Earned media and paid media are two types of publicity that can affect your brand reputation and awareness. But how do you monitor and respond to them effectively? In this article, we'll explain the differences between earned media and paid media, and share some tips on how to manage and leverage them for your media monitoring strategy.
Earned media is any publicity that you get organically, without paying for it. It can come from various sources, such as social media posts, online reviews, blog articles, news stories, podcasts, or word-of-mouth referrals. Earned media is often seen as more credible and authentic than paid media, as it reflects the opinions and experiences of real customers, influencers, or journalists. However, earned media can also be negative or harmful, especially if it spreads misinformation, criticism, or complaints about your brand.
Earned media refers to publicity gained through methods other than paid advertising, such as customer reviews, social media mentions, or news articles. This form of media is valuable as it is perceived as more authentic and trustworthy by audiences. Managing responses to feedback from earned media involves listening actively to the audience, engaging in meaningful dialogue, and taking constructive criticism to improve. One effective strategy I've employed is monitoring social mentions and customer feedback platforms regularly to address concerns promptly and celebrate positive endorsements, reinforcing brand reputation and customer loyalty.
Paid media is any publicity that you get by paying for it. It can include various forms of advertising, such as display ads, search ads, social media ads, sponsored content, influencer marketing, or native advertising. Paid media is often used to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive conversions. Paid media can help you reach a larger and more targeted audience, control your message and timing, and measure your results. However, paid media can also be expensive, competitive, or ignored by consumers, especially if it is not relevant or engaging.
How often do you scroll past ads on social without even taking note of what they're about? A lot, probably. You're not alone. Chances are, those brands who tried to target you aren't thinking about you at all. Were the ads product led? Brand-filled? Corporate jargon galore? These are the messages that tend to fall short in paid media. The truth is, no one cares about who you are or what you're selling - not until you find a way to resonate with them and their problems. Lead with thought-leadership, demonstrate what you know - that's the value. Trust is essential to many data exchanges and successful sales - it's the only way to get a foot in the door.
It is essential to monitor earned media and paid media to understand your brand performance, reputation, and sentiment. You can use a range of tools and platforms, such as Google Alerts, social media listening tools, media monitoring software, or analytics tools. Moreover, you can track metrics and indicators such as reach (how many people saw the content), engagement (how many people liked, commented, shared, or clicked on the content), sentiment (tone and emotion of the content), and impact (brand awareness, traffic, leads, sales, or loyalty).
Responding to earned media and paid media is essential for building relationships, managing crises, and improving your brand image. You can use various channels and strategies to respond to your earned media and paid media coverage. For example, thank sources of positive earned media or paid media by expressing your gratitude, sharing their content on your own platforms, or offering them incentives or rewards. Additionally, apologize for any mistakes or issues that caused negative earned media or paid media, and explain how you are fixing the problem. Clarify any inaccuracies or misinformation that appeared in your earned media or paid media by providing facts, evidence, or sources to support your position. Finally, engage with your earned media or paid media audience by inviting feedback, questions, or suggestions from them. You can also provide value-added information, tips, or resources to help them.
Time is of essence when it comes to responding to negative earned and paid media. Monitoring should be done daily to know when where is negative publicity. Crises spread fast so knowing there is a crisis is the first step in responding to negative media.
Maximizing your publicity and ROI requires leveraging earned media and paid media, which can be done through aligning goals, messages, and audiences to create a consistent brand story. Additionally, you should optimize content for visibility, relevance, and engagement by using keywords, hashtags, or calls-to-action. Finally, repurposing content in different formats, channels, or angles can extend its value and help adapt it to different audiences.