I Know a Guy, Who Knows a Guy

How to get free publicity or earned media.

You have a great story to tell about your company, product, or industry. It’s authentic, unique, and/or compelling. How then do you get the business media, industry experts, or other influencers feature, interview, or mention you? Although traditionally the domain of PR agencies, thanks to the rise of social media platforms and content marketing there are a few things you can do yourself to earn ‘earned media’.

What is Earned Media?

‘Earned media’ is perhaps not such a well-known term outside the world of content marketers and is often presented by content strategists in a model together with ‘owned media’, ‘social media’, and ‘paid media’.

Owned media is the platforms that you build and own yourself; your website, a printed magazine, e-newsletter, or an event series. Social media is…well, social media. You don’t control what happens on these platforms, only what you do on your accounts. Paid media involves buying ads and branded content on platforms from Meta, Google, media, and influencers.

Finally, earned media is when your story or a story about you is published by third party platforms from e.g., traditional media, digital media, industry experts, influencers, clients, suppliers, and other organisations; without you paying for it. The most visible and traditional example is being interviewed for a TV programme.

Customer reviews and word of mouth are considered earned media as well, and, thanks to review sites and social media, more prevalent than ever. Peer reviews and opinions have become more and more important in our world where people trust institutions less and less.

(There is of course also paid media appearing as earned media but that's a whole different topic.)

Why is Earned Media Important?

It’s not difficult to see that a mention or an endorsement by independent media, experts, or clients will make your brand more credible and trustworthy. It will also serve as social proof of your brand’s value, quality, or relevance. When potential customers see that others are talking about you, it can help drive interest and leads. Finally, being talked about by third party media and people will give you exponential reach.

Is Earned Media really free?

While earned media is free, by definition, it does require resources and effort to be in a position to ‘earn’ free publicity, endorsements, or exposure. First of all, you have to be somewhat successful, with a track record to show for. Let’s assume you are. (Of course you are.) Then, you need to be a thought leader with an interesting story, and one that you can tell well. Also, perhaps easy to forget, people need to be able to find you. You need to get on the radar of those that can feature, endorse, or promote you.

A short side note on how I see the relationship between the four media clusters. I see them structured in a pyramid. At the bottom is your owned media since it should form the basis of your communications infrastructure and activities. It’s fully under your control (except for things like Google’s algorithm), and the basis for communication with your customers and prospects. Next level up are your social media platforms. Although they can be powerful platforms on their own, they are often used to feed traffic to owned media such as the website. I’ve placed paid media on level three because it only makes sense to invest money once your infrastructure is in place and you have exhausted the organic way. Unless you want to specifically target certain audiences. Finally earned media, at the zenith of the pyramid because it is the hardest to get, and the activities of the other media clusters will help you in your quest for earned media.

How do you get Earned Media?

The various tactics for earned media can be bundled into four categories.

1. Content Production

This category is about creating compelling, valuable, and shareable stories and content that demonstrates expertise and will position you as a trusted source of insights. Think of industry reports, whitepapers, thought leadership articles, infographics, case studies, and blog posts. But also, videos, events, webinars, and podcasts with interesting people. Webinars are popular since the Corona epidemic, podcasts keep popping up everywhere, and on LinkedIn you might have noticed more and more lo-fi videos.

An interesting strategy is to conduct original research or compile the data from your own systems. You might sit on a goldmine of data, that when compiled and analysed provides valuable industry insights. Again, the research itself could involve cost, but the publicity you get from sharing the insights is considered earned media.

In this ‘Golden Age of the Opinion’, a good tactic to get noticed is to give your point of view on relevant news, current issues, and trending topics. If you are a bit shy, you can also curate content from industry experts. Thanks to newsletter tech, it is quite simple to make these.

2. Network Building

The larger your professional network, the earlier someone with influence might notice you. Cultivating your network increases your chances for exciting collaborations, knowledge-sharing, and opportunities for media coverage.

Do you know who the influential people in your industry are and have you connected with them yet? If not, build relationships with journalists, bloggers, analysts, experts, and industry influencers who talk about topics related to your business.

Another tactic is to participate in industry bodies, conferences, trade shows, and networking events to increase visibility within the industry. I know these are the events you put in your agenda, but end up skipping. If you want to invest in this, perhaps even organise/host a networking event or roundtable discussion yourself. Be a leader.

Also try to engage online in relevant forums, social media groups, and discussions.

3. Communication

It is so easy to forget this step, but you can take the initiative and contact the relevant people directly. Don’t be shy; you are not the first person to plug yourself.

Develop and issue press releases to share company news, product launches, industry insights, or provide exclusive access to experts within your organisation. Distribute these to relevant media outlets, industry publications, and online platforms to increase the chances of earning media coverage.

Consistently post relevant content on your social platforms and engage with your network. Organise email campaigns to your network, delivering your story directly to their inbox.

Actively monitor relevant publications, blogs, and social media channels to identify opportunities for contributing to discussions, providing expert commentary on trending topics, and share valuable content. Most journalists are quite active on social media nowadays, which provides an opportunity to respond to their tweets and posts with your opinion and point of view.

4. Establish Authority

This category takes the most time probably, but it does accelerate your chances to be featured.

Books still rule when it comes to (perceived) authority. It is easier than ever with self-publishing as an option and as a result the number of books published has grown dramatically in the last 20 years. Writing a book not only showcases your expertise but it is also a tangible asset that can enhance credibility and visibility (just look at the LinkedIn profiles of industry peers that have written a book). It makes for a nice gift for clients too. The process of writing is a valuable learning experience as well.

Be a lecturer. Not something you can arrange tomorrow but perhaps something you can look out for. Being a part-time or guest lecturer will showcase a certain level of expertise on your subject matter. And teaching has many other benefits of course.

Speaking regularly at industry events, conferences and webinars can be time consuming (and stressful) but brings opportunities for networking, leads to social sharing and attracts media attention. And again, it provides a certain level of authority.

Contributing guest posts to publications or industry blogs further expands your reach and credibility. There are plenty publications that make use of contributors and guest writers. It does help if you can write though.

Final words of ‘wisdom’

Of course, there is always the luck factor; being at the right place, at the right time, with the right story. Failing that, start writing a book. Or… find that guy, who knows a guy.