Elon Musk’s current transfer to purchase Twitter for $44 billion has been one of many largest tales of the yr. Regardless of the seemingly never-ending drama, the proposed deal has large implications for the social media world.
By itself, the foundering Twitter transaction could not appear all that pertinent to PR professionals. But when you consider it for a second, this tried buy represents one other occasion of rich people or massive firms making an attempt to personal their media presence. Comparable instances embody Jeff Bezos’ 2013 acquisition of The Washington Put up, and Disney’s huge controlling stake in main TV networks and channels, together with ABC, ESPN, A&E Networks, and extra.
Whereas not many PR professionals are more likely to be coping with billionaire purchasers who purchase newspapers or social media platforms, there are many purchasers on the market who solely need to work by means of owned media. Owned media has all the time been tough for PR professionals to handle, particularly in terms of questions of legitimacy and transparency. How can I make my shopper’s owned media work for them whereas additionally making it appear unbiased and truthful?
Forms of media
Let’s remind ourselves of the totally different media varieties and the way they differ from each other. Many advertising and marketing professionals shall be aware of the PESO mannequin of media varieties (Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned), which is a planning device for media campaigns by digital entrepreneurs and PR professionals.
To begin, paid media is any advertising and marketing content material that an organization has paid for, equivalent to advertorial content material, sponsored content material, and different promoted media. Earned media is any favorable protection in a media outlet that an organization hasn’t paid for, equivalent to media mentions, bylined articles, and thought management placements. Shared media is something natural in nature, equivalent to critiques, on-line feedback, and references in different on-line communities.
Lastly, you may have owned media, which is any on-line content material that an organization absolutely owns and controls. Examples of owned media embody firm blogs, self-hosted movies, webinars, and e-mail advertising and marketing campaigns. The beauty of owned media, and what makes it so well-liked, is the entire management you may have over it. In contrast to shared or earned, owned media can be utilized to speak the precise message you need to your viewers. It additionally raises your model consciousness by rising your search visibility and permitting you to achieve new audiences.
An issue arises when purchasers solely need to use owned media, which implies they miss out on the complete advantages that may come from a extra diversified PR marketing campaign. Every media sort has its personal professionals and cons, and a very good PR skilled will know that an efficient media marketing campaign usually requires a wholesome steadiness of the varied varieties.
Methods to ‘personal’ your owned media
From the reader’s perspective, it’s very tough to belief data that comes from a brand-owned supply, notably when the language makes it clear that the purpose is to promote you one thing. Thankfully, even when a shopper does insist on utilizing owned media and nothing else, there are methods to make sure it carries extra weight for the reader and earns their belief. It’s all about the way you current the knowledge.
Beneath are three steps you possibly can take to make your shopper’s owned media extra genuine and reliable within the eyes of readers.
1. Make it informative and helpful
When speaking together with your shopper’s viewers, it’s vital to make the content material each informative and helpful. Typically talking, individuals who frequently go to a brand-owned weblog or join an organization’s e-newsletter aren’t instantly seeking to buy the corporate’s service or order its merchandise. If they’re fascinated with making a purchase order, they are going to simply go to the “order” or “contact us” web page.
Weblog posts and newsletters fulfill a distinct want by offering data that may assist the shopper make future selections about an issue they’re going through. Typically that leads to leads, in fact, however that may’t be the main focus of the content material, not less than not should you’re attempting to construct belief. The extra informative and helpful the content material is, the extra probably it’s that the reader will return for future posts, share those they like on social media, and, finally, think about using the model’s providers or merchandise.
2. Maintain it unbiased and clear
What’s it that units a media outlet just like the New York Occasions other than a brand-owned weblog? The reply is the dedication of the Occasions in the direction of the core tenets of journalism: transparency and goal reporting. Granted, each supply has its biases, however for essentially the most half, journalistic juggernauts just like the Occasions strive as greatest they’ll to stay neutral and truthful of their reporting. The identical must be true of your shopper’s owned media.
That’s to not say you possibly can’t be a bit promotional with owned media. The trick is to make it delicate. Folks can acknowledge once they’re being marketed to, and so they could also be postpone when it’s too of their face. Folks don’t thoughts advertising and marketing once they’re in shopping for mode, however once they’re simply on the lookout for information, a tough gross sales angle could be off-putting.
With owned media content material, attempt to convey up opposing viewpoints and current them in a approach that appears truthful whereas additionally arguing why your shopper’s merchandise/providers are the higher alternative. It’s not all the time straightforward to perform this steadiness, but it surely builds better belief together with your audience.
3. Handle shopper expectations
In case you’ve carefully adopted the above two factors, then it’s best to by now have a media piece that’s each informative and reliable sufficient to enchantment to the audience. Nevertheless, there’s one other issue that you must think about within the owned media equation: the shopper. They might not be completely proud of this strategy you’ve taken. They may not perceive why they’ll’t use these items to overtly promote their services and products. Anticipate to obtain some pushback the primary few instances you ship in some content material for his or her owned media.
Be able to persuade them—in an affordable approach—why the mushy promote is rather more efficient, even with owned media. You also needs to be keen to accommodate the shopper’s needs as greatest you possibly can. An sad shopper received’t stay a shopper for lengthy, so be ready to present some floor if obligatory. Little doubt, it’s a tough balancing act to maintain your shopper glad whereas additionally protecting their content material truthful and clear. However over time, the outcomes ought to communicate for themselves.
Closing ideas
In comparison with different media varieties, owned media permits for extra freedom for purchasers to get their message out as they see it. Nevertheless, there’s a proper and incorrect solution to strategy it. As PR professionals, we have to acknowledge what that proper strategy is and gently persuade our purchasers to take that strategy.
As extra companies look to develop their advertising and marketing attain by means of owned media, there shall be an elevated want for PR professionals to have these doubtlessly tough conversations amongst each themselves and their purchasers.
