Critical for the development of a marketing communication strategy, most of the companies consider all the three types of media, namely paid, earned and owned media as part of their external marketing communication plan. Although largely used nowadays, it is still important to mention that the quantity does not guarantee quality. With such power in hands, companies should be able to make a well-informed use of them. This present article will empower the reader with the most useful and important details.
The right start would be to explain what it is about, right?
First and to not get confused, it is needed to differentiate between social media outlets “SMO” like blogs and forums and the traditional media outlets “TMO” which are for instance the press and TV programs.
I will focus on the SMO since most of the industries, companies, and brands are shifting their media expenses towards the internet and the website and platforms it offers. They have significantly changed the media industry and how it is used indeed. Since the digital era appeared and flourished the "push advertising" declined and seemed to not work anymore. a reason for which it is essential to attribute to each media a particular role.
I am more and more certain that social media works just like artists manage to form their fan bases. The artist creates songs, for instance, play in different halls. They get noticed by some people who like to go out and discover new trends, groups, and singers. They then express to their friends and families how they great they are. This way a mass of supporters is built and as long as the content delivered is appealing and interesting the audience will grow bigger and bigger.
From this story, it is possible to generalize the social media roles in three main ones.
“Informative, reminder and finally the booster effect"
But let's start with the identification and definition of each one.
First and to not get confused, it is needed to differentiate between social media outlets “SMO” like blogs and forums and the traditional media outlets “TMO” which are for instance the press and TV programs.
I will focus on the SMO since most of the industries, companies, and brands are shifting their media expenses towards the internet and the website and platforms it offers. They have significantly changed the media industry and how it is used indeed. Since the digital era appeared and flourished the "push advertising" declined and seemed to not work anymore. a reason for which it is essential to attribute to each media a particular role.
I am more and more certain that social media works just like artists manage to form their fan bases. The artist creates songs, for instance, play in different halls. They get noticed by some people who like to go out and discover new trends, groups, and singers. They then express to their friends and families how they great they are. This way a mass of supporters is built and as long as the content delivered is appealing and interesting the audience will grow bigger and bigger.
From this story, it is possible to generalize the social media roles in three main ones.
“Informative, reminder and finally the booster effect"
But let's start with the identification and definition of each one.
- Paid media, also called advertising might be defined as the media activity generated by the company itself or its agents through direct mail or TV ads. Every now and then we hear about a new media and it is getting clearer that today's population do not stick to one platform, forum or community. This might make your message difficult to outreach most of your audience, but it is possible to focus on the media used mainly by your audience and adapt to their preference. It is then highly recommended to keep in touch with your audience and customer to be informed if they are shifting their preferences and where they like to be. From previous experiences, I could notice that for B2B, the best would be to focus on Twitter and LinkedIn as professionals find them more serious, professional and the most suitable platforms to promote your content, engage the audience, and drive your exposure.
- Owned media refer to the media activity generated and controlled by the company itself or its agents’ channels such as posts placed in the company’s original website or displays. Their main role is to provide valuable educational content about the company and its activities. As it might be clear, the owned media and its content are highly controlled but unfortunately less promotional.
- Earned media, on the other hand, might be defined as the media activity in which the company does not interfere directly such as being mentioned in a magazine or being discussed in posts generated by consumers. It is the result of, for instance, the brilliant SEO effort, the high quality of the content, the engaging messages and posts or the great customer experience. It can be also the result of all of them. The earned media is the recognition of your continuous efforts. This type of media supports your and your business to reach the top of your funnel.
The three types are involved in the informing, reminding and boosting future enjoyment effects. However, each media impact is higher for a certain role more than another.
While paid and earned media has more effect when it comes to reminding and creating the brand's image in the consumer's brain. The earned media has more effect among the existing audience and its role is more prominent in enhancing the future amusement effect. for instance, an individual who uses a Samsung mobile phone is more likely to notice a Samsung advertised on a billboard or on web ad which means that people who are familiar with a certain brand, product or a service are more likely to recall the ad associated than people who haven’t been familiarized with it or informed about it which lead to the last note, the paid media has a higher ability to create interest among non-users.
While paid and earned media has more effect when it comes to reminding and creating the brand's image in the consumer's brain. The earned media has more effect among the existing audience and its role is more prominent in enhancing the future amusement effect. for instance, an individual who uses a Samsung mobile phone is more likely to notice a Samsung advertised on a billboard or on web ad which means that people who are familiar with a certain brand, product or a service are more likely to recall the ad associated than people who haven’t been familiarized with it or informed about it which lead to the last note, the paid media has a higher ability to create interest among non-users.
Even if the Earned media is not recent, its use was limited to TMO. Since social media use plumed, the companies have put more emphasis on the earned media understanding and monitoring. This is due to the fact that paid media has a great advertising role but its effect on perceived quality is very little. Thus, it is just a way to keep the product or service considered.
Besides, Even if the traditional earned media is known for its large reach more than social earned media, the former effect stays weaker. The TMO even if it reaches particularly a larger population, it stays characterized by its low ability to target high-involvement and focused audience who are mostly involved in particular and selected subjects.
Social media allow us a better reach of the customers. It gives us the possibility to create two-way communication and through those platforms, the company's ambassadors can provide the customers or the potential customers a clear message and wider idea of what they can wait for. In other words, the brand ambassadors or the brand advocates can deliver the brand promises and show what it stands for. It is difficult to define where the social web begins and where the audience presence ends. The audience is for sure everywhere and it is important to be present where the audience is present.
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