What is owned media?

Before you start reading, just this: media is the plural of medium. So owned media is not, owned media are. Just like paid media, earned media, social media and mainstream media: all plural. Now that we’ve cleared up that misunderstanding, it’s time to dig a little deeper into that one category of media: owned media.

Paid, owned and earned media

When you’re mapping out a marketing strategy, it’s helpful to bring in the P.O.E.M model. This model divides the media channels you use for your marketing into three categories:

Paid media

Paid media are media you have to pay for. You didn’t see that one coming, did you? This is about media exposure on another party’s channel. You must purchase space on this channel in order to place your expressions. Think, for example, of a TV spot where you buy airtime.

Other examples of paid media include newspaper ads, advertorials, SEA displays in Google or advertising posts on social media such as Facebook or Instagram. A blog or Instagram post that you purchase from a popular blogger or influencer also belongs to paid media. When you pay a third party to write a blog for your website, however, we are not talking about paid media, but rather…

Owned media

In fact, such a blog – even if you pay a third party for it – is posted on your own channel. So owned media does not equal free media. It is media that is literally owned by you. You are the boss here, as long as you operate within the constraints of the platform you use.

We take a closer look at the use of article marketing in this article.

Well-known forms of owned media include an in-house website, content platform, blog, podcast and newsletter. Social media channels also belong to owned media. The content you post on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or TikTok belongs to you and can be posted there for free. In addition, don’t forget “old-fashioned” media. A paper leaflet or flyer are also owned media.

Earned media

Earned media have always been a bit of an oddity. After all, these are largely media that you have no control over. They are media that you have earned, and are free. These include retweets or shares of your posts. Online comments and customer reviews also belong to earned media.

Earned media, however, is not always consumer-generated. For example, a professional review can also be earned media, as long as you don’t pay the reviewer anything. We also count moments when your company or brand is in the news, or mentioned in other media, as earned media.

Pros and cons

All three of these forms of media have their advantages and disadvantages. Paid media can be very effective. If you engage with a party with a large reach, then you know that many people can come out to your business. The downside is that it can cost a lot of money if it is your primary marketing strategy. Moreover, your target audience may find such an ad distracting. It may actually deter them.

Earned media are always nice, of course. As long as the publicity is positive. But as a company, earned media are hard to schedule. So this is not where your focus should be. A strong owned media strategy will get you a lot further.

The usefulness of owned media for your business

In fact, using high-quality owned media is the best marketing strategy for any business. Not least because Google loves authentic content. So make sure that your own content matches your company philosophy and target audience. In this way, you ensure sustainable customer loyalty and a good position in Google.

Besides the fact that owned media are more authentic than paid media, they are obviously cheaper. Admittedly, owned media require an investment of (your own) time and money. You will have to hire a professional to create good content. Or you’ll have to use your own professionals. In the long run, however, these investments will pay off.

Also, your own content will last a lot longer. An ad is only temporary, but a blog post will always stay on your media channel. This also keeps a blog post findable in Google. The same goes for other types of content, such as an explainer video, white paper, podcast, or social media post.

Moreover, it is a great advantage that you have full control over the content on your channels. This allows you to tailor your message precisely to your target audience, enabling you to achieve your marketing goals. Especially when you can use the right analysis tools to generate insight into what is working and what is not. In this way, you can independently and organically ensure that each post gets you more engagement and improves your market position.

Owned media in order? Then focus on earned media

Once you have the basis of your media channels in order with quality content, you can focus on using earned media. This way, you will increase your reach and be more visible to your target audience.

You can do this, for example, by adding a review option to products or blogs, or asking people to leave a review on Google or Facebook. Of course, do this only when you are sure your customers will be satisfied enough with what you are selling. Negative comments don’t exactly contribute to your marketing goals.

In addition, make sure the content on your owned media channels is in-depth and valuable enough to share. For example, come up with helpful advice, an innovative product or interesting information.

Earned media can contribute immensely to your credibility and reliability. After all, in the year 2020, more than 90% of people look up reviews of a product before making a purchase. It makes sense, because people have become almost immune to “advertising talk. Rather, they trust the opinion and experience of their fellow consumers.

Healthy mix of paid, owned and earned media

Most companies provide a healthy mix of paid, owned and earned media.

All types of media can be a valuable addition to your strategy. You just need to use them in the right way, and at the right time in the customer journey.

So even paid media are not completely off the table. Despite the objection that it can cost quite a lot of money and does not take place on your own. Indeed, in some cases, paid media can provide just that extra push that increases sales of your products. A national TV commercial can get additional people into the top of your funnel, and a SEA campaign can convince a doubtful consumer.

Find bloggers for your media strategy through Hulc

Blogs can occur as both paid media (sponsored post), owned media (a blog of your own), and earned media (review). However, it can be difficult to find the right bloggers for your upcoming campaign. Especially if you want to take advantage of an influential blogger, for example, by sponsoring a post in which he or she promotes your product.

You can find these kinds of paid media bloggers through Hulc, the marketplace for influencer marketing. Here you can offer your campaign. Then bloggers (or influencers, or websites) can sign up for your campaign. This way, you no longer have to look for the right channels, the right channels will come to you! Try it yourself, on Hulc.io