earned Media
Earned Media refers to media exposure that a company gains through third-party endorsements and positive evaluations, which it does not directly control. This includes word-of-mouth from consumers, social media shares, positive reviews on review sites, and coverage in news articles. Earned media is an important marketing channel because it carries high credibility and significantly influences consumer purchasing decisions and brand image.
Examples of Earned Media
Word of Mouth: Recommendations made by consumers to their friends, family, or colleagues. This is one of the oldest and most powerful forms of earned media.
Social Media Shares: Users sharing company content or product information on social media platforms. This includes Facebook shares, Twitter retweets, and Instagram reposts.
Reviews and Ratings: Consumer evaluations and reviews on platforms like Amazon, Google Reviews, and Yelp.
Blog and Forum Posts: Positive articles or posts about a company or product by bloggers or forum participants.
News Articles: Media coverage about a company or product in online publications, newspapers, or television.
Influencer Marketing: Recommendations by influencers who introduce products to their followers, leveraging their credibility and reach.
Benefits of Earned Media
High Credibility: Consumers tend to trust third-party recommendations more than company advertisements. Earned media is highly credible and effective.
Cost Efficiency: Since there are no direct advertising costs, it is cost-effective. Effective campaigns can achieve natural media exposure.
Increased Brand Awareness: Consumer sharing and positive reviews can enhance brand awareness.
SEO Enhancement: High-quality backlinks and online reviews can improve search engine rankings.
Challenges of Earned Media
Difficult to Control: Companies cannot directly control earned media, making it challenging to ensure positive exposure. There is also the risk of negative reviews or word-of-mouth.
Measuring Impact: It is challenging to measure the effects of earned media quantitatively and determine the ROI (Return on Investment).
Consistency: Predicting how consumers and influencers will present the company or product is difficult, making it hard to maintain consistent brand messaging.
Strategies for Leveraging Earned Media
Provide Excellent Products and Services: Ensure high-quality products and services that naturally generate positive reviews and word-of-mouth.
Encourage Engagement: Actively engage with consumers on social media, blogs, and forums to encourage reviews and recommendations.
Utilize Influencer Marketing: Partner with influential figures to introduce and recommend products or services.
Run Word-of-Mouth Campaigns: Implement contests or promotions that encourage consumers to share their experiences and write reviews.
Leverage Review Sites: Focus on improving customer satisfaction to increase positive reviews on review sites.
Summary
Earned media refers to media exposure gained through third-party endorsements and positive evaluations, including word-of-mouth, social media shares, reviews, and news articles. It is highly credible and cost-effective but challenging to control and measure. Strategies to effectively leverage earned media include providing excellent products and services, encouraging engagement, utilizing influencer marketing, and running word-of-mouth campaigns.