With the so-called ‘collapse’ of major digital news outlets like Vice Media and BuzzFeed and the much-hyped decline of traditional news, then earned media no longer matters. Right?
If you answered yes, you’d be wrong! Securing earned media is still the highest priority for most public relations professionals.
Yes, it’s true that in today’s digital landscape, public relations professionals no longer rely on earned media alone. Most PR pros today use some form of the PESO Model™ which includes owned, shared, paid and earned media.
However, media pitching and media relations to secure earned media still dominate the industry.
And despite digital and legacy media outlets shuttering or laying off, there is a slew of independent, niche and grant-funded newsrooms starting up or getting help from organizations like Press Forward, Local Media Foundation, News/Media Alliance, MacArthur Foundation, Knight Foundation, the American Journalism Project and others. Nonprofit newsrooms are also on the rise, like the nonpartisan nonprofit States Newsrooms.
By the numbers
According to one report, 85% of PR pros reported media relations accounted for at least 25% of their time.
Another recent report showed a full one-third (33%) of comms and PR pros said their overall media strategies rely on earned media the most — making it the highest PR priority over owned, paid and shared (in that order).
On the creative side, 57% of PR firms report that earned media has become more important in the current economic climate, but more than half (53%) think that their agencies aren’t viewed as the best option by clients to lead earned-first creative ideas.
And it’s not just public relations. A 2023 Edelman study found that the responsibilities of corporate communications teams are increasing in less traditional areas like digital and social media (72%), monitoring, measurement & analytics (68%), social listening (67%), and audience insights (31%).
Wait, what is earned media?
Earned media refers to attention and exposure that a brand receives organically, without direct payment or control over the content. Earned media is a PR tool for reaching additional audiences and building brand awareness. It can be leveraged for lead generation, brand reputation, and loyalty building.
Ten examples of modern earned media include:
- Media coverage of products, services, brands, or events.
- Non-paid social media posts referencing a product or service.
- Natural inclusion in trade publications.
- Mentions from new media like podcasts, livestreams, and newsletters.
- Inclusion of products or services in external media content.
- User-generated content/word-of-mouth recommendations.
- Product roundups by other content creators.
- Online customer reviews (both positive and negative).
- Product reviews on platforms like YouTube, social media platforms, or blogs.
- Unpaid search engine traffic.
The importance of earned media in public relations can’t be understated. Earned media is crucial for many reasons — mainly because it’s highly effective, reaching customers through trusted sources like friends, family, online content, and the media.
Yes, there has been a decline in trust in the media in recent years, but mind the age gap. Gen Z is the most skeptical and prefers to get their news via social media (especially TikTok). However, while some independent news creators may break the news on social channels, often the news originates from a reporter or outlet and then propagates across the social spectrum.
Earned media challenges
At a time when misinformation (and disinformation) spreads like a virus, the credibility and legitimacy of earned media are invaluable. At the same time, it is undeniable that earning media coverage has become more challenging than it used to be.
The Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) and member agency Buchanan Public Relations released ‘The State of Earned Media 2023’ report a few months ago.
The survey asked whether generating earned media across three channels – local, national and trade press – had become easier, more difficult, or about the same as it was, and average responses in all three categories fell into the “more difficult” range. Here are the main reasons cited:
- Shrinking Pool of Reporters: The top reason cited for the difficulty in obtaining earned media coverage was the shrinking pool of reporters. This has led to less time for attending press events, trade shows, and covering stories, making B2B PR harder than ever.
- Too Much Competition: Respondents highlighted that there’s too much competition from other stories, making it challenging for their pitches to stand out.
- Weak Stories: Some respondents noted that the stories clients ask to have placed are not strong enough, making it challenging to secure earned media coverage.
- Less Interest by Media: Public relations professionals also mentioned that there is less interest from the media in covering certain topics, further complicating the process of obtaining earned media.
- Harder to Maintain Relationships with Journalists: Respondents observed that making and maintaining relationships with journalists has become harder. This has made it more challenging to pitch stories successfully.
- Other Factors: Factors such as media not wanting to travel to cover stories and the impact of competing political coverage were also mentioned as contributing to the difficulty in obtaining earned media.
Justin Liggin of another PRGN member agency, HMA Public Relations, wrote of the report, “Competition from other stories remains the top obstacle for securing earned media, closely followed by client stories not being strong enough and lack of interest from the media. Almost 60% named print media as one of the most difficult mediums to secure coverage, and 46% said television.”
Earned media success tips
PR consultant Michelle Garrett, on her new YouTube livestream shows PR Explored, said her favorite effective way to get more value from content is taking content created for and put on the client’s website and repurposing it as earned media.
“What you do with the media mention counts as much as getting it in the first place,” Frank Strong told Michelle on PR Explored.
To the point above, once a story is published, the brand or company should share it on social media, tagging the outlet and journalists when possible. This boosts visibility and may inspire similar content if the story performs well.
Frank said studies and surveys are another way to get earned media coverage. If you have data processing through your systems, it’s an excellent opportunity to get earned media coverage for insights because it’s based on fact, not opinion.
Last week, M Booth’s Jeremy Mullman wrote, “Our media friends are becoming less interested in reach, which has gotten cheap, and more interested in engagement, which is growing in value. We have to adjust our tactics accordingly.”
I will add that paywalled outlets, reporters or articles don’t necessarily mean the audience size will be smaller — especially if the outlet or journalist has a history of broadening viewership or readership through aggregation, syndication, or affiliates.
There is no ‘secret sauce’ for landing a story, but successful PR pros are typically strategic and highly selective in their media list building, media outreach and pitch follow-ups. They also know how to avoid overwhelming (or underwhelming) busy journalists.
Key takeaways
The positive benefits of earned media include increased brand credibility, third-party validation, and cost-effectiveness. Earned media can also help reach a wider audience, build trust with stakeholders, and gain exposure and visibility through credible sources.
Public relations and communications pros must continually evaluate whether their messaging aligns with audience sentiments. Monitoring earned media facilitates analytics and measurement, allowing you to re-evaluate, adjust and fine-tune as you go.
Despite the challenging, evolving nature of earned media, its fundamental principles — and benefits — endure.
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This happens to marketing too: they finish the white paper and are immediately onto the next thing. We all need a playbook for getting things out.
Agreed, Frank! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.