What is Paid, Earned, and Owned Media?

It's no secret that a business must have a solid online presence to succeed in today's digital age.

But what exactly does that mean? And how do you go about achieving it?

Paid, Earned, and Owned Media (PEM) is a term used to describe the different types of media your company can use to reach its target audience. PEM can be broken down into three categories: paid media, earned media, and owned media.

Each media type has unique benefits and drawbacks, which we'll explore in this article.

So what exactly is PEM?

Let's find out!

Paid media

As the name suggests, paid media is any marketing and advertising that requires you to purchase ad space to promote your ad to larger audiences.

This includes traditional media like TV ads, billboards, and print and digital media like branded content, display ads, pay-per-click advertising, paid search and paid social.

Although paid media involves a financial investment, it is an excellent way to increase brand awareness, generate more traffic, and increase revenue.

Earned media

Earned media is when other people spread news, feedback, or additional information about a company. This can be through press mentions, positive reviews, or reposts on social media. Earned media helps fuel the top of your sales funnel by raising brand awareness and building trust and credibility. That said, this type of media puts your business at risk of negative messaging.

Owned media

Owned media is any media that a company owns and controls. It includes your company website, your social media accounts, and your blog.

Because this type of media is managed internally, it can be cheaper and offers more control of shared information. On the flip side, it needs regular maintenance and has a limited audience reach.

How can you use paid, earned, and owned media for your marketing strategy?

Paid, earned, and owned media exist symbiotically and work together to fill the gap where one falls short. For example, PPC campaigns, a form of paid media, help promote your website, an example of owned media.

You need all three media types for a holistic marketing campaign as a marketer or business owner.

Creating a reputable business requires a lot of effort. You must publish original content, establish expertise, and build and maintain media relationships. To do this, you need to use all three media channels.

Owned media allows you to create and publish your own content, paid media enables you to promote your content to a wider audience, and earned media gives you the recognition you need to build trust and credibility.