In today’s cluttered media landscape, garnering earned media is more important than ever. For those who aren’t aware, earned media is the publicity gained through word-of-mouth, recommendations, reviews, interviews and social media shares. Many brands, however, overlook the importance of producing owned media, such as blog and social content, to attracting earned media attention.
Yet the benefits of creating owned media — content produced by a brand for that brand — to getting earned media are many. We break down some of these benefits for you below, starting with …
Building brand credibility
One of the most important reasons why brands should produce owned media is to build credibility with their audience. As marketing expert Ann Handley explains, “Creating valuable, relevant and consistent content helps to establish trust with your audience.” By consistently producing high-quality owned media, brands can establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry and build trust with their audience.
Increasing brand visibility
Another key benefit of producing owned media is increasing brand visibility. As more and more consumers turn to digital channels for information, it’s important for brands to have a strong online presence — and stand out through their online content. By producing high-quality, compelling blog and social content, brands can increase their visibility online and reach a wider audience.
Owning and guiding your story
A clear advantage to creating owned media is the control (or, at least, the sense of control) it gives brands over their story, or narrative. They can share their message directly with their target audience without relying on the interpretation of third-party sources. Plus, it gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their values in action through the stories they tell. By creating and publishing content on their own channels — such as their website, blog, social media accounts or email newsletter — brands can control the tone, messaging and visuals of said content. This enables them to tailor their message to their audience and ensure that it aligns with their brand identity and values.
Improving your search engine ranking
Producing owned media can help brands build their SEO, optimizing their content for search engines and improving their online visibility. In turn, this will help drive traffic to their website and increase their chances of being discovered by new customers.
The foundation of all media relations
To reiterate, when done well, owned media builds brand credibility, increases visibility and allows brands to guide their own narrative — serving as one of the most powerful (and inexpensive) forms of public relations. According to Gini Dietrich, founder and CEO of Chicago-based integrated marketing communication firm Arment Dietrich, “Owned media is the foundation of all media relations.” By producing owned media that is consistent, valuable, relevant and shareable, brands can attract the attention of journalists, influencers and other media outlets.
Afterall, as author and content expert Joe Pulizzi notes, “If you want to be in the content marketing game, you have to own the content.” By investing in owned media — which offers many benefits in and of itself, brands can attract earned media that contributes to their positive image and reputation, positioning them for even greater success.
