Earned Media

What is Earned Media and How Can Your Business Benefit From It?

Earned media consists of news coverage, press releases, interviews, website content, stories, social media posts, and any other content generated by your business that increases its exposure and brand awareness alongside ad campaigns.

Anytime your business or brand gets publicity outside of its marketing campaigns, that is earned media. Customer reviews and social media posts are a great source of earned media you can encourage in different ways through your business. There are also several ways your business can hold events or make announcements that can generate earned media.

An example would be a grand opening. If your business hosts a ribbon-cutting or groundbreaking special event you may be able to get additional exposure through coverage of the event by local news media.

“It gives them some content. It gives you the additional exposure you need,” Beyond Spots & Dots President and Founder Melanie Querry said.

A public relations professional is a key source to acquiring earned media. Someone with experience and relationships working with news media who can help get your special event coverage.

“They have a direct contact with the media. They literally can do it the old fashion way and pick up the phone and call,” Querry said. “Use those relationships to generate the content or the earned media.”

Another avenue for generating earned media is through press releases. A press release allows you to send information directly to local media sources that can generate additional coverage for your business or a special event your business is hosting. 

“You don’t just need the earned media for a very specific thing like a grand opening,” Querry said. “You could have some really great news within your company.”

Sharing news about awards won by your company or prestigious lists your company makes can help your business generate positive public relations and earned media.

“Other earned media you might receive could be an interview,” Querry said. “In this case, the earned media that’s going to generate that interview provides content for you.”

With that interview, your business acquires content you can use on its website, social media, and other platforms to further expand on the potential impact of that positive earned media. 

“You can pay for earned media, believe it or not,” Querry said. “Earned media would be what we consider a bonus, you earned it. But you could earn media exposure through something you pay for.”

Many media outlets locally and nationally offer certain programs or shows that businesses can be featured on that then become news segments or podcasts.

These programs are not earned media themselves, but additional exposure and awareness can be generated for your business as a result of these features. This gives your business an opportunity to expand on earned media through that content.

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