Owned
- Content hub with SEO articles & lead magnets
- Email newsletter with segmentation
- Resource library (templates, calculators)
- Community/forum or private Slack/Discord
Owned, Earned & Paid Media
Balance your media mix for sustainable reach, trust, and growth.
What Do We Mean by Owned, Earned & Paid?
Owned media are the channels you control (website, blog, email list). Earned media are mentions you don’t directly control (PR, reviews, shares, backlinks). Paid media are placements you buy (search ads, social ads, display, sponsorships).
Quick Comparison
| Type | Common Channels | Primary Strengths | Key Limitations | Typical KPIs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owned | Website, blog, email, app, community | Control, compounding ROI, first-party data | Slow to grow; needs consistent content | Organic traffic, time on page, email CTR, subscribers |
| Earned | PR, reviews, UGC, backlinks, social mentions | Trust/credibility, broad reach | Unpredictable; limited control; hard to scale | Share of voice, referral traffic, brand mentions |
| Paid | Search, social, display, video, sponsorships | Immediate scale, precise targeting | Ongoing spend; ad fatigue; platform policies | CTR, CVR, CPA/CAC, ROAS, revenue |
How They Work Together
Owned gives you a durable foundation, Paid accelerates distribution, and Earned adds social proof. Together, they create a loop: content → visibility → credibility → conversions → more content.
- Start: Build or refine your Owned assets and content hub.
- Boost: Use Paid to test messaging and scale winners.
- Amplify: Encourage Earned via PR, UGC, partnerships, and reviews.
Examples & Tactics
Earned
- PR pitching to niche publications
- UGC contests and hashtag challenges
- Review generation & testimonials program
- Partnerships & co-marketing
Paid
- Search ads for high-intent keywords
- Social ads to test creative & audiences
- Retargeting with dynamic product ads
- Sponsorships & native placements
Budgeting & Planning Tips
- Foundation first: Allocate resources to improve your website, analytics, and email list.
- Test & learn: Use small paid experiments to validate messages and audiences.
- Earned leverage: Make it easy to review, share, and refer (clear CTAs, social proof blocks).
- Quarterly mix review: Rebalance spend based on channel ROI, seasonality, and goals.
Common Pitfalls (and Fixes)
- Over-relying on a single channel: Diversify and create backups.
- No Owned foundation: Fix slow pages, unclear CTAs, or poor tracking before scaling.
- Unclear measurement: Define KPIs per channel and stage (awareness vs. conversion).
- Set-and-forget: Refresh creatives every 2–4 weeks; rotate offers and formats.
Micro-Exercise (15 minutes)
- Pick a product or service.
- List 3 Owned assets to improve this month.
- Plan 2 Earned tactics to pursue (PR angle, UGC idea, partnership).
- Design a Paid test: channel, audience, budget, success metric.
Self-Check:
- Which channel will deliver results fastest? Which builds durable value?
- What KPI will you use to judge each media type?
- Where could AI reduce time spent (ideation, testing, reporting)?
