As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to improve ROI from your marketing efforts. One way to achieve this is by focusing on paid owned and earned media. But what are these terms, and which gives you the most bang for your buck?
Paid media is any form of marketing you pay for, such as ads, sponsorships, or influencer marketing. Owned media is any form of marketing you create and control, such as your website or blog. Finally, earned media is any form of marketing you generate through word-of-mouth or organic means, such as social media mentions or media coverage.

Paid owned and earned media: So, which type of media should you focus on?

The answer is all of them! Each one has its benefits and can contribute to your overall ROI.
Paid media is a great way to reach large audiences quickly. It can also target specific demographics, interests, and locations. And, because you’re paying for it, you have more control over the message and the call to action.
Owned media is a great way to support you in building your brand and establishing yourself as an authority in your industry. It’s also great to connect with your target audience and build relationships.
Earned media is the most potent form of marketing, but it’s also the hardest to control. That’s because it’s based on the actions and opinions of others. However, if you can get people talking about your brand, it can be incredibly valuable.
Let’s now take a closer look at how paid, owned, and earned media can benefit your business.

Paid Media

Paid media is a fast way to reach a large audience quickly to generate awareness for your brand. The downside is that it can be expensive, and you have no guarantee that people will see or hear your ad.
Here are some examples of paid media:
  • TV commercials
  • Radio ads
  • Online banner ads
  • Paid search ads
  • Social media ads

Pros:

  • Reach a large audience quickly
  • Generate leads in a short time
  • Can be targeted to a specific audience

Cons:

  • Can be expensive
  • No guarantee that your ad will be seen
  • Can be disruptive

Owned Media

Owned media is a great way to control the message about your brand and build long-term relationships with your customers. The downside is that creating and distributing high-quality content can take a lot of time and effort.
Here are some examples of owned media:
  • Your website
  • Your blog
  • Your social media channels
  • Your email list

Pros:

  • Build relationships with your target audience
  • Establish your brand as a thought leader
  • Generate leads over time

Cons:

  • Takes a long time to generate results
  • Requires investment in content creation
  • It is not easy to measure ROI

Earned Media

Earned media is an excellent way to build trust and credibility for your brand. The downside is that it can be challenging to earn media coverage and online reviews, and there’s no guarantee that people will see or read them.
Here are some examples of earned media:
  • Media coverage (e.g., news stories, TV segments, radio interviews)
  • Online reviews (e.g., Yelp, Google, TripAdvisor)
  • Social media mentions (e.g., tweets, Facebook posts, Instagram photos)

Pros:

  • Builds trust and credibility
  • It can be more cost-effective than paid media
  • Helps build brand awareness

Cons:

  • It can be challenging to control the message
  • May not be able to generate results on demand
  • It can be challenging to measure ROI

Bottom line

Which media type is right for your business, Paid owned and earned media? The answer is all of them! Each one has its advantages and can contribute to your overall marketing campaign.
The best way to use all three media types is to create an integrated marketing campaign that combines paid, owned, and earned media to reach your target audience in the most effective way possible.
An integrated marketing campaign is a campaign that uses multiple types of media to reach the target audience. The main advantage of an integrated marketing campaign is that it allows you to reach your target audience in numerous ways.

We can help you with paid-owned and earned media.

At Springboard Digital, we specialise in creating high-quality content that drives results. We can help your business with all aspects of paid owned and earned media, from strategy to execution. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you get more ROI from your marketing efforts.