The PESO Model: Creating an Effective Communication Strategy

The PESO model, developed by PR specialist and CEO of Arment Dietrich marketing agency, Gini Dietrich, is a framework for PR professionals, marketers, and communicators.

It combines all communication channels to develop a comprehensive communication strategy aligned with business goals. PESO stands for Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media.

Core Elements of PESO

1. Paid Media: Advertising you pay for to extend your content's reach beyond your platforms. This includes social media ads, sponsored posts, lead generation, influencer marketing, PPC, and event marketing.

2. Earned Media: Media attention gained through previous efforts, often associated with PR. It involves building relationships with media, bloggers, and influencers in your niche.

3. Shared Media: Social networks like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and X (Twitter). These platforms help develop audience relationships, build brand loyalty, and generate user-generated content (UGC).

4. Owned Media: Your content or platforms where it resides, such as articles, blogs, podcasts, emails, or videos. Gini Dietrich considers this the starting point of the PESO model.

These media types should work synergistically to create E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) - a concept Google uses to evaluate pages. SEO plays a crucial role in this model, helping earn Google's trust and increase reach through search queries.

Updated PESO Framework 2024

The 2024 PESO Model retains the four media types but acknowledges significant changes in their impact and interaction. New platforms and content requirements have emerged, including demands for authenticity and AI integration. AI is facilitating work with paid channels and social networks while influencing user content preferences. The audience is becoming more discerning, emphasizing the importance of owned media where you control the changes.

New media platforms are gaining prominence. TikTok has shifted the approach to content, making video format key for content creators. In response to changes in X (Twitter), Meta introduced its own alternative, Threads. This underscores the need to closely monitor social media changes and leverage algorithms to our advantage.

Owned Media

Content creation begins with owned media resources - personal channels or business platforms. The PESO model emphasizes independence in working with owned media, as building your brand or business on publicly available platforms carries the risk of losing your work unexpectedly.

Owned media includes websites, blogs, email marketing, podcasts, and videos. When you don't have your own platform, you can "rent" your content on established platforms like Apple Podcast, Spotify, or YouTube. However, it's crucial to develop a distribution system that can withstand potential platform changes or disappearances.

For Gart Solutions, Go Global started by completely overhauling their single-page website into a comprehensive, multi-page platform.

Example: Go Global's Approach to Gart Solutions' Owned Media

1. We transformed Gart's single-page website into a robust site, each page focusing on a specific service or expertise area.
2. Our team developed in-depth, SEO-optimized content for each page. For instance, we created detailed service pages like "Infrastructure Management" and "DevOps Services," along with their sub-categories.
3. We established a blog section, creating a content calendar with topics relevant to Gart's expertise. This included articles on cloud migration, DevOps best practices, and IT infrastructure trends.
4. Using Weblium, we designed user-friendly, responsive prototypes for each page, ensuring a seamless user experience across devices.
5. We implemented a strategic internal linking structure to guide visitors through Gart's service offerings and improve SEO.

Results:

• Increased organic traffic from 0 to 1,000 visitors per month
• Improved search engine rankings, with 1,000 keywords in the top 100 positions
• Enhanced user engagement, with visitors spending more time exploring Gart's services

Shared Media

Shared media, or social networks, are used to distribute content. The goal is to engage social networks and media platforms your potential consumers already use. To determine which platforms to focus on:

1. Search for relevant keywords and identify where discussions are most active.

2. Analyze your website's referral traffic through Google Analytics.

3. Survey your audience about their information-seeking habits and preferred social channels.

4. Mix channels that bring you the most users with those capable of attracting your target audience.

The 2024 PESO model includes promotion as a separate element of work, acknowledging that organic engagement alone is no longer sufficient. This can involve both advertising and partnerships. According to a Statista survey from February 2024, 10% to 20% of marketing budgets are allocated to influencer marketing

Paid Media

Paid media, or advertising, should be used when you have established content and distribution, know what works for you, and want to increase effectiveness through advertising. If you're new to PPC, start with a small budget test in the social networks you use for content distribution. Online advertising is accessible as you can calculate approximate results and understand its profitability for your business.

Earned Media

Work on earned media can begin during the content distribution stage. Building a community is crucial for increasing and engaging subscribers. Often, genuine product enthusiasm leads to partnerships where influencers recommend your product to their audience. Journalists also spend time on social media and may discover your page and become interested in your business.

Example of earned media: [Interview] Fedir Kompaniiets, CEO, Gart Solutions, Ukraine

Simultaneously, you need to expand your contact base independently. Look for media related to your business or product, editor and journalist contacts, and relevant social media groups where media professionals discuss their work.

SEO Connection in Owned and Earned Media

When writing materials, consider that Google will evaluate them and decide whether your content matches certain queries and if it's ready to recommend during searches. Poorly optimized texts have less chance of being noticed. When publishing material in the media, you also work towards your own recognition - gaining additional search results and showing Google that you have expertise and are being referenced.

The comprehensive use of the PESO model leads to the main goal - becoming an authoritative source. This is governed by content ranking algorithms, particularly E-E-A-T factors, which check content for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

You can use each media element in your own combination, depending on your brand's stage or what you want to achieve. Whether preparing a PR campaign or using PPC to enhance the effect of a campaign, the PESO model provides a flexible framework for effective communication strategies.

Ready to transform your online presence?

At Go Global (with Natali Trubnikova ), we're experts in crafting powerful communication strategies that deliver results. Whether you need to boost your organic traffic, improve your search engine rankings, or develop a comprehensive content strategy, we have the expertise to help you succeed.

Take the first step towards digital success – reach out now for a personalized consultation.

Let's go global together!

Best,

Anastasiia