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THINGS TO CONSIDER WITH MEDIA

Angela Stavrogiannopoulos Sr. Coordinator Communications and Public Relations —

What is earned vs. owned vs. paid media?

Article by Angela Stavrogiannopoulos Sr. Coordinator Communications and Public Relations

What is earned vs. owned vs. paid media? As a professional communicator I’m very familiar with these terms and meanings. As Rotary members in the community with a great deal to share to an external audience I’d like to make you familiar with these concepts also and equip you when considering your marketing tactics.

I also want you to think about what your goal is. Marketing tactics don’t always need to be driven by numbers and many times the engagement with your audience is more valuable.

Earned media refers to the content and conversations about Rotary that we’ve influenced but is created by someone else and published somewhere other than your channels. This includes news media coverage, social media mentions, shares and retweets, and blog posts.

Earned media coverage carries more credibility than owned and paid, but it requires you to cultivate strong mutual relationships with journalists, influencers and your target audience.

Owned media refers to any channel or profile controlled and maintained by Rotary, such as a club website, social media channels and blogs. You control both the content and media channel.

Paid media is any form of media that a club or district pays to use. This includes sponsorships and advertisements. You can control the content, but not the media channel.

While each element has its own role, they are equally important as part of your marketing strategy.

Be strategic about how one or all these elements can help you achieve your objectives. Each has a different audience so think about who you want to talk to. For example, will paid media give you the best chance of reaching your fundraising goal? Will earned media boost your membership? Is your sole focus on owned media and can you ensure it is kept updated and relevant?

Before jumping straight in, think about your objectives.

Earned media carries a lot of credibility. It tends to be measures by its advertising value times four. For example, if a newspaper charges $100 for a quarter page advertisement and the story you secured in the newspaper (due to a relationship with a journalist) is a quarter page, the PR (Public Relations) value is $400.

On the other hand, if fundraising is your goal paid media may give you the best chance of reaching that. You might need to pay for some advertising if you need to reach a wider external audience to achieve a certain goal. This probably would be more beneficial than trying to secure an earned media piece.

You can also measure the success by tracking clicks to a website after the advertisement has been placed.

Also think about who your audience is. If you need to reach other Rotary members, then paid or earned media probably won’t be useful to you. Owned media would be your best bet in reaching your audience. You can use your social media channels and websites to create content that is relevant.

Usually, you can measure success of websites by using analytic tools, while social media will offer you information about likes, engagement, shares, retweets and more.

This draws me back to what is your ultimate goal. I see a goal not being about numbers but more to do with your target audience coming on a journey with you – whether that is becoming a new member, fundraising, or teaching someone about Rotary.

Each situation is unique, so if you have any questions on your marketing strategy please contact me at angela.stavro@rotary.org