Most companies are faced with the age-old question, “How can we get noticed by our target audience?” The amount of information available online has become increasingly overwhelming so it can be difficult to break through the clutter and make a lasting impression. In order to make an impact, you need to create a communication strategy and leverage media tools that are available.
By learning how to effectively use the following three types of media channels, you can drive brand awareness and broaden your potential for reaching new audiences.
Paid Media
Paid media is exactly what it sounds like—companies pay to promote their content in order to reach a specific audience to drive engagement. This includes platforms such as Google Pay Per Click, Facebook advertising and sponsored Instagram posts. Paid media is a great way to reach a large number of people across multiple geographic areas to help spread your message and brand. Another way to reach your audience is to pay influencers, such as bloggers, who are well-known within an industry to ‘tweet’ or ‘share’ links to your company’s content.
Earned Media
Earned media is also known as online word-of-mouth. It is normally referred to as any publicity or media coverage a company receives from journalists, bloggers or other media outlets. Imagine that you watch a funny video on your friend’s Facebook page, so you decide to ‘like’ it and ‘share’ it on your Facebook page. A few days later, four more people share the same video and now there have been multiple ‘likes,’ ‘comments,’ and ‘shares.’ Companies aim for the same goal for their online content, only on a much bigger scale. The more interaction your content is earning, the more engagement and reach you will receive.
Owned Media
Owned media refers to content created in-house for your brand. A few of the most common examples are websites, blogs and social media profiles. Owned media is important for your image because it not only provides insightful information with your audience but it also positions you as an expert in your industry. The more topical information you can supply your audience, the more likely they are to share the content with their network.
Each of these media channels can significantly help businesses reach their target audiences, but the key is finding a balance and integrating all three in a strategic manner.
Cooksey Staff
