Understanding paid, earned, and owned media as well as their differences is important for any business professional looking to increase their impact and exposure through digital marketing. Not only are the components of this digital marketing trifecta important, they also directly impact each other in several ways. For our clients to be able to become the best digital marketers, we have laid out definitions, explanations, and examples of paid, earned, and owned media while explaining how each corresponds to the next.
Owned Media
What is it?
Owned media consists of all channels the company or brand owns including website, mobile site, blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, service pages, etc.
Examples:
Earned Media
What is it?
Earned media refers to any communication about your brand including shares, mentions, replies, reviews published by external sources such as influencers or customers. This type of media is earned through utilizing good paid (influencers, ads) and owned (Instagram, blog) media.
Examples:
Paid Media
What is it?
Paid media is all the marketing and advertising efforts a company pays for. This includes display ads, pay-per-click, paid influencers, endorsements, retargeting, social media ads, etc. This type of media serves to increase online exposure which encourages people to engage and visit the brand's online channels.
Examples:
A Wrap Up
By understanding how the three types of media impact each other and creating a digital marketing strategy which encompasses them all into one synergetic stream, you will most certainly increase your online presence and create better exposure for your brand.
