There is no ‘one size fits all’ for an ever-evolving industry like the Marketing scene. It is especially difficult to stand out and rise above competition with typical and overused strategies that are not giving anyone results. The reality of marketing and utilizing its full potential to bear business success lies in the balance between the three types of marketing communication, namely: paid media, owned media, and earned media.

What are these types of marketing media and how do they differ from one another?

A Side by Side by Side: Paid Media vs Owned Media vs Earned Media

Paid Media	Owned Media	Earned Media
Refers to any form of media a business pays for to reach its target audience.	Refers to any communication channel that a company owns.	Refers to any publicity or exposure gained through word-of-mouth, reviews, media coverage, or social media mentions.

Paid media is the simplest type of media communication. The posts that litter your Facebook feed with ‘Sponsored’ above them are examples of paid media. Its main goal is to broaden your ad’s or post’s reach, pull visitors, and increase conversions. Most popular online paid media examples are Google ads and social media ads (e.g. Meta/Facebook ads, Instagram ads) while print, TV advertising, and direct mail are examples of offline traditional paid media.

Your business’ website, blogs, and social media networks like facebook and Instagram are examples of owned media. They are media channels and content owned and managed by YOU. Brochures and retail stores are examples of offline owned media.

On the other hand, earned media is a public exposure that is neither paid or owned. It is simply the result of your business’ content, relevance, and quality. Earned media are reviews, news and feature stories that include shared media content, social media mentions, word-of-mouth referrals and recommendations. With this type of media, you have no control over the results, only the quality of your product or service.

Two Sides of The Same Coin: Media Pros and Cons

Paid Media

PROS: Complete control and measurable results

With paid media, you control the steering wheel. You get to decide when and who to target with the message YOU chose. You are also able to track whether your efforts are bearing fruit through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like clicks, impressions, and conversions.

CONS: Costly and budget-dependent

Paid media can be a pain in the pocket especially for bigger campaigns. While it requires less effort, its reach is dependent on your budget. This limits your organic reach; which means your visibility might decrease when your campaign ends.

Owned Media

PROS: Long-term brand awareness and cost-effective

Owned media is your key to organic reach. With owned media, you can build brand awareness and customer trust by constantly staying top-of-mind without spending as much as you would in an ad.

CONS: Time consuming and limited reach

To effectively make use of owned media, you will have to maintain and consistently create content. While it requires little to no cost, you might have to make up for it with time and effort. Unlike with paid media, it might be difficult to reach a wider audience without promotion.

Earned Media

PROS: Credible, cost-effective, and amplified reach.

Earned media serves as a testimony of your business efforts. Satisfied customers will do the marketing for you by spreading and recommending your business to others. This increases your business’ credibility for zero cost.

CONS: Less control and unpredictable

Of all types of media, earned media is the most difficult to control. While positive opinions about you can easily spread and boost business, the same is true with negative feedback which carry corresponding consequences. It is also difficult to predict the timing and messaging of earned media.

How to Mix & Match the Three Types of Media

Each marketing communication has their own strengths and weaknesses. With this, it is difficult to adopt a single approach. An effective and balanced media strategy utilizes the strengths of each type of media to make up for the weaknesses of the other. Maximize brand visibility, increase engagement, and amplify conversion by doing the following:

A. Use paid media to drive traffic to owned media.

Earn loyal followers by reaching a wide pool of audiences.Use paid ads to promote blog posts, social media content, or landing pages. This ensures that your content reaches your target market.

B. Leverage owned media to generate earned media.

Create high-quality content that is shareable and newsworthy. Contents that are relatable and timely are most likely to be shared by customers or influencers who have their own set of friends or followers.

C. Monitor and analyze the performance of each type of media.

Track KPIs to measure the effectiveness of your media strategy. This data will help you optimize your campaign, efficiently allocate your resources, and make data-driven decisions.

The optimal mix of media will vary depending on your target audience, budget, and marketing objectives. A well-rounded strategy that combines paid, owned, and earned media can help you optimize your marketing strategy, achieve your marketing goals, and ultimately, propel your business to new heights.

If you’re interested in finding out more about how to leverage the different types of marketing communication in driving your business to success, Prometheus can help.

The 3 Types of Media: A Strategic Mix & Match to Drive Marketing Success

Get in Touch