R Public Relations Firm
Advantages of Earned Media in Your Public Relations Mix
As the saying goes, “the best things in life are free,” and that’s certainly true when it comes to public relations. But what many people don’t realize is that public relations (PR) isn’t a one-size-fits-all communications strategy. Public Relations Mix is actually made of different media components. Earned media is one of those and while it’s the most coveted, it can also be the hardest to attain. But the benefits are so worth it for your brand. Here are the advantages of earned media in PR.
Overview of the Public Relations Media Mix
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) defines PR as, “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” The goal of PR is to influence, engage and build a positive relationship and/or image with your audience. Your success in PR hinges on the right Public Relations Mix which can include:
- Owned media – This is media your brand owns like your website, blog, or social media presence.
- Shared media – You benefit from this type of media when someone shares content of yours across social media such as an (unpaid) influencer.
- Paid media – Much like it sounds, this is media coverage that you pay for such as online ads and pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns or advertising and direct mail offline. Paid influencer marketing would also fall under this.
- Earned media – This type of media coverage is organically generated, meaning that you didn’t create it or pay for it. This could include mentions in the news, product or service features, as well as reviews and positive comments on social media.
Advantages of Earned Media Above the Others
Perhaps the most significant advantage of earned media is that it’s free which means your ROI will always be higher than anything else in your PR mix. However, there are also other advantages as well such as:
- It’s more credible – You literally earn this type of media coverage so it’s not biased which means your audience is more likely to trust it.
- Raises awareness – Not only can earned media boost your brand awareness beyond your paid campaigns, but it can also help you to reach audiences that may be outside your traditional base and/or your budget.
- It can improve your image – Again, earned media is more credible so positive mentions about your brand can go a long way towards boosting your image with your audience.
- Can help with search engine rankings – We’re talking about organic rankings in search results here. One of the often-overlooked advantages of earned media is improved rankings for your keywords; and as an extension, improved search engine traffic can be attributed to this coverage.
Earning Earned Media
Now that the advantages of earned media are clear, you likely can also see why it can be hard to attain. As the name says, you have to earn it through hard work on your end by creating exceptional customer experiences, creating quality content, and developing and nurturing relationships with media contacts.
The caveat is that in earned media you can’t control the narrative so you have to have carefully crafted messaging and everyone representing your brand must know it by heart to make sure you always present a positive image for your brand. Make no mistake, this takes time, effort, and expertise.
It just so happens R team has the expertise, the media relationships, and the process efficiencies in place to help you make the most of earned media in your PR mix. And with R experience in the restaurant, hospitality, retail, health and wellness, business, and non-profit industries, we’d love to help your brand!
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