How to Spice Up Your Owned Media

Communications plans all start with the PESO model. This stands for paid, earned, shared, and owned. Owned media takes patience to build traction but is worth the effort and time in the end because it is the only part of the PESO model that you have complete control over. Let’s find out what it takes to build traction as best and quickly as possible.

Be Authentic

Owned media is content that is created for a platform that the brand completely owns. Owned media takes patience to succeed, so it is essential to be upfront about this with a boss or a client so there are no unrealistic expectations from the start of a communication plan. Many start owned media efforts by trying to be Switzerland as unbiased as possible. However brands are not investigative journalists, and people buy from organizations that have the same values as them. Generation Z, the upcoming consumer, is more likely to purchase from brands that hold to their values. Brands cannot be all things for all people, so be bold, take a stance, showcase values, and stand up for what the brand believes.

Be Smart

Owned media succeeds most when it is focused on thought leadership. As a PR pro, ensure that the organization's thought leaders are available to give insight and be the experts in the field. Thought leadership can only come with thought leaders, so as a PR pro, this must be insisted on, or it is not worth the effort.

Within owned media pillar content is what gets a message across to an audience. Most people need to hear seething many times before it sinks in, which is why pillar content is excellent for any owned media efforts. You can repurpose one thing in many ways, such as a blog series, social media posts, infographics, videos, earned media, and sponsored or earned content. A communication pro can repeat themselves a million times, and it will still be new to most people.

Be Searchable

All owned media should use search optimization to be discovered or distributed using priority keywords and phrases, anchor text, and linkbacks. Writing with search intent helps media to be searchable. One should also pay attention to the topical issues being discussed on social media or within a community to know what to create owned media about. Answer the questions the public already has, and people will be interested in your content. Finally, building owned media is about building a community. Owned media is not one-sided communication but an interaction with an audience. This means that communicators should be listening and interacting with their audiences.

In Conclusion

Owned media is worth the effort and time but takes patience and creativity. Owned media is the only part of the PESO model with complete agency, which is why it is essential to build up. With taking a stance, thought leadership, pillar content, search intent, answering the publics questions, and building community, a PR pro has all the right steps toward a successful campaign.

Reilly Lewis is a senior majoring in Advertising & Public Relations with a minor in Digital Studies. Reilly serves on the executive board of Grand Valley’s chapter of PRSSA as Vice President of Chapter Development and is the leader of the DEI committee. Reilly also is a part of GVSU’s student-run integrated communication firm, where she is an account associate. Outside of school, Reilly is currently working at Perrigo Company as a corporate communications intern.