Owned, earned and paid media can each exist independently of one another. However, an effective and efficient content strategy for a digital communications campaign must utilise a combination of all three to ensure that your brand narrative is being conveyed across all available channels to your target audience.

The Spring³ Digital Content Framework leverages these three tactics to achieve a successful fully-integrated digital marketing strategy for our clients.

OWNED 

Owned is property that you create and control – it is unique and synonymous with your brand. This includes your social media platforms, website, white papers, blogs, infographics and case studies. 

Most consumers now conduct online product research before stepping foot in a store. This highlights the need for businesses to amplify and optimise their digital platforms, so they are delivering fresh content relevant to their audiences.

EARNED 

Earned media is publicity that you don’t own, or haven’t paid for. This includes reviews, shares, comments, and editorials – essentially online ‘word of mouth’. You can gain strong earned media through trade publications, and national and local media – both online and offline.

This also has the duel benefit of establishing you as a thought leader in your field. However, whether it is a blog or infographic, webinar or ebook, the content has to be worthwhile in order to garner this valuable earned attention. That is why it is so important to have an effective digital PR strategy in place.

PAID 

Digital spend can produce results and drive your business forward. Paid media is a good way to promote content in order to drive earned media, as well as direct traffic to your owned media properties.

By paying for promotion, through Google Ads, social media ads, paid influencers and native advertising, there is an opportunity to build sales, grow your brand and increase engagement. With native advertising, backlinks are also a key element of a successful SEO campaign.

The Spring³ Digital Framework takes all three tactics – owned, earned and paid – and utilises them in partnership with one another. They stand alone, and stand together. We focus on driving new audiences to our clients’ owned properties with paid content; amplifying the reach of earned content with paid promotion; and improving and creating owned property and content to drive earned media and shares. It’s only through the combination of all three elements that a successful integrated campaign can be built.

For more information on Spring³ and how we can create an integrated content-driven digital marketing strategy for your business, email info@springboardcommunications.ie. 

Post by Ciara Flaherty

As Senior Account Manager, Ciara drives communication campaigns for clients in a variety of sectors including technology, law, financial services and healthcare. A law graduate, she also has an excellent sense of the media landscape, both traditional and new, having worked for the Irish Examiner and breakingnews.ie.