The term "earned media" describes press about a company, product, or service as a result of actual newsworthiness. A company that donates half of its profits to the homeless or a new building complex being built to support a headquarters relocation. Earned media does not always have to require some sort of charitable offering, but rather that a company or person did something that the general public may want to know. Earned media plays an important role in a marketing strategy for a few reasons:
- It's Free - Hard to argue with exposure that you do not have to pay for
- It's Positive - Hopefully you are earning only good press
- It Hits A Target - Earned media often exposes you only to those who care about what you're doing
Paid media, of course, has a part to play as well, as that allows your company to have an avenue to dictate how it is portrayed.
But in the social world, how does earned media fit in? Even better, it seems. Facebook Likes, Shares, Retweets, or Mentions all are forms of earned media. Your performance on a given social network earns you the exposure that you gain when others share your content. And, simplest of all, you earn exposure through the quality of your content. This social form of earned media comes with a bonus, though, in social proof: the idea that others are on the bandwagon with your ideas encourages their friends and peers more effectively than five articles in the local paper might.
What do you think about earned media in the digital age? How can it play a strong part in marketing strategy?
