Nina-Li Wieberdink
October 11, 2022
In the blog 'What is PR?'we briefly explained the term 'earned media'. In this blog, we will delve deeper into the meaning and usefulness of earned media and talk about the use of PR.
In the blog 'What is PR?'we briefly explained the term 'earned media'. In this blog, we will delve deeper into the meaning and usefulness of earned media and talk about the use of PR.
Earned media are all (media) publications where you don't have to invest money. It's free exposure outside your own channels. Earned media is part of the PESO Modell. In this model, developed by Gini Dietrich in 2009, all media channels are visualized (see image). This involves the marketing mix between Paid (paid), Earned, Shared and Owned media, which together provide authority.
Earned media can be hard, soft and reactive tidings go. For many, earned media sounds like music to their ears. And for good reason, because not only is it valuable for your organization, it can also have a positive impact on the image of your b2b organization.
We just talked about the impact earned media can have on your organization's image. If you, as an expert, are invited to participate in a topic in your field, you can use this to thought leadership strengthen your organization's position. This is because you appear credible to your target group and exude authority.
People are talking about you and they want to talk about you. You also plant seeds with potential customers who, when they are further along the buyer journey, will think of you when they are looking for a product or service. So you also indirectly recruit new customers for your b2b organization by working with earned media.
Earned media looks slightly different for b2b organizations than for b2c. In b2c, you sell directly to an individual. This is a relatively small amount and, in most cases, only one person has to decide. An Instagram Story or Google review often already has a positive impact on a potential customer's buyer journey.
When it comes to b2b, we sell to organizations where the decision is made by several people. B2B usually also involves long-term collaborations. Earned media opportunities for b2b, for example, include journalists who want an interview about a topic in your field; the topic you, as a b2b organization, are thought leaders in.
There are also risks and less positive aspects of earned media. For example, it's not always in your hands. There may be an unexpected request for an interview or a talk show invitation come in, you have no control over that.
One risk of earned media is that the outcome can also be negative. A PR campaign can go wrong with the target group, which in turn leads to negative publicity. So get the help of a reliable and transparent PR agency with a lot of experience and good media contacts. They can prevent a PR crisis.
An example of a PR campaign that involved risks is the example of Tesla. During the presentation of the Cybertruck, Elon Musk wanted to demonstrate how 'unbreakable' the windows were. These turned out to be far from unbreakable, as the window was broken after one blow. Musk dealt with it well, limiting the damage caused by the resulting PR crisis. However, it did put a dent in Tesla's reputation.
But how exactly do you 'earn' that earned media? You do this by building a good reputation as an organization. It is also crucial to have strong connections with journalists. Many organizations choose to get the help of a pr agency for switching on. Such an agency already has contacts in the media world and can also develop campaigns and send press releases to the appropriate media. This saves a lot of time, time that you can invest in the growth of your organization.
