You may have heard the terms “earned media,” “owned media,” and “paid media,” but what do they mean and how relevant are they to your business? First, let’s define them briefly (more detail below):
• Earned Media is editorial coverage, such as a project story, interview, firm profile, news item, etc., that is written by a media outlet. It is “earned” because the placement is dependent on an editorial professional with subject-matter expertise who believes that the story deserves exposure.
• Owned Media consists of your website and your social media channels, where you are creating the content, thereby “owning” the message.
• Paid Media is advertising, as well as advertorial (paid-for placements that closely resemble earned editorial) and pay-for-play outlets that either require a sponsorship fee or request your building team members’ contacts so they can try to sell advertising to them.
Getting your work in front of a relevant audience, generating leads, and nurturing prospects is necessary to keep your business healthy and growing. So which media marketing strategy will help your goals?
The answer isn’t as simple as choosing one channel. There used to be just two media possibilities—editorial or advertising. The advent of social media and many pay-to-play outlets now requires more specification and delineation among media channels. Understanding the nuances of what we now refer to as earned, owned, and paid media is crucial to creating an efficient and effective marketing plan.
Whether you’re launching a new project, enhancing your firm’s reputation, or driving traffic to your website, a strategic mix of these elements can help you leverage them to enhance your visibility and credibility.
Promoting architecture, design, and engineering firms requires understanding the distinctions and synergies between advertising and media relations performed by a public relations firm (PR). Both are powerful tools, but they serve different purposes and can be effective when used together. The same approaches also apply to architectural products manufacturers.
Public Relations: Credible and Relational
Media Relations focuses on managing and enhancing your company’s reputation through earned media. PR strategies rely on building relationships with the media and the public to share your firm’s story authentically and credibly.
Key Features of PR:
● Control: Control over the messages to the media (i.e., telling your story before someone else does).
● Credibility: High, as information is conveyed through highly reputable third-party sources.
● Cost: Lower than advertising; the payment is only to the PR agency, rather than ad agency and publication.
● Impact: Long-term impact on brand reputation and public perception, including increased search rankings and website traffic.
Examples of PR Tactics for Architecture and Design Firms:
● Press Releases: Official statements issued to media outlets to announce significant project completions, awards, or new hires.
● Media Stories: Building relationships with editors and journalists to secure coverage and favorable articles on the firm and projects.
● Bylined Articles: Pieces that are penned by you (with the help of your PR firm) to highlight expertise, viewpoint, and initiatives to build thought leadership.
Advertising: Controlled and Direct
Advertising involves paying for space or time to promote your firm’s projects, services, or brand message. It allows for high control over the message, format, and placement. Advertisers are effectively media outlets’ marketing partners and sometimes receive event invitations. A strategic communications firm can help evaluate these opportunities, negotiate placements, and ensure that paid visibility aligns with broader messaging and business development goals. Preferential treatment for media coverage can’t be expected, though may occur at some publications.
Key Features of Advertising:
● Control: High control over the content and timing.
● Reach: Targeted reach using specific platforms, such as client-focused or mass-audience publications, websites, and industry events.
● Cost: Typically higher due to creative production, and media placement expenses.
● Speed: Quick implementation with quick visibility.
Examples of Advertising for Architecture and Design Firms:
● Magazine Ads: Full-page or fractional ads showcasing projects in client-focused magazines aimed at specific audiences (real estate developers, homeowners, institutions, etc.). Many business publications’ “people” columns highlighting promotions and recent hires are now paid ad space.
● Online Banner Ads: Display ads on websites targeting professionals and enthusiasts.
● Sponsored Social Media Posts: Paid content/boosted posts on platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn) highlighting portfolio pieces and industry accolades.
● Sponsorships: Sponsoring industry associations, conferences, or design expos to increase brand visibility among peers and potential clients.
● Professional Sponsorships: Financially supporting awards programs, exhibitions, or industry conferences to increase brand visibility and goodwill, plus promote face-to-face networking where relevant.
Integrating Media Types
Combining owned, earned, and paid media leverages the strengths of each approach, creating a comprehensive and powerful integrated marketing strategy for your architecture and design firm. Here’s how they can work together:
1. Owned Media: Creating valuable content on your website and social channels. Showcase design philosophies, case studies, architecture project highlights, media coverage, award wins, and conference and webinar appearances through blog posts, videos, and infographics.
2. Earned Media: Distribute press releases and pitch stories to print and online outlets. Secure coverage in reputable publications to enhance your content’s reach and credibility.
3. Paid Media: Boost your content’s visibility through targeted advertising and sponsorships. Use sponsored posts, and display ads to drive traffic to your owned media and amplify your earned media coverage. Broadcast and web-based design shows are often pay-to-play and can be particularly valuable if the sponsorship deal includes marketing use of the show’s footage. When strategically planned and monitored, paid placements can reinforce earned media momentum and extend the life of major announcements.
Example Strategy: Project Launch
1. Owned Media: Publish a detailed blog post and a series of social media updates about the completion of a significant project or introduction of a new product. Share compelling imagery along with the design process, challenges, and innovative solutions to educate your audience.
2. Earned Media: Send out a press release to announce the project at various stages. Invite journalists to a project unveiling event or offer them exclusive interviews with the design team.
3. Paid Media: Consider targeted Google ad campaigns and boosted posts on social media platforms, promoting the project launch and driving traffic to your blog or landing page. Incorporate the new project into a paid advertisement with a reputable media outlet, coordinated to complement earned coverage and supported by clear performance tracking where appopriate.
Choosing the Best Strategy for Your Firm
For AEC/design firms and architectural product manufacturers, a balanced approach that integrates all types of media exposure is essential for effective marketing. Understanding and leveraging the strengths of various media informs campaigns that attract attention and build lasting impressions and relationships with your audience. Whether launching a new project or product, enhancing your company’s reputation, or driving traffic to your website, a strategic mix of these elements will help you achieve your goals effectively. The right communications firm will conceive and implement integrated strategies that cover all your bases, including advising on and coordinating earned, owned, and paid media investments to maximize visibility and impact. Earned and owned media often form the foundation of a firm’s visibility, with paid placements strategically amplifying priority initiatives. The right communications partners will help you determine the appropriate mix and coordinate efforts across channels to maximize results.
Interested in amplifying your message? Contact Taylor & Company today to get started.
