It's time to stop classifying social media as 'owned media' and here's why..

With the sophistication of today's social media algorithms, is it still accurate to say that social media marketing falls within the 'owned media' category? With algorithms now determining how much engagement posts get, content is judged and classified according to its worthiness for each channel. So social media managers and content creators need to think like PR professionals more than ever before.

We'll set aside 'paid media' for now, which is defined as brand exposure obtained from paying, such as advertising.

There has long been an overlap between the definition of ‘owned’ and ‘earned’ media. However, the traditional definition of 'owned media' is no longer accurate. This is the definition I came across frequently:

"Owned media comprises digital marketing channels that a company exercises complete control over, such as their branded website and social media."

And this is a definition of ‘earned media’:

"Unlike owned media, earned media is promotion and coverage awarded by outside agencies or publications."

An important distinguishing element between ‘owned’ and ‘earned’ media is where creative control and production sits. It is true that brands technically 'own' their social media channels and can decide on their branding, their ‘about’ section and other descriptions. Creative control and production still rests with the user - an individual or organisation - and they can decide what to physically post on their social media channels. But whether anyone sees it – let alone their target market – is another matter altogether.

Meanwhile, in the work of local PR, there are now numerous local newspapers where PR professionals can upload news stories and photographs to a 'news portal' which will be published verbatim, having complete control over the production process.

So it is not accurate to say brands have 'complete control' over social media. Rather, the sophisticated algorithms of today determine whether branded content gets shown to anyone on a given social media channel and brands are not in control of this. Social media managers are pitching their content to the algorithms just like PR professionals pitch story ideas to journalists.

In the same way a PR carefully crafts a press release, or a pitching email, and uses every trick in their PR toolbox to maximise the chances of 'earning' coverage for their brand (story), today's social media content needs to be expertly crafted to 'earn' the algorithm's blessing to push it out far and wide. Brands are now 'earning' social media exposure thanks to algorithms.

A brand can post content on their 'owned' social media channel that no one sees at all. This is the same as the PR professional carefully crafting a news story that doesn't get reported.

So creating and posting content on social media platforms has become similar to earning PR coverage. And the process of social media content creation is more akin to how PR uses tactics to earn coverage. The algorithms demand this same knowledge and respect as journalists demand from the PR machine.

To get exposure of brand content on social media, content creators have to think more like PR professionals than ever before.

Just as the PR needs to understand the different news requirements of broadsheet publications versus tabloids, or local radio versus Radio 4's Today Programme, today's social media managers must have an in-depth understanding of how each section of a social media platform works and create content specifically for it.

For example, both Instagram and Facebook have at least three different sections for different types of content - 1) Feed 2). Stories 3) Reels. The Instagram CEO, Adam Mosseri, has made it clear that there are multiple algorithms governing each section of Instagram.

The algorithms act like outside agencies and editors. They are digital editors making millions of decisions a second on whether content is right for their platform and audience. The secret assassin.

What gets pushed out from corporate social media channels is no longer owned like a company website. You have to know what the algorithms want and play the game, creating the right type of content for the right purpose if you want it to be given the editors’ (algorithm’s) seal of approval.

It also doesn’t help social media managers and content creators to have their profession viewed as ‘owned media’ with its inaccurate suggestion of control over what happens in this digital sphere. How many times have we heard CEOs and senior staff ask to go viral as if it was as easy as sipping the next cup of tea?

So if social media is no longer an ‘owned media’ channel, it should hop over to the ‘earned media’ section and proudly take its place.