And Why You Should Focus on This Marketing Strategy
Your brand value really matters, and this fact cannot be overstated. How your target audience views your brand, how well you are reaching them, and how well you speak to them is all part of that value. Many brands focus on getting eyes on their content and conversions through paid marketing campaigns. But organic (earned) media shouldn’t be pushed to the side. It matters just as much as your paid campaigns do.\
What is Earned Media Value?
Earned media value (EMV) is a way to measure the value of all your organic (earned) exposure your social content and influencer campaigns generate. EMV is the chatter that is generated by organic content or influencer content. This chatter, or word of mouth, serves as proof that effective organic content can have a big ripple effect.
Why is Earned Media Value Important?
Word of mouth marketing is powerful. Today’s consumers love to get recommendations from friends, family, and other trusted people (like influencers). Chatter about your brand from these organic means can spread like wildfire, and when it’s positive it can have a big impact on sales. So successful influencer marketing and organic campaigns are essential to increasing your earned media value and fattening your brand’s bank account.
What’s the Difference?
When it comes to digital marketing, there are three main categories of content. Paid media is advertising that you pay for, such as Facebook ads or influencer marketing campaigns. Owned media is content created and published on platforms that you own, like your blog, website, and newsletter.
Earned media is the organic coverage of your brand from third parties. It is typically a result of your owned and paid media efforts, and comes in the form of social media mentions, customer testimonials, or even press coverage. You can’t directly control what is said in earned media chatter, but when you play your cards right with your own organic posts, influencer campaigns, and paid campaigns, you can set the stage for positive chatter that has far-reaching effects and massive value! In other words, think of this process as a circle; your efforts can lead to earned media, which you can then use to produce even more content, creating additional ripples.
Calculating Your Earned Media Value
If your social scheduling platform doesn’t offer a tool to calculate earned media value for you, you can calculate it manually with the below formula. While it’s not the easiest way, and it requires a separate calculation for each platform, it can be a way to track your EMV.
EMV = (likes x value per like) + (comments x value per comment) + (impressions/1000) x value per 1000 impressions
Key Takeaways
Your earned media value goes hand-in-hand with your other online efforts, including influencer campaigns, paid advertising, owned media (e.g., blogs), and organic social posts. When developing your campaigns, think about the earned media value you want to earn from it. When you start with the end goal in mind, you can build more effective paid, owned, and organic campaigns that lead to positive word-of-mouth advertising that can have a big impact on your brand!
Need help developing a marketing strategy for better-earned media value? Tintero Creative would love to help your brand grow in a positive and thoughtful way. Our team of creatives can help your brand tell your story in a way that works for you in your industry while still meeting digital trends and marketing best practices. Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can help you succeed online and grow your digital presence!